Time slipped by quietly.
In just a few days, Uchiha Kai's name had spread everywhere.
Understandably so.
After all, the fame of the Third Raikage was immense!
And now the one who had killed him—Uchiha Kai, and in a fair, direct battle no less—was bound to see his renown soar.
What was even more shocking was Kai's age.
Only twelve!
That was what truly terrified the great villages. His youth meant infinite potential.
It was easy to imagine—so long as he didn't die prematurely, once he matured, he could very well become the next Hashirama Senju!
Konoha was no exception.
The difference was—while the other villages were filled with fear, awe, and caution, Konoha was rife with suspicion.
Rumors spread everywhere:
Uchiha Kai had caused trouble.
He was suspected of being a spy for Hidden Cloud Village!
Why else would he have helped a Hidden Cloud ninja escape?
Some even claimed that in doing so, he had offended Hidden Stone Village, nearly triggering a war that could have destroyed the fragile peace.
Clearly—this was Danzō at work!
It was the exact same tactic he had used against Hatake Sakumo before. He didn't even bother to come up with a new scheme.
Of course, that made sense.
At its core, Danzō had never expected this plan to succeed. He was merely going through the motions to appease Hiruzen.
And indeed—that was exactly the case.
No sooner had Root begun to act than the Uchiha launched their counterattack.
Almost immediately—so fast it was as though the two sides had coordinated in advance.
"Uchiha Kai, a Hidden Cloud Village spy?"
"Nonsense! Impossible!"
"He's a proud Uchiha. Even if the whole of Konoha defected, the pride of the Uchiha would never allow it."
"I agree. If you want to call him arrogant, fine. But a spy? Ridiculous!"
"He killed the Third Raikage! What spy slays his own Kage?"
"He protected a Hidden Cloud ninja only because he gave his word—that proves he values honor and keeps his promises!"
"More importantly, if Iwa had slaughtered the Hidden Cloud shinobi and then rebuilt its strength, wouldn't they just come for us next?"
"From that angle, Kai actually saved Konoha. He's a hero!"
"Exactly!"
…
The village was in an uproar.
Everyone was talking about it, splitting into two camps and arguing endlessly.
But overall—support for Kai held the upper hand.
Because Danzō had never intended to truly bring him down with this ploy.
So within less than a week, the entire storm of rumors began to die down, fading into silence.
Especially once news broke that the Five Kage Summit was set to convene, with all four other great villages agreeing to attend.
Peace was now within reach.
That topic instantly replaced Kai as the number one "hot search" in Konoha.
Uchiha Kai?
Hardly anyone was discussing him anymore.
The Hokage Tower, second floor.
The Jounin Assembly Hall bustled with noise.
Representatives of the great clans, as well as elite Jounin from among the commoners, had all gathered.
On the dais sat Konoha's "F4."
Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a smile, clearly in a fine mood today.
He puffed on his pipe as he addressed the hall.
"Everyone…"
"Peace—it's really coming!"
"Word from the Land of Iron: all four great villages have accepted the invitation."
"The Five Kage Summit will take place there, in three days' time."
"The purpose of today's Jounin Assembly is to vote for the delegates who will accompany us to that summit."
"Of course, I will attend."
"And as our Jounin Commander, Nara Shikaku—Konoha's brain—must also go."
"Beyond that, we have two more seats."
"The candidates are the Three Elders, plus Namikaze Minato, Orochimaru, and Uchiha Kai."
"Now, let us begin the vote."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
And then—he leaned back in his seat, puffing idly at his pipe.
But the next moment—
Danzō spoke first: "I abstain."
Koharu Utatane: "I abstain as well."
Homura Mitokado: "The same. I abstain."
Clearly—
The three of them had coordinated beforehand.
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened.
He didn't quite understand.
Yes, on the surface, this summit was just a formality.
After all, the agenda was simple—peace talks.
The very fact that all five villages had agreed to gather meant that peace was already decided.
But in truth, it wasn't so simple.
Shikaku would handle the actual negotiations.
ANBU would provide security.
Everyone else attending would be high-ranking elites.
At such a level of summit, there was an unspoken rule:
Those qualified to take a seat at the table were recognized as core leadership of their respective villages.
It was as much a show of internal hierarchy as it was diplomacy.
Ordinarily, everyone should have been scrambling for such an opportunity.
And yet, this time, all three elders had abstained in unison.
That was… unusual.
For a moment, Hiruzen couldn't figure out what these "old friends" of his were scheming behind his back.
But before he could think further—Orochimaru rose to his feet.
"I abstain as well."
"I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be accompanying you."
"Apologies. I'll take my leave."
Without hesitation, he turned and strode out.
He didn't give Hiruzen even the slightest courtesy.
But before leaving, his eyes flicked toward Uchiha Kai.
Reflected in those snake-like pupils was a young figure.
Uchiha Kai.
His gaze was filled with curiosity.
But he said nothing—he simply left.
Uchiha Kai: "…"
His eyes narrowed.
Of course he understood—that last look had been directed at him.
Clearly, this slippery snake had set his sights on him.
But Kai was unbothered.
Perhaps when he had first crossed into this world, he had feared Orochimaru—afraid of being taken and used for experiments.
But now, things are different.
After years of careful forbearance and growth, he was no longer afraid.
Aside from a few truly ancient schemers hidden in the shadows of the shinobi world, there were few left he needed to take seriously.
Orochimaru? Not qualified.
In fact—
He was more curious about Orochimaru.
Had he perfected the modifications to Hashirama's cells? Has he refined Edo Tensei yet?
Because although Kai himself possessed the "basic version" of Edo Tensei, even after all these years his damn system still hadn't provided the upgraded version.
So—heh.
Orochimaru had his eyes on him?
Well, he had his eyes on Orochimaru too!
"Kai-kun—that's Orochimaru," Nara Hiroshi said quietly. "That one is dangerous. Best not to provoke him."
"Though he's Hiruzen's disciple, they are far from aligned."
"Better that we keep our distance, act like strangers. What matters more is the Five Kage Summit."
"Kai-kun—you must attend!"
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