Uchiha Kai's mouth twitched.
This whole situation was far too familiar to him. In the original story, the Third Raikage, A, had supposedly been killed during the Third Ninja War—by none other than Ōnoki.
So that meant…
Could it be that his own slaughter of three thousand Hidden Stone Village elites had scared Ōnoki off from taking action against the Raikage?
And yet—unexpectedly—
Though the Raikage had escaped once, he couldn't dodge forever. Kai had helped him avoid one crisis, but now everyone else still wanted him dead.
Thinking carefully, though, it was understandable.
After all—
The Third Raikage was simply too strong!
While not on the level of Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara, in the current shinobi world he was still absurdly powerful.
Of the Five Kage, he was the strongest.
Naturally, that made him a thorn in everyone's side.
What's more—
The four other great villages were leaning toward peace, eager to end the war, while only Hidden Cloud Village stubbornly refused.
That Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted him dead—well, that was easy enough to understand.
Once the Third Raikage was gone, Hidden Cloud would surely lose its will to fight.
And more importantly—
This was a good thing for Kai himself.
With Nara Hiroshi's schemes earlier, Kai had been fretting over how to leave the village.
Now? Problem solved.
Thinking this far, he spoke up immediately.
"Brother Minato, I'll be frank."
"If Sarutobi Hiruzen had come to me personally, I'd have demanded some benefits in return."
"But since you've come in person, of course I'll give you face."
"This matter—I'll agree to it."
"However, when you report back, you can't tell Hiruzen this. Otherwise he'll suspect you. After all, our relationship isn't nearly that close."
"You can say we struck a deal—that you persuaded me to remain neutral in the struggle between the Uchiha and the village elders."
"That way, you'll have an excuse to stay above the fray."
"So—when do we move?"
Uchiha Kai asked bluntly.
When it came to Namikaze Minato, he was more than willing to show courtesy.
After all, this was a potential ally. Minato's sense of justice was also something Kai could respect.
And, truthfully, this matter had landed at just the right time—it saved him effort.
So after giving a straightforward agreement, he pressed for the operation's timing.
Only by knowing the schedule could he coordinate with Nara Hiroshi on how to use the opportunity to eliminate the two elders.
Frankly—
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were hardly worth his notice. Their power was limited—they were only irritating.
But still—
If they blocked his path, then they had to die.
Since their deaths would benefit the Uchiha, they naturally had to vacate their seats.
After Hiroshi's reminder, Kai now had his eyes set on their council positions.
"That… hasn't been decided yet." Minato shook his head. "Lord Hokage only asked me to convince you first."
"Currently, Elder Danzō is making preparations. Likely within a month."
"So we have time to prepare."
He exhaled in relief.
That Kai was willing to give him this face—Minato was pleased.
Of course, he was utterly unaware of Kai's true intentions.
But Kai, hearing this, immediately had a clear picture in his mind.
After wrapping up the business talk, the two naturally drifted into small talk.
And, inevitably, Rin Nohara came up.
"Say, Brother Minato."
"You need to keep this in mind. If the worst comes to worst, you should place Rin with me."
"To be honest, I'm worried."
"After all, I know Sarutobi Hiruzen well enough."
"Even if we don't bring it up for now, he may resort to underhanded tricks."
"You're strong, yes—but you're far too righteous and straightforward. You've no grasp of those dirty, insidious methods."
"I'm afraid… you won't be able to shield her."
Uchiha Kai's tone was low and heavy.
Yes.
At this moment, he was speaking sincerely.
But more importantly—
He was also trying to sow doubt, to subtly drive a wedge between Minato and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And truth be told—it was effective.
Though Minato had been in good spirits, at these words his expression instantly darkened.
Clearly, he recalled Danzō's recent attempt.
After a pause, he replied calmly:
"Don't worry, Kai. Rin is my student—I'll protect her."
"And if it truly comes to the worst, I won't cling to pride. I'll make sure she's placed under the Uchiha's protection."
"But unless absolutely forced, I won't send Rin to you."
"Otherwise, wouldn't that make me look like a useless teacher?"
Having said this, Minato smiled faintly.
His gaze radiated confidence.
Yes.
As he said—did he not know that Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't simply give up?
Of course he knew!
But as Rin's teacher, as Jiraiya's disciple, with his own growing influence—if he couldn't even protect his student, wouldn't that be a laughingstock?
Though he usually carried himself with warmth and humility, Minato still had his own pride.
Uchiha Kai nodded slightly.
Some words were best kept brief—say too much, and they only annoyed.
Since Minato understood, there was no need to belabor it.
After some further light conversation, Minato took his leave.
He had no choice.
On one hand, he had to report back to Hiruzen. On the other hand, he was eager to return home.
Obviously, he was uneasy about the three kids there.
Until this matter was resolved, the only way he could feel at ease was by staying at his students' side.
Just as Kai had said—his strength was formidable, but when it came to schemes and intrigue, he was utterly unprepared.
Thus, his only solution was this clumsy but direct one.
Worth noting—
As Minato departed, he happened to cross paths with Nara Hiroshi.
The two did not know each other.
But with Kai's introduction, Minato merely raised a brow, offered a polite greeting, and continued on his way out of the Uchiha compound.
He was, admittedly, surprised.
The Ino–Shika–Cho—throwing in with the Uchiha? That was unexpected.
But at the same time—
He had no interest in these power struggles.
He knew Uchiha Kai, knew he would not bring harm to the village.
That was enough.
As for the Uchiha's battles with the elders—Minato couldn't care less.
"Lord Kai!"
Hiroshi greeted him with a smile.
Kai nodded, exchanged a few polite words, then asked directly:
"Is the Ino–Shika–Cho settled?"
"Yes, everything's arranged." Hiroshi replied with a smile. "We're grateful for the Uchiha's acceptance."
"This time, I also came to offer thanks—and to explain some internal matters of our alliance."
"But that man just now…"
"Lord Kai, are you very close with Namikaze Minato?"
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