Night draped the world in ink-black silence.
In the seemingly idyllic village of Konoha, most civilians were long asleep.
But within the Uchiha compound, things were very different.
Guards multiplied rapidly. Chunin gathered in droves, spreading out and occupying the perimeter. One by one, Sharingan eyes opened in the dark, glowing with eerie crimson light.
As for the Jounin—they moved under the orders of the clan's higher-ups, infiltrating the inner quarters of the other great clans.
They waited.
Once a signal flare rose from the Uchiha compound, those Jounin would unleash a massacre on the other clans without restraint.
Even Fugaku and Kai themselves had secretly taken positions within the Sarutobi compound.
The Uchiha's madness was now on full display.
Their home was practically undefended.
If the village wanted to slaughter them—fine, let them try.
But the moment the Hokage's side struck, the Uchiha would unleash equal carnage on every other clan in Konoha.
At the Hokage building, lights blazed through the night.
Clan heads and representatives filled the chamber.
Koharu and Homura stood on the platform, speaking endlessly about the "danger" the Uchiha posed if allowed to remain.
The other clans, though reluctant, still nodded along.
They had little choice.
The Uchiha's recent maneuvers had gone too far. If their schemes truly succeeded, every clan present would eventually be devoured.
With their agreement secured, Danzo stood.
"Hiruzen, you see it now.
The Uchiha are a cancer—none of us can bear them any longer.
Give the order!
Strike now, and wipe them out!"
He swept his arm, his gaze landing firmly on the Hokage.
And yet, even with everything lined up, Hiruzen hesitated.
A vague unease gnawed at his chest, one he could not name.
If only Shikaku Nara were here… perhaps he could put it into words.
But no. Surely there was nothing to worry about. The preparations were thorough.
He exhaled a plume of smoke, setting down his pipe.
He rose, ready to give the final command—
When suddenly, an Anbu rushed in.
"Hokage-sama!
Uchiha Tekka, deputy commander of the Police Force, is here. He bears a letter from his superior—Uchiha Kai. He insists it must be delivered into your hands personally."
Anbu knelt, sweat trickling down his brow, his body trembling.
He knew full well what this meeting was for.
And now, a letter from Kai… he could imagine all too clearly the clash contained within.
"Impudent!" Danzo snapped instantly.
"Can you not see we are in the middle of vital deliberations? For a mere Uchiha, you dare interrupt?
Get out!"
He did not want any Uchiha to appear before Hiruzen, not now.
He knew the Hokage's nature too well. Who knew what seeing Kai's words might stir?
"Leave at once," Koharu added sharply. "The Uchiha will soon be history. One of them is not fit to stand before the Hokage."
Homura stayed silent, but nodded in agreement.
But they were only elders, not Hokage.
So the Anbu did not move. His gaze turned instead to Hiruzen.
"…."
And then Hiruzen understood.
The unease that had haunted him—this was it.
He had forgotten Kai.
That man's cunning rivaled even Shikaku's. The last time they crossed paths, Kai's probing move had already proved it.
Could such a man really fail to foresee tonight's meeting?
Any other Uchiha, perhaps. Their recklessness was notorious.
But Kai was not like them.
If he acted, it was never without calculation. He knew full well that antagonizing all the clans would bring annihilation.
So why did he do it?
Because he had a card in hand.
And that card was now in this letter.
Realization struck him, and Hiruzen gave a bitter smile.
"Let Uchiha Tekka in," he ordered.
The Anbu bowed and departed.
Danzo and the elders erupted in protest, urging Hiruzen to reconsider.
But the Hokage ignored them, waving his hand in silence.
Kai was not to be underestimated. Until he knew Kai's true leverage, Hiruzen dared not give the order.
With Shikaku absent, caution was his only shield.
Moments later, Tekka entered.
His eyes narrowed, a faint sneer tugging at his lips as he swept them across the clan heads.
But when he turned to Hiruzen, his posture bent low in formal respect.
"Hokage-sama.
This is a personal letter from Police Force Commander Uchiha Kai."
He raised the scroll high with both hands.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen motioned for the Anbu to take it.
The letter was placed reverently before him.
Face grim, Hiruzen unrolled it.
And his expression darkened instantly, veins bulging in his forehead. His hand twitched, nearly smashing the desk apart.
The letter was brutally simple.
No flowery words—just Kai's strategy, laid bare.
The Police Force's legal reforms had not been meant as open defiance. They were a bid for allies, nothing more. Kai asked the Hokage not to act rashly.
But in case the village did…
The Uchiha had taken precautions.
Their compound was abandoned, left defenseless. The clan was ready to be butchered.
But their Jounin had scattered, infiltrating the other clans' strongholds.
At the first signal flare from the Uchiha district, those Jounin would butcher the clans' elites—their prodigies, their leaders, even their wives and children.
Mutual destruction.
And as if that weren't enough, Kai added a final note:
He and Fugaku, Mangekyo users both, were already embedded in the Sarutobi compound.
Once the slaughter began, they would annihilate the Sarutobi.
Then Kai would defect.
The rest of his life, he vowed, would be spent stalking the shadows—hunting Konoha's people one by one.
He ended with a chilling courtesy:
A sincere hope that Hokage-sama will act with prudence, and not give in to reckless impulse.
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