Uchiha Madara was gone.
He left without looking back, sleeves fluttering, as if he'd never been there.
After giving a few instructions, he didn't even wait for Kai to respond before striding away with unmatched flair.
Yes.
That was Madara.
He never trusted anyone but himself.
Even if he found Kai promising, even reminiscent of his late brother Izuna, in the end—he only believed in his own power.
To Madara, the Eye of the Moon Plan was the one true path.
Kai's so-called "grand designs" were nothing but a farce.
Still, whatever.
If the junior wanted to play at his little schemes, let him.
And since Madara truly regarded Kai as a junior—he had been uncharacteristically generous.
Kai, for his part, wasn't bothered by rejection.
He had never sought to be a pawn like Obito.
He wanted to stand as an equal participant.
Meanwhile—
Sitting on the sofa, chin resting on one hand, Kai stared at the pile of treasures on the table before him.
Ancestor Madara had been… far too generous.
It left him feeling strangely awkward.
He wasn't stupid.
He knew well that this was Madara's recognition of him.
Perhaps it was because his demeanor resembled Izuna in some ways, that Madara had shown such kindness.
But Kai preferred clean exchanges of benefit—so neither side owed the other.
Sentiment, on the other hand, was the hardest debt to repay.
If it were only a relationship of mutual use, then in the Fourth War he could simply stand back and let Madara die.
But now?
After accepting such gifts, Kai couldn't just coldly turn away.
Still—forget it.
He'd decide when the time came.
By then, he might already be invincible in the ninja world.
What would a small debt matter?
If it came down to it, he could simply save Madara's life once.
After all, when it came to facing the future Ōtsutsuki threat, Madara's strength would indeed be a valuable asset.
With that thought, Kai turned his attention back to the spoils.
The Transcription Seal—he'd seen it on Nohara Rin.
The Demonic Statue Chains—Madara had once used them to restrain Kurama.
With that technique in hand, dealing with future jinchuriki would be much easier.
The Binding Curse Seal—a jutsu used in the original timeline to restrain Obito.
Excellent.
Three powerful techniques, all now his.
Once mastered, he could hand them off to the system for experience gain.
As for Hashirama's cells and White Zetsu samples, those weren't of immediate use.
Best to wait until Orochimaru's research had advanced further, then "borrow" them as needed.
The Impure World Reincarnation, though—that puzzled him.
Why did Madara even know this forbidden jutsu?
In the original history, wasn't it Senju Tobirama's invention, designed specifically to counter the Uchiha?
But…
given Madara and Hashirama's peculiar "brotherly" bond, it wasn't impossible he had obtained it.
Especially since during the Fourth War, Hashirama had even used the Reanimation Release technique after being summoned himself.
If Madara hadn't known of it, that would've been stranger.
As for why Madara never used it himself—pride, most likely.
And indeed, with his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Susanoo, and later the Rinnegan, Madara hardly needed such a crutch.
Impure World Reincarnation was beneath him.
Fair enough.
For Kai, though, the original version was of limited practical value.
He would simply record it in his system and leave it at that.
Half an hour later, having sorted through everything, Kai let out a long yawn.
He was exhausted.
A quick wash, and then he collapsed into bed.
Elsewhere—
On the northern edge of Konoha's commercial district, near the hospital, stood a modest two-story house.
This was Namikaze Minato's home.
Just beyond lay the clan grounds of the Ino–Shika–Chō.
Late at night, Minato pushed the door open, reeking of alcohol.
He'd just returned from a gathering.
Normally, he would never have attended such an event unless close friends invited him.
But things are different now.
After his long conversation with Kai, and today's face-to-face with Hiruzen Sarutobi, he finally understood—
Kai had been right.
Sarutobi's way of doing things was… unacceptable.
If Kai's prediction was correct, he was destined to become the Fourth Hokage.
In that case, he needed to prepare—just a little.
At the very least, when he took office, he couldn't afford to be a "commander without an army."
And so, even though tonight's drinking companions were Jounin with whom he wasn't particularly close, he had accepted.
After a night of food and drink, the bonds between them had deepened considerably.
He was confident:
when he ascended to Hokage, these Jounin would gladly stand with him.
They were commoners, just like him.
Reaching Jounin was already the peak of their careers.
If they wanted to climb higher or learn advanced techniques, they needed a patron.
The Konoha high council wouldn't look at them.
The Uchiha were untouchable.
Which left… Minato.
He was their best, perhaps their only, option.
"Minato! You've gone too far!"
Uzumaki Kushina stood at the doorway, arms crossed, white apron tied at her waist, a frying pan in hand.
Her long red hair rippled though there was no wind.
She was furious.
He finally had a day off, yet instead of spending it with her, he'd gone out drinking?
And not even with close friends, but with near-strangers?
How could she not be angry?
Was he saying he'd rather spend time with them than with his own wife?
So—did true love really fade?
Minato: "…"
Caught in Kushina's glare, he could only look sheepish.
After a moment's hesitation, he bent to take off his shoes and spoke softly:
"Kushina, do you remember what Kurama told us?
I spoke with Kai at length, and a lot of things have become clear.
And today… The Hokage himself spoke to me about Nohara Rin.
Just as Kai predicted—
the Hokage intends to sacrifice her.
Think about it.
I'm Jiraiya-sensei's student, essentially Hokage's own disciple.
If he's willing to sacrifice even my student, then what do you think happens to ordinary shinobi with no backing?
So… I've decided to get a little more worldly.
Tonight's drinking wasn't just for fun—it was to win allies.
If Kai is right, I will be the Fourth Hokage.
And Kushina… you don't want your husband to be a powerless puppet, do you?"
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