The journey back to Konoha was quieter than the march to war.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Kaen checked his system interface once more during a rest stop.
System Points: 6,013.
Higher than he expected.
Battlefield victories. Survival engagements. Forced lethal encounters.
He didn't celebrate it.
Didn't regret it either.
War didn't leave room for simple emotions.
He looked down at his hands.
Steady.
Clean now.
But memory didn't disappear that easily.
Observation Haki still occasionally replayed echoes of combat — fear, aggression, final moments of opponents.
He exhaled slowly.
Bloodlust stirred faintly.
Natural after repeated battles.
Dangerous if indulged.
So he suppressed it deliberately.
Control first.
Always.
By the time he reached Konoha, the village felt unchanged outwardly.
Markets open.
Children training.
Shinobi moving with quiet urgency.
But Kaen sensed deeper tension now.
War had reached everyone psychologically.
The Hokage tower meeting happened that evening.
Private.
Minimal guards.
Just as Kaen expected.
Senju Tobirama stood near the window when Kaen entered.
No hostility.
No theatrical authority.
Just a leader assessing quietly.
"You've grown quickly," Tobirama said.
"War accelerates things," Kaen replied calmly.
A faint nod.
Acknowledgment.
Then Tobirama asked directly:
"Why are you… different from other Uchiha? Even from most Konoha shinobi."
Not accusation.
Genuine inquiry.
Kaen didn't answer immediately.
Not because he hesitated.
Because he wanted accuracy.
"I never felt fully part of either," he said finally.
"The clan supported survival. Not belonging."
Pause.
"The village tolerated us. Didn't embrace us."
Another pause.
"So I stopped expecting either."
Tobirama listened without interruption.
Important.
Because many leaders listened only to respond.
Not to understand.
Kaen continued.
Quietly.
Matter-of-factly.
No self-pity.
"War orphan housing. Minimal allowance. No mentorship. No real protection."
"I trained early because survival required it."
"I learned observation before trust."
"I learned restraint before recognition."
"And when power came… I kept it private. Because attention rarely benefits people like me."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Honest.
Tobirama finally spoke.
"That experience would shape anyone."
Not apology.
Not defense.
Just acknowledgment.
"I designed many village structures for stability," Tobirama added.
"But stability sometimes overlooks individuals."
A rare admission.
And a significant one.
Kaen didn't blame him directly.
Because he understood systems:
They protected majorities.
Sometimes imperfectly.
Often impersonally.
"I don't resent the village," Kaen said.
"But I don't rely on it emotionally either."
That honesty mattered.
Because forced loyalty often cracked under pressure.
Chosen loyalty endured longer.
Tobirama studied him carefully.
"What do you want, then?"
Simple question.
Complex answer.
"Freedom," Kaen said.
"To choose my path. Protect people I care about. Grow strong enough that politics don't dictate my life."
No grand ideology.
Just autonomy.
Tobirama nodded slowly.
"That… is not unreasonable."
Pause.
"And your strength?"
"I'll use it responsibly."
"Against the village?"
"Never without cause."
"Against enemies?"
"When necessary."
Balanced answers.
Not submissive.
Not rebellious.
Controlled.
Tobirama seemed satisfied.
Not fully convinced.
But comfortable enough.
"Hatake Sakumo's report was accurate," Tobirama said.
"And Orochimaru's intuition interesting."
Kaen didn't react.
But internally noted:
So that conversation had happened.
Expected.
"You have potential beyond typical shinobi," Tobirama continued.
"But potential without stability becomes danger."
Another pause.
"You appear stable."
Kaen met his gaze steadily.
"I intend to remain that way."
Meeting ended without ceremony.
No dramatic warning.
No recruitment pitch.
Just mutual understanding.
As Kaen left the tower, evening air felt lighter.
Not because problems vanished.
Because clarity increased.
Tobirama understood him better now.
And Kaen understood Tobirama wasn't simply anti-Uchiha prejudice personified.
More complicated than that.
More pragmatic.
Hitomi waited outside.
Always.
She didn't ask details immediately.
Just walked beside him.
Comfortable silence.
Later that night, Kaen extended Observation Haki across the village again.
War ongoing.
Politics shifting.
Future uncertain.
But internally…
He felt steady.
Because identity no longer confused him.
Not fully Uchiha.
Not fully Konoha loyalist either.
Just himself.
And for now…
That was enough.