Chapter 101: Next Time I Come, I'll Collect Interest!
The more Mikoto thought about it, the more terrified she became.
But on the surface, she forced herself to remain calm and nodded slightly:
"Fine… I accept your bet…"
"Since you've agreed, let's talk about what you'll have to pay if you lose."
Oborotsuki immediately smiled.
Hearing this, Mikoto froze on the spot:
"I… have to pay something?"
Earlier, she had only been thinking about making sure he never came back.
So she had completely forgotten about the possibility that she might lose the bet.
Now that the words were out, she couldn't take them back.
"That's right. If you lose, you'll have to…"
Oborotsuki grinned wickedly, staring at her without finishing the sentence.
He could see that Mikoto was already flustered and at a loss.
Her heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it clearly even from this distance.
"What… will I have to do?"
After waiting for a long time without Oborotsuki continuing, Mikoto couldn't help but ask.
"When you lose, I'll tell you naturally."
Oborotsuki smiled.
"But… but that's not fair."
Mikoto realized something was wrong and immediately shook her head.
"Hmph…"
Oborotsuki responded with a meaningful cold laugh, clearly implying:
You said it yourself—there's no going back now.
His gaze casually drifted toward little Sasuke in the crib.
Mikoto's eyes flickered instantly.
"Fine. Since that's the case, it's a deal."
"But I still have some questions. Please answer them."
Right now she couldn't afford to anger this man. She needed to keep him as calm as possible and ideally get him to leave quickly.
Everything was for Sasuke's sake.
If she provoked him now, with his terrifying abilities, Sasuke might get hurt…
Thinking this, Mikoto took a deep, subtle breath.
"Ask away. I might not answer, though."
Oborotsuki folded his arms and looked at Mikoto with interest.
"My question is very simple."
"The Hōzuki clan has never had any connection with the Uchiha. Why have you come here to help us?"
Mikoto immediately voiced the question that had been troubling her.
"I personally enjoy helping others. You can also think of it as meddling in things that don't concern me."
"What? Is that not allowed?"
Oborotsuki smiled as he countered.
His words left Mikoto momentarily speechless.
Because logically… there was nothing wrong with them.
"Then let me ask you this: how did you know the things you just said?"
Mikoto was very clever.
She didn't admit that the Uchiha were indeed planning to rebel.
First, because she genuinely didn't know about it, so she treated it as a lie.
Second, even if it were true, if her husband Fugaku had deliberately kept it from her for the family's sake, then saying it came from Oborotsuki himself would at least partially clear her of responsibility.
"That's not something I need to answer."
Oborotsuki replied very directly.
He obviously couldn't say he was a transmigrator who knew all the plot.
"Ask something else."
"Like whether I'm married, if I have a girlfriend, things like that."
Oborotsuki folded his arms and looked at Mikoto with a teasing, flirtatious smile.
As a married woman, Mikoto was very uncomfortable with this kind of flirtation. She instinctively looked away and turned her head:
"Sorry, I'm not interested in those questions."
"Since you don't want to keep talking, please leave."
"As for the bet earlier, I think you're definitely going to lose."
"Is that so?"
Oborotsuki's voice suddenly came from right beside her ear, startling Mikoto badly.
She whipped her head around—only to find him standing less than half a meter behind her, like a ghost!
"So fast!"
Mikoto's heart shook violently.
A wave of chills ran through her body. Her scalp tingled, and her unease reached its peak.
This man's strength was truly terrifying!
If he wanted to kill her, he could have done it in that split second just now!
"Just keep your eyes open and watch whether my prediction comes true."
"Next time I come… I'll be collecting interest."
Oborotsuki gave a playful smile and gently brushed his hand across Mikoto's face.
Inwardly, though, he sighed with regret.
She was right—Fugaku had only been gone for a short while and was already returning.
He was now just outside the door.
If Oborotsuki stayed any longer, Fugaku's strength would definitely sense something.
After that, approaching Mikoto again would become much more troublesome.
Oborotsuki clearly remembered that Fugaku possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
There was no need to rush anyway.
First, he needed Mikoto to believe he had the ability to save the Uchiha clan. Only then would the next steps be easier.
When she personally witnessed, and truly felt, the Uchiha clan sliding into decline—when she clearly saw that continuing to oppose Konoha was a dead end—
She would naturally come to him for help…
Under Mikoto's stunned, wide-eyed gaze, Oborotsuki activated Flying Thunder God and vanished.
…
After teasing Uchiha Mikoto in Konoha, Oborotsuki still didn't return to Kirigakure.
Right now, the village was surely still on high alert while chasing Uzuki Yūgure.
Going back at this time without bringing something back might arouse Mei's suspicion if she asked.
That woman might seem careless on the surface, but she wasn't easy to fool.
Oborotsuki quickly arrived in the Land of Earth.
Iwagakure had two jinchūriki: the Four-Tails' Old Purple and the Five-Tails' Han.
Both were currently in their prime, extremely powerful.
The reason Oborotsuki targeted them was because, based on the situation, if Akatsuki was going to capture tailed beasts right now, these two would be among the easiest targets.
After all, the Land of Rain was right next to the Land of Earth.
Of course, another very likely target was the One-Tail Shukaku in Sunagakure of the Land of Wind.
Currently, Akatsuki—counting Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Uchiha Obito—still had four usable combat forces.
Oborotsuki had personally confirmed that the Two-Tails jinchūriki Yugito in Kumogakure hadn't been targeted yet—he had beaten them to it.
Konoha no longer had a tailed beast, so it was unlikely to become a target.
Kirigakure was his main base. Akatsuki would have to be crazy to provoke them at a time like this.
So the remaining targets were Iwagakure in the Land of Earth and Sunagakure in the Land of Wind.
Oborotsuki knew that at this point, going to either village would very likely lead to an encounter with Deva Path or Obito.
It didn't matter which one he chose first.
The moment he arrived at Iwagakure in the Land of Earth, he immediately saw a blinding pillar of light shoot into the sky.
Then came the deafening roar of explosions from the distance.
After that, violent shockwaves swept in all directions, uprooting countless trees and kicking up massive clouds of dust.
Oborotsuki released his chakra perception and instantly locked onto several familiar chakra signatures.
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