As dusk fell, Uchiha Kai and Kakashi finally said their goodbyes. By now, it was already quite late.
During their time together, they had discussed many things—chief among them were Kai's ideas for potential evolutions of the Chidori technique.
Kakashi had shown genuine interest in Kai's concepts: ideas like the Chidori Rifle and Chidori Chibon—variations that would alter the form or range of the original technique. It was easy to imagine that even without Kai's involvement, Kakashi might pursue these developments on his own. After all, Chidori was his original creation, and no one understood its intricacies better than him.
As for Kakashi's offer to help Kai refine his kenjutsu, Kai didn't give it much thought. With no pressing tasks at hand, he decided to wait and see how things unfolded.
He walked back to his hut alone. But when Kai opened the door, his expression tightened.
Inside, besides his parents—Uchiha Keisuke and Uchiha Ryoko—sat an unfamiliar man.
"You're back, Kai," Ryoko greeted him with a warm smile.
"Yeah, I'm back," Kai replied, nodding. His gaze shifted to the stranger. "Who is he?"
"My name is Uchiha Asahi," the man said politely, rising slightly from his seat. "I came to invite you to a clan meeting. I didn't find you earlier, so I've been waiting. Please forgive the intrusion."
"A clan meeting?" Kai raised an eyebrow, then nodded after a moment of thought. "Understood. Then please, lead the way."
Asahi's attitude was so respectful that Kai found it hard to dislike him. People like this always left him uncertain—was Asahi simply courteous, or was there an ulterior motive behind the smile?
Shaking his head, Kai dismissed the thought. Whether sincere or not, he had already made up his mind about his own path.
The invitation to the clan meeting didn't surprise him much. A three-tomoe Sharingan, heroic achievements on the battlefield, and a promotion to Jōnin at just thirteen—these were no small feats.
Although Kai himself didn't put much weight on titles—his goal had always been survival—others saw these accomplishments as nothing short of miraculous.
So it was only natural that someone like him would eventually be summoned to a clan meeting.
"We're here, Kai-kun," said Asahi, as they arrived at a modest wooden building after winding through several alleyways.
"Thanks, Asahi-kun." Kai nodded politely. "I'll head in."
Just as he stepped toward the door, Asahi suddenly bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Kai-kun. If you hadn't completed that mission and brought the fighting in the Land of Grass to an end… my son might not have returned."
So that was the reason for his gratitude. Kai gave a slight nod. That mission had likely saved the lives of many—including Asahi's son.
Realizing this, Kai felt a trace of bitterness. His nerves were too tightly wound these days. Every smile looked like a mask. Every gesture, a trap.
Still, if Asahi's son had been stationed in the Land of Grass, then perhaps he too had been considered an expendable soldier—like so many others.
"What's his name?" Kai asked.
"Chuan," Asahi replied with a smile. "Uchiha Chuan. But he's not very gifted—he still hasn't awakened his Sharingan. He's only a Chūnin, and if not for you…"
"I only did what I had to do," Kai cut him off gently. "Thanks for bringing me here. I'm going in."
"Regardless… thank you, Kai-kun," Asahi said again, bowing once more.
Human nature was strange. Kai didn't even know Uchiha Chuan, yet one decision on the battlefield had altered someone's fate. Asahi's gratitude was heartfelt—perhaps exaggerated, but sincere. Like any parent, he didn't want his child thrown into war. But in this world, very few had a choice.
Just like Uchiha Kai. Just like his parents, Ryoko and Keisuke.
Pushing open the wooden door, Kai stepped inside. The room was spacious, but already filled with Uchiha clan members. It was quiet—tensely so. Heads turned to him, and several eyes reflected unspoken judgment or skepticism. But no one said a word.
Kai scanned the room. Among them, he recognized Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Haoshu—the latter someone he had crossed before. The rest were unfamiliar.
"Since everyone's here, let's begin," said Uchiha Fugaku, his tone deep and commanding. His gaze lingered on Kai. "Kai-kun, this is your first time attending a clan meeting. I won't blame you for arriving late. But as an elite of the Uchiha, remember—these meetings happen weekly. Next time, I expect you to be punctual."
"I understand, Patriarch," Kai replied calmly. He didn't argue—he didn't care to.
He knew he was here just to make up the numbers. He had no political backing, no elder supporting his name. He was here as an individual—nothing more.
Kai understood the clan's situation better than most outsiders ever could. Internally fractured, slowly weakening, the Uchiha clan was approaching a breaking point.
He didn't know the purpose of this particular meeting, nor the stances of those present—whether they leaned hawkish or dove-like. But what struck him most was how alien they all felt to one another. So much for family bonds.
Before the war, or even during it, these people likely hadn't known who "Uchiha Kai" was.
As the debates began—heated, loud, and sometimes ridiculous—Kai sat quietly and watched. Under Fugaku's strained moderation, proposals were made, rejected, and argued over in circles.
For a moment, it felt less like a clan of elite shinobi and more like a marketplace of merchants haggling over spoiled fruit.
And if not for Fugaku's firm hand, Kai wondered if they'd have come to blows right then and there.