"That's it. Sorry, Mikoto, I couldn't convince him either,"
Kushina said to Uchiha Mikoto with a hint of embarrassment. She and Mikoto had been friends for several years. When Kain left before, Mikoto often brought Sasuke to visit him, but this time, there was nothing she could do.
"Isn't there only daimyo who can help?"
Uchiha Mikoto's face was full of disappointment. She refused to believe Itachi would commit such a crime. If she could uncover the truth behind his actions, she might still have a chance to save him.
At that moment, Sasuke had gone to play with Naruto. Though they called it play, the two clearly disliked each other. They often competed under the guise of having fun, but Naruto never lost; he wasn't even using half his strength.
Even so, Sasuke never admitted defeat. He'd keep going, refusing to give up—even when covered in bruises and injuries from their sparring matches.
"Actually, it's not completely impossible," Kushina said softly, seeing the sadness in her friend's eyes. "But Mikoto, your son's crime is too serious. So serious that even Kain doesn't want to get involved. I really couldn't persuade him."
Uchiha Mikoto asked, clinging to a shred of hope, "Is there anything the daimyo can do?"
"He absolutely could solve it," Kushina admitted. "But he doesn't want to get involved right now. Even I couldn't change his mind..."
She sighed helplessly. Kain had shut her down the moment she brought it up. If she kept pushing, she'd have earned a few swats on the butt. Any further insistence and she might've been kicked out to wait outside with Mikoto.
"Can I meet him?" Mikoto asked, her eyes filled with hope.
But Kushina hesitated, her expression turning awkward. After a pause, she finally replied, "Sorry, Mikoto. He just stepped out."
Inwardly, she grumbled—that excuse was too obvious. She'd definitely hear about it tonight!
Sure enough, Mikoto's face paled even more at the reply. Her voice was soft, almost defeated: "I see... Sorry for troubling you."
"No, Mikoto, you're always welcome here," Kushina said quickly. "I'll talk to him again. And Naruto—he may not say it out loud, but I can tell he considers Sasuke his best friend."
To lift her friend's spirits, Kushina then took Mikoto on a walk around the Daimyo Mansion. Whatever else could be said, the scenery here was rare in the ninja world—Kain had a deep love for beauty and comfort. The mansion even housed dozens of exotic ornamental animals.
After the stroll, Kushina treated her to some delicacies rarely found outside. Seeing Sasuke, bruised and stubborn, still refusing to admit defeat after sparring with Naruto lifted Mikoto's mood a little. She didn't linger much longer, and left with Sasuke soon after.
Transportation was easy now—thanks to the improvements, the capital was almost directly connected to Konoha. It only took a little over ten minutes by car for Mikoto and Sasuke to return.
Not long after they left, Kain returned from outside. He hadn't been avoiding Mikoto; he genuinely had important matters to handle.
The Sand Shinobi Village was about to be absorbed, with the Fire Nation beginning to annex the Land of Wind. Kirigakure was next in line. Kain had sent agents from the Terumi clan back to the village to discreetly contact key individuals.
The Fire Nation's momentum in unifying the ninja world was now unstoppable.
Terumi's early cooperation with the Kain Chamber of Commerce made them ideal mediators with Kirigakure. After all, the Fourth Mizukage was still under the control of Uchiha Obito.
This intelligence was critical for Kirigakure. Without their Mizukage, the village was far more likely to surrender peacefully. Elders like Yuan Shi were seen as moderates, and the hawkish Blood Mist faction would likely fall with the Fourth Mizukage—either demoted or purged alongside him.
The Terumi family had already departed. The Land of Water was desperate for foreign trade support, but the Fire Nation's sky fortress could block all such trade routes. Given these pressures, the Terumi clan's push to join the Fire Nation had gained serious traction.
When Kain returned to the Daimyo Mansion, it was just in time for dinner. His household was full of big eaters. Aside from the guards, the chefs were the busiest people in the entire estate.
If they weren't eating Sea King meat, the Kain family could still consume at least 150 catties of food per meal. It took more than 20 chefs and ten servants just to manage their meals.
After dinner, Kain answered some of Yoko's questions about magic—before Kushina dragged him into the room.
Seeing this, Yoko spread her hands helplessly and said,
"My dad's games are really boring."
Naruto asked curiously from the side,
"What kind of game, Sister Yoko?"
"You'll know when you learn magic. But if you do, Aunt Kushina will definitely beat you up."
Yoko snorted, then continued,
"By the way, lend me some pocket money, Big Brother Naruto!"
"Again? I just said I didn't have any! And you've already borrowed all of it!"
Naruto looked uneasy and shook his head desperately.
Annoyed, Yoko raised her leg and kicked Naruto. She then threatened,
"Hurry up! Don't make me beat you—you can't beat me anyway. I saw it myself—Dad gave you 100,000 ryo! Just lend me 90,000!"
"I said I don't have it!"
Naruto shook his head and turned to run, but the ground in front of him suddenly turned to mud. A giant hand burst out from the earth and grabbed him tightly.
It was Yoko's transformation technique. No matter how strong Naruto was, he couldn't break free.
"Hmph. Big Brother Naruto obviously has talent for magic, but he insists on learning ninjutsu,"
Yoko chuckled, walking over to him. She took out his wallet, pulled out the full 100,000 ryo, and said,
"You said it was 90,000 ryo before. Well, now it's all gone!"
With a proud grin, Yoko walked away. As she left, the giant hand vanished, and Naruto slumped to the ground, dejected, already planning to tattle to his father.
Later that night...
"Wooooooowwwww..."
Kushina whimpered in pain.
"Next time, don't try to play with porcelain if you don't have diamonds,"
Kain sneered. Then, using magic, he cleaned Kushina up before carrying her to bed.
Kushina feebly thumped his chest.
"I just wanted to help Mikoto... Who asked you to work so hard?"
"Helping her would be breaking rules and principles. If it were Fugaku asking, maybe I'd consider it. But he's dead—and despite all his merits, it was Itachi who killed him."
Kain didn't want to continue the topic. Instead, he gently helped Kushina tidy her messy red hair and said,
"Sleep early."
Kushina nodded weakly and soon fell asleep. She had hoped intimacy would soften Kain into helping Mikoto—but she ended up being lectured instead. If she hadn't been so physically drained, she'd have gotten up and given Kain a piece of her mind.
The next day, Uchiha Mikoto came again with Sasuke. She was still unwilling to give up.
But Kain was away—he'd gone to Ryūchi Cave to check on the Nine-Headed Dragon, a tailed beast that had almost finished being cultivated by Orochimaru. The remaining task was to seal Tailed Beast Chakra into each of the dragon's nine heads.
Kain returned with the dragon and also checked on Ichikishima Hime. After her last enhancement injection, she was progressing well—she could now take full human form, in addition to a unique human-snake hybrid that was unlike any Devil Fruit half-beast form.
It seemed that Senjutsu had altered the effects of her Devil Fruit abilities. Kain considered sending her to the lab for further study but didn't have time, so he shelved the idea.
Ichikishima Hime also relayed a message: the White Snake Sage wished to meet Kain. But he declined—he had too many pressing matters to deal with.
By the time he returned to the Daimyo Mansion, Uchiha Mikoto had already left.
That evening, Naruto was reluctant to leave after dinner, but Yoko forcefully dragged him away.
On the third day, Uchiha Mikoto came once more. This time, Kain was home, and with Kushina's help, Mikoto finally managed to corner him.
"My lord, I—"
Before Mikoto could finish speaking, Kain firmly refused:
"Mrs. Mikoto, I know why you've come—but I think it's better if Kushina explains it to you. I don't want to get involved in this matter."
Help Uchiha Itachi? Was that a joke? Kain was still planning to gouge out his eyes—why would he help a traitor and miss the chance to harvest a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan? He wasn't insane. He'd clearly choose the latter.
Uchiha Mikoto, unwilling to give up, said,
"But Daimyo-sama, I believe Itachi must have had his reasons."
"If you believe in Itachi, then why don't you trust Konoha? If there are any mitigating circumstances, they'll come to light when Anbu brings him in for interrogation."
Kain's reply struck directly at the heart of her worries.
"You came to me now because, deep down, you believe Itachi really did it. And you're afraid that once he's captured, he'll be executed."
His words drained the color from Mikoto's face. She had been through so much recently, forced to keep a smile on her face for Sasuke's sake, and it had brought her to the edge of emotional collapse.
"Here, drink this, Mrs. Mikoto."
Remembering how often she had accompanied Kushina in the past, Kain realized he'd been a bit too harsh. He took out a bottle of joy potion and handed it to her.
Mikoto accepted it without suspicion and drank it in one gulp. The potion took effect almost instantly—her mood lifted, the pressure on her shoulders easing, her breath becoming calmer.
"Mrs. Mikoto, if there's nothing else, please come visit when you can. You're always welcome at the Daimyo's mansion."
Seeing her improved condition, Kain subtly began to dismiss her. But Mikoto wasn't ready to leave. Kain was her only hope of saving her son. If she didn't try everything, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
"My lord, no matter the price… I will pay it."
Despite being a former noblewoman, Uchiha Mikoto knelt down before Kain. Her loose clothing shifted with the motion, unintentionally revealing a fair expanse of skin.
"Ahem… You should probably get up, Mrs. Mikoto," Kain said, his voice a little strained.
Realizing what had happened, Mikoto blushed, quickly stood up, and adjusted her clothing. But then—something in her heart wavered. What if this could save Itachi…?
Slowly, she lowered her hand from her chest and stood straighter. She didn't know why she acted that way, but maybe it was because she couldn't bear losing another family member.
Though a mother of two, her skin remained fair and smooth, her mature presence only deepening her beauty. Straightening her back a little, she exuded a graceful charm—a last desperate hope, a lifeline she could offer.
"Daimyo-sama… if you're willing to help me, I, Mikoto, will give anything."
Her voice was filled with quiet determination, laced with subtle implication. After saying it, her face flushed with shame. Am I crazy? she thought. Trying to seduce Kushina's husband…?
But she had no other choice. Everyone else had turned her away. Only the Daimyo had the power to help.
She hated herself for it—betraying Fugaku's memory, betraying her friend—but when words, money, and reason no longer worked, what else was there to offer... but herself?
"You should go back and think about this, Mrs. Mikoto."
Kain gestured toward the door, dismissing her gently.
He had been tempted—just a little. But Kushina was still at home, and he suspected Mikoto was acting out of desperation. Sending her home might help her calm down.
But Kain underestimated her resolve.
She returned the very next day.
This time, she wore a form-fitting tunic that accentuated her mature curves. Her pleading expression, her quiet elegance, and her barely-veiled seduction nearly swayed Kain.
"Just help Mikoto already," Kushina said, lightly punching Kain in the chest. "She's been begging you for days. Even Sasuke asked me what's going on."
Kain sighed, rubbing his temples.
"…Let me think about it."
Mikoto had changed clothes again—but it was still a tunic, still designed to highlight her graceful, maternal allure. When she saw Kain, she went straight to the point.
"Lord Daimyo, I—"
"Mrs. Mikoto," Kain interrupted, "have you made up your mind?"
The question caught her off guard. Her face turned red. But she had already asked herself that question a hundred times in the silence of night.
If she could save Itachi… then as his mother, this was the price she had to pay.
If only I had paid more attention… maybe this wouldn't have happened…
Her heart ached with guilt. She felt she had failed as a mother—and now, she would do anything to make things right.
With a deep breath and determined eyes, she said:
"Yes, Daimyo-sama. I, Mikoto… am ready."
As the words left her lips, her face flushed once more, glowing with quiet desperation and maternal love.
…
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