Uchiha Kai hadn't lied.
The paths left for the Uchiha clan were few to begin with.
That couldn't be helped.
Back when Konoha was founded, the Uchiha really had held a trump card—on par with, if not quite surpassing, the Senju.
But sadly… whether Senju or Uchiha, each generation of successors had been more foolish than the last.
The Senju clan:
Tobirama was their last true powerhouse. After him, there was no pillar to support the clan—only fools deceived by Hiruzen Sarutobi's preaching about the Will of Fire, marching one by one to their deaths.
Even Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, was the most tragic example.
He believed most firmly in the Will of Fire—only to die most pitifully, blown apart by a handful of explosive tags.
And Tsunade herself? Nothing but a love-struck fool.
If she had taken up the Senju mantle when the clan was faltering—being Hashirama's own granddaughter, the Princess of the Land of Fire, and Hiruzen's personal disciple—then out of respect alone, Sarutobi would never have dared go too far.
But she collapsed.
Without her protection, the Senju fell prey to Sarutobi's schemes. Danzo, ever the sly old snake, hunted their clan for experiments with Hashirama's cells.
Thus, the once-mighty Senju collapsed overnight.
The Uchiha weren't much different.
Ever since Madara's departure, the clan seemed to have lost its backbone. Their behavior grew more and more erratic.
Under Sarutobi's suppression, they were already at the brink of annihilation. Without Kai, their extinction was inevitable.
As for the Nine-Tails' Incident? That was only a trigger.
Just as the Ming Dynasty seemed to have "died under Chongzhen," but truly rotted away under Wanli—so too had the Uchiha already been doomed long before.
Even before the Nine-Tails, they had been isolated. No other clan would associate with them. They were alone.
And with no unifying leader inside the clan, fractured into pieces—the Uchiha had long been meat on the butcher's block.
Even without Shisui or Itachi, the clan's destruction was assured.
The Nine-Tails' attack only sounded their death knell.
The Night of Extermination was only the conclusion.
Itachi's betrayal merely sped up the inevitable.
So in such a broken state, Kai had no time to play the slow game.
He had to strike hard, even if the medicine was bitter.
Of course, in a high-martial world like the shinobi world, raw power could change everything. Unlike in powerless worlds where only intrigue mattered, here one man's strength could shift the balance.
The Uchiha might be rotten, but even a broken ship still had a few nails.
If he could pull them together into one rope, they'd have enough strength to flip the table.
"Let's hope so," Fugaku muttered, scratching his head. "Hiruzen… don't lose your mind. I don't want to slaughter your whole family…"
Yet even in his helpless tone, his eyes glimmered with killing intent.
Yes—he might have been submissive in daily life, but that was for the clan's sake.
Push him too far, and they would remember why he was once called Fugaku of the Cruel Eyes.
Bang!
Just then, from the Uchiha compound, a green signal flare shot into the sky.
Fugaku's body trembled with excitement.
Had they… succeeded?
Green meant Tekka's mission had succeeded.
"Wonderful!" Fugaku's voice shook.
"Kai, do you see? Tekka did it. The village backed down. We've won!"
"Your plan—it worked! It really worked!"
He could barely contain himself, eyes moist with tears.
He should be happy.
It meant his wife and children would live.
Of course, he still had sense enough to keep his voice low—they were still deep in Sarutobi territory, after all.
Even Kai, usually composed, let out a sigh of relief. He too had been gambling.
If there had been another path, he wouldn't have chosen to become a rogue ninja.
After all, unlike the peaceful world he had once known, in this world slacking off and doing nothing was only possible in a safe environment.
And what safer place existed than Konoha itself?
Still, despite the green flare, Kai kept his caution. After a pause of thought, he spoke calmly:
"Clan Head, go back. The compound needs you to take charge now."
"I'll remain here as insurance, watching the Sarutobi for one more night."
"If nothing happens, I'll return tomorrow."
"And one more thing—if any clansmen or envoys come tonight, keep them at my house. Tell them to wait. Tomorrow, I'll greet them myself."
Fugaku blinked, stunned.
The signal flare was already up. Could it really be a trick?
But considering how much was at stake, Kai's caution was only reasonable.
"…Alright, I'll leave it to you," Fugaku said, nodding quickly. "I'll return now. We'll meet tomorrow."
Kai dipped his head.
Once Fugaku was gone, he opened his Observation Haki, sat cross-legged upon the branch, and spread his senses over the Sarutobi clan.
Time passed slowly.
About an hour later, within his perception, Hiruzen appeared—tired, surrounded by four Anbu guards, quietly slipping back to his home.
Nothing escaped Kai's senses.
And with his Mangekyo Sharingan, Hiruzen had no chance of detecting him.
"It seems… it really is over."
"But to be safe, I'll hold out the night."
"…Hah, what a pain. Me, a shut-in by nature, with a shut-in's system—and I end up living this kind of exhausting life?"
"They were right—choices matter more than effort."
"If I had landed in some peaceful world, given an ordinary role, this shut-in wouldn't have to work so hard."
"…But forget it. No use whining. I'll just have to accept it."
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