Uchiha Kai's expression remained calm.
Yet as his words fell, a faint, chilling killing intent seeped from his body, subtle but unmistakable.
Yes.
He understood this better than anyone—when it came to matters of true importance, hesitation was fatal.
War or peace, advance or retreat—his stance had to be made clear.
Only by giving a decisive signal could those beneath him know where they stood. Otherwise, uncertainty would spread, speculation would run rampant, and factions would inevitably form—just like during Fugaku's era, when the clan split apart and tore itself from within, never able to unite as one.
And in such a fragmented state, outsiders found it easiest to strike.
Wasn't that precisely how the Uchiha had been wiped out in the original timeline?
That was why—
He stated his position without reservation, then calmly handed the choice to Jiraiya.
Jiraiya: "..."
His mind went blank.
Kai's words filled him with anger. In the past, he would have lashed out immediately.
He was Jiraiya.
When had he ever been threatened like this?
And yet—
The moment he opened his mouth, he froze.
Could he really speak?
The Uchiha Kai before him did not represent a single individual.
Behind him stood a massive force—Uchiha, Aburame, Inuzuka, half of the Ino–Shika–Chō, countless independent shinobi, and a growing number of civilian ninjas.
Did he dare declare war?
He didn't.
Because the instant he nodded, Konoha would be plunged into catastrophe.
And once that happened, would the other great villages really sit back and miss such a perfect opportunity?
Kai didn't care about Konoha.
But could Jiraiya say the same?
So—silence.
Because beyond that, he truly had nothing to say.
His face was blank. His thoughts were empty.
After a long while, he murmured hoarsely,
"This… isn't right."
"How can someone be so selfish?"
"Can't we try to understand each other?"
Those words were meant for Kai—but even more, they were meant for himself.
At that moment, Jiraiya finally understood.
The man before him was completely different from every other Uchiha he had ever met.
The Uchiha of the past often appeared arrogant, yet were indecisive at their core.
Even Uchiha Setsuna, the loudest voice among the hardliners, was ultimately only seeking internal power. When faced with Konoha's true upper echelons, he shrank back.
Even Uchiha Madara—supremely confident in his own strength—had never bothered to unite the entire clan. He fought Hashirama alone, and after losing, simply left Konoha behind.
But Kai—
He was different.
Entirely different.
Despite his gentle demeanor, Jiraiya could feel it clearly.
Kai wasn't bluffing.
If his demands weren't met—
He would really fight.
"Mutual understanding?" Kai replied calmly. "Good."
"Then say those words to Sarutobi Hiruzen."
"Tell him to understand the Uchiha, and for the sake of the village's peace, persuade him to relinquish his power."
"As long as he steps down, Konoha will immediately return to peace."
"He's been in power long enough. It's time to let the younger generation shoulder the burden."
"Jiraiya, you can't live with double standards."
"From Madara in the past to Kagami later—how many steps back did the Uchiha take?"
"Now we're only asking Sarutobi Hiruzen to take one step back."
"Is that really too much?"
"You said it yourself—mutual understanding."
Kai's gaze was steady.
"The Senju of the Forest."
"The Uzumaki clan."
"The Hatake…"
"There are more than enough lessons written in blood."
"I don't want the Uchiha to be next."
"And there's no point trying to persuade me."
"Even if I agreed—for the so-called peace of the village—and led the Uchiha to self-destruction…"
"Then what?"
"Would Sarutobi Hiruzen stop?"
"I'll tell you—absolutely not."
"After the Uchiha, the Hyuga would be next."
"Then the Inuzuka."
"The Aburame."
"One by one."
"Do shinobi like us deserve to die for the sake of this so-called peace?"
"Don't forget, Jiraiya."
"Konoha was founded by the Senju and the Uchiha."
"Why should our blood be used to feed the vampires led by Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
"He's eaten his fill."
"When Konoha was founded, the Sarutobi were just a minor clan."
"Look at them now."
"The Uchiha are called wealthy, yet we struggle to support seven or eight hundred ninja."
"But the Sarutobi—once insignificant—now field four or five thousand."
"Where did those resources come from?"
"Do you really believe Sarutobi Hiruzen achieved this without embezzling village funds?"
"Without siphoning off the legacy of the Senju and the Uzumaki?"
Kai's voice was measured, each point cutting cleanly.
"Tell me, Jiraiya."
"Why should I be the one to retreat?"
His argument was airtight.
He had seized the moral high ground completely.
And more importantly—Sarutobi Hiruzen had been far too careless.
The blood on his hands wasn't even hidden.
These truths—
Perhaps ordinary civilians didn't know them.
But Jiraiya?
As one of Konoha's Sannin, could he truly be ignorant?
Would he really wander the ninja world for years if he didn't understand?
The facts spoke for themselves.
And indeed—
Even after hearing all this, there was no surprise on Jiraiya's face.
Only silence.
Long, heavy silence.
Finally, Jiraiya spoke bitterly.
"I… can't answer that."
"Maybe you're right."
"But he's my teacher."
"I can't bring myself to act against him."
"So… I'm sorry."
Kai had been right all along.
Jiraiya, for all his flaws, stood on the side of righteousness.
Compared to Minato, what he lacked wasn't conviction—but courage.
His conscience simply wouldn't allow him to speak against his own heart.
At that, Kai smiled.
"I understand."
"I said it at the very beginning."
"Even if we can't become allies, we'll never become enemies."
"With your personality, Jiraiya, you could never do something like that."
"If things truly come to a breaking point, you'll choose neutrality."
"But you'll never help evil."
"What I can guarantee you is this—"
"The Uchiha will never take the initiative to cause trouble."
"All our actions will strictly adhere to village rules."
"But at the same time—"
"If Sarutobi Hiruzen abandons all restraint—"
"The Uchiha will respond."
"No matter the cost."
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