Nara Hiroshi's expression was solemn.
Yes—when it came to the Hyuga clan, he could scarcely be bothered to spare them a thought.
As the hidden powerhouse of the Nara, even Nara Shikaku paled beside him. And he knew the Hyuga all too well. Long before he had thrown his lot in with the Uchiha, he had already dissected their clan's inner workings completely.
Bringing the Hyuga into the fold was no great challenge to him.
What concerned him far more now was Uchiha Kai himself.
He understood perfectly: the reason everyone was gathered here under one roof tonight was not loyalty to the Uchiha.
It was loyalty to Kai.
Strength was only part of it.
More crucial was his foresight, his cunning, and his ability to act. These were things the Uchiha clan as a whole simply did not possess.
Yes, they were powerful—a band of brutes capable of shaking the shinobi world. But none of them could stand alone to suppress it.
As for ability? Nearly nonexistent.
Without Kai, the Uchiha were not worth following.
Which made Kai absolutely vital.
If he were to die, the prosperity and momentum they enjoyed now would collapse instantly.
Kai was the lynchpin.
This vast alliance existed only because he propped it up. Until a proper system and structure could be built, no one could replace him.
Hiroshi, with his sharp instincts, sensed this immediately. Which meant he had to ensure Kai's absolute safety.
Otherwise, should anything befall him, everyone present would be dragged down with him.
Compared to that, the Hyuga were a trivial matter indeed.
The others were not fools either.
Even if they had not realized it before, Hiroshi's words opened their eyes. When they looked at Kai now, their gazes carried a weight of respect—and fear.
"Hiroshi is right. Kai-kun, you must think carefully."
"If it's too dangerous, then perhaps we shouldn't go at all."
"With your current status, not even the Hokage can compel you."
"Yes, exactly!"
One voice after another joined in.
Everyone wanted Kai to abandon the mission. To them, he was far too valuable—he could not afford the slightest risk.
If he fell, there would be no one to take his place.
They were all tied together now, like grasshoppers bound to the same rope. Naturally, they were anxious.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
Of course he had thought of all this already.
He smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, everyone. They say the Third Raikage is strong—but I've never crossed blades with him, so I can't say for sure.
But I can promise you this: if I choose to escape, no one can kill me. Not even the Raikage."
"This mission, however, I cannot abandon. I already gave my word to Minato Namikaze."
"Without trust, a man cannot stand. I will not go back on my promise."
"And more than that—Minato is vital to my future plans. All the more reason I cannot let him down."
"So let us end this matter here."
"I am, after all, the most cowardly of men. The moment things feel wrong, I'll run."
"You needn't fear I'll meet Sakumo Hatake's fate. Unlike him, I was born shameless. Public opinion cannot touch me."
"I'd sooner live as a missing-nin than ever take my own life."
Kai chuckled lightly as he spoke.
He could see their concerns, and was doing his utmost to reassure them.
After all, this was the very heart of their new alliance. If doubt or panic took root here, the entire structure could unravel.
The others fell silent.
They exchanged glances, then gave up pressing further.
Since Kai had spoken so firmly, they could only leave it at that.
Besides—they weren't truly worried.
They knew Kai's capabilities. It was why they had chosen to join him in the first place.
His past feats spoke for themselves—he had torn through even the elaborate deathtrap Sarutobi Hiruzen had laid for him.
If anyone could face the Raikage and return alive, it was Kai.
Only Hiroshi remained troubled.
After frowning in thought for some time, he finally spoke again.
"Forgive me, Kai-kun, but there is one thing I truly cannot understand."
"Why do you place such importance on Minato Namikaze?"
"Yes, I admit he is an outstanding shinobi—righteous, fair in his dealings, kind, and approachable."
"But the problem is this: he is the candidate being groomed by the Hokage faction to become the Fourth Hokage. Strictly speaking, that makes him our enemy."
"So I am puzzled. I hope you can answer me honestly."
"What is the true goal of our alliance?"
"Only by knowing this can I plan more effectively. Only then will everyone have a clear direction for their efforts."
That was Hiroshi's greatest doubt.
The Uchiha were indeed rising—so much so that even Sarutobi Hiruzen was being forced into retreat.
To the common folk, it all looked like the blazing sun at dawn, brimming with vitality.
But to the eyes of a true strategist, something was missing.
A goal.
They had no guiding principle, no clear destination.
Their actions were scattered, chaotic.
Hiroshi had puzzled over this for some time, but found no answer.
Now that the opportunity was here, he had to ask.
It was important.
Sarutobi's faction had its goal—absolute control over Konoha.
The Ino-Shika-Cho sought stability and survival for their clans.
The Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aburame… every group had a purpose.
But the Uchiha?
Though Hiroshi had been among them for a while now, he still felt lost.
Kai narrowed his eyes, momentarily surprised.
He had not expected Hiroshi to ask such a question.
But as he looked around the room and saw the same confusion and uncertainty mirrored in everyone's eyes, he realized it was time.
Just as Hiroshi had said, a force of this size without a clear direction was a dangerous thing.
The time had come to unify their vision.
Only by giving them a shared purpose could he truly bind them into a single rope.
Drawing in a deep breath, Kai finally spoke in a low voice:
"…My apologies. If not for Hiroshi's reminder, I might have overlooked this entirely."
"In the past, when it was only the Uchiha, there was no need to explain. I understood what I needed to do, and that was enough."
"But now that other clans have joined us, and our alliance is growing… it is indeed time to unify our thinking."
"So let me say a few words."
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