Torifu Akimichi felt a chill run down his spine.
Yes—he had seen the terrifying power of Uchiha Madara with his own eyes, and Uchiha Kagami had once been his comrade-in-arms.
He had seen the Mangekyō Sharingan before, and he understood how it normally worked. Kagami's Mangekyō, for instance, had fixed abilities. Once his eye power was exhausted, blindness followed inevitably.
Yet even so, Uchiha Kagami had been counted among the village's top-tier powerhouses in his era.
As for Madara, the one who felt no fear of depletion, whose eternal Mangekyō had turned him into the nightmare of the entire shinobi world—that was an entirely different level.
From Nara Kazama's words just now, Torifu could only draw one conclusion: Uchiha Kai might not surpass Madara, but he had already exceeded the peak of Uchiha Kagami.
His eye power was not infinite, but the fact that it could recover was enough to terrify most people.
"Hm… more importantly," Nara Shikaku spoke in a low, thoughtful tone, "he can undo the Caged Bird Curse Seal."
"That is the Hyuga Clan's most crucial means of controlling their branch family."
"No one in the shinobi world has ever been able to remove it. If this news were to spread, he could instantly rally every Hyuga branch member."
"This is… too frightening."
"But what exactly is Uchiha Kai's Mangekyō ability?"
"According to Hiruzen's report, it can instantly collapse another's body into pieces. And now, can it even undo the Caged Bird Curse Seal?"
"They're completely unrelated abilities!"
Yes—this was something Shikaku could not comprehend.
But regardless, Kai's strength left him utterly shaken. His earlier judgments had clearly underestimated the man.
Nara Kazama continued.
"Right. There's one more thing."
"When Kai unleashed his Mangekyō earlier, he said something: 'God said, the Caged Bird Curse Seal must collapse!'"
"At that moment, I could feel it. Kai wasn't a man at all, but like a cold, merciless Creator. His words were law."
The room fell into silence once more.
Yes.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
If Kazama's assessment was true, then what was the point of struggling anymore? Uchiha Kai had already secured victory. The only reason he hadn't ended things was because he didn't want unnecessary damage—he intended to take over Konoha intact.
Sigh…
Both Shikaku and Hiroshi exhaled helplessly, unsure of what choice to make.
At length, it was Hiroshi who broke the silence.
"Let's stick to the original plan."
"Kazama makes good points, but as a clan, we must always preserve an escape route."
"At worst, we'll just be more cautious from now on."
"Shikaku, when you draw up plans for Hiruzen in the future, make sure to keep the Ino–Shika–Chō out of direct involvement as much as possible."
The others nodded.
It was the most practical course.
Even if Kazama's reasoning was sound, who could be sure Hiruzen had no cards left to play? Until the very end, no one dared claim Uchiha Kai's victory was absolute.
Nara Kazama shrugged helplessly.
He knew their decision was correct for the clan's survival.
But it was troublesome—especially tomorrow.
How was he supposed to explain this to Kai?
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"First of all—what I've just said must never leak out."
"I'm Nara. I don't like saying such things unless I must."
"Second—tomorrow, when I lead people to join Uchiha, I will not conceal our clan's true stance from him."
"Kai-kun isn't a fool. If I show up with so many followers, he'll immediately sense something's off."
"He's sharp. If he uncovers the truth himself, then neither the Ino–Shika–Chō nor I will ever gain his trust."
"It's the same as now with Hiruzen—no matter how much effort we put in, we'll never win his trust."
"I'm willing to support the clan, but I won't betray Kai-kun as a friend. On this point, do we all agree?"
Kazama's tone was heavy.
Yes—this was the true reason he was being so blunt tonight.
Having spoken openly with Shikaku, he no longer held old grudges. And having spent so much time with Uchiha Kai, he had come to see him as a genuine friend.
He could not deceive this friend. If he didn't clarify things tomorrow, then their bond would shatter completely.
If the others refused, he would rather not go at all.
The others weren't fools. From his words, they could tell Kazama had already made up his mind.
Still, when it came to matters of clan survival, no one dared lay all their cards on the table before the victor was clear.
But after a brief pause, Shikaku nodded.
"I think it's fine. Kai is a clever man."
"I agree," Hiroshi added without hesitation. "He has never betrayed a friend. I don't think it'll be an issue."
Haichi Yamanaka rubbed his temples, a headache forming.
This wasn't what they had discussed earlier.
But with the two sharpest minds of the Nara Clan in agreement, he could hardly oppose.
After a moment's silence, he sighed. "The Yamanaka Clan will trust Nara's judgment."
"The Akimichi Clan…" Chōza began, but before he could finish, he glanced at Torifu and spoke instead, "Elder Torifu, what do you say?"
Torifu rolled his eyes.
But after a brief pause, he sighed deeply.
"In the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance, the Nara have always been the brain."
"Since they've made their decision, this old man has no objections."
"Ino–Shika–Chō stand together!"
"Sharing risks, sharing fortune, bound by life and death alike!"
His final words rang out firm and resolute.
Yes.
It was this very oath that had allowed the Ino–Shika–Chō to endure as an alliance for so long, even to this day.
Risk shared, fortune shared.
Nara Kazama finally let out a breath of relief.
It wasn't the best outcome, but at least he could face Kai with a clear conscience.
That was enough.
Afterward, they continued their discussion, but now it focused on details rather than principles.
The meeting stretched on until past two in the morning.
At last, the debate ended, and each man returned to make preparations.
The time to defect was set—five o'clock at dawn.
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