Chapter 81: The Restless Villages of Kirigakure and Iwagakure
After finally seeing off the extremely reluctant Mikoto, Uchiha Kazuki breathed an enormous sigh of relief.
Finally, she's gone. If she had stayed even a moment longer, I genuinely couldn't guarantee what might have happened.
Don't misunderstand the situation—it wasn't that he couldn't resist temptation and wanted to act like some kind of beast. Rather, he was genuinely worried about Uchiha Mikoto's increasingly concerning behavior.
The way she'd been looking at him earlier was practically drooling with desire. Her cheeks had been flushed unnaturally bright, and her thighs had been pressed tightly together in a way that looked absolutely alarming.
Honestly, since arriving in the Naruto world, there haven't been many situations that have made him break out in genuine cold sweat.
But tonight—with Mikoto clamping her legs together in obvious arousal while hiding in his bedroom with her husband Fugaku mere meters away—this incident definitely deserved a prominent place in his personal top 3 list of life's most terrifying moments.
Feeling slightly more relaxed now that the immediate crisis had passed, Uchiha Kazuki focused his attention on the faint glowing text that materialized before his eyes:
"Perfect. The last piece of the puzzle is finally complete."
[Side Quest: Qualified Psychologist - Part 4]
[Please provide psychological treatment to at least 100 people, or fulfill their deepest wishes (100/100) ✓]
[Reward: Lymano's Travel Notes]
Mikoto had been precisely the 100th patient required.
It hadn't been for nothing that he'd been frantically busy dealing with both the Hokage's political games and Uchiha Madara's schemes—all while still somehow squeezing in time to regularly visit Konoha Hospital for therapy sessions.
[Lymano's Travel Notes]
Appearance: A weathered book bound with burnt yellow parchment pages
Corresponding Pathway: Door Pathway - Sequence 6 Recorder
Beyonder Ability: Allows the holder to record any Beyonder ability or technique they personally witness, permanently fixing it to the notebook's pages for long-term preservation. Recorded abilities can be activated and used when needed, but each recording can only be used once before being consumed.
Negative Effect: Each time a recorded ability is used, the user will inevitably become lost and encounter various escalating dangers. The user must quickly draw their own blood and evenly coat the book's cover to remove this curse effect.
"Hmm. Looks like I'll need to convince Old Man Madara to generously spend some of his metaphorical gold coins sooner than planned."
Uchiha Kazuki had already made crystal-clear arrangements for exploiting Madara in his calculating mind.
Leaving a living gold mine like Uchiha Madara sitting around unused would be a complete waste of resources. While the old man is still alive and kicking, I should extract as much value as possible from him.
Feeling deeply satisfied with his planning, Kazuki carefully stored the valuable notebook away in a secure location.
Then, his sharp gaze fell upon the next mission notification.
He'd already guessed that the psychologist quest line was actually a series of connected side missions—with increasingly luxurious rewards for each successive completion as the difficulty steadily ramped upward.
His focused gaze remained fixed on the void space before him. Sure enough, immediately after the fourth mission disappeared from view, another line of faint glowing text materialized in its place:
[Side Quest: Qualified Psychologist - Part 5]
[Please successfully hypnotize or mentally control at least ten Elite Jōnin or Kage-level shinobi (0/10)]
[Reward: Arianna's Twilight Crest]
Upon clearly seeing the promised reward, Uchiha Kazuki was overwhelmed with genuine excitement—almost losing control of his carefully maintained neutral expression.
"Finally! My luck has turned around!"
His eyes gleamed with barely contained excitement and anticipation.
This is an exceptionally good item. Once properly activated, I can obtain the Evernight Goddess's [Concealment] authority no matter where I am in the world!
Everyone who knows anything about Lord of Mysteries pathways understands just how incredibly powerful the Goddess's 'Concealment' authority is—it's practically a divine-level skill!
"It seems the overall timeline for my plans needs to be accelerated somewhat."
Uchiha Kazuki forcibly suppressed his visible excitement, already calculating the next list of potential 'victims' in his strategic mind.
The Next Day
As Uchiha Kazuki stepped out of his residence that morning, he unexpectedly bumped directly into the clan head.
For some inexplicable reason, Fugaku's eyes were severely bruised and discolored, and there were several distinctly unnatural scratches visible on his face.
"Uh... Lord Fugaku, what on earth happened to you?"
Looking at Uchiha Kazuki's gaze—which clearly held significant strangeness and obvious doubt—Fugaku felt as if he were being pricked repeatedly by invisible needles.
He could only awkwardly attempt to cover up the truth with an embarrassed cough:
"No, it's nothing serious. Last night, while developing and testing a new ninjutsu technique, I made a slight miscalculation and ended up looking like this."
"Oh, I see completely."
Uchiha Kazuki sympathetically patted Fugaku's shoulder, sighed with understanding, and offered consolation:
"It's perfectly normal during pregnancy. Just bear with it a little while longer."
"You actually understand what I'm going through!"
Fugaku's eyes immediately welled up with grateful tears. He looked at Kazuki like someone who'd finally found a kindred spirit who truly comprehended his suffering. Grabbing Kazuki's sleeve desperately, he complained:
"You have absolutely no idea! Last night, Mikoto suddenly had some kind of emotional attack out of nowhere. She started yelling at me, demanding to know where I'd been! I told her truthfully that I'd been visiting your place to discuss clan business—and that somehow made her even MORE furious!"
"Uh..."
Uchiha Kazuki suddenly felt distinctly guilty and subconsciously averted his gaze.
"Anyway, I just wanted to give you fair warning that Mikoto has been in an especially bad mood lately."
Fugaku spoke with complete earnestness and concern:
"I honestly don't know what you might have accidentally done to offend her somehow. If Mikoto has inadvertently said or done anything inappropriate toward you, please don't take it personally or hold it against her. Thank you in advance for your understanding, Kazuki!"
"Ah, yes, of course! I really have something urgent to attend to, so I'll be going now!"
Uchiha Kazuki immediately fled the scene in barely controlled panic.
I can't maintain this act any longer. I genuinely can't keep this up, or my deception will be completely exposed!
"Good morning, Kazuki-sama!"
"Good morning, Kazuki-sama! Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
"Kazuki-sama, would you like to come see my flower garden?"
"Kazuki-sama!"
The civilian villagers proved incredibly enthusiastic throughout his entire walk through Konoha's streets.
Ever since making such a prominent name for himself during the Chūnin Exams, his reputation and popularity among the lower-class citizens of Konoha had taken a tremendously significant leap forward.
Uchiha Kazuki waved pleasantly and smiled warmly, graciously responding to every instance of the villagers' genuine enthusiasm.
"Kazuki-sama, you've arrived. The Hokage specifically instructed that you should proceed directly upstairs."
An ANBU operative standing guard in front of the Hokage Tower greeted him with notable respect.
"Alright, I understand. Thank you."
Uchiha Kazuki smiled warmly and nodded, even going so far as to pat the masked operative's shoulder in a friendly gesture:
"Thank you for your dedicated hard work, always faithfully maintaining your post. You're truly remarkable."
"No, it's genuinely my honor to serve, Kazuki-sama!"
Although the ANBU operative consciously tried to maintain professional reservation, his excited tone absolutely betrayed his true feelings.
"Don't be so nervous. We're all loyal members of Konoha—there's no need for strict hierarchy between us."
Uchiha Kazuki's gentle voice, warm like comforting sunlight, seemed to illuminate and uplift the ANBU operative's spirits.
"Kazuki-sama is so incredibly kind..."
Watching Uchiha Kazuki's departing figure with obvious admiration, the ANBU operative murmured quietly to himself:
"He has absolutely none of the typical Uchiha arrogance at all. He's so genuinely kind and considerate toward his subordinates. It's such a pity I'm not assigned to the Third Division under his direct command. What a shame..."
The ANBU operative's reverent voice at the entrance naturally didn't escape Kazuki's enhanced hearing.
Even throughout the interior of the Hokage Tower, numerous people greeted him with warm enthusiasm—proving conclusively that his calculated efforts building reputation hadn't been wasted.
This is excellent progress.
Because the more people admire and idolize someone, the further they become from truly understanding that person's real nature.
"Very good. I need to keep this momentum going."
Uchiha Kazuki's eyes narrowed slightly behind his reflective glasses, a subtle smile curving his lips:
"My reputation still isn't quite good enough yet. I need significantly more adoration and trust."
Lost in strategic contemplation, he soon arrived at the Hokage's private office.
Pushing open the door, he immediately observed Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting behind his desk—puffing methodically on his signature pipe, the entire room filled with thick tobacco smoke.
Danzō stood nearby looking utterly dejected, leaning heavily on his cane. His face appeared dark and stormy, maintaining complete silence.
"Hokage-sama, I've arrived as requested."
Uchiha Kazuki deliberately ignored Danzō entirely, walking straight to the Hokage's desk:
"Did you summon me for a specific mission assignment?"
"Yes, precisely."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't waste time with unnecessary pleasantries, getting straight to the critical point:
"This mission will require you to travel to Kirigakure while operating as an ANBU operative."
Uchiha Kazuki remained perfectly calm, patiently awaiting further explanation.
"Just yesterday, one of our deep-cover ANBU operatives delivered an urgent intelligence report."
A prominent vein visibly throbbed on Hiruzen Sarutobi's weathered forehead, his tone carrying unmistakable menace:
"Kirigakure has secretly formed a military alliance with Iwagakure, actively plotting to initiate warfare. I need you to personally lead a specialized team to investigate exactly how Kirigakure and Iwagakure intend to start this conflict—and most critically, identify who their primary target will be!"
At that moment, Uchiha Kazuki's sharp eyes noticed that the intelligence scroll resting beside the Hokage was heavily stained with bright red blood.
Since his superior had issued direct orders, Kazuki didn't refuse the assignment. He simply adjusted his glasses calmly with one finger and asked with perfect composure:
"Hokage-sama, may I inquire—if we discover concrete, irrefutable evidence that Kirigakure and Iwagakure are actively planning to wage war specifically against Konoha, what level of response am I authorized to employ?"
"Do whatever you deem necessary. Cause absolute chaos if required!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with grim satisfaction, seemingly reverting to his former legendary persona as the feared 'Professor' and ninja hero. His eyes gleamed with cold, calculated malice:
"Since they clearly don't want peace... then they shall have war instead!"
"I understand completely, Hokage-sama."
Uchiha Kazuki smiled with dark satisfaction.
That's exactly what I wanted to hear.
[End of Chapter 81]
Author's Notes:
Major developments this chapter!
Key Moments:
The Aftermath:
Fugaku got beaten up by Mikoto (for going to Kazuki's place!)
Kazuki feels guilty but escapes
His charm artifacts are causing SERIOUS problems
Poor Fugaku has no idea what's really happening
New Artifact Acquired:Lymano's Travel Notes - This is HUGE!
Records any ability witnessed
Can use each recording once
Door Pathway Sequence 6 item
Perfect for stealing techniques from others
New Mission:Part 5: Hypnotize 10 Elite Jōnin/Kage (0/10)
Reward: Arianna's Twilight Crest
Grants Evernight Goddess's Concealment authority
Divine-level ability!
Kazuki is VERY excited about this
War Assignment:
Kirigakure + Iwagakure alliance confirmed
Plotting war (likely targeting Konoha)
Kazuki authorized to "cause chaos"
Perfect opportunity for his plans
Reputation Building:
Everyone loves Kazuki now
"The more they admire, the less they understand"
Perfect manipulation through charm
Setting up for future betrayals
The Target List: Kazuki now needs to hypnotize/control 10 Kage-level fighters. Possible targets:
The Mizukage?
Iwagakure leadership?
Other village Kage?
This mission gives him perfect access!
Critical Implication: He's being sent to investigate a war plot, but he's probably going to USE this situation to complete his mission of controlling powerful shinobi!
Next arc: Kirigakure infiltration and Kage-level manipulation!
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