At Ichiro's lavish mansion, Uchiha Mikoto had dressed herself carefully before coming.
Technically speaking, after the engagement was broken off, Mikoto no longer had any reason to obey Uchiha Fugaku, nor did he have the right to command her. But for reasons buried in her heart, she had come anyway.
She stood hesitantly at the door, hand raised as if to knock, then pulled it back, conflicted.
"Stop hesitating—just come in."
The door opened suddenly, and Ichiro's voice came from inside.
"You knew I was coming?"
As she stepped into the room and saw Ichiro already waiting, she couldn't help but ask.
Mikoto wasn't stupid. Considering Fugaku's earlier behavior, she could guess there had been some sort of agreement between him and Ichiro.
She felt aggrieved, as though she were just a piece in some transaction.
"You look nice—you even dressed up for the occasion."
Ichiro gave her a long, deliberate look, scanning from head to toe. She wore a pure white kimono, long straight black hair cascading behind her, and her exquisitely beautiful face was almost mesmerizing.
As for her figure, it was hard to tell at a glance—her style had always been modest.
But having experienced it firsthand, Ichiro could say with certainty—Mikoto had a flawless figure.
Under Ichiro's openly appraising gaze, Mikoto felt increasingly uneasy.
Ichiro didn't stand on ceremony. He grabbed her and pulled her into the room without hesitation.
What happened next went without saying—those who understand, understand.
The next morning, Ichiro slept in for once. Mikoto lay curled in his arms, her eyes open, showing a mix of fatigue and conflicting emotions.
"You're awake?"
"Mhm."
She gave a slight nod, opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated.
"If there's something you want to say, just say it. I won't stop you."
"I've broken off my engagement with Fugaku. Would you… would you marry me?"
She asked nervously.
Her request wasn't driven by love. It came from a deeply traditional mindset. After giving her most important thing as a woman to Ichiro, she felt she had no other path. That's why she came to him—not because of anything Fugaku said.
After all, now that she'd broken off the engagement, Fugaku's words no longer held sway.
"Marry you?" Ichiro chuckled. "What do you think?"
His response made Mikoto's face go pale. Even if she wanted to marry him, would he accept her?
It made sense. With Ichiro's looks and strength, he could have any woman he wanted. Mikoto didn't flatter herself into thinking she could make him obsessed.
"If you want me to marry you, beauty alone isn't enough. Strength matters too—and in my eyes, you're lacking."
Ichiro teasingly pinched her chin.
There were far more powerful male shinobi than female ones. That wasn't to say there were no strong kunoichi—but compared to the men, they were few and far between.
Mikoto wasn't weak—she had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan and had jōnin-level strength. Among kunoichi, she could definitely hold her own.
But Ichiro didn't think that was enough. The reason he'd asked Fugaku for her before had more to do with wanting a reward.
"If I grow stronger… would you marry me then?"
She looked at him, eyes full of longing.
Ever since she was forced to give herself to Ichiro, her heart had been in turmoil. Hoping he'd marry her was, at this point, the only goal she had to cling to.
"I'll give you a chance," Ichiro said with a wicked smile. "I have a task for you. If you complete it well, I'll marry you—how about that?"
"What task?"
Ichiro leaned in close and whispered his scheme into her ear.
Mikoto's face turned bright red. His breath against her ear sent a warm flush through her, and the plan he described was downright shameless.
It made her feel a rare pang of guilt. For the first time, she realized people could be this wicked.
If the plan succeeded, Fugaku's dream of becoming clan head would be over—he'd be thoroughly disgraced, unable to show his face again.
『Ding! Host has broken an agreement and acted in bad faith. Reward: Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet. Evil Points +10,000』
Previously, Ichiro had promised Fugaku: if he handed over Mikoto, Ichiro would give up on the clan head position and support Fugaku.
But Ichiro's promises? Of course they weren't real. He'd lied straight to Fugaku's face.
Fugaku probably guessed he was being played—but his dream of becoming clan head was too strong. He chose to gamble.
He thought he had nothing to lose. But did he really?
This was Ichiro. If he didn't screw someone so badly they started questioning their entire life, could it even be called "getting played"?
"So? Do you agree to what I said?"
Ichiro looked at Mikoto.
She nodded.
She'd once felt guilty toward Fugaku. But now that the engagement was officially broken, she no longer did.
As for ruining Fugaku? She didn't mind. She was already angry—she had figured out that he'd treated her like a bargaining chip.
"Very good. Here's your reward."
Ichiro leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
Mikoto: "..."
When Ichiro got out of bed, Mikoto gently helped him dress. Whether it was a sign of devotion or habit, she seemed to be slipping into the role of a wife.
She really did have that gentle, wife-like nature. It suited her.
Maybe… marrying Mikoto wouldn't be so bad after all.
"I wonder if Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke will still be born."
Ichiro mused silently.
Honestly, he'd prefer if they weren't—he had no love for Itachi, that filial fool.
Still, he suspected that even if Itachi never came to be, Sasuke probably would—after all, he was the reincarnation of Indra's chakra.
"Huh. Nothing from Mikoto triggered a reward this time."
As he left his house, Ichiro felt slightly disappointed. Good thing he had already milked Fugaku for all he was worth.
Exiting the Uchiha district, Ichiro made his way straight to the Konoha Police Force.
He hadn't gone in at all the previous day—he wanted to see if Goro and the others could handle things on their own.
Ichiro didn't want subordinates who were useless. This had been a test.