“Dazai.” After a moment, Oda Sakunosuke suddenly asked, “Why do I feel like you're in a particularly good mood?” His keen intuition told him that Dazai's emotions were somewhat unusual.
Is that so?" Dazai Osamu said nonchalantly. "Maybe it's because I'll be fighting side by side with Oda-kun this time?
Honestly, just thinking about how Mori-san is about to lose both his wife and his soldiers, will inevitably be kicked out of his position as leader, makes me want to laugh!
"Oda-kun's work and mine never overlapped before, but now the two of us can finally be together; just thinking about it is exciting!" Dazai Osamu said with shimmering eyes, his hand resting on his phone with the screen facing himself. In a place where Oda Sakunosuke couldn't see, the phone screen displayed a photo that was clearly of the Mimic members and the orphans Oda Sakunosuke had adopted, a photo that had been sent to him by Uchiha Madara.
You're here~" Dazai Osamu said, drawing out the tone as he watched the person walking down the stairs, tucked away his phone. "Ango.
Wearing round-rimmed glasses and a suit, with his hair combed meticulously, Sakaguchi Ango walked up to them. "Good evening! Dazai, Oda-kun."
With his usual attitude, Sakaguchi Ango greeted them as if nothing had happened.
“Working two jobs while only receiving one salary,” Dazai Osamu said with a smile. "Being a government undercover agent must be truly exhausting!"
Author's Note:
----------------------
In the next chapter, Madara-san is going to kick Mori-san out of his position (rubbing hands excitedly).
Chapter 9
"You even know about that!" Ango was a bit surprised; he knew that with Dazai Osamu's sharpness, his own identity wouldn't be kept secret for long.
However, to be able to discover that his original identity was a spy for the Government so quickly—he truly is worthy of being called Dazai Osamu.
Oda Sakunosuke drank silently to the side, piecing together Ango's true identity from the back-and-forth exchange between Dazai Osamu and Sakaguchi Ango. It turned out he was not a double agent, but a triple agent.
When Dazai Osamu spoke of taking Sakaguchi Ango away to be tortured for information, Oda Sakunosuke chose to defend Ango without a second thought; in his heart, Ango was still his friend.
Fortunately, although Dazai Osamu was angry because Ango's previous actions had put Oda Sakunosuke in a dangerous situation, he was only talking; in the end, he let Sakaguchi Ango go.
Having left the hotel, Oda temporarily set aside the troubles that had been weighing on him and headed out with a spring in his step to bring gifts to the children he had adopted. Because of recent events, these children had been hiding everywhere; he felt full of guilt about this, as it was his own fault for dragging them into all of this.
Oda Sakunosuke opened the door to the agency where the children were hidden, his steps light.
A scene of devastation, with not a soul in sight.
Debris from various pieces of furniture lay scattered in a mess throughout the room, the floor was covered in traces of heavy objects being dragged. Oda Sakunosuke practically ran instinctively, searching for any possible remaining clues.
The sound of a car starting outside the door caught Oda Sakunosuke's attention. He rushed outside, a small hand reached out from between the curtains of the departing car's window.
He chased after the car in a near-frenzied state, but at the very moment he caught up to it, the car exploded with a roar.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
Oda Sakunosuke knelt on the ground, wailing in almost agonizing pain.
"Oda-kun, are you alright?" Dazai Osamu, having rushed over upon hearing the news, looked at Oda Sakunosuke with concern.
It's nothing." Oda Sakunosuke stood up with a calm expression, as if he weren't the one who had just collapsed and wept. "I have only one wish now; I must go and do what I need to do.
Dazai Osamu, however, let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. He knew the truth of the matter; although he didn't know how Madara-san had done it, those orphans were still living well. Even though this group of orphans had fallen into the hands of the Mimic organization, they had essentially fallen into the hands of Uchiha Madara. Judging by that photo, the Mimic organization had already become Madara's prey. This was much better than falling into the hands of the Port Mafia. At the very least, Oda Sakunosuke had done a favor for the Uchiha Brothers, so if they fell into his hands, there would be no need to worry about the Port Mafia using those orphans to threaten Oda Sakunosuke.
Watching Oda Sakunosuke's departing figure, Dazai Osamu knew what he was going to do.
Thinking back to what he had said to Madara-san, Dazai Osamu lowered his eyes. Oda-kun, just wait a little longer; once we kick Mori-san out, we can take those children back.
Port Mafia Building.
Dazai Osamu sat there without saying a word, surrounded by a circle of burly men in black suits who monitored his every move.
Mori Ougai was afraid that Dazai Osamu would run out for Oda Sakunosuke to ruin his plan, so he made him stay here, unable to go anywhere.
The phone rang, Dazai Osamu looked up to see Mori Ougai, sitting opposite him, pick up the phone.
"What, did you get the news you wanted!" Dazai Osamu watched the smile on Mori Ougai's face after he finished the call.
"Dazai-kun," Mori Ougai said with a smile, sitting at the desk and picking up the exquisite porcelain to stir it, "it's all over. You can leave now." He had just received news that Oda Sakunosuke and Gide had perished together.
Boss!" Dazai Osamu suddenly turned his head at the doorway and said, "You've certainly pulled out all the stops to get that Ability License, but I wonder how long you'll be able to hold onto that leader position.
"And Oda-kun won't die that easily!" After saying that, he turned and walked away without hesitation.
Hmm? Mori Ougai frowned slightly. Was this guy trying to cause trouble? Never mind, it's only natural to say anything when a good friend has died and one is feeling distressed.
Dazai Osamu's good mood lasted only until he saw Oda Sakunosuke's miserable state.
Lying on the ground, Oda Sakunosuke's clothes were in tatters and soaked red with blood. Dazai Osamu stumbled toward him, seeing the fatal wound where a bullet had pierced his chest; with an injury and amount of bleeding like this, even immediate medical attention would be too late.
Why did it turn out like this? Was it because he trusted the other party too much?!
Oda-kun!" Dazai Osamu knelt beside Oda Sakunosuke's body, crying out in a breakdown, "Why did it turn out like this? Madara-san clearly said everything would be fine.
"Ah, so you made a deal with Madara-san," Oda Sakunosuke realized, suddenly understanding the reason behind the emotions that Dazai Osamu sometimes couldn't fathom.
“Dazai, listen to me.” Oda Sakunosuke patted Dazai Osamu with effort. “Go and be a good person. You are too smart; if you continue to stay in the darkness, you will only sink deeper, unable to find anything to fill the void of your loneliness.”
“Whether it's saving people or protecting them, being a good person is much happier than continuing to stay in the darkness like you.”
Oda Sakunosuke kept speaking, blood gushing from his mouth.
Finally, his hand, which had been clutching Dazai Osamu's bandaged hand, slumped down, tearing away the bandages wrapped around the other's face and revealing a pair of iris-colored eyes brimming with tears.
"So beautiful," Oda Sakunosuke closed his eyes.
"Oda-kun!" Dazai Osamu held him in his arms, tears streaming down his face.
"Wait!" Oda Sakunosuke pushed Dazai Osamu away with an awkward expression.
"??" Dazai Osamu looked down and saw that the person, who should have been devoid of life, was now in high spirits, not only was there no bullet hole on his body, but there wasn't even a single scratch.
Dazai Osamu's face contorted as if he had suddenly realized something, before finally just puffing out his cheeks in frustration.
Letting go with a tsundere expression, he threw Oda Sakunosuke, who had been leaning in his arms, onto the ground. "I have no interest in the hobby of hugging men."
Oda Sakunosuke was caught completely off guard, his head even took a bit of a bump.
Thrown onto the ground, Oda Sakunosuke was completely bewildered, unable to figure out what on earth was happening.
Oda!" a chorus of children's voices rang out. "Why are you lying on the ground? Are you playing a game?
Luo, Sachio, Katsu, Yu, Shinji." Oda Sakunosuke looked at the children he had found again, calling out each of their names one by one, asked with a trembling voice, "Where did you all go just now?
“An uncle said that everything was over and that we had been very good, so he took us to the amusement park for half the day as a reward,” the children replied with beaming smiles, “and he even bought us so many things.”
"Which uncle?" Oda Sakunosuke asked instinctively.
"This uncle!" The children pointed one after another at the man standing to the side.
Oda Sakunosuke tilted his head, in the next second, his eyes widened as he saw Madara-san standing there.
“You should leave the Port Mafia together with Dazai Osamu.” Uchiha Madara, who had been maintaining the genjutsu, walked over and stood with his arms crossed, looking down at the two people kneeling and lying on the ground. “That friend of yours, Sakaguchi Ango, seems to be a government spy, doesn't he? I remember he helped me with my identification, so tell him to make one for you both as well.”
Having said that, Uchiha Madara left without any hesitation. He had fulfilled Oda Sakunosuke's wish, letting Dazai Osamu leave the Port Mafia with him.
It seems Madara-san has already gotten what he wanted.
"What a shame, I won't get to see how Mori-san suffers a setback," Dazai Osamu said with a hint of regret.
"What?!" Oda Sakunosuke turned back to look at him, his face filled with shock.
That's right, I forgot that you wouldn't know, Oda-kun," Dazai said with a wicked laugh. "Madara-san is going to kick Mori Ougai out to become the leader of the Port Mafia; otherwise, why would he have just said that we two should leave the Port Mafia?
"!!" Oda Sakunosuke was completely stunned. Who could have imagined that by simply saving one ordinary person, that person would end up becoming his direct superior!
But then..
Oda Sakunosuke watched Madara-san's figure walk away into the distance, murmuring, "Izuna was right after all, Madara-san is a gentle person!"
Mori Ougai watched Dazai run off, "He really is just a young man; no matter how he acts normally, he still has his moments of naivety."
"I don't think so." A voice rang out.
"I wonder what business brings you here." The moment he realized someone had intruded, Mori Ougai's entire body tensed, yet he maintained his elegance, not losing the aura of a Mafia leader, as he stared intently at the person who had appeared before the window at an unknown time.
"To take your position as leader." The man in black hair and dark robes merely stood there, his sharp, blade-like aura feeling as if it might cut Mori Ougai.
The position of Port Mafia leader is not so easy to take." Mori Ougai frowned. "Without a legitimate reason, even if you obtain the position of leader, your subordinates will not be convinced by you.
Pfft." Uchiha Madara laughed, his smile full of mockery. "You people who are far too clever think too much.
Were there not plenty of clever people during the Sengoku Era? The famous Nara Clan was renowned for being a clan of strategists, yet their ranking in the ninja world was still only considered average.
The Port Mafia is not a place where you can bargain for justice or moral high ground. Hah, in the Port Mafia, strength is everything.
In the face of absolute strength, any scheme or trickery is in vain," Uchiha Madara said disdainfully. "If anyone refuses to submit, beat them until they do.
Elise, a blonde young girl wearing a magnificent, frilly dress, shook her head at him, knowing she was no match for this man.
Mori Ougai's heart sank. The other party was clearly right; his own rise to the position of leader was the result of strategic intellect, whereas the person before him was clearly the result of an entirely different kind of development.
At this moment, he suddenly regretted sending Nakahara Chuuya on a business trip, otherwise he would not be in such a passive position.
Mori Ougai's expression shifted for a moment. Being a man who understood the situation, he took a sharp breath, knelt down with a smile, said with his head bowed,
“Boss!”
Author's Note:
----------------------
Chapter 10
Because the filming went exceptionally smoothly, the month-long overseas filming trip ended a few days early, Uchiha Izuna boarded the plane for the return journey.
"Could you please pour me a glass of water?" Uchiha Izuna said with a smile to the flight attendant walking beside him.
“Of course.” The flight attendant blushed as she poured him a glass, then returned to the back to tell her colleagues about the handsome man she had seen.
Uchiha Izuna picked up the water cup to take a drink, tilting his hand slightly to the side, saw what he wanted to see in the reflection of the cup.
Someone is following him?
He had felt someone peering at him for a while now; a Ninja was always quite sensitive to such scrutinizing gazes.
This aura was somewhat familiar; it was the aura of Oda's colleague, which was a quality only possessed by Port Mafia members.
Could it be that something happened to Oda?