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"I… I just happened to encounter her… and chatted with her for a while. I was about to head home. Let's go, Kan-sama…" Mikoto said quickly, wanting to leave in a hurry. She also waved her hand at Kushina. "You should also head to your home… and rest…"
Hearing Mikoto's words, Kushina spoke before Kanzou could say anything. "Ehh? Mikoto-chan, what's with you today? Why do you keep brushing me off?"
Uzumaki Kushina had just returned to the village after spending a long time outside. As for the purpose of her being outside the village… well, that was classified.
What mattered was that she had been on her way to the Hokage Office to give a report with other people. It's just that, after covering such a long journey, she had been hungry, as had the rest of the people she travelled with.
They had decided to eat something before giving the report. It was not an emergency, after all. But as they were about to go to Ichiraku Ramen, which is Kushina's favourite place for junk food, she had ended up encountering Mikoto.
The moment Kushina saw her, she sensed that Mikoto seemed to have changed a great deal from the last time they met. Her aura, her temperament, and many other things appeared different. The difference was so stark that Kushina could not help feeling a little concerned and had decided to change her plans.
The others were happy with the change of plans. In fact, the others hadn't wanted to eat Ramen in the first place and were only reluctantly going along because she wanted to eat ramen. But as she decided to change the plan, they happily pushed her aside and went to eat barbecue themselves without even inviting her. Although Kushina was unhappy to be pushed aside like that, almost as if she were an outsider and someone they didn't want to get along with at all, despite them having spent such a long time together, she kept her feelings in her heart and accompanied Mikoto, asking her about what was going on.
At first Mikoto had been reluctant to say anything and kept brushing her off, telling her she should go rest or report to the Hokage immediately. Under Kushina's constant pestering, however, Mikoto had grown fed up and ended up telling her a few things.
She spoke of the upheaval in the clan, the annulment of her engagement with Uchiha Fugaku, the recent passing of her grandfather, and her relationship with the new Patriarch, Uchiha Kanzou.
Of course, Mikoto did not speak about the things Kanzou had done to her and made her do. She did not want to speak of them to anyone, not even Kushina. She intended to keep those matters in her heart.
It was not that she regretted them, but it was better not to speak of them for her own dignity as well as her future husband's reputation.
Still, of the things Mikoto did tell her, Kushina was shocked. She understood that Mikoto had been through a lot and was grieving, and she had tried to comfort her.
But as they chatted, Kushina kept noticing many odd things. While Mikoto was indeed grieving, she wasn't as sad or depressed as one would expect someone who has been through so much in such a short time to be.
Well, that was probably because of the man who seemed to have accepted her. Kushina was relieved about that. Yet there was another strange thing. Mikoto was again and again finding excuses to send her away, to her home, to the Hokage, or somewhere else.
It made Kushina uncomfortable and a little embarrassed. 'What's going on? Aren't we friends, Mikoto-chan? Why are you acting so distant? Did I do something wrong?'
Even so, she was stubborn and did not leave.
Entire Konoha trembles at the name of Uzumaki Kushina; what was Mikoto going to do to make her leave?
Humph! She isn't called the Red-Hot-Blooded Habanero for nothing!
That left Mikoto helpless. And she could only remain there and continue to chat. Well, it was mostly Kushina talking and Mikoto listening, but they did chat, even though Mikoto felt anxious the entire time.
Why was she anxious? Of course, because of her future Danna-sama!
She was worried that Kanzou would see her, and if he did, then he'd do things that he had done to her. Whether out of her jealousy, possessiveness, and desire to protect Kushina, Mikoto didn't want Kanzou to find out that Kushina had returned.
Although she knew that her attempt was pointless, as Kanzou would learn about her return through other sources, still, she couldn't help but want to delay.
It's a pity that Kanzou already seemed to know about her return. That was probably why he came to see her at this particular tea shop, right?
Unaware Kushina, feeling somewhat miffed, asked her, "Did I do something wrong to make you angry that you don't want to see me anymore?"
"Yeah… Mikoto, don't be like that. It can cause misunderstandings between friends…" Kanzou agreed with her, then added, "Besides… what's the rush to go home? It's not like anyone's waiting there… Aren't I here?"
"Mm-hmm… that's right, that's right…" Kushina nodded, fully agreeing with him.
In front of those two, Mikoto could not say anything. "W-Well…" She glanced at Kushina helplessly. 'I was trying to send you away for your own good… not because I am angry at you or don't want to talk to you, but because I didn't want you getting caught in Kan-sama's sights.'
But it was too late to worry about that.
Unaware of the regret in Mikoto's heart, Kushina turned her attention to Kanzou.
"So, you're the current Uchiha Patriarch… Uchiha Kanzou-kun?" she said, studying him.
"Oh? Have you heard of me?" Kanzou asked.
"It would be strange if I hadn't heard about you..." responded Kushina, rolling her eyes.
Even though they had not interacted before, she knew his name and had seen him a few times. As one of the heroes of the Second Great Shinobi War and the previous deputy captain of the Police Force, who in Konoha had not heard of him? This was actually the first time she saw him up close, and she noticed that he really was handsome, rugged, masculine, and tall. She, who was currently shorter than even Mikoto, barely reached his shoulders, which prompted her to raise her head to look at him.
For a moment she could not help comparing him to Minato, who would seem a little delicate if standing by his side. 'Well, that didn't matter… Minato-kun is still the most handsome for me,' she thought to herself.
But despite her feelings for Namikaze Minato, she could not help acknowledging Kanzou's striking presence.
No wonder he was at the top of the list of men whom the single girls in Konoha most wanted to date. He was young, strong, powerful, handsome, and tall. He was every woman's dream man.
As Kushina studied him, he studied Kushina as well.
He had also seen her a few times, but because of her sensitive identity, he had kept his distance. So even for him this was the first time he was seeing her this close, and he had to admit that she really was beautiful. Her beauty easily rivalled Mikoto's.
Long red hair reaching all the way down to her thighs, an oval face that still seemed to have some baby fat on it, fair skin, beautiful violet eyes… a slender, feminine build with budding curviness at certain places that'd become fuller in the next few years.
She really was a woman of many men's dreams. For Kanzou, though, she would be an Evil Point farming field.
With that in mind, he returned the greeting with a smile that looked charming on the surface but was full of implications, agenda, and malice underneath. "You must be Mikoto's good friend, Uzumaki Kushina, that I have heard so much about. A pleasure to meet you."
Kushina, who isn't yet capable of feeling malice, didn't notice anything and only felt her cheeks redden faintly by that charming smile.
But Mikoto, who knows him too well, knew what exactly he was thinking.
'It's hopeless, Kushina-chan... this evil Danna-sama of mine is going to eat you...' she sighed internally, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes.
She felt conflicted. A part of her wanted to warn Kushina, wanted to tell her that Kanzou is an evil man and he was going to make her life a hell.
But how could she bring herself to speak ill of her future Danna-sama?
She was torn between two bonds: a dear friend she had come to form a sister-like bond with, and the man to whom she had already offered herself and was soon going to be marrying.
If she warned Kushina, it would mean standing against Kanzou, which was something she didn't want to do.
But staying silent and letting Kanzou do what he wants with her felt like betraying her friendship. At the same time, there was also jealousy and anxiousness about another woman coming between her and her Kan-sama.
If not for the fact that Kushina is innocent and clueless, and it's Kanzou wanting to initiate things, she'd have already activated her Mangekyō Sharingan.
But as things stood, she could only bite her lip, her heart caught in the middle.
After the initial introduction, they sat down. Kanzou and Mikoto on one side, Kushina on the other. As for the other onlookers, one gaze from Kanzou was enough to make them turn their faces back to what they were doing as they tried not to offend the Uchiha Patriarch.
Kushina tilted her head a little, and even narrowed her eyes, before asking him, "Mikoto-chan told me that you two are going to be getting married, is that right?"
As soon as Kushina posed that question, Mikoto's cheeks tinged with colour.
In the past, she had been engaged to Uchiha Fugaku. And while Kushina never liked Fugaku's stiff personality, she didn't say anything since it was an internal matter of the Uchiha Clan… Of course, in private, she did grumble a bit to Mikoto, saying that he didn't seem to be the right choice. Not to mention, Fugaku wasn't handsome enough for Mikoto; he even had personality flaws.
Kushina had a feeling that Fugaku was the type who'd probably let anyone walk over him, and she should choose someone else.
But Mikoto always rolled her eyes upon Kushina's suggestion. Her marriage was arranged when she was very young, and this was a political matter. She didn't have much say in this, and she had just accepted her fate.
In the end, Kushina was proven right with how things turned out between Fugaku and Mikoto.
So, although she felt sad for Mikoto, she was also glad that Mikoto didn't end up with Fugaku.
At the same time, when she heard that Uchiha Kanzou, who, despite what happened between him and Mikoto, had forgiven her, accepted her public confession, and agreed to marry her, Kushina developed a good impression of Kanzou.
And now seeing him, she had to admit, Kanzou gave off a much better impression than the stiff and ugly Fugaku.
Plus, Kanzou is also much more handsome in comparison to Fugaku. Only a man as handsome as Kanzou, strong, and charismatic seemed to be right as Mikoto's husband.
'This guy really looks good next to Mikoto,' she thought to herself, looking at the couple sitting together. 'But then again... people seemed to fear him...'
She remembered that the people in the teashop were a little afraid of him. She also remembered that a look from him had scared them all to turn their heads away.
She didn't yet know why these people were afraid of him, but the fact remained that they were.
'Could they be afraid of him because he is the Uchiha Patriarch and the captain of the Police Force?' she wondered.
Both could be the reason. As the Captain of the Police Force, he was definitely not someone one would want to offend. Because getting on his bad side could mean being imprisoned. And the position of the Uchiha Patriarch further made him unapproachable for many.
There was also the matter of Uchihas not getting along well with the others in Konoha. Kushina is well aware of the rift between the Uchihas and the rest of the village. Uchihas have a tendency to look down on the others, and the strict, dominating temperament of the Uchihas also made them scary for the normal people.
Plus the job of the Police Force.
Unaware of Kushina's thoughts about him, Kanzou nodded to her, "Yes, it won't be long before Mikoto becomes my wife."
He looked at Mikoto with warm, gentle eyes. Mikoto's heart skipped a beat. Even though she knew there was endless cruelty, danger, and cunningness hidden in them, Mikoto seemed to also see tenderness and care. And that really moved her.
Hearing Kanzou's nod, Kushina broke out of her thoughts.
She had also faced a type of criticism where she was often looked at as an outsider. Therefore, she doesn't care too much that people are afraid of him.
'Well, as long as Mikoto-chan is happy... other things don't matter...'
With that in mind, she turned her attention back on him and said sharply, "But I'm warning you, Uchiha Kanozu." She stood up and pointed her index finger at him, while making sure to show her scariest face as her hair floated around like nine-tails, "If you ever dared to bully Mikoto-chan, I won't forgive you, believe it."
Now that Mikoto was an orphan, someone had to look out for her. If no one looked out for her, who would she reach out to if she ever needed help? Since Mikoto had looked out for her, Kushina decided to take the task upon herself.
Kanzou was surprised by Kushina's sudden warning.
Before he could even respond to the so-called threat, Mikoto interrupted from the side, brushing off her warning, "Kan-sama, Kushina-chan didn't mean anything by it; please don't take her words seriously."
She was worried that Kanzou would take her seriously and do something to her.
Kushina complained. "I am being serious, Mikoto-chan..."
"I don't need you to be serious, Kushina-chan. Besides, what'd you even do?" Mikoto shrugged dismissively.
"Of course, teach him a lesson..." Kushina said, showing her fist to Kanzou. Worst case, she'd show him a bit of Nine-tails' chakra and scare his wits to ensure that he doesn't do anything to Mikoto.
Mikoto didn't know what Kushina was thinking, but even if she knew, she would have still rolled her eyes. 'You'd only end up getting bullied in return...' and snorted, "I don't need you... a Chūnin to worry about me, a Jōnin..."
"Uhh... t-that's unfair, Mikoto-chan... bringing up our ranks..." Kushina pouted. She isn't a Chūnin by choice. It's just that the old Hokage refuses to promote her. Otherwise, she'd have been a Jōnin by now.
Mikoto snorted, "Humph, Chūnin."
She really didn't need Kushina's help. Whatever Kanzou does to her, she is willing to bear. Moreover, Mikoto's own strength is vastly superior to Kushina's, so why'd she need Kushina's help? In her opinion, Kushina should remain at a distance. That way she'd remain safe from Kanzou's hands. Um, maybe...
Kushina, who didn't know Mikoto's thoughts, puffed her cheeks and plopped back down, looking at her in dissatisfaction, looking very cute.
Meanwhile, Kanzou, watching their sisterly/friendly bater/teasing, chuckled, "Fufu... You don't need to worry, Kushina-chan. I would never bully Mikoto." He then pulled Mikoto onto his lap, adding, "We love each other very much, don't you agree, Mikoto?"
"K-Kan... sama... n-not here..." Mikoto squirmed slightly, feeling embarrassed to be held like that in front of Kushina... and many other people.
If they were alone, it wouldn't matter, but with Kushina still present, and others around as well, being held in Kanzou's arms like that made her self-conscious and ashamed.
She tried to pull away, but Kanzou's grip was firm.
Unable to break free, she eventually gave up and could only sit on his lap feeling ashamed.
"Y-You guys…" complained Kushina, glancing at the two of them, her expression a mix of frustration and embarrassment. She felt that she was watching an overly affectionate couple flaunt their love.
As a single woman, watching them, she felt as though she was forced to eat dog food.
And it certainly did very heavy damage, making her a bit depressed, wondering why she was still single.
'It's all Minato-kun's fault!' she blamed it all on Minato as to why things had been moving so slowly between them. He doesn't take the initiative... what does he want to do? Make her take the initiative? Isn't that embarrassing?
It's a man's job to take the initiative!
So, Minato should take the initiative. But... he... alas...
'Come to think of it, didn't Mikoto-chan take the initiative here?' Kushina recalled what Mikoto had told her.
Kushina wondered if she should swallow her embarrassment and be like Mikoto and make the man she likes hers?
But the mere thought made her face turn as red as her hair, and she shook her head. "No... no... no... I can't do that..."
"Kushina-chan... what can't you do?" Mikoto looked at her in confusion. Suddenly, Kushina started to shake her head and was flushed red. She wondered if something had happened.
"N-Nothing..." Kushina shook her head, fanning her face with her hand. Her eyes were spinning, and steam seemed to come out of her head.
"Fufu... it seems Kushina-chan was thinking something inappropriate..." Kanzou teased her.
Kushina hurriedly defended herself, slamming both her hands on the table, "No... I was not!"
"Really?" Kanzou asked with a playful smile. "So, what were you thinking?"
"I... Humph! Why should I tell you?" Kushina snorted, turning her head away.
But that only made Kanzou chuckle more as he teased her. Kushina couldn't take it anymore and complained to her friend, "Mikoto-chan... he is bullying me... teach him a lesson!"
'Weren't you going to protect me and teach him a lesson?' Mikoto rolled her eyes before saying to Kanzou, "Kan-sama... please leave her alone..."
"Fine... fine..." he agreed as he noticed Kushina's smug grin that seemed to say, 'See, I made Mikoto-chan teach you a lesson; you'd better not tease me...'
Kanzou wondered if he should wipe that smug grin off her face, but then shrugged about it and instead picked up the Dango to eat. He ate one himself, then made Mikoto eat another.
Although shy about it, Mikoto parted her lips and ate.
"How is it?" He asked.
Mikoto chewed on them and nodded, "They are good..."
Kushina blinked and looked at Mikoto suspiciously, "...didn't you say earlier that they aren't as good?"
"That was before Kan-sama was feeding me. Now they are good..." Mikoto said.
"How is that going to change the taste?!" Kushina asked with a strange expression.
"It does... when the person you love feeds you, everything tastes good..." responded Mikoto with a serious expression.
"Aww... Mikoto, to say something like that... here, have another one..." Kanzou said, and fed her another Dango.
Mikoto hesitated, but with blushing cheeks she ate it, enjoying the taste.
Once again, Kushina began to feel like she was watching an overly affectionate couple and made to eat dog food.
She wondered if she should leave, but leaving like this was disrespectful. Especially when the person sitting opposite is the Uchiha Patriarch and the Captain of the Police Force.
As she was feeling helpless, someone came to save her, "Uzumaki Kushina... how long are you going to take? We have to give a report to Hokage-sama..."
It was one of the people who had left her on her own.
'Perfect timing...' she thought. Although they weren't people she got along with very well, today, she was glad that they arrived.
Not wanting to be a third wheel anymore, Kushina finally stood up. "Mikoto-chan, I'll be taking my leave since I still have a lot of things to do, like giving a report to Hokage-sama. Let's catch up another day."
Kanzou looked at Mikoto as though telling her to invite Kushina to their home for dinner… but Mikoto pretended not to notice, and nodded to Kushina, "Okay… I'll see you next time then…"
Kushina pouted, seeing that Mikoto didn't even try to stop her… it made her feel a little lonely, 'I'm not going to lose my friend, am I?'
She already doesn't have many friends, and it had taken a lot of effort to actually make one good friend. If Mikoto discarded her, wouldn't she be very lonely?
But it couldn't be helped, as she had to leave. "Bye-bye~" she waved to Mikoto before leaving the tea shop.
As she watched Kushina leave, Mikoto let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Thankfully, Kanzou hadn't done anything out of line in front of Kushina. At the very least, he maintained the appearance of a decent husband-to-be and a man in love.
"Why did you send her away this early despite my signal?" Kanzou softly whispered in Mikoto's ear, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and lowering his head on her shoulder.
"Sh-she should be tired from the mission… a-and I was just…" answered Mikoto, stammering, trying to explain herself, but couldn't really finish her sentence as she felt Kanzou's grip tighten around her stomach until she felt pain in there…
She understood that he was unhappy with her excuse and grew silent, not daring to lie to him.
Kanzou said coldly, "I am about to become your husband. As my wife, it's your duty to support me, no matter what I choose to do, not stand in my way, don't you understand something so simple?"
Had he said this to any other woman, he would've earned a slap.
After all, plotting against your future wife's close friend right in front of her while demanding obedience, compliance, and assistance was audacious.
But Mikoto was different.
From a young age, she had been taught how to be the perfect traditional wife for the Uchiha Patriarch.
She understood that as the wife of the Uchiha Patriarch… she must do everything as per the Patriarch's desires.
Even if those things go against her own views and values… Additionally, she had gone through many things ever since losing her virginity to Kanzou and had become completely submissive to him. So, she didn't dare question him or criticize him. All she did was lower her head and apologise, "I'm sorry."
"Is 'sorry' enough?" Kanzou questioned coldly. "If an apology could fix everything, what need would there be for the Police Force? What need would there be for the armies? Why would there be wars? Conflict? These things exist because a simple 'sorry' isn't enough to fix anything. Do you not understand something so simple?"
Mikoto nodded with a timid expression, "I-I do, Ka-Kan-sama…"
"Then do you understand that you have done something very wrong by going against the wishes of your future husband, despite being aware of his intentions?" Kanzou questioned further.
Although a bit hesitant, Mikoto gave a nod, "I-I… do…"
"If you do something wrong, there must be a punishment; otherwise, how'd you learn not to repeat the same mistake…" said Kanzou as he turned her to face him, lifted her chin with a finger, and spoke in a commanding tone, "Let's return to our home. I'll be giving you the punishment for deliberately trying to sabotage your husband-to-be."
Mikoto's face paled a little… afraid of what she might have to go through as punishment, her lips flailed… wanting to beg for an apology… but seeing those cold eyes, Cat caught her tongue as she couldn't utter a word of protest or apology and silently followed him with sweaty hands. "I... I understand, Kan-sama..."
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Double Chapter, be sure to drop loads of power Stonessssssssss!
[Read advance Chapters on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/SlytherinManor]