Uchiha Kai's mouth twitched slightly.
Looking at the serious-faced Namikaze Minato, for a moment he didn't even know what to say.
Gratitude?
Did he really need that?
As the head of a powerful faction, Kai's personal strength was nothing short of overwhelming—
In fact, if you excluded the legitimacy and prestige tied to the Hokage title, Sarutobi Hiruzen was already completely outclassed by him.
If not for his caution toward those hidden old monsters lurking in the shadows, Kai would have already slapped Hiruzen to death without hesitation.
Yes.
He had never truly regarded Sarutobi Hiruzen as a threat.
What he really feared were the deeper powers:
the Three Great Sage Lands, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo in the Pure Land, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki (hiding under the alias Jigen), the massive Tenseigan on the moon, and the uncertain fate of Ōtsutsuki Hamura…
There was no helping it.
Konoha itself wasn't particularly special, but its luck was absurd.
That bizarre pair of brothers, Asura and Indra, had reincarnated once as Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara, and in this generation again as Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke.
Who could say if Hagoromo hadn't laid some plan upon them?
Because of those two, all the hidden powers of the world would inevitably turn their gaze upon Konoha.
If Kai acted too erratically, what if those schemers took an interest in him?
After all—
a Mangekyō Sharingan was one thing.
Even the Navy's Six Styles could, with effort, be explained away.
But the Three Colors of Haki?
That had no place in the chakra system.
And that was just for now.
He had actually accumulated enough to roll more draws already—
but he hadn't.
Why?
Because he was afraid.
If items like Devil Fruits or Zanpakutō appeared, and those ancient monsters happened to notice…
do you think they'd just ignore him?
Within the framework of the Five Great Villages, Kai could already be called a powerhouse.
But above that?
Forget the hidden Ōtsutsuki—
Even against Hashirama or Madara, he likely wouldn't stand a chance.
He certainly couldn't treat the Nine-Tails like a pet.
Even Pain's Six Paths might be more than he could handle right now.
So—
until he grew truly strong, he preferred to play it safe.
He avoided drawing new powers too often.
The more exotic his abilities, the greater the risk of exposure.
At the very least, until he reached the level of Pain's Six Paths and awakened the Eternal Mangekyō, he intended to remain in the shadows.
Of course, none of that could be explained to Minato.
So instead, Kai merely smiled faintly and said:
"Don't worry, Minato-niisan.
This won't affect me. Don't forget—I have a faction backing me as well.
As long as Sarutobi Hiruzen isn't an idiot, he won't dare make a fuss over this.
After all, let's be honest.
At this stage, all the major villages want peace.
Everyone is exhausted.
Hidden Stone Village lost three thousand elites in the ambush against me.
Hidden Cloud Village may have lost fewer troops, but their Third Raikage is dead.
As for Hidden Mist Village —
the Seven Ninja Swordsmen are annihilated, their swords in my possession, and many of their elites slain by the Uchiha.
Sunagakure?
Their Third Kazekage vanished, their internal strife is rampant, and their war against Konoha has bled them dry.
That village was poor to begin with—how much longer can they sustain a war?
So, it's simple.
What Sarutobi Hiruzen wants most right now is to convene the Five Kage Summit, end the war, and retire in peace.
If even I can see this larger picture, then surely he can too.
That's why, most likely, he won't stir up trouble.
At this critical moment, he doesn't have the energy to.
He might toy with minor figures, sure.
But me?
The clans backing me won't allow him to treat me that way.
There are always excuses, after all:
'I only act for peace.'
'I only act for Konoha.'
Besides—
Hidden Stone Village will certainly agree to sign a peace treaty.
And if they really crushed Hidden Cloud Village too hard, do you think Konoha would be happy to see Iwa emerge as the sole dominant power?
So relax.
Ōnoki was only trying to scare you earlier.
He knows he can't kill me, and he's terrified I might destroy Iwa altogether.
You know the truth—
their Jounin can't even resist me.
Don't overthink it. Let's head back."
Kai's tone was light, even casual.
Yes.
At his current level, the Five Great Villages were no longer a real concern.
If not for those hidden ancient monsters, he would have already unleashed himself without restraint.
Otherwise—
with his cautious personality, how could he have been this aggressive already?
Meanwhile—
Minato looked stunned after hearing all this.
So that's how it was?
So complicated…
His head hurt again.
"…Alright, fine." Minato shrugged helplessly.
"If you put it that way, I guess I'll stop worrying.
We'll check in with Konoha's commander, then head back.
But what about Hidden Cloud Village? You're not worried?
What if Ōnoki doubles back to strike after we leave?"
Indeed—
when it came to these sorts of underhanded schemes, Minato simply couldn't keep up.
So, he asked earnestly.
But Kai's face remained calm.
"Don't worry.
As a Kage, as a leader of a great village, there are rules to the game.
He knows which agreements can be broken, and which must be upheld.
If Ōnoki dares to betray me—
Then I dared to storm into Hidden Stone Village itself.
He'd be the one who broke the rules, so I'd be free to ignore them too."
His eyes narrowed, a cold smile tugging at his lips.
Yes.
Once rules are laid down, they must be followed.
Peace treaties can be torn apart—
but only when retaliation isn't a threat.
That's why wars were always launched when Konoha was at its weakest, unable to retaliate.
But now?
Kai had the strength to strike back.
So Ōnoki wouldn't dare.
Unfortunately, though Kai explained in detail, Minato still looked utterly lost.
He didn't understand.
"…Alright then, I'll trust you." Minato finally laughed.
"Let's go check in and be done with this mission.
Time for a well-earned rest.
Just thinking about it makes me happy.
Come on, let's go!"
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