Deep within the Imperial Palace of the Land of Fire lay a dungeon untouched by sunlight.
It was damp and cold, saturated with the stench of rust and decay.
A hellish contrast to the splendor above.
Inuzuka Kiba and Shino Aburame sat slumped against the icy stone wall.
The arrogance and vitality they once carried were long gone.
Their eyes were sunken, unfocused.
Their lips were cracked and peeling.
Powerful sealing jutsu had been applied to their bodies.
Not only could they no longer sense even a trace of chakra, but more than half of their physical strength had been forcibly drained as well.
They were like beasts whose claws and fangs had been torn away.
Shino Aburame's condition was even worse.
Behind his dark sunglasses, his eyes were hollow and dull.
His entire body had been dusted with a special insect-repellent powder designed specifically to suppress parasitic insects.
The pungent odor not only severed his connection to his kikaichū—
it gnawed away at his will like a slow-acting poison.
More shocking still were their left hands.
Wrapped tightly in thick, bloodstained bandages.
Beneath those wrappings, three fingers were missing from each of them.
The pain of the severed fingers tormented their bodies day and night, but what truly crushed them was the destruction of their pride as Konoha ninja.
Reality pressed down on them like iron shackles.
They were no longer ninja on a mission.
They were prisoners.
"At that bastard Emperor…" Kiba's voice was hoarse, dry, filled with venomous hatred.
"Konoha's intelligence division… it's all fucking garbage!"
He had believed the same lie everyone else did.
That the Daimyō of the Land of Fire was nothing more than a ceremonial figurehead.
That the Hokage was the true ruler.
That the Daimyō "appointing" the Hokage was just a meaningless formality.
Anyone who believed otherwise was an idiot.
But now—
imprisoned, mutilated, humiliated—
after personally witnessing the ruthlessness, cunning, and unfathomable power of that so-called Emperor, Kiba finally understood.
Konoha's arrogance.
The higher-ups' contempt for the Daimyō's Residence.
Their outdated, delayed intelligence.
All of it was fatally wrong.
The conflict between Konoha and the Imperial Court was no longer some hidden undercurrent.
It had already reached the brink of open war.
"Teacher Kurenai… Hinata…"
Shino adjusted his cracked sunglasses with a trembling hand.
His voice was so low it was barely audible.
They had no idea where Kurenai Yuhi and Hyuga Hinata were now.
Had they been captured too?
Had they suffered the same fate?
Had they also… lost something?
Fear slithered around their hearts like a venomous snake.
"Hokage-sama will definitely come for us!" Kiba suddenly raised his head, forcing conviction into his voice.
"That damned Emperor is no match for the Hokage! Konoha is the strongest…"
He didn't know whether he was trying to convince Shino— or himself.
"…Akamaru."
Kiba's voice faltered again.
His partner.
His brother-in-arms.
His ninja dog.
Was Akamaru still alive?
Had that Emperor…?
Just then—
Creeeeak.
The heavy iron door of the dungeon slowly swung open.
A figure clad in black combat attire stepped inside, radiating a cold, blade-like pressure.
It was Uchiha Tekka.
In his hands, he carried a steaming earthenware pot.
A strange, rich aroma instantly flooded the dungeon, cutting through the stench of decay like a knife.
Tekka expressionlessly placed the pot on the ground in front of them.
Inside were chunks of stewed meat, bones clearly visible.
The broth was thick and rich, steam curling upward, carrying an intoxicating scent.
"Eat." Tekka's voice was flat, emotionless.
"His Majesty the Emperor is merciful. This is his reward."
"Only if you live," he added slowly, deliberately, "will you have the strength to think about other things."
He emphasized the word live.
The implication was unmistakable.
Kiba and Shino had been starving for far too long.
The aroma of the food struck them like a devil's whisper, instantly overwhelming their remaining dignity and caution.
Survival instinct won.
They exchanged a glance—
helplessness, struggle, humiliation—
and then lunged forward.
Ignoring the heat, they grabbed the meat and bones with their bare hands, devouring them like animals.
Hunger sharpened their senses to a frightening degree.
The meat was unbelievably tender and flavorful.
The marrow inside the bones was rich beyond anything they had ever tasted.
"Mmm… fuck, this is good…" Kiba muttered indistinctly while gnawing on a bone.
"What kind of meat is this? I've never eaten anything this fragrant!"
Shino ate silently.
Behind his sunglasses, his eyes flickered faintly, analyzing, calculating, trying to identify the source of the meat.
Uchiha Tekka watched them coldly from the side.
When he heard Kiba's question, the corner of his mouth slowly curved upward.
It wasn't a smile.
It was a thin, knife-edged sneer.
Tekka hated all Konoha ninja.
In his mind, every single one of them was an accomplice to the Uchiha Clan's destruction.
Watching Kiba greedily suck marrow from the bone, Tekka finally spoke again, his tone calm to the point of cruelty.
"Oh? This?"
He paused deliberately.
Enjoying the exact moment when both Kiba and Shino froze mid-bite.
Then, slowly, clearly, he delivered the answer.
"This is dog meat. Specially bestowed by His Majesty."
Boom!
It was as if a thunderbolt detonated inside Kiba's head.
The meat he hadn't yet swallowed instantly turned into burning iron in his mouth.
His throat seized as if gripped by an invisible hand.
His stomach lurched violently.
"Dog… dog meat…?" Kiba's voice twisted into something broken, filled with terror, disbelief, and despair.
His eyes dropped to the bone in his hand.
Still slick with meat.
Still stained with marrow.
That familiar structure.
That unmistakable canid shape.
A realization slammed into him with crushing force.
His hands began to shake uncontrollably.
And from deep within the dungeon—
a sound echoed.
Not a scream.
Not a curse.
But the violent retching of a man whose world had finally collapsed.
...
Author's Update 18+ 📢
The fanfic Naruto: Raised by Kushina, Took His Brother's Wife – Part 1 is now officially fully completed!
It is now available on Patreon for all tiers, including the lowest Tier 1.
The complete Part 1 has been uploaded on Patreon.
📚 Category: Naruto 18+
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Thank you all for your continuous love, support, and patience for this story 💙