Uchiha Kai was left utterly speechless by Nara Kazama's words.
Good grief!
Here he was, still only thinking about how to survive the Night of the Massacre, while this guy was already planning for the safety of his descendants.
As expected of a Nara—always thinking so far ahead.
But…
The more he thought about it, the more Kai found himself falling into contemplation.
Kazama's point was right—his own plans had been too one-sided.
Up until now, with death and clan extermination looming over him, he hadn't thought too far beyond immediate survival.
But what about the future?
Just as Kazama had asked—could he really go through life without ever marrying or having children?
Reproduction was instinct.
Did he truly dislike women?
What a joke!
In his past life, he had lived in peaceful times, but the absurdly high bride price had left him powerless as a mere corporate drone.
Now that he had been reborn in this world, was he supposed to stay single forever?
Impossible!
He knew very clearly: once he secured his own survival, he would want to find a wife and marry.
Which led to the real problem—
After he had a wife and children, could he really protect them for their whole lives?
Of course not!
Even while alive, he couldn't be at home every moment.
In this chaotic world, he would constantly be fighting enemies, killing, and going to war.
So what would happen to his wife and children when he wasn't there?
The truth was, from beginning to end, he had only one choice:
To build his own power.
Only by establishing his own faction could he truly protect his family.
That had been the meaning of the great clans during the Warring States era, and it was the very reason the great villages now existed.
Realizing this, Kai looked at Kazama again—his gaze different now.
He had to admit it.
The brains of the Nara clan were terrifying.
Same age as him, yet Kazama could already think this far ahead.
Even with two lifetimes of experience, Kai found himself a step behind.
From this angle—Kazama was a very promising ally.
Kai let out a slow breath and spoke quietly:
"Mm. You're right.
Though I still don't quite understand why you'd trust a Uchiha like me this much… but it doesn't matter.
You've convinced me.
Let's hear your plan."
Yes—
It was too early to talk about such things. After all, they were only twelve-year-old boys.
But Kazama had been correct: for matters like this, the earlier you laid the groundwork, the better.
Kai was genuinely curious—how exactly was Nara Kazama scheming in his heart?
On the other side, hearing Kai's agreement, Kazama finally let out a small breath of relief.
His eyes hardened, losing any trace of the playful air he'd shown when drinking. His face turned serious as he began to speak.
"First of all—the Uchiha are strong.
Flawed as they may be, there's no denying they're a powerful asset.
The clan's current weakness is only because Fugaku, the clan head, is too foolish to lead.
I don't know much about the Uchiha, so I can't say much more on that front.
But I trust you, Kai-kun, will know how to handle it.
What you need to do is rally as many Uchiha to your side as possible and form a faction loyal to you alone.
As for the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, I know them well.
I'm familiar with many who have been suppressed, distrusted, or even quietly 'removed.'
I'll find ways to draw them to us.
As for the commoner side—I believe Kudo Shin can handle it.
His mindset and ability are solid. He's just too weak right now.
Once he grows, he'll be a reliable pillar.
Then there are the Aburame, Inuzuka, and others…
Every clan is the same, really.
Just like the Uchiha, they all have dissenters, to varying degrees.
Handled properly, those dissenters can be brought to our side.
We're young—we have time. Plenty of time to lay the groundwork.
By the time our faction truly takes shape, if we aim to overthrow Sarutobi Hiruzen, we can also rally those who resent the Third's faction.
Don't forget—Danzo's Root has been secretly poaching people from every clan. That alone gives us a vast pool of potential recruits.
And those who refuse to join us—we can still maneuver them into neutrality.
Even in the worst-case scenario, if the plan proves too risky, we can slowly smuggle our people out of Konoha.
There are countless ways—
Dying in missions, assassinations, feigned accidents…
Especially during wartime, when death is everywhere, whole groups can be withdrawn under the cover of casualties.
Once we've gathered enough people, enough strong shinobi, Konoha won't dare move against us.
Because even if they destroy us, the remnants of Konoha won't withstand the Four Great Villages.
Hiruzen isn't stupid—he won't risk that.
Of course, this is just a rough outline. We'll refine it as we go.
But this general approach—it'll work."
Kai closed his eyes in thought.
He had to admit—
If they could carry this out properly, they could build a faction to rival Konoha itself in astonishingly little time.
But damn it all…
This was hollowing out Konoha from the inside.
If they were exposed, both of them were as good as dead.
His gaze at Kazama grew complicated.
Yet at the same time—
If the plan succeeded, even halfway, they would be in a position of strength.
With the ability to attack or retreat as needed.
After a long pause, Kai finally nodded slowly.
"…I understand.
Let Kudo Shin, the commoner shinobi, be our first step.
This part—I'll leave to you."
Kazama agreed without hesitation.
"Easily done. But we should wait.
When he finds himself in true danger, then let him come to us for help.
We can't force it—pressing too hard will only make him wary.
Don't worry—he will come. Commoner shinobi rarely survive wartime.
His temperament and ability are solid. At least he isn't a stubborn fool.
Of course, if he never seeks us out—even on the brink of death—then that just proves his potential isn't enough.
If he dies, so be it."
Kai had no objections.
Since the matter was in Kazama's hands, he wasn't interested in micromanaging.
He didn't care about the process—only the results.
That was something he had learned in his past life, watching the capitalists.
The two continued chatting on other topics.
And so, their fragile alliance was born.
Though they didn't fully trust each other yet, it was a promising start.
The rest—they would leave to time.
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