Sensing his old friend about to mentally collapse, Koharu quickly stepped in to change the subject.
"Evan, how could you casually pass your sword style to the Uchiha?" she scolded.
"That kind of swordsmanship is far too dangerous for them," Homura added, backing her up.
"Hmph."
Danzo snorted. "Some people have clearly already climbed into the Uchiha's bed, sharing pants with them, as it were."
"...????"
A string of question marks practically appeared over Evan's head.
Excuse me?
All he'd done was mention the idea of maybe guiding Itachi in swordsmanship.
Did every Uchiha have a megaphone for a mouth?
So now all of Konoha knew?
Seriously… Uchiha Fugaku did that on purpose, right?
And it's not like he had to be telling the truth.
What, he was going to train the great filial son in sword arts so that, one day, the kid could run him through with them?
He'd have to be kicked in the head by a donkey to do that.
Wait. No, something was off.
At this point in time, the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha shouldn't be out in the open yet.
And yet these fossils were talking like it was some huge crime.
So what are they really after?
"Huh. So you all know it's my sword style?" Evan asked, his expression going cold. He was probing now.
Shameless. All of them.
Hiruzen coughed. "Evan, you should be cautious. Your swordsmanship has already been classified as one of Konoha's S-rank forbidden techniques."
"If someone with ill intent were to learn it, it could be disastrous for the village."
Evan rolled his eyes.
"Third Hokage, what exactly is 'ill intent'? Are you talking about the Uchiha?"
Hiruzen looked shocked—then wounded.
"How can you say that? The Uchiha are also a part of Konoha. Don't talk like that…"
"You're still young. It's easy to be misled. You must choose carefully who inherits your sword style."
Koharu nodded, wearing her best "I'm doing this for your own good" face.
"That's right. Hand the method of cultivating your sword style over to Konoha. Let the village select the inheritor for you."
"This would be a great boon to Konoha, Evan. Surely you want what's best for the village, don't you?" Danzo said, voice low and oily.
Homura's eyes narrowed.
"If you give us the training method, we can overlook your… entanglement with the Uchiha."
"…"
Ah. So that's how it is.
Evan's lips twitched. He got it now.
A whole pack of old foxes, all eyeing his swordsmanship.
The Uchiha nonsense was just a hat they'd thrown on his head, an excuse to pressure him, force him to bow, and voluntarily hand over his sword style.
Sure enough, the ever-dutiful "tool man" finally spoke.
"Evan," Minato said gently, "what the elders mean is… they would like you to record your sword style's training method into the Scroll of Seals."
"That way, if Konoha ever produces a ninja suited to learn it, it would be a great benefit to the village."
Evan looked at Minato's kind smile and secretly sighed.
Of course.
No wonder the Yellow Flash had no objections.
As long as they chanted "for the sake of Konoha," Minato would believe them one hundred percent.
But did these people want his sword style purely "for Konoha"?
The "two elders," huh?
So it was Koharu and Homura who first pitched the idea.
And Danzo just tagged along to join the feeding frenzy.
Which made sense.
With the killing power of Dugu Nine Swords, in a world without actual cheats, the style was basically a lower-dimensional massacre tool: a pure slaughter technique.
For Anbu and Root—organizations specialized in assassination—this kind of sword style was invaluable.
There was no way Danzo wouldn't be tempted.
So yeah… they're here for my Dugu Nine Swords.
Evan thought this, and slowly let a charming smile spread over his face.
"I have no objections," he said smoothly. "Everything is for Konoha."
"However, the training method is very complex. I'll need to go back and organize it first…"
Hiruzen nodded repeatedly, already satisfied.
He almost lit his pipe again, but remembered the looks from earlier and forced himself to hold back.
"I knew it," the old man said warmly. "You have a firm Will of Fire, Evan."
"The future of Konoha rests on young men like you…"
He drifted into another long-winded speech about the Will of Fire, generations, sacrifice, blah blah blah.
Evan listened quietly, smiling brighter and brighter.
—
Half an hour later, Evan walked out of the Hokage Tower.
The bright smile vanished the moment he stepped into an empty stretch of street.
His expression turned ice cold.
"How interesting," he murmured. "Stay in prison for a while and they forget that my sword is used for killing."
"They want my sword style? Then let's see if they've got the guts to train in it."
He stopped walking.
He waited a few seconds.
No one appeared behind him.
"If you're not coming out," Evan said lazily, "I'll just go kill Moonlight Hayate."
"You wouldn't dare!"
Uzuki Yugao appeared behind him, furious.
"Try me," Evan said, eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced her way.
Her heart spasmed.
That look didn't feel human. It chilled her down to the bone.
He's in a bad mood, she realized. That only made her more cautious.
Evan's gaze slid down her body, lingering shamelessly.
He licked his lips.
"Come with me."
Yugao watched his back as he turned away.
Her feet refused to move.
She had understood perfectly what that hungry look meant. She wasn't stupid.
And it had hurt. So much.
If she didn't go, he'd go after Hayate. So what was she supposed to do?
Damn you, Hayate. You're killing me here…
She bit her lip hard.
Just pretend you got bitten by a stray dog, she told herself.
As Evan's silhouette was about to vanish into the shadows of the trees, she forced her legs to move and followed.
He led her through dense woodland and back into the depths of the Forest of Death.
He's not covering my eyes this time?
Does that mean he trusts me now?
Or is he planning to kill me afterward?
Yugao's whole body stayed tense.
Soon, Evan reached a low earthen pit.
Below it yawned the mouth of a man-height tunnel.
He shot her a cold glance. "Get in."
Yugao stared at the dark opening. It looked like the gaping jaws of some monster, ready to swallow her whole.
She hesitated.
Evan didn't bother waiting. He went in first.
"My patience is limited," he called back.
Yugao shuddered, then followed him into the narrow tunnel.
A moment later, she stood once more in that underground chamber, the one soaked in painful memories.
Before she could fully steady herself, Evan's voice cut in, sharp and impatient.
"Hurry up. I'm in a rush."
"…"
Yugao swallowed hard.
Too direct…
In almost no time, Evan had stripped down without a hint of embarrassment.
He stepped up to her, eyes locking onto hers.
His stare made her scalp prickle.
Yugao clenched her teeth. Her fingers trembled.
It's already happened once, she told herself. There's nothing left to protect.
Just grit your teeth and get through it…
With that, the shame and hesitation in her heart dulled a notch.
She forced herself to move. Fabric slid off her shoulders. Underwear loosened and fell away, revealing pale skin and clean, elegant lines she'd never meant for anyone to see.
"Beautiful," Evan murmured, licking his lips.
"Hmph."
Yugao snorted softly, trying to mask her nerves.
Her body shook, not from cold but from fear and humiliation.
"Don't be scared," Evan said. "The first time is shocking. By the second time, you'll fall in love with it."
"Mm…"
Her answer was little more than a broken sound.
The underground chamber fell silent, the rest of the scene swallowed by darkness and the creak of an old bed.
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