Inside the secret chamber.
Everyone was busy discussing how they were going to stage tomorrow's defection — what excuse they'd use, how to divide the clan's assets, and how to explain everything to Hiruzen Sarutobi afterwards...
Every detail, every angle, nothing left out.
They wanted everything to be perfect.
It was obvious.
Everyone here knew they were walking on a tightrope.
One misstep, and what awaited them was utter ruin — no chance of recovery.
Only on the other side of the room...
Nara Kazama sat quietly, his mind completely blank.
He was stunned.
Yes.
He had always thought that the greatest obstacle to his plan would be the three clan heads themselves.
He had been focused on how to deceive them so he could take as many people as possible with him.
But now?
What was going on here?
The high-ranking core members of all three clans were helping him plan?
He couldn't make sense of it, but he was deeply shaken.
He felt like a broken puppet, sitting there in a daze, listening to the people before him plot and scheme.
"Alright, everyone."
"Looks like we've discussed enough. It's time we explain the situation properly to our young friend here."
"After all, he's a key figure. We'll need him to take the lead."
"Shikaku, you handle this."
Akimichi Torifu spoke up directly.
The others nodded in agreement.
Although the secrets of the three clans were usually restricted to adult members of the upper ranks, the same principle worked the other way.
Kazama's position was simply too important; there was no way to keep this from him.
So tonight, with the time they had, everything had to be laid bare.
Nara Shikaku nodded as well.
Then he turned to look at Kazama, his voice calm as he spoke.
"Kazama, it's time you knew the truth."
"Almost everything you think you know is false. It's all been an elaborate act."
"Your father and I were brothers. We never once competed for the clan head's position."
"Think about it. For us Nara, who would really want that cursed position?"
"Up before the chickens, to bed after the dogs, every day drowning in endless, trivial matters."
"In reality, the ones 'fighting' for clan heads were only me and Koji."
"And for the Nara, the clan head isn't whoever wins the fight — it's whoever loses who has to become clan head!"
"That's just how it is. None of us actually wants the job."
"Back then, during the clan head selection, I was the one who lost. Your uncle Koji was the one who truly won."
"You have no idea how much I've envied your uncle all these years."
"Taking the clan's dividends every year, never lifting a finger, eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, wandering around when he's bored..."
"If I could, I'd have swapped with Koji in a heartbeat!"
"So do you understand now?"
"Maybe for other shinobi clans, the clan head's position is a prize. But for Nara, it's the exact opposite."
"Your father died protecting me. There was no conspiracy, no sinister plot, nothing of the sort."
"And all the so-called 'restrictions' we've placed on you over the years were actually part of the Ino–Shika–Chō's long-term plan."
"For absolute safety, we only tell the clan's true secrets once members reach adulthood."
"But because of your special role right now, we're telling you early."
"Back when the village was founded, the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance drew up a special contingency plan to ensure the survival of all three clans."
"..."
Shikaku's tone was heavy.
This time, he didn't hesitate at all. He laid everything out: their original intentions, the special plan they'd devised, and every trick they'd used to execute it.
Meanwhile, Koji added his own details to fill the gaps.
And on the other side of the room, Kazama sat frozen, completely dumbstruck.
What the hell.
So this is the truth?!
From the day I was born until now, I've been lied to by these people?!
But thinking about it more carefully...
If he hadn't been so full of resentment, if he hadn't been so driven to achieve his goals, would he ever have approached Uchiha Kai? Would he ever have schemed on Kai's behalf?
No.
He wouldn't.
Wasn't it better to just lie down and enjoy life?
A relaxed day or an exhausting day — either way, it's still a day.
Why bother wearing himself out like this?
If it weren't for wanting revenge for his parents, for wanting his children and grandchildren to have a stable life, would he even want the clan head's seat?
Wait.
Thinking about this, he suddenly found himself believing Shikaku.
Yes.
As a Nara, he didn't want to be clan head — did Shikaku really want it either?
Would he really murder his own brother over such a miserable position?
That'd be insane.
Sigh.
At that thought, Kazama fell silent.
Looking back on his actions over the years, he suddenly felt like an idiot.
After a long pause, he couldn't help speaking up.
"Well, I can understand most of this."
"But the Ino–Shika–Chō never separates, right? Then where's my Ino and Chō?"
"I can understand the other restrictions, but every generation of Ino–Shika–Chō is fixed. Why was mine different?"
"That's going a bit too far, isn't it?"
Yes.
He could accept everything else, but this one thing had always bothered him.
But when Shikaku heard this, he simply laughed.
Before he could respond, though, Koji cut in.
"Kazama, do you remember last year's Team Three?"
"Your good friends Yamanaka Maki and Akimichi Denta? They still don't have a teammate!"
"You were supposed to be with them. But because of the special circumstances, they had to wait for Nara Sara from the third-year class."
Shikaku could only shake his head helplessly.
He'd never thought the normally clever Nara could be so blinded by resentment that they'd fail to put two and two together.
Sighing, he continued.
"My original plan was to place you in Uchiha Kai's squad."
"At first, it was because of the three Uchiha who died — with Cloud and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki involved, we needed Nara to investigate."
"It was supposed to be a short-term mission. And your safety was never really a concern."
"On the Mist battlefield, your uncle Koji was always right behind you. If you'd been in danger, he would've stepped in immediately."
"The idea was to have you return after completing the mission and then join Maki and Denta's team naturally."
"But on the Mist battlefield, when we spoke, you lied to me."
"And Koji also sensed there was something unusual about Uchiha Kai. Considering how close you were to him — and later, how you joined Shisui's elite squad — we gave up on transferring you back."
"After all, a Uchiha who knows how to bide his time, who's ruthless and capable, who's even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan..."
"Of course he has bigger plans."
"And for the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance to survive, no matter what we say on the surface, we've always had to diversify our investments."
"The Uchiha clan may be in decline, but with someone like Kai around, no one can guarantee they won't rise again."
"And in fact, just as I predicted, Kai's rise has been so fast it's even caught us off guard."
"But luckily!"
"Because of you, Kazama, our Ino–Shika–Chō alliance now has a direct line to the Uchiha."
"Right now, the Uchiha actually have a real chance of winning. For the survival of our clans, of course we want your plan to succeed."
"And naturally, so you don't keep seeing the clan as your enemy, we had to tell you the truth today."
"Do you have any other questions?"
"Oh, and one more thing. If you're actually interested in the damned clan head position, once the village settles down, I'll hand it over to you."
"I won't lie — I'm sick to death of it."
"I'd rather drink tea and take strolls like your uncle Koji."
"As far as I'm concerned, whoever wants the clan head job can have it!"
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