Everyone fell silent.
The way they looked at Uchiha Kai—it was as if they were staring at some kind of demigod.
Good grief!
Anyone who didn't know better would think he had already defected!
Yes.
Every word that came out of Uchiha Kai's mouth was practically a direct provocation against the entire Leaf Village.
If they failed, they would have no choice but to become missing-nin.
"This… this is way too dangerous, isn't it?" Shisui couldn't help but shake his head.
Hyuga Aya remained silent, deep in thought.
It was as though a drowning person had finally glimpsed a wisp of hope.
But to truly seize it, she would have to risk her life—and pay the price.
And so—
She was lost, unsure of what to do.
It was instead Nara Kazama who broke the silence, speaking after only a moment of reflection.
"I see… so that's how it is!"
"Kai isn't wrong at all. My thinking really was too limited."
"As long as we step outside this little circle called Konoha, there are countless ways to solve this."
"To think that even our Nara clan's so-called wisdom… had such a glaring flaw."
"Truly… just the wisdom of mortals!"
His voice was full of sighs.
Yes.
At that moment, Nara Kazama wasn't even thinking about Hyuga Aya anymore—he was too caught up in reflecting on his own clan.
Wisdom and strategy were supposed to be the Nara family's forte.
But now, realizing such a major blind spot, he knew he had to do some deep soul-searching. Otherwise, he might fall into the same trap again.
Uchiha Kai, meanwhile, remained calm.
Casting a casual glance at the others, he gave a careless shrug.
"To gain something, you must give something in return."
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. Aya's problem is the Caged Bird Seal."
"We don't have the means to break it. If we want to avoid that fate, then we'd have to fool everyone—at the very least, we cannot allow the Hyuga to tie this main family member's death to Aya."
"To think you could accomplish that without taking risks…"
"Shisui, are you joking?"
Shisui had no answer.
Indeed!
Hyuga Aya's problem was already unimaginably complicated.
Even the brilliant Nara clan had no viable solution.
The fact that Kai had even come up with methods at all was remarkable enough.
To hope for an easy, risk-free solution? Impossible.
And yet, if he really went through with this, how would he be any different from a missing-nin?
Success or failure aside, Shisui couldn't get past that barrier in his heart.
His brows knit tightly. He fell into silence.
Seeing this, Hyuga Aya took a deep breath.
"…Forget it."
"This is too dangerous. It's my personal matter—I can't drag everyone else into it."
"I've already accepted my fate. There's no need for you all to go this far."
"But… I truly am grateful that you would think of me."
"Meeting you all… I'm happy."
Yes.
In the end, she chose to give up.
The risk was simply too great.
If she were the only one risking her life for freedom, perhaps she could summon the courage to fight.
But this was different.
Carrying out Kai's plan would mean all of them working together.
That was impossible.
They had only known each other a short while—their bonds weren't nearly strong enough.
After all, failure meant they would all become missing-nin.
The consequences were far too grave.
Unless it were for a true loved one or lifelong friend, no one could bear such a burden.
So—
She had no choice but to give up.
And yet—
Even after making that decision, Hyuga Aya's gaze toward Uchiha Kai only grew more complicated, more filled with curiosity.
This Uchiha was far too strange.
On the surface, he looked like a nobody. So plain, in fact, that one could forget his existence if not paying attention.
No presence whatsoever.
And yet—
The schemes that came out of his mouth were venomous, ruthless, always veering straight toward bloodshed.
A bizarre Uchiha indeed.
She couldn't deny it—
Hyuga Aya was starting to feel a strange interest in Uchiha Kai.
Call it a woman's gossiping instinct—ninja or not, she couldn't help but want to probe deeper into the secrets he kept hidden.
On the other side, Shisui suddenly slapped his thigh, his voice ringing with determination.
"Then I'll do it!"
"I'm sorry, but I've made my decision—I'll help Aya."
"When a teammate faces something like this, I can't just stand by and do nothing."
"Aya is our friend."
"I, Uchiha Shisui, will never abandon a friend!"
His words were firm, like iron.
So much so that his Sharingan even flickered to life.
Nara Kazama was dumbfounded.
He had never imagined Shisui would make such a choice.
Unbelievable.
Because if this failed, Shisui's entire life would be ruined.
In truth, not just Kazama—even Uchiha Kai's face grew complicated.
Ah, the Uchiha…
The clan had its flaws, no doubt. But when it came to those they recognized, they gave everything, heart and soul.
And Shisui was one of the rarest of them all—kind to the extreme.
Kai fell silent. His mind began to race.
If they really attempted this, what were the chances of success?
Yes.
For the still-distant Hyuga Aya, perhaps he could remain detached.
But for Shisui… there was no way he could.
Yet the one most shocked of all was Hyuga Aya herself!
She never imagined that Shisui—a teammate of only three days—would make such a decision for her.
But before she could even think of how to respond, her expression suddenly changed.
"Everyone, stay sharp!"
"Seven Mist ninja are closing in fast. Their chakra signatures are powerful—"
"At least Jounin-level, elite!"
Hyuga Aya's warning rang out.
The others' faces instantly darkened.
This was not good news!
Without further words, everyone leapt to their feet, entering high alert.
And the very next moment—
Seven Mist shinobi appeared, surrounding them in an instant.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!"
Shisui's voice was a hushed murmur, but heavy with dread.
His expression was grim beyond comparison.
Yes.
He might have been a genius of the Uchiha, but he had yet to truly reach his potential.
He hadn't even awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Facing the Seven Swordsmen—
Perhaps against one, he could still fight, maybe even kill if he went all out.
But against all seven together?
At best, he could only flee.
But with three teammates beside him, running away alone was unthinkable.
What now?
Shisui's mind raced, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
And at that very moment—
Uchiha Kai stepped forward, placing himself before Shisui.
"Shisui… let it go."
"You can't handle this."
"Leave it to me."
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