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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The residence of the previous Patriarch, Uchiha Compound,
Fugaku frowned deeply as Kanzou suddenly arrived at his home with a group of policemen.
He wanted to ask Kanzou about the promise he had made earlier, but with so many people around, he was too embarrassed to bring it up.
After all, that sort of matter could only be discussed in private.
"Kanzou, what's the meaning of this?" Fugaku asked, trying to maintain composure.
A playful smile curved Kanzou's lips as he spoke in a low, mocking tone that only Fugaku could hear. "Fugaku-san, how did it feel to willingly put a green hat on your own head? Did you enjoy it?"
At those words, Fugaku's face turned green.
"Fufu…" Kanzou chuckled, then continued casually, "Mikoto, thanks to you, came to me dressed like a bride. She had even prepared dinner for me, and I must say… her cooking was truly delicious. Those skills were meant for you, weren't they? Yet I was the one who was fed by her own hands, and I enjoyed it." His smile widened slightly. "But even more than that… I enjoyed the dessert, her own taste. She was very… moist. And the things she did for me… Fufu~"
Fugaku's complexion worsened, his chest tightening as though he might cough up blood.
He forced himself to hold it back, 'Now isn't the time.'
Hatred surged toward both Kanzou and Mikoto, but he crushed it down.
'I'd take my revenge once I become the Patriarch,' he reminded himself, and questioned Kanzou, "What are you trying to pull by telling me all this?"
"Just letting you know what you so generously gave up," Kanzou replied with a smile. After a brief pause, he added, "And that you gained absolutely nothing in return."
"Nothing in return…?" Fugaku seized on the words at once. "Kanzou, are you going back on your word?"
"What do you think?" Kanzou asked lightly, clearly amused.
He didn't deny it outright, but the look in his eyes said more than words ever could.
Fugaku understood immediately, Kanzou had intended to betray him from the start.
No, this wasn't betrayal. Kanzou had never planned to withdraw from the patriarchal race in the first place. He had never intended to hand over the position.
All Kanzou had wanted was for Fugaku to willingly place a green hat on his own head, and Fugaku had done exactly that.
Humiliation burned through him as he clenched his fists.
Yet, to be honest, he wasn't truly surprised.
This outcome had always been within the realm of possibility. He had simply clung to false hope. After all, he had even 'ordered' Mikoto to stay with Kanzou of his own accord, an act that only deepened his anger now.
Still, he understood how pointless his anger was. His strength was nowhere near enough to defeat Kanzou, and Kanzou's subordinates were present as well. Fighting was not an option.
"Are you done?" he asked coldly, forcing himself to remain composed. "If so, then get lost."
He didn't want to see Kanzou anymore. The longer he stood there, the harder it became to suppress the urge to kill him, and he knew all too well that he wasn't capable of doing so. Sending Kanzou away was the only way to keep himself in check.
But Kanzou didn't move.
"Get lost?" Kanzou replied calmly. "That won't be happening."
"Why not?" Fugaku shouted. "I have no interest in seeing you, so just get lost!"
At his outburst, Shin, who had been standing behind Kanzou, spoke up calmly. "Kanzou-sama, there's nothing left to discuss with him, is there? Let's just arrest him and be done with it."
Fugaku stiffened at those words, panic flashing across his face.
Kanzou gave Shin a brief nod and waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah… you're right. Arrest him."
At once, Shin and Souta stepped forward. In a blur of motion, their blades came to rest against Fugaku's neck.
Caught off guard and still recovering from his injuries, Fugaku was too slow to react. Unable to defend himself, he shouted in fury, "What is the meaning of this?! Kanzou, what the hell are you doing?"
"What's the meaning of this?" Kanzou echoed with a smile. "Don't you already know?"
"Stop this, stop it now!" Fugaku yelled. "If you don't, I'll expose all the disgraceful things you've done!"
Those nearby exchanged startled looks. 'Disgraceful things? Kanzou-sama?'
They were curious about what disgraceful things Kanzou has committed that Fugaku had as a leverage.
Kanzou blinked in feigned confusion. "Disgraceful things? What do you mean, Fugaku-san?"
"Do you really think I won't expose you?!" Fugaku roared.
Betraying trust was one thing, but humiliating him like this was unforgivable. Rage boiled over, and he wanted everyone present to know exactly what Kanzou had been doing behind their backs.
"Your secret affair with Mikoto!" Fugaku barked. "Don't forget—she hadn't broken off her engagement with me at the time. What you two did was utterly immoral and disgraceful!"
At once, murmurs rippled through the crowd as ears perked up.
"A secret affair between Kanzou-sama and Mikoto-sama? What?"
"Was something like that really going on?"
"Aaah… I'm so jealous of Mikoto-sama. How did she get to have a secret affair with Kanzou-sama when I never even had a chance?"
"More importantly… if Kanzou-sama and Mikoto-sama were secretly having an affair… then that pair of underwear that was found at Kanzou-sama's home… don't tell me it's…"
"Hisss… there is no way Mikoto-sama would do something… so… so disgraceful…!"
"What matters is that Mikoto-sama was engaged to Fugaku-sama. If this is true… isn't it immoral?"
"For Kanzou-sama to lay hands on an engaged woman…"
"Maybe she simply didn't think Fugaku was good enough for her."
"Well, between Fugaku and Kanzou-sama, the choice is obvious. Kanzou-sama is far more handsome and stronger… It's unfairly enviable."
"Still… laying hands on an engaged woman…"
"Could this be why Fugaku-sama broke off his engagement with Mikoto-sama? Because he discovered their scandalous affair?"
"That must be it, right?"
When news first spread that Fugaku had broken off his engagement to Mikoto, many had been baffled.
Had he lost his mind?
Without Mikoto by his side, Elder Tadayoshi's support for his bid to become clan head would have vanished.
It was as if Fugaku had willingly severed his own arm.
But now, everything seemed to fall into place.
If Mikoto had been carrying on a secret affair with Kanzou behind his back, then Fugaku must have discovered it. Breaking off the engagement would make sense, after all, who would willingly marry someone who had betrayed them with another man?
"Now that I think about it… I did see Mikoto-sama going to Kanzou-sama's house yesterday," someone murmured. "She was dressed beautifully, almost like a bride. Was that because she finally felt free of all ties to Fugaku-sama and no longer needed to hide her affair with Kanzou-sama?"
"Fugaku-sama is truly pitiful… to be betrayed like this."
"I almost feel sorry for him."
The reaction was largely what Fugaku had anticipated. Doubtful gazes began to turn toward Kanzou.
Of course, the accusation humiliated Fugaku as well; that was precisely why he had kept silent until now. But cornered like this, he had no intention of backing down.
From the looks of it, public opinion began to shift in his favor as well. Sympathy started to gather around him.
'Maybe I can use this…' he thought. If he played it right, he could turn Kanzou and Mikoto's alleged affair into a weapon, one sharp enough to disgrace Kanzou completely and strip him of any chance at becoming clan patriarch.
'Don't blame me,' he told himself grimly. 'You're the one who pushed me to this.'
With anger simmering beneath the surface, he glared at Kanzou and demanded, "Well? Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"
"I may have done something wrong," Kanzou replied calmly. "And yes, I feel guilty about it."
He didn't actually feel guilty about it at all.
"But what about you, Fugaku-san? Do you feel even a shred of shame for the depraved scheme you planned against me?" His gaze hardened. "Did your conscience never try to stop you? Or have you already sold your soul entirely for the sake of power?"
The people around them exchanged confused looks, unsure what Kanzou was referring to.
"You had her, your own fiancée, seduce me," Kanzou continued coldly. "You tried to push me into disgrace with Mikoto so you could seize the chance to become the patriarch."
He didn't pause. "Mikoto was your fiancée, wasn't she? I never expected you, of all people, to devise such a scheme, using your own fiancée to lay a honey trap. You even went so far as to pretend to break off your engagement, just to make me believe that what she whispered to me was genuine, that she wishes to marry me and not you. I must say, Fugaku-san… I am very disappointed in you… You are a disgrace…!"
Kanzou tore into Fugaku without mercy.
His words sent another ripple through the crowd, shock and curiosity spreading as murmurs broke out around them.
"Hiss… what kind of scheming is this?"
"Fugaku-sama… ordered Mikoto-sama to s-seduce Kanzou-sama?"
At first, many had believed Kanzou was the one carrying on an affair with Mikoto and had felt sympathy for Fugaku, who was betrayed. But now they were hearing something far worse, that Fugaku himself had ordered Mikoto to lure Kanzou into a honey trap.
What kind of man was Fugaku, really?
None of them had expected him to be capable of something like this. Some clan members openly stared at him with contempt.
It became painfully clear: knowing he was no match for Kanzou, Fugaku had tried to use Mikoto as a tool. And the most damning detail of all, Mikoto was his own fiancée. He had ordered his own betrothed to carry out such a scheme.
There was no doubt that Fugaku was a ruthless strategist, someone willing to sacrifice even those closest to him. But that realization only deepened the clan's disgust.
Fugaku's face burned a deep red as humiliation and fury churned beneath the surface. Seeing his flushed expression, the onlookers grew even more convinced that the accusations were true. Their looks of disdain and mistrust sharpened.
What they didn't realize was that the color flooding his face came not from shame, but from rage.
Only now did Fugaku truly understand it, he had been played by Uchiha Kanzou.
He opened his mouth to speak, but before a single word could escape, Kanzou's three-tomoe Sharingan locked onto him.
The crushing pressure of that gaze, combined with Kanzou's overwhelming aura, rooted Fugaku in place. His body refused to move.
'How… how is this possible?' he thought bitterly. 'How can his visual prowess be this strong? Fear crept into his chest, cold and undeniable.'
Then a voice rang out from the edge of the crowd.
"Kanzou-sama… I've brought Uchiha Mikoto!"
It was Hazuki.
"Mikoto-sama is here?"
"Look—it really is her!"
All eyes turned at once.
Mikoto's appearance was neat and unbroken, but her body trembled faintly. Handcuffs bound her wrists as Hazuki pushed her forward.
Yet no pity stirred among the crowd. Instead, they looked at her as though she were something vile.
Meanwhile, some of the clansmen who still supported Fugaku straightened, a flicker of renewed hope igniting in their eyes.
Perhaps Mikoto would deny everything. Perhaps she would expose it all as a lie and turn the situation against Kanzou.
"Mikoto-sama," one of Fugaku's supporters spoke up sternly, "did Fugaku-sama force you to seduce Kanzou? Tell everyone the truth."
The situation had grown dire for Fugaku.
Now, everything depended on Mikoto's answer.
After a brief pause, the man added grimly, "I hope you think very carefully before you respond."
"Oh?" Kanzou turned his head sharply, fixing that Uchiha with an icy stare. "Is that a threat?"
The pressure from Kanzou's Sharingan crashed down instantly. The man's breathing grew shallow as instinct took over, and he activated his own three-tomoe Sharingan.
Even then, he realized it immediately, his visual prowess was nowhere near Kanzou's. Not even close.
That was only natural. Kanzou had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Even while suppressing it and using only the standard tomoe, his chakra and ocular power far exceeded that of an ordinary Uchiha.
Once Kanzou was satisfied that the man had fallen silent, he turned his attention to Mikoto.
His cold gaze settled on her.
It made her tremble.
She didn't dare raise her head to meet his eyes. Though she had prepared herself for this moment, the chill in that stare still frightened her, far more than she had expected. And beyond Kanzou, the countless questioning gazes around her only worsened the pressure.
They looked at her as though she were something vile.
She, who had always been treated with respect and reverence by the clansmen, now faced nothing but cold, condemning eyes.
At that moment, Kanzou unsheathed his sword and used its blunt edge to tilt her chin upward, forcing her to face him as he questioned her coldly, "Answer me, woman. Did or did you not approach me and whisper sweet words in my ear with the foul intent of seducing me and gathering dirt on me?"
Mikoto's face twisted in horror, her body trembling.
"Did I not tell you to speak?" Kanzou snarled.
Pressed by his command, she nodded weakly. "I did… with that intention. Fugaku ordered me to seduce you, make you fall in love with me, and gather incriminating information… so that you wouldn't be able to compete for the position of clan patriarch."
Her voice wavered, tears spilling as she continued. "A-and when… when I couldn't find anything incriminating… he—he…" She choked, struggling to breathe. "He even planned to use me to frame you. He ordered me to sleep with you and intended for me to accuse you of rape… s-so that…"
"She's lying!" Fugaku shouted in protest. "I never gave her such an order!"
"Silence!" Shin barked, driving a brutal kick into Fugaku's stomach and cutting him off mid-sentence.
Mikoto's words echoed through the crowd, igniting whispers and tension.
"She actually admitted it?"
"Fugaku-sama really ordered her to do something like that?"
"What kind of man sends his own fiancée to seduce another?"
"More importantly… how could Mikoto-sama agree to something like this? Did she never consider her own dignity?"
"And Fugaku, no, he doesn't even deserve to be addressed with such respect, intended to accuse Kanzou-sama of such grave crimes."
The onlookers erupted into murmurs, a chaotic mix of shock, contempt, and curiosity.
Hearing them, Mikoto shook her head frantically and lifted her tear-streaked face, speaking in desperation, "Kanzou-sama… I—I didn't do it because I wanted to… I didn't have any ill intentions toward you… I… I just—"
"If you harbored no ill intentions, then why did you go through with it?" Kanzou asked coldly, his expression unyielding. "Why whisper those sweet words to me? Did you really think I wouldn't see through your intentions?"
Mikoto fell silent. Then, breaking down into sobs, she cried out, "Uchiha Fugaku… that incompetent, vile man… he threatened me. I never wanted to do something so disgraceful, but he threatened Sofu-sama's life. He knew he could never defeat you on his own, so he chose to use me to achieve his goals."
"He threatened you?" Kanzou asked, narrowing his eyes.
Her voice trembled as tears streamed down her face. "He threatened me, said that if I didn't do as he ordered, he would kill Sofu-sama… just as he had killed the other two elders. I… I tried to resist him. I tried to oppose him, but he was far too strong for me. I was helpless. If I disobeyed him, Sofu-sama would have been assassinated. I was scared… I had no choice…!"
She shook her head desperately, sobbing. "I'm sorry… I truly didn't mean to deceive you. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
She repeated the story exactly as Kanzou had instructed.
It was her first time lying so openly, and before such a large crowd, so a few imperfections were inevitable.
Even though she had rehearsed the entire scenario within the Tsukuyomi realm, actually performing it in reality exposed small flaws. Still, her tears and trembling voice made the confession convincing enough.
More importantly, the pain in her voice was real.
Her emotions weren't fabricated. She had truly endured something like this, only the truth had been twisted. The one who had threatened her was Kanzou, and the one who had violated her was also him. Now, those genuine emotions of having been threatened and violated were being redirected; her words reshaped to incriminate Fugaku instead.
Because of that, the sorrow and fear in her voice rang painfully authentic.
"Mikoto, you—" Fugaku started, utterly stunned.
Threaten her? Force her to seduce Kanzou? A honey trap? Planning false rape accusations? None of that had ever crossed his mind.
It was obvious that Mikoto was lying, but he hadn't expected her to lie so brazenly. For a brief moment, the shock left him completely speechless.
"Shut up. You have no right to speak," Shin snapped, driving another kick into Fugaku's stomach and sending him stumbling backward.
"Fugaku-sama… I truly misjudged you."
"Not only did you force your own fiancée to seduce another man," someone added coldly, "you even threatened her family to make her comply. I'm deeply disappointed in you."
Several jōnin who had once supported Fugaku now looked at him with unmistakable disillusionment.
A man willing to sacrifice and threaten his own fiancée, someone who would plot to pin grave accusations on a fellow clansman using her as a tool, what else might he be capable of?
The thought of serving under someone like that filled them with unease.
One by one, his supporters began to waver.
Those who had only moments ago felt pity for him now looked at him with nothing but contempt.
In an instant, nearly three-quarters of those who had once backed Fugaku stepped away.
Even the few who remained, his closest allies, those he had personally favored or groomed, looked at him with conflicted expressions. Though they didn't abandon him outright, their trust had clearly been shaken.
"Just one last question…" Kanzou said, his voice low and steady as his solemn gaze settled on her.
"Those sweet words you spoke to me, the whispers you shared, tell me. Were they nothing more than obedience to orders… or was there something else?"
Mikoto bit her lip and lowered her gaze, shame written plainly across her face. "At first… they meant nothing," she admitted softly. "They were just cold, scripted lines I was told to say."
She paused, then slowly raised her head and met his eyes, sincerity clear in her expression.
"But the more time I spent in your arms, the more I came to know you, the sides of you no one ever spoke about. Little by little, I began to understand my own feelings." She took a steadying breath. "I'll be honest with you, Kanzou-sama… I've admired you for a very long time. Ever since I was young, even back in the Academy. We were in different years, but I often found myself watching your back from afar, pushing myself to work harder because of it."
"That admiration stayed buried deep in my heart. I kept my distance, telling myself it was never meant to be. After all… I was already betrothed to him."
Her voice trembled slightly as she continued. "But when I was threatened, when I was forced to seduce you, and began spending time with you… Everything I had suppressed finally broke free."
"And I… I fell in love with you, Kanzou-sama." Tears welled in her eyes. "I truly did. I… I love you."
"The words I whispered weren't empty. Those murmurs, those confessions, they became real to me."
"This vile man may have forced me to speak words of love and passion by threatening Sofu-sama's life, but the emotions behind them became my own. At some point, they stopped being lies."
Mikoto's honest confession moved many in the crowd to tears, especially the women. After all, more than a few of them secretly admired Kanzou themselves. They could understand, at least in part, how Mikoto must have felt toward him. Sympathy welled up, eyes growing misty as they listened.
Hazuki, however, felt none of that sympathy.
She frowned as she watched Mikoto, a sharp unease settling in her chest. 'This woman… she's dangerous, she thought grimly. S-she might take Kanzou-sama away from me…'
Unaware of Hazuki's thoughts, Mikoto continued softly, "On one hand, I came to love you. On the other hand, I grew to despise Fugaku for what he made me do. And with you…" She paused, her voice trembling. "…I found strength. I did everything I could to resist him, to fight back."
She hesitated, then added softly, "Do you remember the u-underwear I gave you? That was my silent protest against Fugaku… I—I truly meant it…"
"That's enough," Kanzou said, cutting her off gently before her words could spill any further.
"Kanzou-sama… I—" Mikoto tried to continue, but her voice broke, and she burst into more tears.
Kanzou discreetly swept his gaze across the crowd, observing their reactions as Mikoto confessed her guilt and laid bare her feelings for him.
Many looked genuinely moved, as though they were witnessing a tragic love story unfold before their eyes—
A woman forced by a cruel fiancé to commit an immoral act against the man she had admired since childhood, only to find refuge and protection in the very arms of the one she had been ordered to deceive, her long-suppressed love finally breaking free.
"Mikoto-sama… she's not to blame," someone murmured. "She's the victim here."
"Kanzou-sama… please forgive her… please accept her…"
Seeing Mikoto in tears, few doubted the sincerity of her words. After all, society was quick to view women as victims in such situations.
Kanzou studied her in silence for a long moment, his expression stern and unreadable. Finally, he spoke, "As for your confession… We'll discuss it later."
Then he turned to a woman nearby. "Hazuki."
"I understand, Kanzou-sama," she replied, stepping forward to support Mikoto.
With Mikoto taken care of, Kanzou shifted his gaze—
Now it was Fugaku's turn.
"Fugaku-san… you are truly inhuman," Kanzou said coldly. "Are you so obsessed with becoming the patriarch that you would force your own fiancée to seduce another man? That you would threaten fellow clansmen by holding their loved ones hostage and coerce them into obeying your every command, even against their will? And on top of all that… you intended to pin the vile crime of rape on me?"
'Although such an accusation wouldn't be unfounded… but…'
He shook his head in open disdain. "To think someone so vile exists within the noble and proud Uchiha clan… I can't accept it. Even looking at you disgusts me."
Turning to the gathered crowd, Kanzou raised his voice. "Everyone, listen carefully. Although what Fugaku—" He paused, then shook his head again. "No… someone like him doesn't deserve to be addressed with respect."
He continued firmly, "While Fugaku's actions may not constitute a crime punishable by death, our clan cannot allow a man like him to remain among us. I propose that we expel him from the Uchiha clan, before he brings us further shame and extends his vile hands toward more men and women, threatening them through their families."
He scanned the crowd. "What say you all?"
At last, Kanzou's true objective was laid bare—the complete exile of Uchiha Fugaku from the Uchiha clan.
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Read ahead of public release on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley
Check out Chapter illustrations on Pixiv: unhinged_uchiha