This declaration struck like a bolt of lightning on a clear day, blasting away the lingering grief of the clan's massacre.
Everyone stared in shock, glancing at each other in disbelief.
Though they'd already guessed that this crazy guy might say something like that, actually hearing it still felt surreal.
Could it be… Captain Yu had long harbored improper thoughts toward the clan leader's wife?
Well, that would make sense.
Otherwise, why would Captain Yu go out of his way to save Lady Mikoto?
Uchiha Izumi's delicate brows furrowed at those words, and an odd feeling welled up in her heart. She silently lowered her head, burying her face into her knees while adding more firewood to the flames.
She didn't dare look at Yu, who was sitting nearby.
In an overlooked corner—
Mikoto's usually cold and elegant face was now tinged with anger. She could endure being rejected by her fellow clansmen; after all, her family had indeed failed the Uchiha.
But she couldn't tolerate her dignity and purity as the clan leader's wife being insulted.
Crackle—
The fire flared and sparked.
Yu frowned slightly, feeling like the situation had taken a strange turn.
Uchiha Minami, ever slow and simple, asked blankly,
"How did the clan leader's wife suddenly become Captain Yu's… No, how did she become your sister-in-law?"
That was the exact question on everyone's minds.
Uchiha Izumi looked up alongside the others and turned toward Tamao—everyone wanted to see what kind of nonsense their crazy comrade would spout next.
Tamao muttered irritably:
"Can't you people think for yourselves? Always bullying me, expecting a mental patient to figure things out for you?
Just think about it—
Uchiha Mikoto is the clan leader's wife.
Fugaku is probably dead.
There are only a handful of us Uchiha left.
If my big brother Yu isn't the new clan leader, who else would it be—you bunch of cowards?
So obviously—
Big bro is the new clan head, and that makes Uchiha Mikoto, the former leader's wife… the new sister-in-law!"
Everyone frowned, completely unable to argue with this mad logic.
In Tamao's world—
Being the "clan leader's wife" was a position?
Uchiha Minami adjusted his glasses and mumbled,
"I'm not a coward!"
Everyone glanced at the usually meek Minami, silently roasting him in their hearts:
Captain Minami, that's really what you're choosing to focus on right now?
At last, they understood why Minami and Tamao bickered constantly.
Tamao snapped,
"Who cares if you're a coward or not! What're you standing around for—go feed sister-in-law some rabbit meat!"
Everyone hesitated, glancing at one another.
Easier said than done.
Now that they "knew" Yu had feelings for this "widow," none of them dared approach the former clan leader's wife—now supposedly their sister-in-law.
These Uchiha had grievances of their own:
Seriously? The clan already got wiped out once.
We've already had a change in clan leader—
And somehow, the clan leader's wife is still Uchiha Mikoto?!
Uchiha Mikoto, after hearing Tamao's serious nonsense, finally cracked the composure she had cultivated over so many years.
Her slender, fair neck stretched slightly, her cheeks flushed with a tinge of pink, and beneath curled lashes, her dark eyes shone as she glared directly at Yu.
Her gaze seemed to shout: "Control your subordinate!"
While everyone was silently mulling things over—
Yu suddenly stood up, tore off a rabbit leg, and walked toward Mikoto.
He didn't care what others thought.
But until Itachi was dealt with—
Mikoto could not die.
Seeing Yu's actions, the others immediately felt that Tamao really was some kind of genius—his mental illness apparently let him see through secrets before anyone else!
As Yu approached, Mikoto raised her pale swan-like neck, glaring at him like an alert and humiliated white swan, full of shame and caution.
After a brief pause—
Looking at the roasted rabbit leg held up to her lips, Mikoto decided to resist this humiliation in her own way. She raised her voice proudly and declared:
"I don't eat rabbit meat… mmph—"
Just as she opened her mouth, Yu used Yasakani to control her, and the juicy, crispy rabbit leg was shoved right into her mouth.
"Mmm… mmm… mmm!"
Mikoto's eyes widened in outrage. Clenching the roasted meat between her teeth, she gasped in protest, staring in disbelief at the handsome young man before her.
How dare this junior from the clan treat her so rudely!!
Fuming, Mikoto's elegant and noble air as the clan leader's wife completely collapsed in that moment.
"Eat."
Yu's expression remained blank, his gaze as deep and still as an ancient well, unafraid to meet Mikoto's eyes head-on.
Their eyes locked.
Seated sideways on the ground with her legs folded, Mikoto had to look up at Yu's tall figure—her aura clearly at a disadvantage.
The other Uchiha stared in stunned silence!!
They knew Yu's personality had changed—he'd become ruthless—but this ruthless?
This was nothing short of trampling on the clan leader's wife's pride!
A role model for all of us!
As everyone watched, Yu didn't linger by Mikoto's side. He turned and walked over to the reclined Tamao, casually used a kunai to slice off the rabbit's rear, and stuffed it into Tamao's mouth.
Tamao, realizing what he'd said earlier, gave a sheepish grin. His baby-faced expression turned all innocent.
"Eat."
Yu said it indifferently, then returned to sit beside Izumi.
He kept one roasted rabbit leg for himself and handed the rest of the roast to Izumi, signaling for her to take care of it.
In the group, Izumi was the youngest. Along the way, she had helped teammates multiple times, like rebandaging Tamao's wounds. She'd performed well.
Aside from the straightforward Minami, the person Yu trusted most was Uchiha Izumi.
"C-Captain Yu…"
Izumi's heart warmed as she held the roast rabbit, nodding like a pecking chick. She wanted to share the meat with the others.
Yu reminded her, "You're still growing. Eat more. They're all adults—they won't starve."
The other Uchihas restrained their expressions and didn't dare make a sound.
"O-Okay."
Izumi gave up on sharing the food and quietly ate the portion Yu gave her alone.
As she ate the rabbit, her thoughts wandered.
In short, she didn't believe a word Tamao had said—not even the punctuation.
Itachi's mom was indeed beautiful and well-kept, but at the end of the day, she was seven or eight years older than Captain Yu. Hmm… he and she were just not suitable.
In her mind, Izumi sentenced Yu and Mikoto's future to a lonely, wife-less fate.
Meanwhile, the other Uchihas had a lot on their minds too.
They hadn't expected that Captain Yu—who looked gentle and elegant, his aura as cool and aloof as wind through a snowy forest—would be like this behind the scenes!
To be eyeing a widow—was that even appropriate?
But…
Several Uchihas quickly let it go. After all, the few remaining Uchihas had a responsibility to restore the clan's former glory.
Lady Mikoto had curves in all the right places—clearly someone who could bear healthy children. If Captain Yu made the most of the situation and had a few genius kids with her for the sake of the clan—
As long as they didn't end up with another Itachi, it'd all be worth it.
With that thought, many of them no longer resented Mikoto. Some even looked at her with a newfound acceptance—meaningful, respectful glances, lingering a bit longer on the newly acknowledged "sister-in-law."
Meanwhile, Mikoto was still gnawing on the rabbit leg—ravenously.
She was still under the control of Yasakani.
Eat or not—
It was no longer her decision.
"Mmph… mmph… mmhh!"
Mikoto choked down the chewy roast meat, still whimpering protests through her nose and throat.
She could feel the shift in how the clan looked at her. But to her—
Being misunderstood like this felt worse than being resented.
A wave of shame and humiliation swept over her body.
Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes in desperation—but her jaw never stopped chewing, swallowing piece after piece.
---
Mt. Kikyo—its peaks staggered and disorderly. Darkness was slowly descending, cloaking the entire mountain range.
In the low-lying center of the mountains—
Kikyo Castle stood, shielded by aging stone walls. As night fell, lights glowed from every household, and the main street was lively and bright.
On the river upstream from the city's exit—
Five people and one dog moved swiftly across the water's surface.
"This water route is the only exit from the city. We'll wait here for reinforcements—and in the meantime, we'll set traps. Uchiha Yu and his crew will walk right into them!"
Asuma's expression was grim as he spoke to Kurenai and the others.
No one objected.
When a rogue ninja is on the run and knows others are tracking them, they'll always pick water routes that leave no trail.
That morning, using the keen nose of their ninja hound, Asuma's team had discovered signs of the Uchiha defectors' movements.
°°°
A/N: Give some stones to the poor.
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