Fugaku left.
There was a trace of melancholy in his heart, but far more was relief.
For the Uchiha to produce someone like Kai—this kind of genius, and even more so the very sort of political talent their clan lacked—he, as clan head, could finally feel at ease.
As for the clan itself?
Without interference from Konoha's leadership, he was confident. Even if he couldn't resolve things completely, he could at least suppress conflicts for now. After all, he still carried the title of clan head. Neither the radicals nor the moderates dared go too far against him.
After Fugaku left, Uchiha Kai washed up briefly, then lay down on his bed to rest.
Meanwhile, in another place.
While Kai and Fugaku were already asleep, the atmosphere at the Hokage Tower was heavy.
Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, puffing clouds of smoke without pause.
He was thinking.
Tonight's little loss didn't bother him much. Just three Anbu.
As for the Root operatives? He cared even less. If not for this incident, he himself would've had to personally move against Danzo soon enough.
Danzo was too strong. As his blade, if that blade grew too sharp, it might become uncontrollable even for its master.
In that sense, Uchiha Kai's actions had actually saved him some trouble.
What truly occupied his thoughts now was Uchiha Kai himself.
Yes.
From that so-called "thief incident," everything had been orchestrated by him.
The purpose was a probe. Suppressing the Uchiha and stirring inner conflict within them was just a side effect.
The real aim was one: to test Uchiha Kai.
It wasn't even specifically against Kai—it was simply part of his standard procedure as Hokage.
And the reasoning was simple.
Since Kai had risen to the post of Head of the Police Force, whether he wanted it or not, he was now part of Konoha's upper echelon.
Yet Hiruzen knew too little about him, and they were bound to have long-term dealings in the future. Thus, he needed to thoroughly understand Kai's true nature. Otherwise, he would inevitably suffer losses.
Know yourself, know your enemy.
As a qualified politician, this was routine.
But—
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't expected that one simple probe would reveal not a minnow, but a great white shark.
Damn it.
Kai's abilities shocked him. But still acceptable—Uchiha producing strong fighters was only natural.
What truly startled, even unsettled him, were Kai's methods.
Decisive, ruthless, utterly unrestrained.
Even knowing his captives were Anbu and Root operatives, Kai had no qualms about capturing and killing them.
That alone wasn't too frightening. A single overbearing Uchiha was nothing special.
But—
This man was also cautious and meticulous. He left nothing to chance.
No naïve idealism, no pretenses of honor or duty—much less any of that so-called Will of Fire.
His handling of matters was like that of a seasoned schemer.
"Mm. Not bad."
"Though there were some twists, my goal was achieved."
"Now I have a clear grasp of Uchiha Kai's temperament and methods."
"This personality is troublesome, but knowing in advance means it won't cause too much damage."
"At the very least, better than knowing nothing and stumbling blindly."
"It seems probing will have to become routine. Otherwise, it's impossible to tell who's human and who's a monster."
"Heh. Interesting!"
"Who would've thought the Uchiha could produce someone like a Nara?"
"Next comes drafting a strategy to deal with him."
"Too bad Shikaku's still at the front."
Hiruzen muttered to himself.
Having thought it through, he allowed a faint smile.
His mood was good—he had tested Kai, weakened Danzo's Root. A fine outcome.
Just as he was about to stand and go home to sleep, the office door swung open.
Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Shimura Danzo all arrived together.
"Hiruzen, you must be careful of that Uchiha Kai."
"That's right, Hiruzen. He's absolutely a dangerous individual."
"The Uchiha are already troublesome enough, but now that one with political cunning has emerged, we must suppress him."
"…"
The three spoke in quick succession.
Indeed—Kai's tactics tonight had truly frightened them.
The Uchiha were troublesome by nature. With someone like this, wouldn't they be even harder to control?
They were anxious.
Danzo even slammed the table.
"Hiruzen, why didn't you listen to me?"
"We had Uchiha Kai surrounded. With just a small price, we could've killed him outright!"
"Why?"
Danzo was furious. Root's losses tonight were too great—even he could barely accept them.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face stayed calm.
He cast a faint glance at the three before speaking coldly.
"Did Uchiha commit any crime? On what grounds would you kill him? Do you really think those other clans obey us blindly?"
"This…" Danzo fell silent.
Mitokado Homura nodded. "Hiruzen is right. Danzo, you were too rash."
"But though we can't kill him, we also can't let him go unchecked," Utatane Koharu said coldly. "Hiruzen, I suggest sending Uchiha Kai to the battlefield."
"Wherever the danger is greatest—that's where he should go."
"He's already awakened the Mangekyo. There's little value in restraining him here."
"His strength lies in those eyes."
"And Uchiha ocular powers are finite. Let the battlefield grind them down."
"I recommend assigning him to the Grass Country front."
At her words, silence filled the room.
Moments later, both Mitokado Homura and Shimura Danzo nodded.
This method had merit.
But—
After listening, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke slowly.
"Mm. Not a bad idea."
"But under what pretext?"
"Don't forget—when Kai was promoted to Elder, he automatically withdrew from the shinobi roster."
"Under normal circumstances, the village has no authority to conscript him."
"As an Uchiha Elder, even if you requested it formally, he has the right to refuse."
"As for threats, pressure, or deception—you've all seen it yourselves today. Uchiha Kai is not someone you can fool."
"With someone like him, only incentives work. Force does not."
"If you want him on the battlefield, you must offer him sufficient benefits."
"And even if he went, as an Uchiha Elder, he would retain the right to disregard orders from the field command."
"With such a price to pay—do you think it's truly worth it?"
"Think it through carefully. Then we'll talk again."
"…"
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