These words were like a sudden thunderclap, blasting the lingering sorrow of the massacre right out of everyone's minds. The group stood frozen in shock, exchanging looks of pure disbelief.
Although they had guessed that their mentally unstable comrade might say something outrageous, hearing it spoken so plainly felt utterly surreal. Could it be... that Captain Kuroya had long harbored designs on the Clan Head's wife?
It actually made sense. Otherwise, why would Kuroya go out of his way to save Lady Mikoto?
Upon hearing this, Izumi Uchiha's brows shot up. A sudden, bitter feeling surged in her heart. She silently lowered her head, burying her face against her knees as she mechanically added branches to the fire, not daring to look at Kuroya sitting beside her.
In a corner where no one was paying attention, Mikoto's cold, elegant face was flushed with fury. She could tolerate these clansmen ostracizing her—after all, her family owed a debt of blood to the Uchiha. But she could not tolerate someone insulting her reputation and purity as the Clan Head's wife.
Crack— The flames roared higher. Kuroya's brow twitched slightly; he felt the direction of this conversation was getting increasingly strange.
Uchiha Nanfu asked blankly, "How did the Clan Head's wife become Captain Kuroya's... no, how did she become your 'Sister-in-Law'?"
This question voiced the confusion of everyone present. Izumi followed the others in looking up at Tamao. Everyone wanted to hear what kind of logic this "psychopath" would produce next.
Tamao rambled on: "Can't you guys use your own brains for once? Stop bullying me and making a mental patient do all the thinking! Think about it. Mikoto Uchiha is the Clan Head's wife. Fugaku is probably dead. There are only a few of us Uchiha left. If my Big Brother Kuroya isn't the new Clan Head, could it be one of you cowards? So, if Big Brother is the Clan Head, then Mikoto Uchiha, as the Clan Head's wife, is naturally the Sister-in-Law!"
The group's brows furrowed deeply. They found themselves surprisingly speechless against their comrade's bizarre "divine logic." In Tamao's mind, Clan Head's Wife was apparently a job title.
Nanfu adjusted his glasses and retorted, "I am not a coward!"
Everyone turned to look at the usually honest Nanfu, thinking to themselves: Captain Nanfu, your focus is incredibly skewed! It also finally explained why Nanfu and Tamao had the most friction between them.
Tamao snapped, "Who cares if you're a coward or not! What are you standing around for? Feed the Sister-in-Law some rabbit meat!"
The group looked at one another. The logic was out there now, and knowing that Kuroya might have "intentions" for the widow, the other Uchiha were even more afraid to offend the former Clan Head's wife—and current Sister-in-Law.
A collective thought formed in their minds: The Uchiha were just wiped out. The 'Big Brother' has changed, but how is it that the Clan Head's wife is still Mikoto?
Hearing Tamao's serious-sounding nonsense, Mikoto's years of refined composure finally shattered. She straightened her slender neck, her pale cheeks flushing crimson. Her large dark eyes sparkled with indignation beneath her curved lashes as she glared directly at Kuroya. Her gaze screamed: Control your subordinate!
Amidst the silence, Kuroya suddenly stood up. He tore off a roasted rabbit leg and walked over to Mikoto.
He didn't care what others thought. But until Itachi was dealt with, Mikoto couldn't be allowed to die.
Seeing Kuroya's movement, the rest of the group thought: Damn, Tamao really is a genius! His mental illness allowed him to see through the internal truth ahead of time!
As Kuroya approached, Mikoto stretched her snowy-white neck and glared at him like a startled, defensive white swan. After a moment of silence, looking at the roasted leg held to her lips, she chose to resist this humiliation in her own way. She said loudly and proudly:
"I won't eat rabbit me—mmph!"
The moment Mikoto opened her mouth, Kuroya used Yachiyamato to take control. Then, he unceremoniously stuffed the juicy, tender roasted rabbit leg into her mouth.
"Mmph... mmph... mmph!" Mikoto's eyes widened in fury. Clamping the rabbit leg in her teeth, she panted in protest, staring at the handsome youth before her in utter disbelief. How could this clan junior dare be so rude to me?!
Mikoto was incensed. Her inherent aura of a noble, elegant Clan Head's wife collapsed in an instant.
"Eat," Kuroya said expressionlessly. His gaze was as deep as an ancient well, showing no fear of her stare.
Their eyes met. Mikoto, sitting sideways with her legs tucked against the ground, had to look up at Kuroya's towering, mountain-like silhouette. Her momentum was completely suppressed.
The other Uchiha were flabbergasted! They knew Kuroya's personality had changed and that he was a "hard man" now, but they didn't expect him to be this ruthless. This was basically trampling on the Clan Head's wife's self-esteem. Truly a role model for our generation!
Under the watchful eyes of the Uchiha, Kuroya didn't linger. He walked over to the prone Tamao, cut off the rabbit's tail section with a kunai, and stuffed it into Tamao's mouth. Realizing he had talked too much, Tamao grinned sheepishly, his baby face putting on an innocent expression.
"Eat," Kuroya said calmly before returning to Izumi's side. He kept one leg for himself and handed the rest of the rabbit to Izumi, signaling for her to finish it.
Izumi was the youngest in the group. She had helped the team multiple times on this journey, even changing Tamao's bandages. Aside from the honest Nanfu, Izumi was the person Kuroya trusted most.
"Kuro... Captain Kuroya." Izumi felt a warmth in her heart as she held the rabbit. She nodded like a chick pecking at grain and made a move to share it with the others.
Kuroya reminded her, "You're still growing. Eat more. They're all adults; they won't starve."
The other Uchiha looked away, not daring to make a sound.
"O-okay." Izumi abandoned the idea of sharing and began to enjoy the food Kuroya gave her. As she ate, her thoughts drifted. She didn't believe a single punctuation mark of what Tamao said. Itachi's mother was beautiful and well-preserved, but she was seven or eight years older than Captain Kuroya. They aren't a good match, she decided, mentally sentencing their future to "life without marriage."
The rest of the Uchiha were filled with complex emotions. Captain Kuroya, you look as refined as jade and as cold as a snowy forest, but secretly, you're actually this kind of captain! Lusting after the widow... is that appropriate?
However, some were quick to rationalize it. The few of them left had to shoulder the heavy burden of restoring the Uchiha's glory. Lady Mikoto had a figure that suggested she could easily bear children; Captain Kuroya was simply "making use of resources" to produce more geniuses for the clan. As long as they didn't turn out like Itachi, this was a contribution to the great cause!
Thinking this, many of the Uchiha stopped ostracizing Mikoto. They even looked at their "New Sister-in-Law" with meaningful glances of acceptance and respect.
Meanwhile, Mikoto was wolfing down the rabbit leg. Under the control of Yachiyamato, whether she wanted to eat or not wasn't up to her.
"Mmph... mmph... ugh!" She swallowed the chewy meat, still trying to protest through muffled sounds. She felt the shift in her clansmen's attitudes, but she felt that she'd rather they continue to hate her than misunderstand like this. A sense of inexplicable shame washed over her. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, yet her jaw never stopped chewing and swallowing.
Mount Kikyo. Peaks rose in a disorganized fashion as the black veil of night descended over the mountain range. The terrain was lower in the center, where Kikyo City was located, protected by old city walls. Under the night sky, the lights of thousands of homes were lit, and the main district was bustling.
On the river leading out of the city, five people and a dog stepped onto the water.
"This is the only water route out of the city. We'll wait here for reinforcements and set traps. We'll wait for Uchiha Kuroya to walk right into our net!" Asuma said with a serious expression.
Kurenai and the others had no objections. Fugitive ninja, knowing they were being hunted, would almost always choose a water route to avoid leaving tracks. Thanks to their keen-nosed ninken, they had picked up the trail of the Uchiha defector squad earlier that morning.
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