"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed.
The hand blade directly struck Gekko Hayate's neck. The immense force invaded, causing his eyes to roll back, and he fainted, falling to the ground.
The sudden attack left everyone in the clearing stunned.
They looked at Kai, whose lightning had dissipated, with disbelief.
If before, they had only speculated about whether Kai had mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode based on Gekko Hayate's one-sided account, now they had seen it with their own eyes, and it meant something entirely different.
It had only been half a day since he repelled the Cloud ninjas.
Kai had learned the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, one of the most difficult secret techniques in Kumogakure.
What words could be used to describe this speed?
Terrifying?
Prodigy?
Beyond description?
More importantly, there was no comparison, no harm.
Facing Minato Namikaze, known as the Yellow Flash, Kai could still teach Gekko Hayate a lesson.
This meant that he was probably even faster.
"Hehehe, Minato, I'm sorry. I want to teach someone a lesson, and no one can stop me, not even myself," Kai chuckled dryly.
If it had been the old Uchiha Kai, facing the legendary prodigy of Konoha, he would have been a lapdog, bowing and scraping.
But now, with the one-click to max level system, he wouldn't bend over.
He could forget about that.
"Kai, you're exaggerating. You spared him. That's the best lesson for Gekko Hayate," Minato, as a member of the new generation of peaceful ninjas, had a close relationship with Uchiha Fugaku. They even called each other brothers in private.
He had always been very concerned about the Uchiha clan.
Both he and Uchiha Fugaku hoped for a peaceful resolution.
Otherwise, Uchiha Fugaku, who had already awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, wouldn't have been so concerned about his relationship with Minato.
If he hadn't believed in Minato's ideals, he would have probably defected from Konoha long ago.
Unfortunately, counting on his fingers, the Third Shinobi World War was nearing its end.
A year later, Minato would die, and a series of events would unfold under the manipulation of Danzo and other high-ranking officials.
Of course, Kai didn't care about any of this.
With the system on his side, the world was his oyster. He could hide anywhere.
If they really pushed him too far, he could just unleash a few big moves, then disappear, and no one could stop him.
"Alright, if you have nothing else, I'm going to go back and rest. Running out of chakra is hard work," Kai patted Minato's shoulder.
In front of everyone's stunned eyes, he walked into the cave.
In their eyes, Minato was an unattainable figure.
He was known as the most qualified candidate to inherit the next Hokage position in Konoha. They treated him with respect, even the older generation.
When had they ever seen someone like Kai, so carefree and without any reverence?
After watching Kai leave, Uzuki Ao smiled wryly and stepped forward. "Minato-sama, don't blame Kai. This time, he's the one who repelled the Cloud ninjas, including the AB duo."
"Besides, he's only fifteen or sixteen years old. He doesn't really understand etiquette."
Compared to Minato, who was in his early twenties, Kai could be considered a junior.
Moreover, compared to Minato's long-standing illustrious status, Kai did lack some etiquette.
"Ao-san, you're calling me 'sama' again," Minato shook his head helplessly. "I actually prefer Kai when I'm with you guys."
"However, from what I understand, Kai wasn't a very outstanding junior in the Uchiha clan."
"When I left, Fugaku asked me to look after Kai. It seems he was hiding his true strength."
Everyone present sighed in unison at these words.
Thinking back to the Kirin that fell from the sky, the Mangekyō Sharingan, and the chills still running down their spines, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
"Minato-sama, your status is different now. You're qualified for us old geezers to call you 'sama'," Uzuki Ao said with a smile.
"But we have something to report. Kai probably doesn't want to be involved in Konoha's and the Uchiha clan's conflicts, so he's deliberately hiding."
As Uzuki Ao spoke, Minato, who had been smiling warmly, became serious.
"Ao-san, you said that Kai has powerful Lightning Release jutsu, a special Sharingan, and an incredible talent for learning jutsu?" Minato asked involuntarily.
Seeing everyone nod in unison, Minato became even more restless.
"Ao-san, leave Gekko Hayate to you guys. I'm going to go find Kai."
"Minato-sama, don't worry. But A, the next Raikage's successor in Kumogakure, once said that Kai has the qualifications to become the next Hokage. I hope you don't mind," Uzuki Ao said hesitantly.
"This time, Danzo's right-hand men, Fū Yamanaka and Torune Aburame, not only escaped, but they also leaked our stronghold's intelligence to the Cloud ninjas. If Danzo finds out that Kai ruined his subordinates' plans, he might target Kai. We hope that Minato-sama can help us in a critical moment."
In the eyes of Uzuki Ao and the others, external enemies could be dealt with using powerful methods.
But facing internal struggles was like dodging bullets. You could avoid a direct attack, but you couldn't avoid a sneak attack.
"Ao-san, don't worry. I understand what to do," Minato nodded. "I'll report this to the Third Hokage first."
"With the Third Hokage's involvement, Danzo will be more restrained," Uzuki Ao breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let's leave it at that for now. We'll need everyone to work together for the next defense," Minato patted Uzuki Ao's shoulder. "I'll go talk to Kai first."
After watching Minato leave, Uzuki Yūgao finally couldn't hold back. "Father, are you saying that Kai will probably be targeted by Root once he returns to Konoha?"
"What's wrong? You're already worried about your little sweetheart?" Inuzuka Haka teased.
Uzuki Yūgao glared at him. "Who's his sweetheart? I just don't want Konoha to lose such a powerful ninja."
"This kind of person would be a powerful ally if he's on our side, but he'd be terrifying if he's our enemy," Uzuki Ao suddenly said.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expressions changed.
As Uzuki Ao said, when facing someone like Kai, the only thing you could do was to be friends, not enemies.
Even if you couldn't be friends, you could only be strangers.
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