Uchiha Kai's face carried deep emotion.
Everyone present in this room was a core member of their faction.
On the matter of trust, there was nothing more to say.
And so, he briefly recounted the story of his life from childhood up until now. Only then did he sigh helplessly and begin to speak in earnest.
"To be honest," he said, "my dream used to be very simple. I just wanted to lie flat, live in peace, and enjoy my life."
"But fate was not so kind."
"Ever since the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, the Hokage lineage has looked down on the Uchiha. And when Sarutobi Hiruzen took power, his methods grew even more ruthless."
"Even back in the Academy, I had already foreseen it—if the Uchiha didn't change, sooner or later the clan would be destroyed."
"The reason was simple. The Uchiha nature is too extreme. Either too arrogant, or too naïve."
"In plain words—they're easy to fool."
"The past already proved it. Sarutobi only needed to say a few flattering words, and the Uchiha would charge forward without hesitation. Just look at the two Shinobi World Wars—how many Uchiha died because of it?"
"If not for the Sharingan's unique nature, awakening under emotional duress, the Uchiha would likely already have been wiped out."
"And then there's the 'Will of Fire'—a blade that kills without drawing blood."
"Why is the Will of Fire preached so relentlessly in the Academy? Strip it down and it's just brainwashing dressed as ideology. Hiruzen controlled the curriculum, so his words defined what the Will of Fire meant. And the Uchiha, being a simple-minded lot, were easily swayed."
"Their arrogance made it worse. Once an Uchiha's mind was captured by Sarutobi's indoctrination, it was nearly impossible to bring them back. Worse still, those who were brainwashed would turn around and accuse their clan of lacking vision."
"That's why, back in the Academy, I tried to make myself as invisible as possible. At the time, I had no ties to the Uchiha. Whether they lived or died had nothing to do with me."
"At worst, when the clan was destroyed, I would simply leave the village and live as a missing-nin. Uchiha's destruction wouldn't happen overnight—it would take time. Enough time for me to lie low and grow strong. The world is vast. Where could I not go?"
"But Sarutobi, that old bastard, refused to let me quietly bide my time until graduation. He was so eager to use me as cannon fodder that he forced me onto the battlefield before I even finished my sixth year."
"So, I had no choice. I wasn't about to just march off to die. I had to reveal my true strength."
"Later, Shisui treated me with kindness. That made me feel guilty, and I wanted to repay him somehow. At first, I thought—when the clan eventually faced annihilation, I'd at least save his life. That much I could do."
"But Shisui was a traditional Uchiha. Proud, temperamental, stubbornly self-righteous. Once he set his mind on something, he wouldn't change. He was so desperate to integrate the Uchiha into the village that he let Sarutobi spin him around his finger."
"My conscience couldn't stand it. I had to intervene, to shift his thinking. For me, it wasn't difficult, and I turned him around easily enough. But then he begged me to help the clan."
"At that time, I still didn't care. I tossed him a few methods and left it at that."
"But then—" Kai's gaze grew distant. "—Nara Kazama said something to me that changed everything."
"Am I never to marry? Will I never have a wife, children of my own? Even if I guard them day and night, what happens when I grow old and die? Who will protect them then?"
"No. That wouldn't do."
"For the sake of my family's future stability, I needed a safe and solid foundation. And in Konoha, what better starting point could there be than the Uchiha?"
"Just then, Fugaku made me an elder, and later entrusted me with leading the Police Force. Spending time with the clan, bonds grew, and little by little they came to follow my commands. Our ties deepened."
"Most importantly, Fugaku did not suppress me. On the contrary—he supported me. To be honest, his capabilities as a leader are lacking. But he trusted me. He even entrusted his son, Itachi, to me as a student. With such support, how could I not begin to plan for the clan's sake in return?"
"And so, step by step, we arrived at today."
Kai's voice grew heavy. He didn't embellish or glorify himself—he simply laid out the course of his heart.
The reason was simple: sincerity was the ultimate weapon.
These people were his own. They could be trusted absolutely. His childhood was no secret, not something that needed digging up. To stand before them and speak empty platitudes would only weaken their trust in him.
If they were to decide their guiding principles and chart their path forward, then only honesty could bind them as one.
So he chose to speak plainly—admitting that he was no saint, that he had selfish motives, and that his thinking had shifted step by step along the way.
And the truth had its weight.
As his words fell, the brows of those gathered knit tightly, their expressions growing complicated. None had expected the truth to be like this.
Especially Fugaku and the other Uchiha—their faces turned dark, though they said nothing. After all, it was true: Kai had received little care from the clan in his youth. Even his food and daily needs had been provided by Ichiraku.
How could they rebuke him now? They had no right.
Since the Uchiha had failed to support him back then, how could they fault him now for having once thought only of himself?
"Kai-kun, forgive me," Fugaku spoke at last, his voice low. "This is my fault. I never imagined Uchiha Setsuna could be so vile, that he would even embezzle stipends meant for orphans."
"Damn him. Damn him!"
He was truly furious. Because of Setsuna's greed, the Uchiha had nearly lost a prodigy.
But Kai only smiled faintly.
"Clan Leader Fugaku, there's no need. The past is the past. After these years of working together, I've come to know your character well. I speak now only to let everyone here understand my true heart—so there will be no misunderstandings."
"I am a lazy man, in many ways not unlike the Nara."
"So let me say it plainly. I have no interest in the Hokage position. In fact, I don't want the Uchiha fighting over that cursed position at all."
"The goal of our faction… is simply this: self-preservation."
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