Good grief.
Uchiha Kai was utterly speechless.
He had read plenty of fanfics in his past life, and he knew the Aburame clan always had low presence.
But now that he had seen it firsthand… his head hurt.
The Aburame really were bizarre.
"…Fine, whatever.
Let's use this chance to make it clear.
The Aburame clan has already sided with the Uchiha and moved into the Uchiha compound.
So when it comes to Aburame Ryoma, you don't need to doubt him—he can be trusted completely."
Yes.
Kai couldn't even be bothered to complain about their nonexistent presence anymore.
The others, however, were all stunned.
They hadn't known.
After all, stationed at the front with low rank, they weren't kept in the loop about the village's affairs.
So hearing it now, they were naturally shocked.
A whole clan!
The Aburame might not be top tier, but they were still a mid-sized clan of Konoha.
Why would they suddenly defect to the Uchiha?
Just what had happened in the village while they were away?
"Kai-kun, can you explain?"
"What exactly has been happening in the village?"
"Please, be as detailed as possible."
It was Nara Kazama who spoke first.
He didn't hesitate.
Since they had already laid their cards on the table, they were all grasshoppers tied to the same rope now.
And as the strategist of the group, he needed to understand everything.
Kai nodded.
Without hesitation, he recounted in detail everything that had happened in the village during this time.
When Shisui and the others heard it, they sucked in cold breaths.
Unbelievable.
Kai had become an Uchiha elder, seized full control of the Police Force—
even Fugaku had handed him authority!
And his confrontations with Konoha's leadership… especially that near-breakout into civil war… left them shaken to their cores.
"So dangerous… so incredible."
"The frontlines are brutal enough, but who knew the village itself was just as perilous."
"Kai-kun, to actually stand toe-to-toe with the leadership, and even come out on top…"
Shisui and Aya both sighed with amazement.
Yes.
Even though they weren't in the village, they could clearly sense it—
Kai's situation was even more dangerous than theirs on the battlefield.
Only Kazama fell silent for a while before finally speaking:
"This time, the village must have prepared a killing move for you.
They won't let you return alive."
"What? Impossible!" Shisui exclaimed, eyes wide.
"This is war! How could the leadership even think of doing that?"
He couldn't believe it.
Even after hearing Kai describe the village's darkness, the idea was too much for him to accept.
Even Aya looked stricken, her heart tightening with worry for Kai.
But Kai's face remained calm.
He swept his gaze over them and spoke evenly.
"Don't worry. I know.
This time, it's a gamble between me and the leadership.
But there's no need to panic. If I dared to come, it means I have the confidence to return.
Besides, I can leech two forbidden techniques from the village for free.
That alone is worth it.
And right now, in the middle of war, the village truly can't afford to collapse into infighting.
If we weaken ourselves, the other villages would swoop in before a winner could even be decided.
So shifting the conflict to the frontlines actually works out."
He shook his head.
"But I'll admit—I hadn't expected things here to already be this rotten."
"Anyway, Shisui—
I'll pass you the Spirit Transformation Technique later. Train it diligently. I have a feeling it can increase ocular power."
"And Kazama—
I need you to think carefully. If the village makes a move against me, what kind of killing strike would they use?
I'll tell you everything I know afterward."
Kai's tone was steady.
The village wouldn't miss this opportunity.
He had long been prepared.
Now that Kazama had pointed it out, he felt no ripple of fear.
Instead, he took the chance to entrust everything that needed entrusting.
Shisui hesitated, then nodded.
"Alright. I understand.
By the way… the Visualization Method really works. I can already feel my ocular power growing.
And a while ago, I woke up in Mangekyo as well.
But… my Mangekyo ability is…"
His words faltered.
But Kai's face lit up with delight.
Good—
Shisui had awakened Mangekyo too.
Their side just gained another huge boost in power!
"No need to say more.
Knowing your personality, I can guess—it's Kotoamatsukami, isn't it?
Don't tell anyone else.
That ability is far too dangerous.
As for the Visualization Method—keep training.
And don't neglect the Spirit Transformation Technique either."
Shisui froze.
How could Kai have guessed before he even said it?
But after a moment, he gave a bitter smile.
"…Fine. I understand."
"Since you're leading the Uchiha now, about the matter we discussed earlier—"
But before he could finish, Kai cut him off.
"Continue as planned!
Right now, the Uchiha might look prosperous, but compared to the village, our strength is still far too lacking.
We don't have the power to flip the table.
Shiki Fūjin, the Four Symbol Seal, Adamantine Sealing Chains, the Four Red Yang Formation…
If the village fought to the death, the Uchiha couldn't withstand even their forbidden techniques.
The Sarutobi clan alone has over four thousand shinobi.
Add the other clans loyal to the Hokage, and how much could the Uchiha really match?
And what about Tsunade?
If the Slug Sage from Shikkotsu Forest joined her, with its Mass Division ability, our every injury would be healed in an instant.
Or Orochimaru, backed by Ryūchi Cave?
I know Root already has a Wood Style shinobi from their Hashirama cell experiments.
Maybe he's weak—but the village has too many hidden cards.
Even if we won, would we still have the strength to hold off the other villages?
I won't inherit a shattered Konoha.
So my plan is simple.
We'll bleed the Hokage faction dry, little by little.
Shisui—your mission is to drain the leadership's resources.
Money, supplies, jutsu, everything.
So long as it doesn't harm the overall war effort, we'll cut them with a dull knife, bleeding them for the smallest price possible.
At the very least—
when we finally seize power, we must still be strong enough to face all four great villages on our own."
To read 250+ Advance chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554