Because of Uchiha Yu's outburst, all eyes naturally turned to Uchiha Kai.
Although people had taken notice of him before, most hadn't paid much attention—he was seen as a promising youngster, sure, but still just a child. In their minds, Uchiha Kai was a fledgling—green and inexperienced. His strength earned him a place among them, but no one expected profound insight from someone his age.
But now, things were different.
Kai hadn't displayed overt political skill, but his composure in the face of Uchiha Yu's aggression had caught everyone off guard. Not only had he remained calm, but he'd cleverly invoked the name of the clan head—Uchiha Fugaku—as a shield. That alone suggested the boy wasn't just brawn; he had a mind worth noting.
Most importantly, Fugaku himself seemed interested in hearing Kai out. If even the clan head was willing to listen, then surely there must be merit to what this boy had to say.
"I've already said it before," Kai began evenly, his voice steady, "forcing the village to return Kakashi's Sharingan might humiliate Konoha's leadership and bring us short-term benefits—but have you considered the cost?"
His gaze swept the room as he continued. "You'd be offending one of Konoha's current golden boys, and worse, damaging the clan's image right after a major funeral service. You'd make us look petty—worse, dishonorable."
"So what?" Uchiha Osamu stared at Kai coldly. "What's ours should be reclaimed. Why should we let others claim it?"
Kai smirked faintly. "And if the Third Hokage publicly declared the Sharingan would not be researched, and that it rightfully belongs to Kakashi Hatake, what then? You'd not only offend Sarutobi Hiruzen—you'd stain the clan's reputation as the one that disrespects a fallen hero's final wish."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone sharper. "Did you forget? We just attended the memorial for the shinobi lost in the war."
At that, Kai briefly glanced at Fugaku, who remained silent, contemplative.
He didn't know how Fugaku had convinced the others to remain silent about Kakashi's eye up to this point. But Kai, with the perspective of someone born in another era, understood the importance of perception and symbolism.
Obito Uchiha might have been a relatively ordinary clansman in the eyes of some, but to the rest of the village, he had died a hero. If the Uchiha clan couldn't even honor that hero's will, it would only deepen the resentment already festering against them.
The village had held a large-scale memorial for the war dead. Even Uchiha Fugaku had attended alongside the clan's elites. Many of those in this very room had lost comrades in that conflict.
If the Uchiha now turned around and demanded the return of Obito's eye, it would seem opportunistic—vindictive, even.
"You're just guessing!" Osamu snapped, though there was a shift in his tone. "Even if that's true, the clan's secrets—!"
"For a shallow sense of pride and imagined profit, you'd drag the entire clan into ruin?" Kai cut him off coldly. "That's not strength. That's ignorance. You're not safeguarding the clan's honor—you're jeopardizing it. Stirring controversy after a hero's funeral? Picking fights with respected Konoha elites? You're pushing Uchiha into the abyss!"
The room fell silent. Osamu's face darkened, as did several others.
Kai's next words were quiet but sharp: "Yes, Kakashi is my friend. I want to protect him. But I'm still an Uchiha. And maybe… maybe the Third Hokage and his advisors are waiting for us to make a mistake."
He didn't know what the Third Hokage truly thought. He didn't know the exact circumstances of how Kakashi's eye was preserved. But he didn't need to. What mattered was the message—the perception.
Even if his stance seemed uncharacteristic for someone his age, Kai knew what he was doing. He wasn't just demonstrating his tactical mind—he was proving to Fugaku that he could think beyond brute strength.
Sure enough, the room filled with silent contemplation. Faces shifted from skepticism to unease… to intrigue.
Why is this kid thinking this deeply?
How does he know so much?
Who exactly is he?
Even Uchiha Fugaku's expression showed surprise.
After a long silence, Fugaku finally spoke.
"Is that all you wished to say, Kai-kun?" he asked, his voice measured. "Did someone put these ideas in your head… or did you come up with them yourself?"
Kai offered a calm smile. "The patriarch should know who I've been around since returning. You don't survive the battlefield with strength alone. You need a mind too, right?"
Fugaku didn't press. Instead, he simply said, "Continue."
"I grew up at the bottom," Kai replied with a shrug. "I doubt many of you in high positions know what that's like. The Security Corps' heavy-handedness is resented by civilians. A lot of Uchiha think they're superior, and people notice. Back in the Academy, I was treated coldly—others were too. People complain, they remember… and when you combine that with what you've said before, I've been able to draw some conclusions."
He was half-lying, of course. Even Uchiha Itachi had faced scorn after the Nine-Tails attack. For someone like Kai, it had been even worse. But he only needed to offer enough truth to be believable. Even the simplest ninja could piece together what they'd been discussing moments ago.
Many of the elders exchanged glances, murmurs of agreement rising.
This kid… is not simple.
Even without knowing the full details of his recent mission, they'd heard he'd pulled off a feat that should have been suicidal. And now, his insight only further elevated his status in their eyes.
Fugaku nodded slowly, looking at him with something between curiosity and approval.
"Is that so?" he said. "Kai-kun is indeed a rare genius of our clan. I understand your intention."
"I'm no genius," Kai replied modestly, taking his seat. "I just want to protect my friend… and make sure I can live long enough to keep doing so."