While Uchiha Fugaku was dealing with internal clan matters involving Uchiha Yan, Uchiha Kai quietly led Uchiha Shui into the forest behind the Uchiha compound.
One thing Uchiha Kai hadn't lied to Uchiha Osamu about was the presence of a patrol in the area tonight.
The twist was, the patrol was led by Imai Kenta, accompanied by Uchiha Asahi and his son, Uchiha Chuan.
Imai Kenta was a sharp man. He had long heard rumors of strange experiments linked to certain members of the Uchiha clan.
But he was smart enough to never ask questions, never investigate, and never leave a trace of interest—almost as if nothing ever happened.
That kind of man was precisely the kind Uchiha Kai could trust—to a point. Kenta's position in the Konoha Military Police Force made him useful and dependable.
As for Uchiha Asahi and his son, they were fiercely loyal to Kai.
Ever since Kai had forcibly awakened the Sharingan in Uchiha Chuan, their allegiance had become nearly absolute.
If Kai told them to jump, they would only ask, "How high?"
The only unfortunate thing was that Uchiha Chuan's strength was still too weak.
Even with his newly awakened Sharingan, he had no battlefield to test or sharpen his skills.
The Third Shinobi World War had ended—a blessing for the world, but a bitter limitation for some within the clan who craved power or opportunity.
"Lord Kai."
Uchiha Asahi and his son immediately dropped to one knee upon seeing Kai.
Kenta, on the other hand, stood casually off to the side, offering only a slight smile.
"Stand," Kai said flatly, then turned to Kenta. "What's the situation?"
"Captain, everything is in place," Kenta replied with practiced detachment. "We can proceed whenever you're ready. Just... one thing."
"Don't worry about him—he's irrelevant," Kai said coldly.
"If there's trouble tonight, don't hold back. If he gets in your way, let him die."
With that, Uchiha Kai turned and headed deeper into the forest, making a silent tactical gesture as he walked.
Uchiha Osamu, who had been trailing behind, noticed it.
The signal clearly meant "split up and stay in contact."
It made Osamu smirk—he knew what this meant.
He's trying to isolate me... How obvious.
But Osamu wasn't some clueless foot soldier—he had survived real combat in the war.
He understood these signals.
Though suspicious, he followed anyway. Part of him feared Kai. The man was like a snake—coiled, calculating, and deadly.
Yet part of Osamu also sensed that Kai had valuable information—and he was determined to learn what it was.
And if Kai tries anything, Osamu thought grimly, I'm prepared. I've taken precautions. I'm not alone.
If Kai tried to attack, others would respond.
And even if no one did... Osamu didn't believe himself to be weaker.
He was still hoping to find his missing younger brother.
Political ambition meant little if he couldn't protect family.
As they moved closer to the hidden entrance of Kai's underground lab, Osamu began noticing something troubling:
There were signs of human activity—footprints, disturbed branches, fresh chakra residue.
There was no way Kai hadn't seen them too.
He's lying. He knows what's here.
The thought made Osamu tense up, his gaze sharpening.
They reached the entrance. Kai remained quiet, but Osamu could sense the shift in tension.
"Looks like I should thank you, Osamu-san," Kai said at last, as the lab's steel door slid open.
"Your cooperation saved me quite a bit of trouble."
"You're not even pretending anymore, huh?" Osamu said, his Sharingan already active and glowing crimson.
"My brother... was that your doing all along? We thought Orochimaru was responsible. But no—it was you."
"Correct," Kai said calmly. "And I wasn't alone."
"The clan head too, right?" Osamu growled, fists clenched. "Only Fugaku could cover something like this up."
Kai smiled faintly and turned to lead him deeper into the lab.
Let him guess. Let him rage.
Osamu wouldn't make a move—not until he saw his brother.
When the reinforced inner door hissed open, Osamu didn't wait.
He rushed inside—and stopped cold.
Inside the stasis chamber, Uchiha Yuchi floated unconscious, hooked up to life-support machinery.
His body was pale. Motionless. Barely alive.
"Uchiha Kai!" Osamu's voice was raw with rage. "I need an explanation. Now!"
"An explanation?" Kai stepped forward, stopping five meters away.
"Why don't you guess? You're prepared, aren't you?
You knew something was off. You even had someone else contact the Elder Council, just in case Uchiha Yan failed."
"You bastard..." Osamu's chakra surged violently. Blood vessels bulged around his eyes.
Kai watched him closely. The chakra was rising fast—but not fast enough.
He still hadn't snapped. Still hadn't crossed the final threshold.
He's close. But not yet... Maybe I should push him.
Kai's fingers gripped the hilt of his shinobi blade.
"You're in the way, Osamu," he said flatly. "As for your brother? He's a vegetable.
You're looking at a corpse with a heartbeat. And soon, you'll join him."
"Then I'll just have to kill you first."
Osamu's voice dropped to a deathly calm.
"And no—Uchiha Yan wasn't my only contact. Do you really think Fugaku will protect you after tonight?"
Osamu drew his kunai and lunged.
Kai drew his blade in an instant, chakra-infused steel flaring blue...
Elsewhere in the Clan...
A dark figure darted through the rooftops of the Uchiha compound, making his way toward the elder's residence.
His name was Uchiha Akira—an old comrade of Osamu's during the war.
But unlike Osamu, Akira had spent years undercover as a member of the peace faction.
He had embedded himself among the moderates, gained their trust, and regularly fed intelligence back to the hardliners.
Tonight, Osamu had asked him to relay a critical report.
"If everything went right, Uchiha Yan should already be in contact with the elders," Akira muttered as he moved.
"If not... well, I'll just have to pick up the slack."
But just as he neared the Elder's estate, he felt a chill down his spine.
A kunai struck the ground directly ahead of him.
Akira jumped back instantly, eyes scanning the trees.
From the shadows, a figure dropped into view—her scarlet Sharingan gleaming.
"You're not going any farther," the woman said.
"Jun... Uchiha Jun?" Akira frowned. "You've never shown your Sharingan. You barely show up to clan meetings. Why now?"
Jun smiled. "Because I didn't need to—until now. You've made your move. So I'll make mine."
Akira drew his kunai, assuming a defensive stance.
He knew who Jun served. But even so, he couldn't back down now. Not when the future of the clan was at stake.
"Shame," Jun said, forming hand signs.
Akira narrowed his eyes.
"Bring it on."