Chapter 176: Uchiha Itachi Akatsuki · Shu (Patreon)

"Nice to meet you."

"I'm Yuta Okkotsu."

Anon Chihaya, as an ordinary person, couldn't pinpoint the presence of cursed energy. Even so, the bone-deep chill pouring off Yuta Okkotsu, almost tangible, set her survival instincts blaring.

If she had to describe it, it felt like plunging without warning into an ice cave at the bottom of a lightless sea, where even breathing turned sluggish.

Anon Chihaya shivered, tightened her arms around the autograph book, and edged toward Uchiha Ayato's side without meaning to.

Noticing the girl's cringing movement, Uchiha Ayato raised an eyebrow slightly.

Without a word, he stepped half a pace forward and put himself between her and Okkotsu.

At the same moment, a gentle, mellow thread of Chakra seeped from the hem of his clothes and spread into an invisible membrane that wrapped softly around the girl behind him.

The clinging, bone-piercing chill vanished at once. In its place came a lingering warmth, like a winter day when the sun breaks through after snow.

"Mm…"

Anon Chihaya blinked in surprise, and her tense body went slack.

She had no idea how it worked, but she didn't need to think hard to know this marvelous change was her man's doing.

The inexplicable palpitations vanished. A sweet, smug smile bloomed on the girl's fair cheeks.

She simply followed the warm current another half step forward and rubbed her chin and the tip of her nose against Uchiha Ayato's broad back.

Once the girl behind him was settled, Uchiha Ayato finally lifted his eyes and looked indifferently at the black-haired youth ten meters away.

"I've heard a lot about you, Senior Okkotsu."

His tone was unhurried. His gaze swept over the black sword bag on the youth's shoulder, and the corner of his mouth curled into something not quite a smile.

"Bringing a blade to a first meeting…"

"What, are you planning to spar with me right here on the street?"

Okkotsu had been radiating a killing aura heavy enough to crush the street. Hearing that barbed joke, he froze.

The next instant, the oppressive aura around him drained away completely.

"Eh? N-No, that's not it!"

The calm, icy composure vanished from Okkotsu's face, replaced by flustered awkwardness. He waved both hands in front of his chest and rushed to say:

"Saying you've heard a lot about me is far too generous…

"If anyone is famous, it's Uchiha-kun, for settling the chaos in Shibuya."

As he spoke, he clumsily patted the black sword bag behind him, afraid the other party would misunderstand his purpose, and explained in a rapid stream:

"Please don't misunderstand! I didn't come looking for trouble!"

"The reason I'm carrying the sword…"

"I went straight to the Higher-Ups right after getting off the plane today, and I was afraid that if I went back to Jujutsu High to drop my things off, I'd miss the chance to meet you, Uchiha-kun."

"Time's tight, so I came straight here…"

Hidden behind Uchiha Ayato, Anon Chihaya poked out half her head. She stared at the black-haired youth opposite her, who was bowing and scraping with "I'm an honest guy" written all over his face, and was thoroughly dumbfounded.

What the heck?!

Just now, with that white coat and that sword on his back, she'd thought he'd walked out of some yakuza movie as an angel of death!

And the moment he opened his mouth, he turned out to be just a shy, slightly gloomy-looking boy?

And also…

Anon Chihaya began muttering to herself.

Did Ayarin just call him "Senior Okkotsu"?

Is he an upperclassman at Ayarin's school or something?

On the other side, watching Okkotsu's anxious, overly deferential manner, Uchiha Ayato gave a slight nod.

"Is that so? You've come a long way, then."

He sighed it with perfect composure, without the slightest awareness that his own "no waiting past the deadline" line was the reason the boy had sprinted all the way here.

Then Uchiha Ayato turned his head slightly, glanced out of the corner of his eye at Anon Chihaya still pressed against his back, and looked back at Okkotsu.

"Since you're not here to fight, Senior Okkotsu, whatever you want to say, please say it quickly."

He pointed at the darkening sky, a touch of urgency in his voice.

"As you can see, I'm a little pressed for time. I still have dinner to get to."

Only now did Okkotsu spare any attention for the pink-haired girl peeking out from behind Uchiha Ayato.

He froze for a moment, then composed himself and bowed solemnly to Anon Chihaya.

"Forgive my rudeness. You must be the Zenin Clan's legendary young lady?"

"I'm terribly sorry to intrude on your date at this hour, but it's a matter of great importance. Please allow me to borrow a little of Uchiha-kun's time."

Though the words were polite apologies, the moment he lowered his head, a storm of shock surged in Okkotsu's eyes.

A master!

A fathomless master!

Even from only a few meters away, with all his perceptive ability, he could sense just a faint trace of cursed energy from this girl.

Clearly she didn't have an extreme constitution like Heavenly Restriction.

Which meant…

She had suppressed nearly all her cursed energy inside her body, disguising herself as a completely ordinary person!

That terrifying degree of fine control alone was a realm that more than ninety-nine percent of sorcerers in the Jujutsu World could never reach in their lifetimes!

And that wasn't all…

Okkotsu's gaze moved over Anon Chihaya's hands, resting seemingly casually at Uchiha Ayato's waist, and her slack, loose stance.

She was full of openings, her center of gravity tilted entirely onto Uchiha-kun, yet she felt frighteningly strong, and no one dared make a rash move.

As expected of a woman who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Uchiha-kun.

No wonder that old man of the Zenin Clan treats her like a treasure and brags about her everywhere. Even overseas, he'd heard of it.

Anon Chihaya: "?"

Huh?

The Zenin Clan's young lady?

What is that? Who's that?

Her surname is Chihaya, not Zenin!

The smile froze on Anon Chihaya's face. Bewilderment flashed through her eyes, followed at once by sharp alarm.

Besides that Togawa Group heiress, Togawa Sakiko, when had Ayarin gotten tangled up with yet another rich-family young lady?

Anon Chihaya was grinding her molars nearly to dust.

Bit by bit, she lifted her gaze, and a resentful, murderous glare landed heavily on the back of Uchiha Ayato's head.

Then she raised her hand and began jabbing at Uchiha Ayato's waist, again and again, with all her strength.

Uchiha Ayato: "…"

Feeling the waves of sore numbness from his waist, Uchiha Ayato cursed Naobito Zenin, that old geezer, in his heart.

What exactly had he been spreading around?

Couldn't he have kept this kind of classified intel within a small circle?

Wasn't the circulation a little too wide?

Uncle Ayato really ought to arrest you!

"Ahem…"

Uchiha Ayato made a tactical fist, held it to his lips, and cleared his throat loudly. Without changing expression, he corrected Okkotsu:

"Senior Okkotsu, I think you've misunderstood something."

"The girl beside me is Anon Chihaya. She has nothing to do with the Zenin Clan."

"Huh?"

Okkotsu's expression stiffened.

He looked at the perfectly composed Uchiha Ayato, then at the girl behind him who was radiating terrifying black aura, and for a moment his brain couldn't keep up.

"B-But…"

The honest-to-a-fault special grade sorcerer scratched his cheek and muttered in confusion:

"The word I got was that Uchiha-kun got engaged to the Zenin Clan's eldest daughter several months ago, and that's how he naturally became the Zenin Clan's acting head…"

Halfway through, Okkotsu's voice cut off.

He looked at how close Anon Chihaya was to Uchiha Ayato, thought of the intel he'd received, and his pupils shook. Cold sweat slid down his temple.

"D-Don't tell me…"

"Uchiha-kun, you…"

You're a two-timing scumbag?

Under Okkotsu's gaze, wide-eyed as if he'd seen a ghost, the corner of Uchiha Ayato's mouth twitched.

He straightened his back at once and retorted stubbornly:

"How rude, Senior Okkotsu!"

"Please take back whatever disagreeable labels are in your head. Between me and them, it's pure love!"

Anon Chihaya: ???

The girl's mouth fell open in utter shock.

P-Pure love?

After all this, you can still say something like that?

Sensing the girl behind him was about to turn into a fire-breathing dragon, Uchiha Ayato wisely decided to skip a topic that only got worse the more he explained.

He waved a hand calmly and went on:

"All right, Senior Okkotsu, you needn't concern yourself with my private life."

"Everyone's time is precious. Please get to the point."

Hearing the urging, Okkotsu came back to himself.

He drew a deep breath, and his face returned to calm seriousness.

"Sorry, I lost my composure."

Okkotsu bowed his head slightly to Uchiha Ayato, genuine remorse in his voice.

"I've heard roughly what happened in Shibuya from the top brass…"

"I'm sorry. At the hardest moment for everyone, I was far overseas and couldn't do my part."

At this, the black-haired youth looked up at Uchiha Ayato and lowered his voice.

"But there's one thing I have to confirm with you, Uchiha-kun, who was there in person…

"Teacher Gojo…"

"Was he really sealed in the Prison Realm because he let his guard down and fell into the enemy's scheme?"

Hearing the question, a flicker of surprise crossed Uchiha Ayato's eyes.

Interesting.

He'd assumed the other would directly question his stance at the time, or ask why, with the power to end everything, he'd stood by while Gojo Satoru was sealed.

Instead, the kid hadn't come to demand an accounting at all. He was probing his answer in a roundabout way.

It seemed that before coming, he'd already worked out quite a bit on his own.

"Who knows?"

Uchiha Ayato shook his head noncommittally.

"But you can rest easy about one thing…"

"Even if you'd stayed in Tokyo back then, the outcome would've been no different."

"With Teacher Gojo's personality, he was bound to capsize in a gutter sooner or later. Just think of it as him being put in a box to calm down and reflect for a while."

"Rather than agonizing over what's already happened, use your head more and think about how to put this turmoil down as quickly as possible."

Looking at the thoughtful youth, Uchiha Ayato spoke meaningfully:

"I've never had a savior complex, and I've no interest in slaving away to protect ordinary people…"

"But if order truly collapsed entirely, it would affect my life too."

"So I suppose I've bought you all a bit of insurance, to make sure things don't slide to the worst possible outcome."

With Tengen now under Uchiha Ayato's control through Cursed Spirit Manipulation, Kenjaku's scheme could no longer succeed.

Hearing Uchiha Ayato's words, understanding dawned in Okkotsu's eyes.

Sure enough, his guess had been right.

With Teacher Gojo's strength, how could he possibly fall so easily into the enemy's deathtrap?

Teacher Gojo had let himself be sealed!

And judging by Uchiha-kun's tone, it was very likely that before entering Shibuya, the teacher had reached some kind of tacit understanding with him.

Since Uchiha-kun was holding up the bottom line, and Teacher Gojo wasn't truly cornered…

Then from here on, he could act without restraint too.

Having worked it all out, Okkotsu felt a lightness radiate from within.

"…I see. I understand."

Okkotsu stepped back half a pace and bowed deeply to Uchiha Ayato, his voice sincere and firm.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uchiha-kun."

"I still have a mission from the Higher-Ups to carry out, so I won't keep you two any longer."

"Goodbye!"

The instant he finished speaking, a surge of cursed energy exploded beneath his feet.

Before Anon Chihaya could even see his movement, Okkotsu became a blurred afterimage and melted into the dim night with astonishing explosive power.

In just a few bounds, the youth vanished at the end of her sight.

"Wow…"

Anon Chihaya stepped out from behind Uchiha Ayato, peered down the empty street, and couldn't help exclaiming:

"That senior runs so fast. Whoosh, and he's gone!"

"With his body reinforced by cursed energy, Okkotsu's basically a top athlete. Running that fast is normal."

With that, Uchiha Ayato put on a flawless, gentle smile, pretended not to remember what Anon had said earlier, and started walking forward as if nothing had happened.

"All right, that annoying business is dealt with."

"Let's go have dinner, Anon."

"I remember there's a well-reviewed French restaurant two blocks ahead. Their foie gras and soufflé are…"

"Hold it right there!"

He'd barely gotten halfway through the menu when Anon Chihaya's little hand shot out and yanked him by the sleeve.

He stopped and turned around, a bit stiffly.

Anon Chihaya stood under the streetlight with one hand on her hip, baring her teeth at him.

"Ayarin, quit pretending nothing happened and changing the subject!"

"I made it perfectly clear earlier, didn't I?"

"French restaurants, soufflés, I'm not interested in any of it tonight!"

The girl stepped closer, tilted up her little face, and declared:

"Tonight's menu can only be dinner at your place!"

Her gaze grew even more dangerous.

She jabbed the air in front of Uchiha Ayato's chest and demanded sternly:

"And another thing!"

"Earlier I saved your face because there was an outsider here, so I didn't blow up on the spot…"

"What's the deal with that engagement to the Zenin Clan's eldest daughter?!"

"Exactly how much have you been hiding from me?"

Uchiha Ayato…

Damn!

*

Half an hour later.

Tokyo's Minato Ward, at the gate of Great Aya Manor.

Anon Chihaya studied the artful walnut-wood door in front of her with curiosity, then heaved an exaggerated sigh.

"Haaah…"

Hands clasped behind her back, she crooned in a sour, sing-song voice:

"Ayarin's really come up in the world, living in a huge house I never would've dared dream of. Oh my~"

"I just hate that I, Anon Chihaya, am only an ordinary schoolgirl who can't give you a better life like Saki and Mana can. All I can do is stand in place and watch you climb higher, step by step."

"I fell in love with a wild horse~

"But there's no grassland in my home~"

Uchiha Ayato: …

Are you throwing shade at Uncle Ayato now?

Expressionless, he raised a hand and gave Anon Chihaya's head a light rap with a bent finger.

"Quit putting on a tragic melodrama at the door."

Pulling his hand back, Uchiha Ayato pressed a fingertip to the fingerprint reader on the smart lock and casually briefed her on who was home.

"Soyo's mom got off work early for once, so she's going home tonight to have dinner with her mother. She's not staying over here."

"So…"

With a soft beep, the heavy front door slid slowly inward, and warm light and the faint aroma of cooking spilled out.

Uchiha Ayato looked at Anon Chihaya beside him, braced for battle, and said earnestly:

"There are four people behind this door right now."

"Don't say I didn't warn you. The moment you step through, you'll be facing four against one tonight."

Hearing this, Anon Chihaya not only didn't shrink back but lifted her chin proudly.

"Hmph! I've never been afraid of a little cold water!"

"Four against one?"

"Wrong, it's one against four!"

"They're the challengers!"

She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

Five minutes later.

Anon Chihaya: I surrender, nya.

At this very moment, Anon Chihaya, who had been loudly demanding a fight to the finish outside the door, was sitting primly between Uika Misumi and Sumita Mana.

Flanked on both sides by her former idols, Anon Chihaya chatted and laughed with them, feeling as if she were walking on pink bubbles. Her head was spinning and she felt like she was floating on cloud nine.

"Speaking of which, Ayato gave you a Sumimi CD, right, Anon-chan?"

Uika Misumi, in a cozy knit cardigan, cradled a cup of warm black tea, her eyes curving into pretty crescents as she asked gently:

"Do you know the story behind that CD?"

"Eh? There's a story?! Tell me, tell me!"

Anon Chihaya's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly leaned closer to Uika.

"Ayato was so awkward back then."

Uika Misumi couldn't hold back a laugh. She covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes full of mischief.

"He'd specifically asked us to write a message, but when we asked what his relationship with you was, he forced himself to say 'just a friend'…"

"And after I saw right through him, he couldn't even answer and just ran away. It was hilarious."

"Hehehehe~"

Hearing this behind-the-scenes tale she'd never heard before, Anon Chihaya's grin stretched to her ears, and she let out a smug, goofy giggle.

She swayed her head and waved a hand cheerfully.

"Can't be helped. That Ayarin is a classic case of hard mouth, soft heart, and too proud for his own good."

"I have something to say about that, too!"

Sitting on her other side, Sumita Mana swallowed half a strawberry daifuku and puffed out her cheeks dramatically, chiming in.

"Actually, I was super jealous of you back then, Anon-chan."

"I've known Ayato for so long, and I'd never seen him hold any girl in his heart like that."

Mana deliberately cut her eyes at her partner beside her and complained, half in earnest.

"Watching Hatsu-chan keep egging Ayato on to face his feelings, I secretly held a grudge against Hatsu-chan for ages!"

"Eh?"

Uika Misumi covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes widening a little.

"There was something like that?"

"Okay, okay, Mana, stop trying to cheer me up~"

Anon Chihaya waved a hand, blushing, then looked at Mana and said with feeling:

"If we're talking envy, I'm the one who envies Mana the most."

"Isn't the most romantic thing about loving someone growing up alongside him?"

"Mana was Ayarin's only playmate as a kid, and then things played out like an idol drama after that…"

Anon Chihaya counted on her fingers, her eyes sparkling.

"The lost young lady of an ancient family, a long-lost childhood sweetheart found again…"

"With a setup like that, in a novel or on TV, Mana would definitely be the heroine."

"Besides, out of everyone here, only Mana has seen that one-of-a-kind other side of Ayarin."

This heartfelt exchange of mutual flattery delighted Sumita Mana. She threw an arm around Anon Chihaya's shoulders, ready to swear sisterhood on the spot.

Anon Chihaya: Wonderful, Great Aya Manor!

Everyone here is so talented, and they're so nice to talk to. I love this place so much.

Recalling the tension and hostility she'd felt standing outside five minutes ago, Anon Chihaya felt she'd been far too hasty.

She'd thought she'd be facing the cold stares of a pack of rivals, and had rehearsed eight hundred rounds of verbal sparring and palace-intrigue showdowns in her head.

And the result?

Not only did they show no rejection or hostility toward her arrival, they were more warm and welcoming than she could have imagined, as though she'd always belonged here.

That left Anon Chihaya totally thrown.

It felt like punching cotton. All this time, she'd been fighting imaginary enemies.

A lady has her pride.

With the other side being this reasonable, wouldn't it be humiliating to make a scene?

And so Little Chihaya surrendered at the speed of light.

Meanwhile, in the open kitchen.

"Glug, glug…"

The cream stew in the clay pot bubbled with fine white bubbles, giving off a rich, creamy aroma.

Togawa Sakiko, in a light blue apron, stood at the stove gently stirring the broth with a long wooden spoon.

Now and then she glanced out of the corner of her eye at the lively, harmonious scene in the living room. A flicker of resignation crossed her eyes, and she couldn't help muttering, at a volume only the person beside her could hear:

"Honestly…"

"And here I thought she'd be formidable, but she's far too easy to handle."

At this, Wakaba Mutsumi, who was slicing side ingredients at the counter, stopped her knife.

The girl turned her head and looked quietly at her childhood sweetheart, who had been by her side since they were little. She said with a perfectly serious face:

"More importantly, Saki…"

"Can you do that thing from before one more time?"

Mutsumi paused, then repeated:

"The one that goes…"

"'When Big Sis Saki spreads her back, the sky goes dark.'"

What Mutsumi was referring to was the scene just before Anon Chihaya and Uchiha Ayato came through the door.

At the time, only the few of them were in the living room. Togawa Sakiko, wearing a backless nightgown today, had been proudly showing off her toned back line and core strength at Uika Misumi's humble request, about to share some fitness secrets.

And of all the timings, just as she struck the back-spreading pose, the door at the entryway opened.

"Ugh…!?"

Hearing that Mutsumi was so obviously doing this to tease her, Togawa Sakiko's fair, delicate cheeks turned bright red.

Oh my god, Mutsumi is way too mean!

How can you say that with such an innocent face?

A baby-faced wolf!

Her fingers tightened on the wooden spoon, and she lowered her voice in embarrassed fury.

"Mutsumi! Don't you ever bring that up again!"

"I-I didn't know they'd walk in at that moment!"

As soon as she finished, Togawa Sakiko, her anger not yet spent, whipped her head around and glared at Uchiha Ayato, who was leaning against the island counter watching the show.

"And you too, Ayato!"

"Why didn't you give some warning before coming in? Ringing the doorbell would've been fine!"

Uchiha Ayato: "?"

I have to give notice before going into my own house?

Little Miss Saki, you've got the hierarchy upside down.

But still…

Uchiha Ayato shook his head, glanced at Anon, Uika, and Mana huddled together in the living room, and a warm smile rose in his eyes. Inwardly, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

However it came about, Uncle Ayato would be able to eat dinner tonight.

But in the very instant Uchiha Ayato let his guard down—

[Ding!]

[Ascent to Godhood: Defeat the ten greatest masters of the Ninja World and become the true strongest, the God of Shinobi.]

[Next stage target locked: Uchiha Itachi, "Akatsuki · Vermilion"]

[Estimated arrival location: Tokyo's Second Arena]

[Arrival countdown: 47 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds]

Uchiha Ayato: !!!