Read ahead of public release on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley
Check out Chapter illustrations on Pixiv at unhinged_uchiha
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Thud!
Suddenly, Kakuzu, who had been standing with his back to the wall, ready to go all out against Kanzou and the others, collapsed onto the ground, his face twisted in horror.
"D-damn you… Uchiha Kanzou… damn you," he cursed, scrambling backward in terror until his back slammed against the wall. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, his mind pulsing with agony as he barely managed to remain conscious. He lowered his head, mumbling incoherently, no longer daring to look Kanzou in the eyes, not even daring to lift his gaze.
"W-what?" Misaki murmured in shock, staring at Kakuzu as he suddenly crumpled. "What just happened?"
One moment, he had been perfectly fine, declaring that he was about to get serious. Next, he was on the ground, terrified, as if he had seen a ghost.
The sudden shift left her deeply confused and uneasy about what was really happening. She turned to Kanzou for answers. After all, something like this could only be because of him, right? The way Kakuzu stared at Kanzou with sheer terror made it obvious, this had to be his doing.
Mikoto also turned to Kanzou, her expression tightening. She was curious about what had suddenly happened to Kakuzu, but more than that, she was worried about Kanzou himself.
"Kanzou-sama… you're bleeding," she said softly, noticing the bloody tear trailing down from his eye. Without waiting for a response, she stepped closer and gently wiped it away with her sleeve.
Kanzou didn't resist, allowing her to clean the blood from his cheek as he steadied his breathing. Using the Mangekyō Sharingan placed a heavy strain on the body, and his breath had grown slightly rough.
Misaki pouted, clearly unhappy that Mikoto had beaten her to it; it should have been her doing that. Still, she quickly shifted her focus back to the situation at hand.
"Kanzou-sama… what did you do to him?"
"It was just a genjutsu," he replied lightly, offering no further explanation.
"Just a genjutsu?" Misaki was clearly dissatisfied with the vague answer. "What kind of genjutsu turns someone into that?"
She wanted more answers, but she didn't press him. If Kanzou didn't want to explain, no amount of questioning would change that. It would only annoy him, and annoying him was the last thing she wanted to do. So she chose to stay quiet.
Just then, a voice came from outside the room.
"What's going on here?"
It was Chiaki. She had arrived after hearing the noise. At first, she'd dismissed it, assuming it was just Kanzou and the women inside, doing things that young people their age are supposed to do. But the sounds hadn't matched that assumption; they were not sensual and steamy, rather sharp and violent, unmistakably the sounds of a fight.
The moment she arrived, alarm bells went off.
Cracks spidered across the floor, and holes scarred the ground. For a brief instant, she even wondered if Misaki and Mikoto had been fighting over Kanzou.
But that thought vanished when she took in the scene properly. Misaki, the neko-nin, Kanzou, and Mikoto all stood tense and alert, while a man was backed into a corner.
That meant the fight hadn't been between Misaki and Mikoto at all. There was an intruder.
And something was clearly very wrong… and she wanted to know what was going on here and who the intruder was.
Misaki glanced at Kanzou, who Mikoto was tending to, and sighed. With no one else stepping forward, she took responsibility and explained everything to her mother, how Kakuzu had attacked Mikoto, and how Kanzou had subdued him with genjutsu.
Chiaki fell silent. She looked at Kakuzu again, then asked the same question her daughter had moments earlier. "What kind of genjutsu did you use on him?"
"It was just a simple genjutsu," Kanzou replied, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
"A simple genjutsu?" Chiaki frowned, unconvinced.
By then, Kanzou had already deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan. When Misaki had looked at him earlier, she hadn't noticed anything unusual about his eyes, thus couldn't mention anything about it to Chiaki. As a result, Chiaki had no basis to make any guesses.
Mikoto, however, was different.
Unlike Misaki or Chiaki, she seemed to understand what had really happened.
Having experienced his Tsukuyomi firsthand and knowing about his Mangekyō, she quietly connected the dots, 'It must be his Mangekyō Sharingan's Genjutsu… that would also explain the bleeding…'
Even so, she said nothing. Kanzou had forbidden her from speaking about it, and she intended to respect that. Still, worry lingered in her eyes as she asked, "Kanzou-sama… are you feeling alright?"
"Hm? Yeah," he replied, nodding as his breathing steadied. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I was just checking," she said softly, stepping aside.
"Hmm…" Kanzou hummed, giving her back a reassuring pat.
Meanwhile, Chiaki spoke up. "Well… since you've dealt with him using your so-called 'simple genjutsu,' then put an end to his life and settle this completely."
Her eyes hardened as they settled on Kakuzu. He had dared to infiltrate her domain and attack Mikoto. That alone was unforgivable. In her mind, only immediate execution was appropriate. She wanted him dead, and his body was displayed outside as a warning to anyone else foolish enough to attempt the same.
"Wait, Oka-san," Misaki said quickly. "Shouldn't we at least find out why he tried to attack Mikoto-sama first?"
Kanzou shook his head. "There's no need. I already know."
His words drew everyone's attention. He continued calmly, "Apparently, there's a large bounty on my head in the black market."
That didn't surprise him in the least, considering everything he'd done and the people he'd offended; it was only natural for there to be a bounty on him.
He went on, "Kakuzu, being a bounty hunter, was tempted by the reward. But after what happened outside with those drunkards, he wasn't confident he could defeat me easily. So he planned to take Mikoto hostage and lure me into a trap."
After hours of torture inside Tsukuyomi, Kakuzu had inevitably confessed to everything.
No matter how strong his will was, it meant nothing in the end, especially when he had no loyalty to anchor him. Kanzou only made it worse, repeatedly hinting that he already knew Kakuzu's purpose, leaving Kakuzu with no hope of resistance.
Indeed, Kanzou had already suspected that Kakuzu's objective was a bounty. At first, though, he'd assumed that since Kakuzu had targeted Mikoto, it might have been the bounty on her head. After all, she was a former member of the Guardian Twelve and a jōnin of the Uchiha Clan; she did have a bounty. But it was small, nowhere near comparable to Kanzou's.
In the end, Kakuzu relented that it was Kanzou's bounty that had tempted him.
"He wanted to take me hostage?" Mikoto murmured, her expression turning cold.
Kakuzu's attack alone had already earned him her hatred. Learning that he'd planned to use her as bait to lure Kanzou into a trap only fueled her anger. What infuriated her most was the realization that he might have succeeded if Kanzou hadn't arrived in time.
A small, traitorous thought crossed her mind, that being kidnapped by Kakuzu and rescued by Kanzou might not have been so terrible. It would have allowed her to understand how much Kanzou valued her, or whether he valued her at all…
But only a fleeting part of her considered it, and the thought vanished just as quickly.
Being kidnapped, used as a hostage, would only make her a burden. And the last thing she wanted was to be a burden to him. She didn't want to be seen as useless.
Kanzou had made it clear, he didn't want a useless woman as his wife. If she had been captured so easily, she was certain he might have discarded her.
That realization made her fury toward Kakuzu boil over. Because of him, she had come dangerously close to being thrown away by Kanzou.
She refused to let that stand. Determined to redeem herself and prove her worth, she looked at Kanzou and asked coldly, "Shall I kill him?"
"You want to kill him?" Kanzou asked, surprised that she had taken the initiative.
"He tried to kidnap me and use me as a hostage," Mikoto replied. "It's only right that I do it, isn't it?" She glanced at Chiaki and Misaki, seeking their opinion. Although she knew the final decision rested with Kanzou, she didn't want any objections.
Neither Chiaki nor Misaki objected.
"It doesn't matter who does it," Chiaki said flatly. "Just get rid of him."
Mikoto turned back to Kanzou, waiting for his answer.
Kanzou didn't answer. Instead, he withdrew the hand that had been resting on Mikoto's and walked toward Kakuzu.
"Kanzou-sama?" Mikoto called out.
He didn't respond.
Stopping in front of Kakuzu, Kanzou looked down at him, then bent slightly and spoke in a low voice. "So… it seems my Mikoto wants to be the one to kill you. Honestly, I don't oppose the idea." He paused, then continued calmly, "But whether I let her do it or not depends entirely on you. So what will it be, Kakuzu Ojii-san? Will you accept my offer… or will you die by her blade?"
At those words, everyone's expression shifted: Chiaki, Misaki, Mikoto, and even the neko-nin.
"Offer?" Misaki asked sharply. "What offer?"
Kanzou explained without glancing back. "Congratulations, old woman. You wanted me to find a solution to the problem called Fugaku." He gestured toward Kakuzu. "That solution just walked right in. Here it is."
"Solution?" Chiaki frowned. "You mean him?"
"Yep," Kanzou nodded. He glanced at Kakuzu again. "With Kakuzu Ojii-san around, Fugaku would no longer be a problem for you."
"Wait—what?" Misaki blurted out. "What Fugaku problem? What are you two talking about?"
Chiaki shot her a sharp look. "Misaki, stay quiet for now. I'll explain everything later."
"Fine…" Misaki pouted, but she fell silent.
Mikoto, however, didn't say a word. She had already begun to piece everything together: why Fugaku was considered a problem, and why Kanzou saw this man as the solution.
Chiaki asked, "Will he really be able to stop Fugaku?" She looked at Kakuzu again, doubt clear in her eyes. Seeing him reduced to this state by what Kanzou had casually called a simple genjutsu did little to inspire confidence in Kakuzu's abilities.
Kanzou shrugged. "Don't judge him by his current state. Right now, he looks completely helpless and unimpressive, but that's only because I didn't give him the chance to show his strength. If he were allowed to fight properly, he'd be quite formidable, strong enough to match Fugaku, and possibly even overwhelm him." He paused, then added, "Moreover… he doesn't die like a normal shinobi. That alone is a major advantage; it would catch most enemies completely off guard."
Misaki and Mikoto couldn't help but agree. Even after Kanzou had pierced Kakuzu's heart with his blade, he was still alive, something that would shock almost anyone. It was only because Kanzou knew so much about him and his Jutsu that Kakuzu had been defeated so easily.
In truth, it almost felt unfair. But then again… there was no such thing as unfair in a battle between shinobi.
"If you're saying this," Chiaki said slowly, "then I suppose I have no choice but to consider it. But…" She hesitated. "Does he even want to work for us? And what if he betrays us?"
"That's exactly what I'm asking him," Kanzou replied, turning his attention back to Kakuzu.
While torturing Kakuzu inside Tsukuyomi, Kanzou had already presented him with the offer to work under him, essentially as a subordinate.
To be honest, Kanzou should have killed Kakuzu. Kakuzu had come with murderous intent and had even planned to kidnap Mikoto and use her as a hostage. That alone was reason enough.
And yet…
Kakuzu hadn't acted out of hatred toward Kanzou, nor had he harbored any dirty intentions toward Mikoto. He had been driven purely by greed; the bounty was too tempting to ignore.
If that were set aside, there was no personal enmity between them.
That didn't mean Kanzou wasn't angry. Kakuzu had still dared to lay a hand on his Mikoto. Intentions aside, that line had been crossed. But Kanzou had already exacted his punishment, hours of torture inside Tsukuyomi.
That was enough.
Now, instead of killing him, Kanzou wanted Kakuzu to work for him, and he had already made the offer.
As for taking Kakuzu as a subordinate, it wasn't a bad idea at all. As someone later recruited into the Akatsuki, Kakuzu was undeniably competent. He possessed Kage-level strength, decades of combat experience, and, working on the darker side of things, he had extensive connections in the black market and a fearsome reputation as a top-tier bounty hunter. Most importantly, money was his primary motivation for doing anything, which made him far easier to control.
All things considered, Kakuzu was a very valuable asset to have.
Kanzou genuinely believed that, as a villain boss, he should have a few hidden operatives like Kakuzu at his disposal.
Yes, he already had Shin, Hazuki, Souta, Satoru, and several others in Konoha, but all of them were members of the Uchiha Clan. Their movements were restricted and monitored… And there were limits to what he could order them to do. Certain tasks needed to be carried out outside Konoha, beyond the clan's reach.
On top of that, none of them was as strong or as experienced as Kakuzu.
If Kakuzu worked for him, he would become an ace up his sleeve, someone no one knew about and no one would expect.
Kanzou's own strength was already more than sufficient, of course. Still… having a competent, independent subordinate that no one knows about was never a bad idea.
With that in mind, Kanzou turned his attention back to Kakuzu. "So… Kakuzu Ojii-san, are you going to accept my offer or not? Quickly make a decision, I don't have much time for you to ponder over it…"
Kakuzu swallowed and asked weakly, "What am I… what do I get in return?"
He wasn't completely opposed to the idea of working for Kanzou. He had already experienced the gap in strength firsthand, and worse, Kanzou knew everything about him, while he knew almost nothing about Kanzou. The situation was hopelessly one-sided. Not to mention, hours of torture had worn him down, breaking his resistance. Rather than refuse outright and die, he wanted to know what he would gain by working for Kanzou.
"Being allowed to stay alive," Kanzou replied lightly. "Isn't that enough?"
Kakuzu's lips twitched. Staying alive wasn't a bad deal, but it still felt unfair. He knew this was his own fault: targeting the bounty on Kanzou's head, attacking Kanzou's woman, and getting crushed as a result.
He regrets doing it because now his life is firmly in Kanzou's hands.
Still… it rankled.
He wasn't the type to work under someone else, not after being betrayed by his village elders and leaders. But now, he had no choice but to work for Kanzou… well, it was better than dying.
Still, if he had to work for Kanzou, then he wanted something concrete in return.
As if reading his thoughts, Kanzou shrugged. "Fine. You won't be working for free." His eyes glinted faintly. "Since money is what you care about, I'll pay you. How about that?"
"Alright…" Kakuzu nodded. If he was getting paid, he didn't mind working for Kanzou.
"Good decision," Kanzou said, nodding as he extended his hand.
Kakuzu took it, and with Kanzou's support, he pulled himself to his feet. Even then, he struggled to stay upright and had to lean against the wall for support.
"Don't worry," Kanzou said, patting him on the shoulder. "I went easy on you. Your spirit should recover after a few days of rest."
"You went easy on me?" Kakuzu nearly gagged. 'That was easy? I was tortured for hours!!!' He didn't even want to imagine what Kanzou going all out would be like. Swallowing, he asked, "What… what kind of genjutsu did you use on me?"
Inside the illusion, it had felt like hours had passed, yet the moment Kanzou released it, it seemed as though only an instant had gone by.
'A genjutsu that alters the perception of time…?' he wondered.
"Just a simple genjutsu," Kanzou replied casually, offering no further explanation.
"Hm…" Kakuzu grunted, not buying it for a second. It was obvious Kanzou had no intention of explaining what kind of genjutsu it really was. That didn't surprise him; information was power, and Kanzou clearly wasn't about to give any of it away. So Kakuzu didn't press the issue.
'Still… a genjutsu that alters the perception of time, and whatever he used on those drunkards earlier, something that even made me tremble from a distance…' Kakuzu thought grimly. 'Uchiha Kanzou is genuinely dangerous.'
Despite living for decades, Kakuzu had never seen, nor even heard of, jutsu like the ones Kanzou used. That alone made it clear the boy wasn't someone to be trifled with.
'No wonder his bounty is five hundred million ryō… I was a fool to come here.'
But what was done couldn't be undone. Dwelling on regret was pointless now. What mattered was what came next.
"So," Kakuzu asked at last, "what do you want me to do?"
"For the time being… I need you to ensure the safety of this place," Kanzou said.
"The safety of this place?" Kakuzu murmured, frowning.
Kanzou nodded and gestured toward Chiaki and Misaki. "Those two live here. They're… loosely my subordinates. Not in the strict sense, they're more like merchants, but they have a good relationship with the Uchiha Clan."
He went on to explain Chiaki's ties to the clan: how he had only recently become the Uchiha Patriarch, how Fugaku had been exiled, and how Fugaku might target this place to cut off the clan's supply of ninja tools.
"The chances of that happening are low," Kanzou said calmly, "but I don't take unnecessary risks. I can't be here all the time, so I need you to make sure this place stays safe."
"Then why didn't you just kill this Fugaku person?" Kakuzu asked, genuinely confused. In Kakuzu's opinion, the natural course of action after Kanzou became patriarch would have been to eliminate Fugaku and end the problem outright, yet Kanzou wasn't doing that, which struck him as very strange.
"I have my reasons," Kanzou replied lightly, clearly unwilling to elaborate. He continued, "If Fugaku does come here, you're to defeat him. Don't worry, you can handle it. Fugaku isn't as strong or as tricky as me. But don't take him lightly either; he does have some strength. Anyway, only defeat him, and you can be as brutal as you want about it… But try not to kill him, and try not to harm his eyes either. I want him alive, and I want him with both his eyes."
Kakuzu didn't understand Kanzou's insistence on keeping Fugaku alive, but he didn't question it. "Fine. Whatever." He paused, then asked, "So I just protect this place and those two women from this Fugaku person, right?"
"And the cats," Kanzou added.
"And the cats," Kakuzu nodded.
Still, a hint of dissatisfaction crept in. "But… It's a bit of a problem. I won't be moving around much…"
He preferred roaming from place to place, hunting bounties. Being tied to one location wasn't ideal, and it meant no bounty hunting for a while.
"It's only temporary," Kanzou said. "I'll have plenty of work for you soon, so don't worry."
After all, he was a villain boss. Naturally, he intended to use Kakuzu for many questionable and profitable tasks.
"Hm… alright," Kakuzu said, nodding in satisfaction. "I'm looking forward to it."
With Kakuzu's response, Kanzou turned to Chiaki. "Well… there you have it. The immortal Kakuzu will be protecting this place. With him around, Fugaku won't be a problem."
Chiaki nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on Kanzou. "I'm trusting you on this, boy." She didn't trust Kakuzu in the slightest, but she trusted Kanzou. If he said Kakuzu could protect them, she was willing to accept it.
"Yeah. Don't worry about it," Kanzou replied with a nod.
He then turned back to Kakuzu, placing a firm hand on the older man's shoulder. His voice dropped, dangerous. "I'm sure Kakuzu Ojii-san won't disappoint me… right, Ojii-san?"
The look in Kanzou's eyes made Kakuzu's soul tremble.
"Y-yeah…" Kakuzu nodded quickly.
"Good," Kanzou said calmly. Then he leaned in closer and continued, his voice turning cold. "Because if you do disappoint me, and by that, I mean if you even think about betraying me or running away…" He paused deliberately before whispering, low and heavy, "I will come after you. It won't matter where you hide, what corner of the continent you crawl into. I will find you." His voice sank even further as he released a faint but overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, locking it squarely onto Kakuzu, "And when I do, I won't kill you. No. I'll make you endure the torture you experienced in that genjutsu, multiplied a hundred thousand times. For a duration ranging from years… to eternity. Don't ask whether I can do something like that. I'm telling you that I can. And you do not want to be on the receiving end of it. Is that understood, Kakuzu Ojii-san?"
"I… I won't disappoint you," Kakuzu said quickly, gulping as his entire being shook. This wasn't a threat; it was a promise.
"I'm glad you're such an understanding person, Kakuzu Ojii-san," Kanzou said with a satisfied nod.
Kakuzu snorted inwardly. Understanding? It wasn't as if he had any real choice. Kanzou had scared him half to death; there was no way he wanted to be on bad terms with a man like that. And besides, he was getting paid. That alone made the arrangement acceptable.
If he was working for someone, he would do the job properly. Betrayal wasn't in his nature, especially not when the consequences were this clear.
"Now that this matter is settled, there are a few more things you all need to know…" With that, he explained several additional points to Chiaki, Misaki, and Kakuzu.
Once he finished, he turned to Mikoto. "Come on. Let's go."
"Hai…" she nodded. She cast one last glance at Kakuzu, who was leaving with Chiaki to be shown the room he'd use while staying there, then followed Kanzou.
Misaki followed along as well.
"What do you want, Misaki?" Kanzou asked without stopping.
"I'm just seeing you off," she replied, walking beside him with her hands clasped behind her back.
"There's no need," he said calmly. "I know my way. Go back inside and keep an eye on Kakuzu; consider it a task I'm assigning you. As for anything I need Kakuzu to do, I'll relay it through you, so be prepared."
"Mm… I'll handle it," she nodded.
Still, she didn't turn back. Instead, she continued walking beside him, lightly brushing her shoulders against his arm from time to time, as she questioned him in a low voice. "Kanzou-sama… aren't you leaving a little too quickly?"
She wanted him to stay. After all, they hadn't fucked yet. Every time he'd come to Sora-ku over the past two or three years, he'd always make sure to fuck her, but this time, he hadn't.
She wanted him to stay a little longer and fuck her brains out before leaving.
At her words, Mikoto stiffened and lowered her head.
Already aware of the nature of Kanzou's relationship with her, Mikoto understood exactly what Misaki was asking for. The bluntness of it made her feel embarrassed, yet it also left her unsettled. A flicker of unhappiness stirred in her chest as well, and she found herself unsure of how Kanzou would respond.
"Not today," he replied lightly.
"I… I see," Misaki murmured. She understood immediately that he had no intention of fucking her this time. It stung, especially since she always looked forward to it, but she had no choice but to accept it. She stopped walking and gave him a small wave. "Then… have a safe trip back to Konoha."
"Mm," he nodded, lifting a hand in return without looking back as he continued on with Mikoto.
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The Power Stone Goal is 50 within the next 24 hrs. So, hurry up and drop your Power Stones!
Read ahead of public release on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley
Check out Chapter illustrations on Pixiv: unhinged_uchiha