Hiss!
Just as Uchiha Kai expected—
The moment he finished speaking, everyone present drew in sharp breaths.
Even Nara Hiroshi was no exception.
Yes!
He already knew about Shisui and Fugaku. After all, back when Sarutobi Hiruzen schemed against Uchiha Kai, it was Hiroshi himself who oversaw things in the Uchiha compound.
At that time, to set his mind at ease, the Uchiha revealed Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan.
As for Shisui—that was hardly a secret. The entire village knew.
But Uchiha Obito?
At this thought, Hiroshi's face tightened.
Yet in truth—this was a good thing.
Four Mangekyō in the Uchiha's hands… terrifyingly strong.
Just like Kai said, even if Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned back the Sannin, a sudden strike from such overwhelming power would, most likely, render them helpless.
Thinking of this, Hiroshi's mouth twitched violently.
If he felt that way, how much more so the others?
They were completely dumbfounded.
After all, their value to Kai was not as high as the Aburame or the Nara.
The Aburame had sided with Kai early on, actively helping him with schemes and even drawing in smaller clans.
So aside from those two, the rest knew next to nothing about Uchiha's true depth.
They only knew that Kai and Shisui wielded Mangekyō.
That alone had been enough to make them join.
Now suddenly they learned—Fugaku and Obito too?
The shock was unimaginable.
Two pairs of Mangekyō were already overwhelming. Enough to make them pledge loyalty.
But four?
They even felt that, with Uchiha's current strength, storming the Hokage building head-on would succeed with absolute certainty!
Excitement spread like wildfire:
"This is incredible!"
"Who would have thought the Uchiha were this powerful!"
"Our choice was right after all!"
"With this strength, even the Hokage's tower wouldn't stand in our way!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
The chatter grew deafening.
But Uchiha Kai's face remained calm.
He knew full well—
It was all nonsense.
Uchiha's position looked impressive, but in truth was riddled with hidden dangers.
Yes, they had allies, but each carried their own calculations.
The Aburame and Inuzuka had been forced into it by Danzo's schemes—they only wanted survival.
The Nara–Akimichi–Yamanaka trio were hedging bets on both sides.
Even if he valued them, trust could never be absolute.
As for the minor clans and civilians? They were the most short-sighted of all—loyal only to whoever fed them.
Kai knew:
The moment Uchiha slipped in their struggle against the Hokage, the moment Sarutobi offered clemency, these people would abandon Uchiha without hesitation.
And that was natural.
Because the Hokage position carried "legitimacy"—a moral authority Uchiha could never match.
Unless you possessed the strength to crush the entire shinobi world with one hand, it was useless.
Didn't the so-called strongest of the era, the Third Raikage, still fall victim to Sarutobi's and others' schemes, his corpse practically waiting for collection?
So—
One could not be arrogant.
That was precisely why, even with four Mangekyō, Kai never considered acting rashly.
Instead, he chose to bide his time and weave his net patiently.
Arrogance always drew Heaven's punishment.
Did having Mangekyō mean you could rampage unchecked?
Heh.
Not unless you reached the Eternal Mangekyō.
Hadn't Nagato, with the Rinnegan and Six Paths of Pain, ultimately fallen as well?
And don't fool yourself—it wasn't because of Naruto's "talk-no-jutsu."
That's nonsense.
In an anime, maybe.
But in reality? Impossible.
Nagato wasn't stupid.
His relationship with Obito in the original story was nothing more than mutual exploitation.
Obito, with his shallow skills, could never have truly "controlled" Nagato otherwise.
The truth was simple: Nagato's body couldn't withstand it anymore.
The Rinnegan drained him, leaving him a husk in a wheelchair.
And after his battle against the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki—Naruto, blessed with cheat-like power—he had exhausted nearly all his chakra.
Blocked in that cave, he had no choice. Refusal meant death.
So he surrendered.
And in surrendering, he seized a chance to protect Konan—reviving Konoha's fallen shinobi with the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.
A pragmatic trade, not some lofty ideal.
But even then, Nagato overlooked one thing:
Konoha might spare Konan, but Obito would not.
In the end, all his effort was wasted.
Konan still died—by Obito's hand.
Think about it.
If even a Rinnegan wielder like Nagato met such a miserable end—
What arrogance could a Mangekyō possibly afford?
If Kai acted too wildly, spouting "God-block, God dies; Buddha-block, Buddha dies"—
Who knew what terrifying calamities he might provoke?
A "Dragon-AoTian" personality would not survive even a minute in the tangled web of this shinobi world.
Because—let's not forget—Konoha was far from ordinary.
The toads of Mount Myōboku, the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, the mysterious Slug Sage…
Even the Sage of Six Paths himself, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, lingered in the Pure Land, while on the moon slumbered the Tenseigan—capable of erasing the world in a single strike.
And who could say if Hagoromo's brother, Hamura, was truly dead?
If Hagoromo still lingered, why not Hamura as well?
All of them—watching, waiting.
Especially with Naruto and Sasuke as the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra.
Could anyone believe those ancient monsters weren't watching Konoha even now?
So yes—
Uchiha Kai was telling the truth when he said he preferred to hide in the shadows, to lie low and build strength quietly.
But more than that—
He was afraid.
Afraid of what lurked above.
Because if those old monsters were stirred from their silence—
Then even legends like Hashirama and Madara were nothing but pawns in their eyes.
And he?
Just a Mangekyō wielder.
What use was that?
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