Uchiha Kai spoke calmly.
He hadn't intended to flatter Uchiha Madara—he was merely sharing his genuine thoughts.
Yes.
If Izuna Uchiha had not died back then, then he and Madara as brothers together would have been far stronger than the Hashirama–Tobirama duo.
With Madara and Izuna working hand in hand, even if the Uchiha clan were full of lunatics, they would never have ended up in this pathetic state—where Konoha's leadership could toy with them at will!
On the other side—
Hearing Izuna's name, Madara fell into deep remembrance.
"Izuna…?
Damn that Tobirama!
But it doesn't matter anymore. I no longer care for such things.
As long as my plan succeeds, Izuna will return to me one day.
Boy, you're not bad at all.
Interested in joining my plan?"
Madara took a deep breath.
His gaze turned solemn as he looked at Kai, his eyes filled with seriousness.
Kai's words had truly moved him.
This invitation was not the same as the one he gave Obito in the original timeline.
Here, Madara sincerely wanted to join hands with Kai—placing him as a partner, not a pawn.
But—
Kai froze at the offer.
Good grief!
He respected Madara, yes, but the "Eye of the Moon" plan was nothing but a pitfall.
Madara had been thoroughly duped by Black Zetsu. And Kai still couldn't be sure whether Black Zetsu had other hidden tricks.
So the best move—
was to let Madara carry on with the plan, keeping Black Zetsu's attention elsewhere, while Kai quietly laid his own groundwork.
That was the smart play.
Thus, Kai had never considered telling Madara the truth.
Better if each pursued their own plan. They might even cooperate occasionally.
Wasn't that just fine?
Thinking this through, Kai finally spoke:
"Forebear Madara, do you mean the Eye of the Moon Plan?"
"You know about it?" Madara's eyes widened. "But no—that's impossible!
Without Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, how could you see the hidden message on the stone tablet?"
Kai kept a calm face.
How did he know?
Naturally, because he'd watched the anime in his past life.
But of course he couldn't say that.
Instead, he gave a mysterious smile.
"My Mangekyo is… a little special."
"Oh? I see…" Madara didn't press further. Instead, he smiled faintly.
"Even better, then. I've long grown weary of this war-torn world.
I once considered unifying the shinobi world. But back then, Hashirama was as foolish as a pig.
Later, after discovering the stone tablet, I resolved to end this chaos for good.
I will become the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, cast Infinite Tsukuyomi, and grant eternal peace to all.
So? Will you join me?"
Madara was visibly excited.
Yes.
Among all the Uchiha, only this young man before him was worthy of being called his comrade!
But Kai shook his head.
"Forebear Madara, I'm sorry.
I cannot join this plan.
But don't be angry—please, let me explain why.
First,
I only believe in what I build with my own hands, step by step. That alone gives me peace of mind.
The Eye of the Moon Plan… simply doesn't suit me.
Of course, I won't stop you. You may carry it out as you please.
In fact, if you encounter difficulties, I'd even be willing to lend you aid.
But more importantly—I'm a cautious man.
You'll pursue your plan, and I'll pursue mine.
Even if one fails, the other remains. Doesn't that give us both an extra layer of security?
And if I face trouble, I may ask for your help too.
We support each other, each with our own plans.
A double safeguard—how about it?"
Kai's eyes narrowed.
Yes.
That was his true strategy.
Madara had appeared willingly, even chatting with him. How could Kai waste such a golden opportunity?
The Eye of the Moon?
Heh! A joke.
Even without his interference, Madara was doomed to fail.
Besides, the plan wouldn't be completed for many years. If need be, he could always turn on Madara later and re-strategize.
For now?
Since there was no irreconcilable conflict, why not pull him in as an ally?
Past-life wisdom told him: make plenty of friends, keep enemies few.
Even if he must clash with Madara one day, that was a future problem.
For now, it's better to be friends.
Even if Madara never helped him, at least he wouldn't be an enemy constantly stirring up trouble.
If you want to achieve great things, first you must know clearly—who is friend, and who is foe.
And at this stage, Kai had only one foe: Sarutobi Hiruzen and the rest of Konoha's leadership!
Until that was dealt with, he had no interest in creating new enemies.
"…"
Madara stood silent, arms crossed.
He stared at Kai for a long while before speaking in a low voice.
"Hmph. You really are like him.
Your style is almost too similar to Izuna's."
"As for your proposal… very well.
Though you've disrupted part of my plans, the backup plan will suffice.
The Uchiha who went missing some time ago—after my death, he will act as one of my representatives.
I'll tell him of our alliance.
If you face trouble, he can aid you. If he faces trouble, you'll help him.
But when I return to life, I will make you understand—
The Eye of the Moon is the only true key to peace.
You are wrong."
Madara's voice was filled with pride.
Yes.
He was just that arrogant, just that conceited.
Even agreeing to this so-called alliance was only for Izuna's sake.
Kai's methods, his temperament, were too much like Izuna's.
Were it not so, Madara wouldn't have listened to a word.
Meanwhile, Kai's pride flared too.
He knew the saying well: "strike while the iron is hot."
And with Madara's words, his interest piqued.
"Forebear Madara!
As it happens, there are a few things right now where I really could use your help…"
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