Dawn had barely broken.
After a whole night of tug-of-war, Inoichi Yamanaka finally smiled warmly and waved as if nothing had happened.
"Clan Head Fugaku, these are the financial records related to the village from our side."
THUD—!
A crate the size of a grown man's carriage was carried out by eight people.
Inside, old books were piled so densely it looked like someone had tried to bury a library in a box.
A rotten, damp stench seeped out faintly—mold, decay, and neglect.
"This smell…"
The Ninth Elder's face darkened instantly, and he snapped, voice sharp:
"You didn't write down how many toilet papers you used in the bathroom too, did you?!"
He was furious.
A major clan in Konoha, and this was their idea of "cooperation"?
They'd brushed him off when Fugaku wasn't here.
Now Fugaku was here, and they still dared to pull this?
Did they really think the Uchiha had no temper at all?
His eyes hardened.
A pair of three-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated.
He was genuinely angry now.
And the moment he moved—
The fifty-plus Uchiha behind him moved with him.
The air tightened in an instant.
But Inoichi didn't look worried.
He only glanced over them, coughed lightly, and said calmly:
"Clan Head Fugaku… you can see it too. The villagers are watching."
"I gave you face. How about you give me face as well?"
"If this turns ugly… the Uchiha reputation…"
He stopped right there.
No need to finish.
The Uchiha were already whispered about in the village.
If they took power on day one and immediately started a public conflict, it would only sink their name into the mud.
That was the reason Fugaku had kept holding back.
Even though—right now—he was holding Yamanaka Fū in his hands as leverage.
Seeing Fugaku stay silent, Inoichi finally exhaled in relief.
He didn't want a full break with the Uchiha either.
There were just… things he couldn't hand over.
Then he smiled again, softer.
"I think everyone's tired. Why don't you all go back and rest?"
"Relax. The Yamanaka clan will definitely cooperate."
He was shooing them out.
The Ninth Elder's fist clenched, ready to speak—
But in the end, he only looked to Fugaku.
Dozens of Uchiha eyes followed.
Waiting.
Just one word, and they'd move.
But they didn't get the answer they wanted.
Fugaku… was still silent.
Still hesitating at a time like this.
Inoichi's shoulders loosened further.
As long as Fugaku hesitated, it meant negotiation was still possible.
"Ahem. Clan Head Fugaku… if there's nothing else, I'll go rest?"
"It's still early. Yesterday was exhausting."
He didn't even wait for a reply.
He slid the door open and turned to leave—
But just as he was about to close it, the air behind him rippled.
Humm.
Humm-humm.
The morning air still held thin fog.
And in that mist, the disturbance spread like water.
"This is…?"
Inoichi froze, instinctively stepping back half a pace.
Then—
A figure appeared beside the Yamanaka clan house as if it had always been there.
Hands in his pockets.
Leaning lazily.
Kai.
Inoichi's eyes widened.
That ripple… for some reason, it felt strangely familiar—
But before he could place it, Fugaku's reaction came first.
His eyes snapped wide, instantly turning crimson.
His voice came out raw with shock.
"That was the Flying Thunder God Technique?!"
It wasn't a question.
It was certainty.
And behind him, the Uchiha immediately erupted.
"Flying Thunder God…? Isn't that the Fourth Hokage's jutsu?"
"The one from the Third War—where enemy squads abandoned missions the moment his mark appeared?"
"Yeah! That one! They said it needs insane talent—sensing, reflexes, everything!"
"Then when did our young lord learn it?!"
"—I knew he was a sage. He's not even pretending anymore!"
Flying Thunder God.
A technique that only existed in legend.
Even the Uchiha—who'd carried a thousand years of pride—couldn't deny its brilliance.
More importantly—
Hardly anyone could master it.
From its creation until now, only two people had ever succeeded as solo users.
And now…
Their young lord had it too.
How could they not be hyped?
But on the other side—
Inoichi's heart sank.
Strength that couldn't be measured.
And now space–time ninjutsu.
This wasn't "hard to deal with."
This was—borderline unbeatable.
"Luckily," Inoichi forced himself to think, "Flying Thunder God consumes an insane amount of chakra."
"And he's still a kid. His chakra capacity should be limited."
That thought steadied him a fraction.
"If he ever had Uzumaki-level chakra… Konoha wouldn't have anyone left who could restrain him."
That… was the only silver lining.
Still, Kai's sudden arrival weakened Inoichi's posture.
His shoulders dipped, head slightly bowed, standing to the side.
Kai glanced around once.
A faint curl of contempt lifted his mouth.
Dragging time with garbage paperwork?
Old tricks.
Ancestral-level stalling.
He stepped forward and stopped right in front of Yamanaka Fū.
Then he spoke softly.
"You're not cooperating?"
The voice wasn't loud.
But it made hearts tighten.
Inoichi immediately bowed lower and rushed to explain.
"N-no, no, no! It's just—our record keeper…"
"He was only a temporarily hired financial manager!"
"We truly don't know where the money went…"
Temporary worker.
Nice scapegoat.
Kai's grin widened slightly.
He looked straight at Inoichi—close enough to see every twitch of panic.
"Not cooperating?"
Then he lifted his hand and closed his fingers—just a little.
WHOOSH—!
A violent pulling force detonated.
Like scrap metal slammed toward a magnet.
Inoichi's body was yanked forward instantly.
Three Feet Ahead—Attraction.
Or in other words—
Banshō Ten'in.
The range was small.
The power wasn't.
THUD—!
Only when agony burst around his throat did Inoichi realize what had happened.
He struggled, face twisting, voice ripping out in a hoarse shout—
"You—! You—! Kai Uchiha!"
"This is the Yamanaka clan compound!"
"If you do this, you'll only make every clan in Konoha fear the Uchiha even more!"
He choked, coughed—
"You don't want the Uchiha to be completely isolated, do you?!"
His voice grew weaker with every word.
His face went red.
Breathing became harder and harder.
Veins bulged thick and furious along his neck.
Kai watched him without expression.
No anger.
No excitement.
Just… calm.
And his grip tightened.
Tighter.
One minute later—
Inoichi's frantic struggling finally produced a full sentence.
"…S-sorry… I'll cooperate."
Kai released him as if dropping a piece of trash.
He shook his head lightly.
"See? If you'd cooperated earlier, you wouldn't have had to suffer."
Then Kai leaned closer, patted Inoichi's cheek—gentle, almost friendly.
"And now… let's talk about your clan's assassination attempt on me."
Inoichi's eyes went blank.
"…What?"
WHIP—!
A kunai suddenly exploded out from inside the house.
A blonde girl with a sharp face and fierce eyes burst through the doorway like a flash of sunlight—
Ino.
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