Chapter 80 – Absolutely Foolproof
"Clan Leader, why go through all this trouble asking for Harry Osborn's opinion? Couldn't we just use the Sharingan to hypnotize him directly?"
Uchiha Kenta was puzzled. As an observer, he knew that their clan leader had long set his sights on acquiring Oscorp, so why go to such lengths to acquire shares piece by piece?
Wouldn't brute force be the simplest and most effective solution?
"Kenta," said Uchiha Akira calmly, "you've only just graduated and haven't completed many missions, so I understand your thinking. For ninjas, violence and assassination are often the easiest and most effective methods. But unfortunately, this world is filled with hidden powerhouses. Brute force alone won't solve everything."
"There are still many beings in this world—even ones I can't defeat. Stirring up too much trouble could bring serious consequences."
Uchiha Akira patted Kenta's head. For a newly graduated genin like Kenta, easily defeating agents like Coulson and Hawkeye (Clint Barton) might've seemed impressive, but in the grand scheme of things, it meant very little.
"But Clan Leader, is there really someone stronger than you? If you used Susano'o, who could possibly beat you?"
Naive Kenta truly believed that his clan leader was the strongest person alive—just like how children in Konoha used to believe the Hokage was the strongest in the world.
"Our ancestor, Uchiha Madara, had Susano'o too, but he was still defeated by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Of course, Kenta, I promise you—one day, I will become the strongest."
Yes—if it weren't for concerns about official scrutiny, Uchiha Akira would have already used force to take over Oscorp. But if the issue could be resolved within the boundaries of law and order, all the better.
S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't much of a threat—but Nick Fury had teamed up with the Skrulls, and the Skrulls had actual starships and warships. Even more terrifying was that woman—Captain Marvel. Without a doubt, Uchiha Akira wasn't her match.
"So, are we just going to sit around and wait for Harry's decision?" Kenta asked.
"Enough, Kenta. That's none of your concern. Have you learned the Shadow Clone Technique yet? How many clones can you make?"
This sudden question from Akira made Kenta's head throb instantly.
"Please spare me, Clan Leader… I'll go practice right now…"
Meanwhile, Uchiha Izumi, Koka, Inoka, and Tekkika had already used Transformation Jutsu to infiltrate the homes of various political and corporate elites throughout New York.
"Who are you!?"
Faced with a sharp blade at his throat and the sudden appearance of an East Asian woman in his room, Justin Hammer was absolutely terrified.
Uchiha Izumi had struck the jackpot—upon sneaking into Hammer's mansion, she found him wearing nothing but his underwear. There was also a naked woman in his bed, now staring wide-eyed in shock.
The sharp kunai grazed Hammer's neck. He felt a chilling cold, and immediately dropped to his knees.
"Please! I'll give you anything! Money—lots of it! Just name your price!" Hammer cried out, assuming this was a robbery or assassination attempt.
A warm yellow stream began trickling down from his crotch—Izumi wrinkled her nose in disgust. Even Uchiha Akira had never encountered such an awkward situation before.
"Look into my eyes."
The moment both Hammer and the woman met Izumi's gaze, they fell into a genjutsu.
"You know about Norman Osborn's death?"
"Hehehe, yes~" Hammer replied, now like a puppet on strings. Drool leaked from the corner of his mouth—he looked utterly vacant.
"Have you had any thoughts about the shares in the hands of Norman's son, Harry Osborn?"
"Hehehe, I've already arranged people to buy them up when the price crashes."
"Good. Tomorrow, call Harry and threaten him. Tell him your plan openly and clearly."
"Wouldn't that expose me?" Hammer asked, even in a daze still sensing the danger.
"Just do it."
"Understood."
"And you—" she turned to the woman—"will forget everything that happened tonight. Go back to playing with Justin Hammer."
As she was leaving, Izumi couldn't help glancing at the woman's chest, then looked down at her own.
Suddenly, a flicker of insecurity appeared in her eyes.
"Hmph. Big and useless. Lord Akira would never be so shallow!"
Half an hour after Izumi left, Justin Hammer and the woman finally woke up. The woman resumed seducing him, still unclothed—it's not like they were going to study foreign languages at this hour, right?
But poor Justin Hammer couldn't shake the cold damp feeling on his body and the stench of urine that clung to him.
Meanwhile, Koka, Inoka, and Tekkika carried out identical missions, infiltrating the homes of their targets and implanting similar hypnotic suggestions.
Overnight, the number of people scheming to grab Harry Osborn's shares had doubled—not just those who originally had selfish intentions, but now even more were being manipulated into action.
Yes, even though Uchiha Akira preferred to solve things within the system, that didn't mean he was willing to leave the outcome to fate.
Double insurance was always the most secure strategy.
"I'm betting with my own chips," Akira whispered to himself, overlooking the glittering lights of New York City. "If you're going to play the game, you'd better stack the odds in your favor."
The next day, all sorts of messages—ranging from fake pleasantries to blatant threats—began flooding in to Harry Osborn.
Harry could hardly believe it—just two days ago, his father Norman had been laid to rest, and now he was already facing so much scheming and coercion.
"You'll be facing all kinds of challenges soon."
Harry had initially dismissed Uchiha Akira's warning as fearmongering. But now, just two days later, everything was happening exactly as Akira predicted.
Panicked, Harry had no idea what to do. Even the Osborn household staff had started whispering behind his back and throwing him sidelong glances.
In the end, Harry could only turn to his friend Peter for comfort. But Peter couldn't do much to solve the complex legal and financial issues.
"If it really comes to it… you should talk to Mr. Akira," Peter suggested. "I mean, I'm kind of close to him too. He does want your shares, sure, but at least he's being open and respectful about it. If the price is fair… maybe it's worth considering. He even promised to let you keep some shares, right?"
Peter didn't know much about corporate management, but his impression of Uchiha Akira was generally positive.
"But I just… I can't accept it," Harry whispered. "This is the most precious thing my father left me…"
Tears streamed silently down his face—and the ones that slipped into his mouth tasted especially bitter.