Ten days later.
The relationship between Uchiha Kai and Nohara Rin had steadily deepened during this period of contact.
Minato Namikaze and his wife were also doing their utmost, hoping to mentally prepare Rin for what was coming.
Kakashi Hatake was training harder than ever each day.
Clearly.
The recent events had opened his eyes to the village's darkness, and he now understood that to change anything, there was one prerequisite — absolute strength!
Obito, however, could only sigh.
The girl he liked most, Rin, was gradually gravitating toward Uchiha Kai. How could he possibly be happy about that?
But there was nothing he could do.
Kai had given him a chance, and he himself hadn't grasped it.
So.
He couldn't even blame Uchiha Kai.
On the other side.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had, over this period, completely integrated into the Uchiha faction.
The village's upper echelon was quiet.
Clearly.
They were now plotting against the Third Raikage, and had temporarily given up on Rin.
…
In the Uchiha clan grounds, by the Nanga River.
Beside the lush green banks of the river, a bonfire burned.
Wisps of blue smoke rose as Uchiha Kai roasted skewers over the flames.
"Rin, try this." Kai said with a smile. "See how my cooking is?"
He was completely at ease.
He handed her a skewer of lamb, then picked up another and continued grilling.
Yes.
Ever since he crossed into this world, he hadn't been this leisurely in a long time.
Rin smiled as she accepted it.
After taking a simple bite, her eyes lit up. "This is actually really good!"
"Of course it is." Kai said proudly. "I marinated it with six spices. The Uchiha caravans traveled the entire ninja world just to collect them."
Yes.
Even though in his previous life he'd just been a fat otaku, he still knew his way around ordinary barbecue seasonings.
After becoming the Uchiha leader, he'd immediately told the caravan chief his needs.
Then.
Through the Uchiha caravans' efforts, they'd scoured the entire ninja world and successfully found the spices he needed.
Though one or two were missing, they'd managed to find decent substitutes.
He had to admit — power was a wonderful thing!
Otherwise, if he were just a normal man, he'd never have managed this in a lifetime.
The two grilled and chatted outdoors, the atmosphere warm and easy.
Kai was in high spirits.
Enjoying life so leisurely with a beautiful girl at his side — in his previous life, he wouldn't have dared even dream of it.
"By the way, Kai-kun…"
"Was my choice really the right one?"
"Doesn't it seem… a little selfish?"
Rin's tone turned faint and low.
She was becoming a little gloomy, her eyes full of confusion.
Yes.
Although Kai's interference had prevented her suicide, she had spent the past days thinking constantly.
Her heart was full of uncertainty, with no answers.
Before, when she didn't know Kai well, she'd naturally not dared to speak such thoughts aloud.
Now.
After over ten days together, she'd loosened up a great deal.
On the other side.
Kai, who was chewing a skewer, paused briefly at her words, then smiled faintly.
"I'm actually glad you can think this way."
"It shows you're truly kind at heart — a good girl."
"Honestly there are many things I'd rather not say."
"Reality is too filthy, and I don't want you too exposed to it."
"But there's no helping it."
"You've been brainwashed by the village far too deeply. If I don't explain, you'll probably wrestle with this for the rest of your life."
"So, fine."
"Do you know why the village established the ninja academy, and why it opened the path for civilians to become shinobi?"
"You should know, during the Warring States period, even in the early years of the village, there were no ninja academies. Shinobi arts were passed down only by the great clans."
"What was the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's real reason for creating the academy?"
Lecturing.
Kai was already used to it.
As always, he began with a question to make her think.
Rin's face brightened a little, but she quickly furrowed her brow in thought.
She had never considered this before.
After all, she'd been born into a world where the academy already existed.
Now, being asked like this, she was momentarily stunned.
After a long while.
She couldn't help but answer: "To give civilians a chance — that was the Second Hokage's great achievement. Is there some other reason?"
"Yes. There is." Kai said calmly. "The purpose of founding the academy was to win over and divide."
"The clans were too strong and ran their own affairs; even the village leadership couldn't control their internal matters."
"Tobirama's original idea was that by increasing the number of civilian shinobi, the clans' influence in the village would naturally be reduced."
"For this he even opened up most of the Senju clan's secret teachings, leaving only the core."
"But unfortunately…"
"Tobirama failed. The gap between civilians and clans was simply too great…"
"The clans' bloodlines are superior, their cells hold more chakra. Their children soak in special medicinal baths from age four and begin early training at five…"
"So from the moment the academy starts, the gap already widens."
"Tobirama's first goal utterly failed!"
"First, he couldn't change the bloodline issue — civilians simply can't match the clans. Second, the village's finances couldn't possibly give every civilian child an education equal to the clans'."
"And the second purpose of the academy was brainwashing."
"In simple terms — the Will of Fire. And in this, the village succeeded. Your thinking now is a perfect example."
"Think about it for a moment — it's pure nonsense!"
"Take this war. Among fifth- and sixth-year students, the civilian shinobi are basically all dead; even clan students have lost nearly seventy percent."
"But the village's core leadership—"
"Sarutobi. Shimura. Mitokado. Koharu."
"How many shinobi from these families have you seen on the battlefield?"
"I won't even bother listing everything, but I can tell you this: the Sarutobi clan alone has four thousand shinobi."
"Where is their Will of Fire?"
"Shinobi are tools."
"Why, when the academy first opened, were all sorts of jutsu taught?"
"And why now?"
"Ever since Sarutobi Hiruzen took power, aside from the basic Three Techniques and chakra extraction, every other jutsu must be earned through merit."
"Why?"
"To control the mass of civilian shinobi, to make them cannon fodder for the village."
"So, do you understand?"
"Don't talk about selfishness. Everyone in Konoha — the leadership, the clans — they're all selfish."
"Konoha? The village?"
"What is the village?"
"The Five Great Villages were all formed by the great clans of each country banding together to face external enemies."
"Strip it down, it's just an alliance of interests."
"If there were no external enemies, the great clans of the village would be fighting each other themselves."
"Tobirama's failure has already proven the clans cannot be eliminated. Bloodline and inheritance are things civilians will never have."
"Civilians are just leeks to be harvested."
"So don't overthink it. And don't imagine that by not killing yourself you're somehow betraying the village."
"On the contrary."
"If you choose to sacrifice yourself, aside from getting your name etched on a memorial stone…"
"To the clans and the leadership, everyone will just secretly call you an idiot."
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