"This trait… looks kind of like a weaker version of Low Presence…"
Kai narrowed his eyes, looking at the ANBU he'd just swatted away. Without thinking, he muttered,
"Fuse it… no—forget it. A blue trait isn't worth fusing if it won't help. I'll keep it."
He'd originally planned to stack it onto his Low Presence trait.
But looking back at how fusion had worked so far, once traits hit Epic-grade (purple) and above, things got… weird.
Fused traits sometimes vanished like a dumpling thrown at a dog—gone and never seen again.
Not even a ripple.
And over time he'd noticed something else:
If blue and below were traits ordinary people could realistically have…
Then purple and above only showed up in those with a bloodline limit—or at least Kage-level strength.
It was like the ninja world's own version of bloodline aristocracy.
Blue was the ceiling for normal people.
Traits worked the same way.
Stacking up to blue might be the "limit."
To break into purple, you needed a massive investment.
After a brief pause, Kai put the thought aside and went right back to swatting elite ANBU around like flies.
Ten.
Twenty.
…
One hundred and eighty-eight.
And once he got into the rhythm, he even swatted a few stunned Root members as well.
One more, one less—no one was going to thank him either way.
Traits piled up faster and faster.
Roughly—easily—over a hundred and fifty.
And among these elites, most drops were green, with a smaller number of blue and white.
Now this is what you call elite.
The smile in Kai's eyes grew brighter.
Then he waved his hand and fed every single trait straight into Flying Thunder God.
[Fusing…]
[Fusion successful. Flying Thunder God Technique (Gold) lv7 → lv8.
Max teleport distance: 1000m → 2000m. Chakra cost: 1000 → 2000.]
…
[Fusing…]
[Fusion successful. Flying Thunder God Technique (Gold) lv8 → lv9.
Max teleport distance: 2000m → 4000m. Chakra cost: 2000 → 4000.]
…
[Fusing…]
[Fusion successful. Flying Thunder God Technique (Gold) lv9 → lv10.
Max teleport distance: 4000m → ∞. Chakra cost: 4000 → ∞.]
"Hm? Flying Thunder God… what's with those two… 'o's?"
Kai blinked, stunned for a beat.
Then it clicked.
His face broke into pure, unrestrained joy.
Infinity.
Or rather—Flying Thunder God's range was no longer restricted.
Distance depended on only one thing now:
Chakra reserves.
"So… I can finally sail out?!"
His small face lit up with a huge grin.
Flying Thunder God had evolved from a mere "blink" into true teleportation—
Teleportation without range limits.
This was the Flying Thunder God that made Minato unbeatable, the technique that had enemy shinobi trembling at the mere mention of his name.
Kai drew a deep breath.
With around a dozen traits left, he tossed them straight into his dōjutsu—
Three Feet Before Me.
[Fusing…]
As one trait after another vanished, his eyes warmed faintly.
A subtle heat flowed behind his pupils, paired with a prickling itch.
Then it faded.
He blinked and sensed the space within three feet.
It felt…
No different.
"…No change?"
At the same time, the Third Hokage finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Stop! Stop! Stop this!"
He stared into Kai's Mangekyō—an expressionless gaze filled only with absolute control—and his face sagged even further.
His already-bent back seemed to bow lower.
Each ANBU sent flying felt like a chisel hammering into his heart.
Painful.
"Third-sama… Konoha comes first…"
Nara Shikaku stepped up, speaking low beside Hiruzen.
His voice carried the faint tremor of someone staring at a monster he couldn't calculate.
Strong.
Overwhelmingly, unreasonably strong.
This Uchiha kid made him feel like there was nowhere to even begin.
Maybe… with the right methods, they could restrain him.
But the cost would be catastrophic.
So Shikaku could only urge the Third Hokage—
And the unspoken meaning was obvious:
Swallow it. Live. Save what's left.
Hiruzen's body swayed slightly.
His aged eyes looked at Kai as if trying to carve the boy's face into his soul.
Then—
Under the gaze of hundreds—
The head that had been held high for a lifetime lowered, slowly… humiliated.
"…Fine."
One word.
As if it took his entire body to squeeze it out, hoarse and broken.
"The financial authority… will be transferred to the Uchiha."
In that moment, the old man's pride collapsed.
No composure remained.
No calm calculation.
But Kai didn't accept "vague."
He corrected him coldly.
"Not 'managed.'"
"Controlled."
"The Uchiha are one of Konoha's founding clans. We deserve final decision-making power."
"You—!"
Hiruzen jerked his head up, anger bursting out uncontrollably.
If it was control, then Konoha's power was being cut clean in half.
And him, in matters of finance, he was already constrained by the Daimyō—
And now he'd be constrained by—
…Wait.
The Daimyō.
Hiruzen's mind wobbled.
And strangely, the crushing weight in his chest seemed to lighten.
Maybe…
Handing off financial control wasn't the worst thing.
Every year he fought the Daimyō over funds anyway.
It was exhausting.
"…Alright."
This time, Hiruzen didn't hesitate.
He spun to a pale-faced Hokage secretary behind him and barked:
"Go! Bring the advisors'—bring the Finance Office's ledgers, seals, and keys!"
"All of them! Immediately! Bring them here!"
"Y-Yes!"
The secretary—who'd clearly been itching to run—scrambled into the tower like his life depended on it.
Whooo—!
But that scene sent shockwaves through the ANBU, Root, and the assembled clan heads.
No one could have imagined it.
What began as a purge against the Uchiha—
Had ended as the Uchiha's ascension.
Yes.
Ascension.
From a clan shoved to the margins—
To a clan now grabbing Konoha's lifeline by the throat.
Everyone knew what financial power meant.
Every clan. Every household. Every mission.
Everyone had to bow to the purse strings.
At that realization, a few clans who'd stayed silent all night exchanged glances and quietly stepped forward.
If there was ever a time to pledge loyalty…
It was now.
But before any of them could speak—
A furious roar thundered in from beyond the village.
"With Konoha's Azure Beast here—who dares disrespect the Hokage?!"
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