Uchiha Kai's face was calm, almost too calm.
He'd already accepted the gamble—and pocketed the benefits. At this point, there was no backing out. This killing game was one he had to play with his own hands. Victory or defeat… it all came down to who had the sharper blade.
And honestly? With Nara Kazama's warning and all the extra precautions he'd taken, Kai wasn't worried about losing.
If anything, his mind was drifting more toward clan business than the battlefield.
Aburame Ryoma's expression tightened. His eyes flicked between Kai and Kazama, suspicion written all over his face. For the longest time, the Aburame clan head had been wondering—just how did Uchiha Kai get so cozy with the Nara?
Now the answer was obvious. The link between them… was Kazama.
Kazama, however, was silent. He stayed that way for nearly five minutes before finally taking a deep breath.
"My uncle… he's absolutely trustworthy," he said at last.
"I'll write him a letter. Kai-kun, you just need to get it to him."
"He'll slip into the Uchiha compound and help coordinate from the inside—for both your clan and mine."
Kazama didn't waste time. He snatched up pen and paper and scribbled furiously. A few minutes later, he sealed the letter and handed it over.
Kai didn't open it. He only glanced at the name on the envelope: Nara Hiroshi. Then he passed it straight to Shisui.
"Send this through your crow to Itachi. Have him give it to Clan Head Fugaku. Then the Aburame can get it delivered to the Nara compound with their insects."
"Got it." Shisui's voice was steady, but his eyes carried weight.
He pressed a palm to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
A jet-black crow materialized in a swirl of chakra. Shisui stroked its feathers, tied the letter to its leg, whispered instructions, then formed the release seal.
With a puff of smoke, the crow vanished.
"Alright," Kai said, standing. "That's handled. We've got two days with no missions. Everyone, rest up. Destroying the Kannabi Bridge isn't going to be easy. We may even have to put our lives on the line. So save your strength."
Everyone nodded. Their gazes met, silent but resolute.
Yes. From today forward, they were comrades walking the same path.
Their reasons might be different, but their goal was the same:
To bring down Konoha's high command.
At noon, after a quick lunch at camp, Kai returned to his tent.
This time, he wasn't here as just another shinobi. He was here as an Uchiha elder. He had no official post, no real authority, and yet—thanks to the invitation from the village leadership—he was enjoying commander-level privileges.
Like this private tent. Standard issue.
Kai sighed, rubbing his temples.
"This situation isn't simple. According to Kazama, the ones targeting me could include Hidden Stone elites… maybe even jinchūriki."
His chakra might've just reached Kage-level, but compared to a tailed beast? He was still lacking. His Mangekyō wasn't eternal, and his eye power had limits. If he blew through it recklessly, he'd be the one lying in a coffin.
"No," he muttered. "I need an edge. And the fastest way to power up… is the system."
He'd been letting it sit idle, quietly hoarding rewards for a rainy day. Well, the storm was here.
"Let's see my stats first."
Host: Uchiha Kai
Chakra: 17,693 (For reference: Adult Kakashi = 1000)
Fire Style (Master): 398/1000
Lightning Style (Intermediate): 152/200
Taijutsu (Master): 672/1000
Yin Release (Grandmaster): 498/500
Sharingan: Mangekyō
Skills: Substitution Jutsu, Body Flicker Jutsu, Clone Jutsu, Rokushiki (Marine Six Styles), Fireball Jutsu, Phoenix Flower Jutsu, Flame Bullet Jutsu, Great Fire Annihilation, Storm Dance Jutsu, Observation Haki, Armament Haki, Void (Right Eye), Nothingness (Left Eye), Ame-no-Minaka-nushi (Fusion of both eyes).
Overall Evaluation: Kage-level.
Kai's lips curled into a grin. Not bad.
All those days "slacking off" back in the clan compound while others did the grunt work? Totally worth it.
Two levels up in Yin Release. One level each in chakra, Fire Style, and Taijutsu. That gave him five reward draws.
He clapped his hands together. "System, get out here. You've got work to do."
"I've got five draws. Conqueror's Haki is non-negotiable. I'll take defense and speed too. The rest? Surprise me. And hurry up, because your host is about to put his neck on the line."
The system hated being nagged, which of course was why Kai leaned into it. Verbal bombardment—the bane of every shut-in.
Sure enough, it cracked.
[Ding. Host, shut up already.]
[Request received. Rewards incoming…]
[Ding, congratulations.]
[You obtained: One Piece—Conqueror's Haki. One Piece—Kaido's Absolute Defense. Prehistoric—Golden Light Step. Tech—Das Kapital. Postpartum Care of Sows.]
[Delivery complete. Goodbye.]
The voice was flat and synthetic, but absolutely dripping with annoyance. It dumped the rewards and immediately bailed.
Kai just stared at the list.
"…"
Conqueror's Haki? Golden Light Step? Perfect. Kaido's defense? A solid bonus. Not literally indestructible, but strong enough that unless someone brought out Pain's Six Paths or Six Paths Madara, he'd be fine.
But the last two?
Das Kapital.
Postpartum Care of Sows.
"…Are you kidding me?"
What the hell was he supposed to do with that?!
Sure, maybe Das Kapital could be tossed at Itachi and Shisui for some light bedtime reading. But postpartum sow care? Seriously? He wasn't running a pig farm. The Uchiha already had trading caravans and dividends locked down—no need for animal husbandry manuals.
Kai pinched the bridge of his nose and cursed under his breath.
"System, may you birth a son without an anus."
"You can't even half-ass the filler rewards properly? Just look at this garbage!"
"I didn't transmigrate into a historical novel, damn it!"
"Bastard system!"
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