Leaving Uchiha Fugaku's residence, Uchiha Kai returned directly to his own home.
In Kai's eyes, Fugaku's attempt at persuasion was almost laughable—child's play, really. Not only did Kai retain the maturity and reasoning from his previous life, but he also knew the Naruto storyline intimately. He could see right through Fugaku's intentions.
On one hand, Fugaku was undeniably frustrated with Konoha. The Uchiha clan, one of the village's founding clans, was now being marginalized and closely monitored by the higher-ups. Anyone would feel cornered under such pressure.
Yet on the other hand, Fugaku truly did value peace. As the future father of Uchiha Itachi, it was no surprise that his ideology shared some common ground with his son's. In that sense, the two were alike—both torn between clan loyalty and the desire to protect the village.
But unlike Itachi, Fugaku was the head of the Uchiha. His position demanded that he balance ideals with responsibility. Ultimately, this inner conflict—combined with the growing tensions after the Nine-Tails' attack—pushed him to support a coup.
"Unfortunately," Kai thought, lying on his bed, "he has strength and ambition, but he is no hero."
The very son Fugaku raised became the catalyst of his downfall. Kai could understand him… but at the same time, he couldn't.
He understood because, deep down, family bonds can outweigh logic. If Kai were in the same position, he might also prioritize family over everything else.
But he couldn't understand Fugaku's final choice—entrusting Itachi with the burden of annihilating their entire clan. That, in Kai's opinion, was sheer madness.
Fortunately, the timeline wasn't there yet. Itachi was still a child. Shisui hadn't awakened the Mangekyō. There was still time to change things.
Although Kai wasn't powerful enough yet, he had one major advantage: his Mangekyō Sharingan. With this hidden trump card, he still had room to grow—and more importantly, to choose.
But none of the three paths before him were ideal.
The first and simplest path was to completely submit to Konoha's authority. He had seen this choice in countless stories before—but he wasn't interested. Kei knew the nature of Konoha's leadership all too well. It wasn't just him—Fugaku saw through them, too. They shrouded their manipulations in the name of peace and the Will of Fire.
Kai couldn't trust them. If anything, he'd rather cut them down than bow to them.
The second option was to aid the Uchiha in their planned coup—help them seize control and finally gain the status they long desired. But to Kai, that idea was even more absurd.
The clan was a mess. Those who had awakened the Sharingan often became arrogant or unstable, and those who hadn't weren't powerful enough to lead. Could such a group truly govern the village?
Was Kai supposed to lead them himself?
He lacked the influence, the pedigree, and the political standing.
The third option was to go rogue—escape the village before the massacre happened and gather strength in secret. But Kai inwardly rejected this.
If he fled, what was next? Align with Uchiha Madara's resurrection plan? That path only led to destruction.
Even if Kai managed to eliminate Naruto and Sasuke before they grew into their destined roles, what then? Would he somehow convince Madara that he'd been lied to?
Madara—prideful and delusional—would never believe him. And Obito was no fool either. Dealing with him wouldn't be easy.
And let's not forget the Sage of Six Paths. That old ghost had been watching the world through chakra for centuries. If Kai tried to interfere with Naruto or Sasuke, who knew what kind of divine punishment would rain down?
As for becoming a rogue ninja—well, that wasn't a walk in the park either. Akatsuki or Konoha might hunt him down. Bounty hunters could come after him for coin.
Without a strong organization backing him, a missing-nin's life was brutal and short.
"Damn… no matter how I look at it, each path leads to a dead end," Kai muttered, rubbing his temples. The choice was suffocating.
Still, a decision had to be made—eventually.
If Konoha's leadership could be reformed… if they could truly accept the Uchiha...
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
Maybe there was another way. A fourth option—one that required subtlety and risk. If executed right, it could change everything.
But to succeed, Kai needed two things: Fugaku's trust and a higher position within the clan.
"Fortunately," Kai smirked to himself, "I know Fugaku's mindset—his fears, his doubts—from the manga. I just need one 'anchor point.' One small anchor, and I can shift the entire outcome. As for the rest..."
The future could wait.
It wasn't time yet. Kai still needed to grow stronger. To master the power of his Mangekyō. In this world, lacking strength was a death sentence.
And whether he would be the fish in the pond, or the man sitting by the water watching the fish—well, that remained to be seen.
The next day, Fugaku's reliability showed itself. Several Uchiha clan shinobi appeared at Kai's doorstep. Their task? Escorting him to the clan's archive library.
The Uchiha compound housed centuries' worth of documents, scrolls, and jutsu. From Ninjutsu to Taijutsu, even battle notes from past elite members. Access was restricted.
To enter, you needed the Sharingan—and more than that, the approval of the clan patriarch or an elder.
Kai now possessed a fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan. With Fugaku's endorsement, he was finally eligible.
His parents, Uchiha Keisuke and Uchiha Ryoko, were stunned when the shinobi explained their mission—but they couldn't hide their pride.
After all, not just anyone could enter the Uchiha library. Their son had reached that level.
Even if… he still felt a little distant from them.