Fugaku had left.
He hadn't tried to win Kai over—just briefly explained the clan's arrangements, handed him a "Mangekyo awakening gift pack," and then walked away, leaving without a trace.
Not even a cloud stirred in his wake.
Uchiha Kai stood there, stunned.
Yes.
He'd imagined countless scenarios of meeting Fugaku, but never this one.
That the clan head wouldn't even attempt to recruit him…
For a Mangekyo wielder, wasn't that a little embarrassing? No prestige at all!
But, thinking it through—it wasn't entirely bad.
As for today's situation, he'd just have to play it by ear.
Before, when he had no ties to the Uchiha, maybe he could've ignored the Night of the Massacre altogether. But thanks to his bond with Shisui, a crack had already been forced into his icy heart.
And now, after Fugaku had dropped a huge gift pack on him… could he really just act like it meant nothing?
He wasn't some cold, ungrateful bastard.
A drop of water in kindness—repay it with a spring.
That was something his ancestors had instilled in him in his previous life.
"Forget it, overthinking won't help."
"When the time comes, I'll deal with things then."
"At least with Nara Kazama's plan, the Uchiha can be useful."
"Like Kazama said, defecting would solve my problems—but what about my descendants?"
"I lived as a bachelor my whole last life. Am I supposed to stay single again this time?"
"I should think of the kids, right?"
"No matter how long I've been here, some ideas from my old world are still in my bones—passing on the family line is one of them."
"And Fugaku really helped out here. With my new status as a clan elder, I can lie low in the village much more easily."
"Even Hokage or Danzo won't be able to order me around."
"No matter what I decide in the future, at least before the Night of the Massacre I can enjoy some peace."
"The rest—doesn't matter."
"Well… except this whole Police Force Captain nonsense. That's one job I don't want."
"But, whatever."
"I'll just slack off when the time comes. If I didn't learn anything else in my past life's workplace, I definitely mastered the art of slacking, dodging responsibility, and office politics."
"Easy."
…
Muttering to himself, Kai's mood lightened as he worked through the thoughts.
As for the tangled mess between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership? He couldn't be bothered to think about it. He was already fully committed to playing dead.
After all—he had Shisui.
If Shisui couldn't handle it, Kazama could make the plans.
Let them work hard. He'd stay in the shadows, lounging and scheming when needed.
Yes. Perfect.
Two days later.
Though Koharu Utatane was infamous for her internal politicking, her talent in diplomacy wasn't bad.
After brief negotiations, both sides reached an agreement.
The war was over.
A week later, Hidden Blood Mist Village would send a delegation to Konoha to sign the peace treaty and officially announce its alliance with the Leaf in the Third War.
Soon after, the frontline forces left a small garrison behind, while the main army marched home with the negotiation team.
Uchiha Kai, as usual, stayed with his squad. He chatted and relaxed with Shisui and the others as they made their way back to Konoha.
Compared to the march to the battlefield, the journey home was far more relaxed.
Only one thing surprised Kai—
Among his squad, there was someone he hadn't expected.
Uchiha Itachi.
At only four years old, he was still just a little kid.
Chubby cheeks, round face—irresistibly pinchable.
So Kai did exactly that.
Soft. Very satisfying.
After the first squeeze, he couldn't resist doing it again.
He had to admit, young Itachi was ridiculously cute.
Too bad he'd "grow crooked" later. And that was Fugaku's fault.
What kind of idiot drags a four-year-old to the battlefield?
Forcing growth like this was a terrible idea.
In his old world, everyone knew—kids with unstable emotions and unformed minds shouldn't be exposed to such things.
Back there, what four-year-old wasn't watching cartoons and playing with toys?
Who in their right mind handed a toddler The Art of Intrigue or Das Kapital to study?
Pure madness.
But whatever. Not his kid, not his problem.
For now, while Itachi was still small, he'd pinch away—he wouldn't get the chance later.
Itachi: "…"
His face darkened, his whole expression screaming irritation. At that moment, not even the meaning of life or the point of war mattered.
He was just… extremely annoyed.
Originally, when he heard the clan had birthed a Mangekyo wielder, he'd felt deep respect.
He'd even begged his father to let him see this new clan powerhouse in person.
Learning that this man was also Shisui's teammate had made him even more excited.
But now?
All that awe and excitement had shattered.
Damn it.
He was Uchiha Itachi! Young, yes—but a genius all the same!
And here he was, having his cheeks pinched like a toddler. How humiliating was that?
The image of the mighty Mangekyo wielder in his heart was in ruins.
"Stop pinching me!" Itachi said seriously, face stiff. "I've already grown up. I'm a shinobi!"
Kai grinned wider.
Instead of stopping, he pinched Itachi's face again.
"Clearly just a little kid. What's with the fake adult act?"
"Call me 'big brother,' and I'll make you a toy when we get back."
"Sounds good?"
Yes—he was still treating Itachi like a child to be teased.
Because that's what he was. Kai had no intention of treating him as a peer.
Itachi groaned.
Helpless, he turned to Shisui.
"Shisui-nii, help me!"
But Shisui only shrugged.
He'd already tried persuading Kai earlier, but it was useless.
He could only pretend he hadn't heard Itachi's plea.
Itachi: "…"
Lines of frustration formed on his forehead.
After trying everything and getting nowhere, he could only surrender.
Fine.
Whatever.
He'd just give up.
Seeing Itachi slump into resignation, Kai eventually lost interest too.
And so, joking and laughing, the group carried on.
Until, on the fifth day—
The gates of Konoha came into view.
At that moment, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
No matter what clan or background they came from—even the civilians—every face softened at the sight of the great gates.
That was the power of belonging. Of home.
Even Kai, gazing upon Konoha's gates once more, felt a rare sense of peace.
"We're home."
Kai whispered.
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