Uchiha Kai and Imai Kenta hadn't expected it
That Senju Shoma, the seemingly frail elder who looked like he had already one foot in the Pure Land, would choose to end his life right in front of them.
They had assumed he would step back, fade quietly into obscurity, or at most, give one last speech of defiance. But suicide?
It was a move that sent ripples through their plans—a move that would likely stir up opposition against Uchiha Kai, potentially reigniting old clan hostilities buried since the days of Tobirama Senju.
Shoma's face contorted in pain, but he made no sound as his breathing slowed… then stopped.
Uchiha Kai said nothing. Neither did Kenta. The silence between them was not grief—it was calculation and caution, both stunned at how swiftly everything had turned.
After a long moment, Kai spoke.
"Do you have his daily logs?"
Kenta nodded slowly. "Yes. But if you're planning a suicide note, keep it vague. No details. The more ambiguous, the better."
Kai nodded in understanding. "Can you manage the others?"
"I'll handle it. Let's avoid involving the Security Department just yet," Kenta muttered. "We've already made too much noise."
Kai glanced once more at Shoma's lifeless form. "Should we… remove the head?"
"Leave it," Kenta said with a grimace. "He already looks tortured enough. We won't gain anything by desecrating the corpse."
They spoke with detached composure. The tension remained, but their roles required calm. After all, they had both faced war, loss, and politics before. This was just another form of battle.
Kenta retrieved Shoma's old journals. Kai quickly flipped through them. With his Sharingan, copying the handwriting was trivial—it wasn't the first time he'd imitated someone's script. He had once led Uchiha Shu into a trap using a forged letter mimicking Uchiha Yong's handwriting.
Just as he finished writing the suicide note, a shift in the air made him freeze.
Someone had entered.
Kai turned and immediately recognized the white-haired shinobi in the Anbu uniform. Masked, but unmistakable.
"Kakashi."
The younger ninja gave a slow nod. "The Hokage sensed a spike in chakra from this area. He sent me to check."
Kakashi's gaze flickered to the lifeless body on the floor. "...Suicide?"
Kai shrugged lightly. "Some people can't handle the consequences of their choices."
"You need to come with me. The Fourth wants a word."
Kai sighed. "Of course. Might as well explain things clearly."
Kakashi hesitated. "One more thing. The Sensory Division detected an abnormal chakra. Something… dark."
Kai raised an eyebrow. The Susanoo? He gave Kakashi a faint smile.
"Thanks for the warning."
Kakashi didn't reply. But there was something about his posture—a subtle shift, a step back. It didn't go unnoticed by Kai.
Kai filed it away. Perhaps it was time to reveal just enough of his power—controlled exposure to avoid greater suspicion later. He knew he couldn't keep the Mangekyō hidden forever. Especially not with the Nine-Tails incident drawing near.
After handing the forged suicide note to Kenta, Kai followed Kakashi through the village.
The Hokage's office wasn't far. For a shinobi, ten kilometers was a short sprint.
When they arrived, Kai was mildly surprised to see Yamanaka Masato already present. A familiar face from the battlefield—someone Kai had once saved and used to protect Minato.
"Hokage-sama," Kai said, offering a formal bow.
Minato Namikaze smiled warmly. "Kai-kun. Sorry to interrupt your work."
"It's already resolved," Kai said coolly. "Kakashi said you had something urgent."
Minato nodded and gestured to Masato. "He noticed something unusual. I thought it best to let him explain."
Masato looked between the two Uchiha with visible tension. "We detected a chakra unlike anything we've felt. It was oppressive, dark... and powerful. We believed it to be a threat."
Kai responded calmly. "It was one of my techniques."
Masato blinked. "That chakra... was yours?"
Kai activated his Sharingan. The tomoe spun before stabilizing into three distinct magatama. As the chakra flared around him, skeletal ribs of partial Susanoo flickered to life before vanishing.
"It's a secret Uchiha technique," he explained. "Only usable with precise chakra control and ocular power."
Masato was visibly shaken, but nodded. "Understood. Sorry to have disturbed the peace, Hokage-sama."
"You were doing your duty," Minato said kindly. "You may return."
After Masato left, only Minato, Kai, and Kakashi remained.
Minato leaned back. "Kai-kun... You caused quite a commotion this time."
"Unintended. But it couldn't be helped."
"Senju Shoma's suicide," Minato murmured. "He held that much hatred still?"
Kai nodded. "Even after decades, the scars left by the Second Hokage's policies haven't fully healed. I didn't expect him to be so... extreme."
Minato frowned. He had long known that Tobirama's discrimination had suppressed the Uchiha. But he hadn't realized the Senju clan had also suffered—albeit in a different way.
"I didn't think... those policies would bury them too."
Kai's voice dropped. "He hated us enough to throw away any hope of reconciliation. His death might have shattered that hope completely."
"But not if someone else steps forward," Minato said.
"Exactly." Kai's gaze was unwavering. "Imai Kenta can lead them. He's young, but his ideals are different. Practical. Cooperative."
Minato hesitated. "He's only seventeen."
"Even so. If given the right opportunity, he could unify what's left of the clan. And he won't carry the hatred of the past."
Minato nodded slowly. "What do you propose?"
"Assign him to the B-rank mission unit. Let him build credibility from the ground up. No special favors. But ensure the Senju civilians can begin entering support departments—for training and integration."
Minato folded his hands under his chin. "You already planned this."
Kai gave a faint smirk.
Minato exhaled. "Very well. I'll authorize it. But I'll need Imai's full record from the Guard."
Kai nodded. "He'll be replaced. Maybe by Uchiha Tomihisa's brother. Or even a Hyuga. We've expanded recruitment."
Minato chuckled. "Your security department is becoming a symbol of equality."
"That's the idea, Lord Hokage."
"Good," Minato said. "But Kai-kun… next time, try to avoid collapsing half a district."
Kai looked sheepish. "I'll try. But... this village has a lot of buried ghosts."
Minato's face grew soft. "Yes. And my son is about to be born into this village. I want him to inherit something better."
Kai didn't speak, but his nod was firm.