"Enough waiting, you damn monkey!"
"I told you—use my title when we're on duty."
At Danzō's sharp voice, the Third Hokage tapped his pipe against the desk, his tone carrying clear displeasure.
He then turned to look out the window.
The night was pitch-black, silent as ink.
Not a single sound drifted in.
That silence was completely different from what they had anticipated.
"Cough… Third," Koharu Utatane spoke up, sensing the awkward tension.
"The Uchiha are still one of Konoha's great clans. Even if their strength has declined in recent years, they're still top-tier."
"If something really happened, it wouldn't be this quiet."
"Haa—"
The Third Hokage merely lit his pipe and took a deep drag.
The thick tobacco smoke dimmed the lights of the Hokage's office.
"Relax," he said slowly.
"The conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha… will be resolved permanently tonight."
After that, he fell silent.
He trusted Itachi.
That child was the greatest genius he had ever seen.
Even the Sannin, back in their prime, paled in comparison.
Bang!
Danzō slammed his cane into the floor, face dark.
"You can stay calm—I can't!"
"I'm going to take a look myself!"
Bang!
With that, he stormed out.
Inside the office, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched his back and quietly let out a breath.
"With Danzō involved… this should be foolproof."
He trusted his old friend.
Danzō was no weaker than himself.
Meanwhile—
The Hyūga compound.
Hiashi Hyuga read the intelligence report, then slowly opened his eyes.
After hesitating briefly, he stood up and walked outside.
If no news was coming—
Then he would go see for himself.
He couldn't sit still any longer.
Tonight would permanently alter Konoha's balance.
He had no choice but to take it seriously.
Not just him.
The heads of the Ino–Shika–Chō clans also rose one after another.
In the darkness, several figures moved silently—
All heading toward the distant Uchiha compound.
And at that very moment—
The Uchiha compound itself was deathly quiet.
Itachi felt a brief wave of dizziness.
He blinked and looked again at Shisui—
Only to see him approaching slowly, bandages still covering his eyes.
As if what he'd seen earlier… was just an illusion.
An illusion?
Whatever.
It didn't matter.
For some reason, he suddenly felt indifferent.
Then, when he looked at Kai again, something deep inside him shifted.
Was it reverence?
Or… fear?
Amaterasu—failed.
Tsukuyomi—useless.
Even the Susanoo he had only just begun to grasp—
Had been smashed apart.
He, Uchiha Itachi, had been utterly defeated.
Defeated at the very things he was most proud of.
For a brief moment, Kai's figure overlapped with his father's from childhood—
Someone who could pin him down effortlessly with one hand.
"I must be dizzy," Itachi muttered, shaking his head.
"How could I think something this ridiculous…?"
Then—
He suddenly noticed a kunai in his arms.
"…What is this—?"
Before the thought could finish—
The world spun violently.
Bang!
Agonizing pain exploded in his head, and everything went black.
Kai shook his hand lightly.
After receiving confirmation from Shisui's subtle nod, he casually shoved Itachi into the ground.
Yes.
Inserted.
Like planting a bamboo pole—headfirst.
Blood splattered outward.
With that brutal impact, Itachi lost consciousness completely.
Fugaku's eyebrow twitched.
He instinctively glanced toward the inner room.
No movement.
Only then did he relax.
Obito: ...
That's his actual brother.
No hesitation whatsoever.
But—
As long as Itachi was no longer in Kai's grasp, that was enough.
Obito's eye flickered.
The tomoe spun.
Whoosh—
A light breeze lifted his black-and-red clouded cloak.
Kamui.
The space around Itachi distorted.
Vrrrr—
A vortex formed, and in an instant—
Itachi vanished.
"Damn it—put Itachi down!"
Fugaku finally snapped.
He stomped forward and began forming hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Fwoooosh—
A massive wave of flames burst forth—
Only to pass straight through Obito's body without resistance.
"…The same ability?"
"And Kai… why isn't he reacting at all…?"
Fugaku really lived up to his reputation as a veteran "professional slacker."
Even as he attacked, he kept an eye on Kai.
Seeing that his second son showed zero concern, Fugaku quietly stopped forming seals.
He didn't know why—
But he knew one thing.
Kai always had a plan.
"Guess I really am old… I can't even read my own children anymore."
With that thought, Fugaku sighed, turned around, and moved to Shisui's side—pushing his wheelchair away.
In the courtyard—
After absorbing Itachi, Obito's posture visibly relaxed.
But he didn't leave immediately.
Instead, he stared at Kai's small figure with undisguised admiration.
"To reach this level… as an Uchiha…"
"Kai—how about joining us?"
"Let's create a new world."
He flicked his Akatsuki cloak aside dramatically, the fabric snapping in the wind.
"A new world?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
A world full of Rin?
Then what about Kakashi?
Seeing Kai's apparent interest, Obito's eyes lit up.
He began passionately describing the future.
Compared to Itachi, Kai made his heart race far more.
Especially that Nine-Tails-like power.
Obito had personally controlled a Tailed Beast before—he knew that power intimately.
But—
The Bijū were all sealed in jinchūriki.
So where did Kai's power come from?
With those doubts in mind, Obito tried to recruit him.
If he could master this ability—
Then capturing the Tailed Beasts could start much earlier.
The smile beneath the mask grew wider.
And Kai—
Was staring at the trait list popping up on Obito, silently clicking his tongue.
[Conversation Target: Uchiha Obito]
[Analyzing copyable traits…]
Ideal World Creator (Black)
Double Agent (Black)
First Hokage Cells · Immortality (Gold)
Summon: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path · Fragment (Gold)
Kamui · Right Eye (Gold)
Mangekyō Sharingan · Single (Purple)
Fire Style Mastery (Blue)
…
[Copy Successful!]
[Congratulations! You obtained the Legendary Trait:
Summon: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path · Fragment (Gold)]
…Gold.
A gold drop.
Kai's smile slowly turned strange—playful, dangerous.
If I summon this thing right now…
Tobi goes home and finds—
"Huh? My house got robbed?"
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