"Heh… and what if I say no?"Natsume Yō stepped forward, placing himself in front of Wada Chiba, cutting off the suffocating aura pressing down on her.
"Tch. Then just wait. Don't think you're the only one who can undo that seal technique. When the time comes, I hope you won't be on your knees, whining like a dog for me to spare you!"Uchiha Tairen's eyes were blades, stabbing at Yō as if they could pierce his skin. The bystanders shivered; the air was thick with killing intent.
"Is that so?" Yō chuckled lightly. "Then I'll wait too. Hopefully you figure out how to undo it… otherwise, there'll come a day when you're the one begging me. And when that day comes, I won't be nearly this polite. I hate being threatened the most."His grin carried no fear—he was certain no one in the Uchiha, no one in all of Konoha, could crack the Soul Control Curse.
Still, he wasn't reckless. As Tairen had said, Yō was technically just a commoner; without deep roots, pushing too far against a clan like the Uchiha was dangerous.
"Very well, Natsume Yō. Just don't regret it later."Tairen's snake-like glare promised poison before he turned and left.
As the tension faded, Chiba exhaled and gave Yō a reproachful look."You really know how to stir up trouble. First the Hyūga, now the Uchiha? Honestly…"
"Relax," Yō said with a laugh, patting her hand to calm her down. "Tairen's all bark. If he dares step out of line, I'll make sure he regrets it. I don't mind getting a little vicious."
"But… did you see his face when he left? I'm scared, Yō."Her voice shook. Unlike him, she had no strength to resist the Uchiha's fury. She was just a civilian girl. If they turned their fangs her way…
"This village is full of monsters. If he really finds a way to undo it, what then?" she whispered. It wasn't that she doubted him — but compared to the vast weight of Konoha, one Natsume Yō still seemed small.
Yō only laughed, brimming with confidence."Impossible. If he really cracks the curse, I'll write my name backwards. No one in this village has that ability. Not him, not anyone." His eyes burned as he added, "If he ever dares to hurt you, he'll have to step over my corpse first. As long as I'm standing, no one will touch a single hair on your head."
The Soul Control Curse was no ordinary jutsu. It was a system-forged sorcery—something only the system itself could retract. The higher your sealing arts, the tighter the curse's grip became. To undo it? Impossible.
And unfortunately, Uchiha Jun'etsu wasn't the only one under its power. Another bore the same brand: Uchiha Yūsuke.
And Yūsuke's father wasn't the kind of man to "talk it out" like Tairen. He was colder, crueler… and unlike Chiba, he already knew she was being followed.
"Well, so it was you. Bold of you, brat."Uchiha Kangaku — a shadowy figure, cruel and calculating like Danzō himself — appeared. His methods were far more ruthless than Tairen's.
When Yō returned home that evening, he found Kangaku waiting at his door. Two grim guards flanked him. At his side, Uchiha Yūsuke sneered with venom, while next to them… Wada Chiba, unconscious, slumped in their grip.