Uchiha Touhuan and Kakashi escorted Gato to his treasury. Learning from their previous experience, Uchiha Touhuan brought plenty of empty sealing scrolls this time. Although he had one more person to share the money with, Gato's wealth, which controlled the economy of an entire country through money, far exceeded that of the minor nobleman who ran a casino in Tanabata.
True to his word, Uchiha Touhuan only took 70% of Gato's treasury, totaling about 6 billion ryo. He then divided this 6 billion ryo into two parts at a 4:3 ratio, giving one part to Kakashi.
Kakashi stared in disbelief as he received the sealing scroll. That was nearly 3 billion ryo! It was uncertain whether his entire Hatake clan had earned that much in total. Just how much was inside? To take everything out, he would need to refine his chakra two or three times just to keep up with the consumption.
Kakashi understood why Uchiha Touhuan was being so generous. Judging from his skill, this was not his first time doing this; he had probably done something similar in Tanabata.
No wonder Uchiha Touhuan said the money he got from the Shimura, Utatane, and Mito clans was just small change.
Even after Uchiha Touhuan placed the cursed seal on Gato and the two left Gato's manor together, Kakashi kept staring at him with an incredulous look.
"Ahem, why are you staring at me like that?" Uchiha Touhuan, feeling a little uncomfortable under Kakashi's gaze, reminded him, "This money isn't all for you. Keep 10% for yourself, 30% for your mid-level subordinates, and 60% for the ninjas under them. Pay attention to the procedures when distributing the money."
"Just like the police dog base you established with the Inuzuka clan and the secret technique research you supported for the Aburame clan?" Kakashi understood what he meant.
"Not bad. You've started to understand politics lately," Uchiha Touhuan said. The two smiled at each other and headed toward the hotel they had booked earlier.
Uchiha Touhuan's actions tonight had undoubtedly opened a completely new door for Kakashi. However, after the initial shock and excitement faded, Kakashi realized what Uchiha Touhuan had actually led him to do that night.
If Uchiha Touhuan's actions tonight were exposed, the two of them would become public enemies of the entire ninja world. What they had done openly trampled on the unspoken rules known to all ninjas, and he had unknowingly become an accomplice.
Thinking of this, Kakashi's hand, which was touching the sealing scroll containing a massive amount of wealth in his pocket, trembled slightly. He swallowed and called out to Uchiha Touhuan, "Hey, Touhuan."
"Hmm?" Uchiha Touhuan smiled and turned around.
"Do you know… what you're doing?" Kakashi asked with difficulty.
"Yeah, I know," Uchiha Touhuan replied casually. "What, are you scared? If you're scared, give it to me, and I can pretend you were never here tonight."
"Before today, I thought you only wanted to become Hokage. But today… Touhuan, what exactly do you want to do?" Kakashi asked after taking a deep breath.
Hearing this, Uchiha Touhuan's smile faded. He spoke slowly, "You really want to know? Let me warn you. Once you know, there's no turning back."
Kakashi stared at Uchiha Touhuan. The man who usually wore a warm smile now looked calm and still like a lake. Under the cold moonlight, his presence felt heavy and oppressive.
Kakashi fell silent. He thought about how Touhuan had cleared his father's name, allowing him to take care of his teacher's son without hesitation. He remembered how Touhuan had stepped in without a second thought when he was caught in a political vortex and had crushed the conspiracy against him.
After a moment, Kakashi shook his head and said, "Haven't I already become your ally? There's no turning back now. So tell me. What do you really want to do?"
Uchiha Touhuan smiled again. "What do I want to do? Of course, I want to change this sick world."
Kakashi's pupils shrank, but before he could speak, Uchiha Touhuan continued.
"Many people in the village claim to love peace. They believe that mutual understanding can erase war. But Kakashi, have you ever thought about the true nature of war?"
Kakashi shook his head. He remembered his teachers, Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya, discussing war. They believed that if people could truly understand each other, war would disappear. Yet neither of them knew how to make that happen. Jiraiya believed that the chosen one foretold by the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku would achieve it.
"We all lost important people in the Third Shinobi World War. But what happened after the war? Did anything really change? No. The nobles and daimyo are still playing cards, waiting for their chips to run out before starting a new game. The friendships and love you cherish are nothing more than cold numbers to them."
"War is, in the end, a continuation of politics. The peace that ninjas believe they fought so hard for is merely a choice made by those sitting at the card table."
"And that's not even the worst part. We are the ones who hold real power. I've never understood why people we ninjas could crush with a flick of our fingers get to sit at the table and decide the fate of countless ninjas like us. Because of these ridiculous rules passed down for who knows how long, ninjas are forever treated as tools."
Uchiha Touhuan tore reality open and laid it bare before Kakashi. He then looked up at the moon hanging high in the sky and activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"This world is sick. And I want to try to cure it."
"For the sake of children growing up without being sent to the battlefield, for the sake of lonely heroes no longer being shunned, for the sake of passionate youths no longer dying meaningless deaths—even if my hands must be stained with blood, I am willing to bear that sin alone."
Uchiha Touhuan's words left Kakashi completely stunned. Several minutes passed before Kakashi finally spoke.
"If that's the case," Kakashi said solemnly, "I'm willing to walk this path with you."
Uchiha Touhuan said nothing. He simply extended his right hand. Kakashi did not hesitate and firmly grasped it.
Ps .
Trying to improve translation...
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(End of Chapter)