Uchiha Kai spoke up at once.
His tone carried a hint of helplessness.
Ever since crossing into this world, he had always lived with the mindset of "lying low."
He wanted to quietly grow stronger until one day, when he was invincible, he would make a dazzling entrance and sweep aside every so-called monster and demon.
Even now, with the Third Shinobi War raging, his goal had been nothing more than to coast along.
But who could have expected—
The sudden appearance of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had shattered that plan completely.
Now, there was no choice but to move on to Plan B.
Taking a deep breath, Kai muttered under his breath, half in resignation and half in pride:
"Fortunately… I'm an Uchiha."
"Unlike other shinobi clans, the Sharingan is simply unreasonable."
"Even an ordinary clansman, the moment he awakens his Sharingan, his strength leaps two or three whole tiers."
"And the Mangekyo Sharingan? That's a different league altogether."
"The so-called Seven Ninja Swordsmen? In front of a Mangekyo—"
"They're nothing but trash."
Yes.
In Kai's view, since his strength could no longer be hidden, he might as well embrace it openly.
As a weakling, the advantages had been clear: avoiding the schemes of the higher-ups and quietly weaving his own plans from the shadows.
But being a strong one also had benefits.
Even if it meant standing under the spotlight, even if it dragged him into the conflicts between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership, at least as a strong man, he would have more autonomy, fewer shackles.
Overall, the pros and cons were balanced.
If given the choice, of course he would still rather stay hidden.
But alas—there was no helping it now.
Still, that didn't mean he would stop "lying low."
At most… he would just have to lie low in a different way.
"Will this really work?" Shisui couldn't help but ask. "The Mangekyo as an explanation does make sense… but what if it gets exposed?"
"After all, the Mangekyo is the Uchiha's greatest glory. Once word spreads, both the clan head and the elders will demand confirmation. Kai, have you considered that?"
Nara Kazama and Hyuga Aya both frowned slightly, deep in thought.
Indeed—
Without realizing it, the four of them had already formed a small circle of trust.
None of them even considered reporting this. Each wanted to help Kai keep the secret.
"I think it's better to use another story," Kazama suggested. "Why not put all the credit for killing the Seven Swordsmen onto Shisui?"
Hyuga Aya nodded.
That seemed reasonable. Shisui's reputation as a genius was already well-known throughout the Leaf. If people were told he had erupted with overwhelming power, they would find it believable.
"No. Absolutely not." Kai shook his head firmly. "I couldn't care less about some hollow achievement. The problem is—if we throw this onto Shisui, it will put him in grave danger."
"Shisui is too kind. He almost never refuses anyone's requests. If this 'feat' is pinned on him, then both the Uchiha clan and the Third Hokage will see him as another Sakumo Hatake to be used."
"Can Shisui really shoulder that kind of weight?"
Silence fell over the group.
Kai's reasoning rang true. Even Shisui, who had been ready to nod in agreement, fell quiet.
Seeing their reactions, Kai chuckled softly.
"Don't worry, all of you."
"I can already feel it. My Sharingan is on the verge of a breakthrough."
"It won't be long before I truly awaken the Mangekyo."
He wasn't lying.
Thanks to the system's data panel, everything was crystal clear.
Even while dragging his feet in battle, his experience gained absurdly fast.
Mangekyo Sharingan?
He was confident that just a few more days of "lying low," and it would naturally evolve.
Emotional trauma?
He didn't need such things.
The others inhaled sharply at his words.
Even Shisui was taken aback.
Truth be told—
He himself had that same feeling: just a small push, and he could open his own Mangekyo.
But the fact that Kai, once considered the clan's shame, was about to surpass him…
That was something he hadn't expected.
"…Then that's good!" Shisui finally laughed, letting out a sigh of relief.
Hyuga Aya and Nara Kazama also relaxed.
And so, once they had reached an agreement, Kai declared:
"Even if I awaken the Mangekyo, it comes at a heavy cost to the body."
"Especially for someone opening it for the first time. There's no way I could slaughter the Seven Swordsmen unscathed."
"So… I'll burn out all my chakra and fall into a coma."
"The rest—how to explain this to the main camp—I'll leave to you!"
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
With a flash of hand seals, Kai unleashed a sea of flames.
Unlike other Fire Jutsu, Great Fire Annihilation was only a B-Rank technique, but its power depended entirely on the user.
In the hands of a genin, it might barely scorch the grass.
In the hands of Madara Uchiha, it could unleash a firestorm large enough to erase a small shinobi village.
Earlier, Kai had been forced to hold back.
Now, he went all-out.
To drain his chakra as quickly as possible, he unleashed the technique at full power.
In an instant, a raging inferno surged forth.
Shisui: "…"
Kazama: "…"
Aya: "…"
The three of them stood stunned.
Who could call this a mere B-Rank jutsu?
Even a forbidden technique might not wield such devastating force!
Ten minutes later—
His chakra completely spent, Kai collapsed unconscious.
Shisui caught him just as a large group of Konoha shinobi descended on the battlefield.
The scorched land around them looked like the ruins of the end times.
At their head, Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward, voice sharp with alarm:
"Shisui—what happened here?"
As his words fell, every gaze turned to Shisui.
He hesitated.
This was his first time lying… naturally, he felt a little awkward.
After taking a moment to gather himself, he finally spoke slowly:
"We encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
"Just as we were about to be annihilated… Kai evolved from the two-tomoe Sharingan into the Mangekyo."
"Then he summoned Susanoo—and wiped out all seven of them."
"What?!"
Gasps of shock spread through the Leaf shinobi.
The Uchiha clansmen in particular looked at Kai's unconscious form with utter disbelief.
The Mangekyo Sharingan…?
Even Fugaku drew in a sharp breath, his face filled with shock as he demanded:
"Shisui, what did you say?"
"You're telling me that Uchiha Kai awakened the Mangekyo—and used Susanoo to slay the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
"You're certain… this isn't a joke?"
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