Uchiha Kai got up and went back to rest.
Yes.
Since he had already said what needed to be said, the rest no longer concerned him.
With his departure, silence once again fell over the campfire.
Everyone looked at one another, speechless.
Most of all, their gazes drifted toward Hatake Kakashi — filled with confusion and shock.
Their minds were blank!
Especially Minato's squad.
To them, this felt absurd.
Kakashi, that cold, aloof block of ice, destined to become Hokage?
They had never thought about it before.
But now… things were different.
After Kai's explanation, it actually sounded reasonable.
Not because Kakashi himself was particularly strong,
but because of his father — the famed "White Fang of Konoha," who had carved out power and prestige, and in the end sacrificed his own life for the village's stability.
That was political inheritance.
Even though Sakumo Hatake was dead, the vast influence he left behind would still push Kakashi upward.
Even the Hokage could not stop it!
It made sense.
The man had killed himself to keep the village stable — to give everyone peace of mind.
And when his son grew up, if he couldn't even become Hokage?
Sakumo's former supporters would never let that stand.
"This… this can't be real, can it?" Uchiha Obito let out a bitter laugh. "Damn this so-called Will of Fire!"
His mood sank into darkness.
Even though Rin was still alive, this brutal truth lit a fire in his chest.
Rin wanted to comfort him, but at that moment…
she didn't know what to say.
Kai's words had torn the thin veil of peace to shreds.
Kakashi's face was grim, his eyes flickering with unreadable thoughts.
No one knew what was running through his mind.
Shisui, Kazama, and Aya were different.
They had seen through the village's dirty games long before meeting Kai.
Now, hearing his words only reinforced what they already knew.
Their question wasn't whether it was true.
It was: why?
Why would Kai reveal this in front of Minato's disciples — children of the Hokage's faction?
What was the point?
Especially Nara Kazama.
As the "strategist" of their little team, he couldn't help but think deeply.
Kai was lazy by nature — he never did pointless things.
So what was the meaning here?
He couldn't figure it out.
After all, they had been separated for too long.
In just one night, Kai couldn't possibly explain all the things that had happened back in the village.
"I… I don't get it!"
Rin suddenly spoke up.
She looked at Shisui's team, whose faces were calm, unshaken — full of doubt in her eyes.
And with her words, Kakashi and Obito also turned their eyes on them.
Shisui gave a bitter smile.
Only after spending time with Kai had he begun to see the truth.
Before that?
He had been just as naïve as Minato's students.
So now, he didn't know how to explain.
But Hyuga Aya spoke up directly.
"This isn't strange at all."
"Whether it's shinobi clans, villages, or any other power structure — this is normal."
"Big fish eat little fish, little fish eat shrimp."
Nara Kazama stayed silent for a moment.
But considering that Kai had chosen to expose all this, there had to be some hidden meaning.
So he smiled and added:
"I agree with Aya."
"What I don't get is — why are you all so surprised?"
"Do you remember back when our main camp was still in the Land of Grass?"
"Our supply depot was raided twice by Hidden Stone shinobi."
"On paper, the depot should have been the most secure location. So how did Hidden Stone slip in so easily each time?"
"The truth is — the depot had already been emptied long ago."
"Thirty percent went to the Sarutobi clan. Ten percent each to the Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane. Another thirty percent to the Ino–Shika–Chō trio. The remaining ten percent was carved up by the lesser clans."
"The Hyuga were distrusted by the village, so naturally excluded. As for the Uchiha — no need to mention it. At this stage, the village only keeps them around to use as scapegoats."
"Why do people fight to be Hokage? To be elders? To join the upper echelons?"
"So their clans can take the lion's share, of course."
Kazama shrugged, his tone calm, like he was stating common sense.
But on the other side, Kakashi and the others were dumbfounded.
"Supplies from the front lines? They're insane!" Obito shouted.
Kakashi and Rin were equally baffled.
Kazama only looked at them with disdain.
"Frontline supplies are funded by the daimyō. If they run out, they just ask for more."
"Clan businesses are their foundation. Day-to-day, they live off their share of the village's budget. But war? That's the time to really cash in."
"This isn't unique to Konoha. Every shinobi village is the same."
"Haven't you noticed? Whenever we raid an enemy's supply depot, it always feels suspiciously easy?"
"That's why."
"The depots are emptied first, then conveniently destroyed by the enemy. It wipes away the old accounts, and the daimyō foots the bill again."
"Why do wars keep breaking out?"
"On one hand, the Land of Fire is rich — conquering its resources means instant profit."
"On the other, even if you lose, it doesn't matter. The daimyō always pays. And if he doesn't?"
"Then just retreat into the village, let the enemy advance into the country. Before they even reach the capital, the daimyō will panic and beg the shinobi to fight — offering money again."
"…Either way, the high command never loses."
"Victory or defeat, they always come out ahead. The only difference is how much they manage to grab."
"So don't think Kai's words prove Konoha is uniquely corrupt. In reality, every major village is just as bad. It's a world of rot — a contest to see who's the least rotten."
Kazama's words were fair.
He wasn't trying to smear Konoha, only stating the truth.
All the great villages were the same.
If anything, they were better than the small ones.
The big villages at least kept up appearances, used a fig leaf, avoided squeezing their lowest ranks too harshly.
But the small villages?
There, it was raw and bloody.
The weak were simply devoured by the strong.
That was why Jiraiya had lost hope, choosing instead to pin all his faith on a prophesied savior.
Because the shinobi world was rotten to the core.
If only Konoha had been corrupt, Jiraiya would have fought to fix it himself.
But because all the villages were rotten, he believed only a true savior could change things.
"…Heh. So that's how it is."
"My father sacrificed himself… for a village this rotten?"
"…Hokage? I couldn't care less!"
Kakashi stood, his expression filled with scorn.
Even though Kai had said earlier that he was destined to become Hokage thanks to his father,
Kakashi wanted no part of it.
Not this kind of Hokage!
He turned and walked away, leaning casually against a tree at the mouth of the hollow, and shut his eyes to rest.
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