As soon as he entered, a beautiful woman with long black hair, wearing a full chef's outfit, her skin fair and her figure enchanting.
Kairen had long known Uchiha Mikoto was beautiful, but seeing her in person still made him freeze for a second or two, wishing he could build a house next to her.
Uchiha Mikoto carried a small wooden tray with two teacups on it, the cups filled with a rich fragrance of tea. She walked to Kairen and bowed politely toward him.
"Kairen-kun, please have some tea."
Kairen snapped out of his daze, gently picked up the teacup, and took a sip that soothed his throat. The tea fragrance lingered, with a gentle softness in the taste.
As a noble clan, the Uchiha's elegance in such matters was indeed on another level.
Kairen put the cup down and praised Uchiha Mikoto.
"I've long heard that the Uchiha clan is full of handsome men and beautiful women. But after seeing you today, Lady, the rumors seem modest. You must have had many suitors in your youth!"
Uchiha Mikoto curved her eyes and smiled.
Uchiha Fugaku also smiled when he heard Kairen praise his wife.
"Of course. Back then, Mikoto was the best of the clan. I had to work very hard to win her heart."
"Oh…" Kairen nodded.
So what? You're just the one who paved the road—I'm the one walking it.
Kairen then took off his shoes, stepped onto the wooden floor in his socks, and sat with Uchiha Fugaku on the tatami.
Uchiha Mikoto placed fresh tea for both of them before returning to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
After exchanging a few polite lines, Uchiha Fugaku took a small sip of tea and looked at Kairen, who was staring toward the kitchen.
He smiled.
"Kairen-kun, have you not eaten yet?"
Kairen withdrew his gaze and nodded.
"I definitely want to taste Lady Mikoto's cooking!"
Uchiha Fugaku proudly replied.
"My wife's culinary skills are the best in the entire Uchiha clan. Even the elders praise her endlessly."
Kairen grinned.
"Then I… am blessed today."
Uchiha Fugaku then moved to the main topic.
"Kairen-kun, what brings you here this time?"
Kairen's eyes were still subtly drifting toward the kitchen, but he straightened his posture to reply.
"I hope that tomorrow, the Uchiha clan will support Tsunade in becoming the Hokage's assistant."
Uchiha Fugaku wasn't surprised; he had already guessed Kairen's motive.
He took a sip of tea.
"Sorry, Kairen-kun, but we don't dare oppose the village leadership."
You'll rebel against them in ten years, and you're telling me you don't dare oppose the leadership now… Kairen mentally clicked his tongue.
Kairen didn't really care whether Uchiha agreed or not. Today he came to scout their situation—or maybe the thickness of their clan walls.
He sipped the tea again and smiled.
"Fugaku-kun, let's not beat around the bush. I know very well the Uchiha's situation in the village. You're practically excluded from the power circle, without allies."
Uchiha Fugaku fell silent. He was more aware than anyone of their clan's current predicament. The leadership was clearly pushing the Uchiha out.
Kairen continued.
"During the Warring States era, when the Senju and Uchiha were slaughtering each other, the Sarutobi and Shimura clans were still chewing on grass to survive."
"Now they get to sit on our heads? They're one step from taking a dump there. How can you swallow that?!"
Fugaku kept silent; he had a brain. He didn't need provocation.
Seeing this silence, Kairen knew the Uchiha intended to hide in their shell. Looks like he'd need to offer them some benefits.
But what benefit could he offer that the Uchiha actually needed?
Other than being handsome… he was still just handsome.
Then Kairen remembered his Reverse Creation Rebirth.
As a great ninja clan, they surely had many disabled members. Every jōnin had earned their rank by risking their lives—those without injuries didn't dare claim they'd fought.
Kairen smiled, and suddenly a blade appeared in his hand. He swung it instantly, severing Uchiha Fugaku's left arm in one strike.
Uchiha Fugaku lowered his head.
(๑ʘ̅ д ʘ̅๑)!!!
"AH—!"
His scream echoed through the room. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Mikoto rushed into the living area, alarmed.
Uchiha Mikoto's eyes widened as she opened her three-tomoe Sharingan, killing intent surging toward Kairen.
"Kairen-kun, are you making an enemy of the Uchiha clan?!"
"Ha!"
Itachi also pulled out a kunai and charged at Kairen.
Kairen smiled lightly, blocked him with a casual head-pat kill, grabbed Itachi by the collar, and tossed him toward Mikoto.
"Calm down. It's just an arm. As a ninja, can't he endure?!"
Kairen walked toward Fugaku.
Fugaku activated his Sharingan, glaring with hatred.
"Moku Kairen, did you come here to assassinate me?!"
Kairen smiled without answering.
If he wanted to, he could kill Uchiha Fugaku right now and snatch his wife and kid. No one in the village could stop him.
Kairen placed his hand on Fugaku's stump.
"Ninja Art: Reverse Creation Rebirth!"
A vibrant life force poured into the wound. In an instant, flesh wriggled and a brand-new arm formed directly.
"This—"
Fugaku stared at his new left arm, then at the severed one lying on the tatami. His arm had regrown.
Such a technique had never been seen—not even Tsunade-sama possessed something like this.
"My arm… grew back!!"
Mikoto held Itachi tightly, her expression full of disbelief. Her husband had just been maimed, and now he stood whole again.
"I told you, a small problem!"
Kairen smiled at the stunned family, then sat back down to sip his tea. He glanced at Fugaku.
"Forgive me. But this way, Fugaku-kun, you can better understand the chip I'm putting on the table."
Fugaku's heart surged with shock. He didn't expect Kairen to hold such power.
Then he remembered Kairen's miraculous Wood Release, and the First Hokage's legend of never dying on the battlefield. His fear faded.
Before unheard-of Wood Release, this kind of technique wasn't so unbelievable.
Kairen continued.
"I believe your clan has many who've become disabled. I can restore them. As long as you give me your wi— …that is, as long as the Uchiha clan supports Tsunade-sama."
Kairen almost slipped but quickly corrected himself.
Uchiha and the leadership were already at odds. Strengthening them would disgust the village leadership even more.