Konoha: I, Uchiha, Choose to Lie Down! Chapter 36 36: Shisui Arrives, Questioning the Truth

Their little indulgence lasted until evening.

Nara Kazama couldn't hold out any longer and fell asleep on the bed, while Uchiha Kai—though feeling light-headed—was still far from drunk.

He lay there, staring blankly through the window of the tent.

He was thinking.

How feasible was Kazama's plan?

More importantly—

Was this man trustworthy?

He didn't know.

But in truth, it didn't matter.

For now, their cooperation was only tentative. Kai would never reveal his real trump cards.

Even if Kazama proved unreliable, Kai was confident he could retreat intact. At worst, he could simply defect.

As long as the existence of his system remained hidden, nothing else was truly a problem.

He could always bide his ti longer.

Once he beca strong enough, he could return to Konoha in glory.

The only troubleso part was… before he had the strength to protect his family, he could only apologize to all the lovely kunoichi out there.

Just then—

The flap of the tent was lifted.

Shisui walked in, covered in the stench of blood.

The next second—

He nearly choked from the thick reek of alcohol in the air, coughing violently.

It wasn't that he couldn't handle the sll of alcohol—he just hadn't expected it.

After all, who in their right mind would imagine soone drinking inside the forward camp?

Especially when the enemy could attack at any ti?

Wasn't this just begging to die?

Coughing for a long while, Shisui finally spoke, unable to hold back:

"Kai, you guys… how much did you drink? Are you insane?

This is the frontline camp!"

He was utterly speechless.

Kai, still lying on the bed, looked at him without the slightest reaction.

He knew Shisui would co.

So, to his questioning, Kai only shrugged.

"What's the big deal? It's normal, isn't it?

Our squad just went through life and death—our nerves have been stretched to the breaking point.

We won't be assigned missions anyti soon.

Why can't we take this chance to relax a little?"

Shisui fell silent.

He really couldn't argue with Kai.

This guy… always had a reason for everything.

You could never win against his words.

Not Uchiha-like at all.

Shaking his head helplessly, Shisui gave up on scolding him. He rolled his eyes, took a deep breath, and said:

"Since you're not drunk, co with .

There are things we need to talk about."

Kai didn't refuse.

He had been expecting this day.

Yawning as he stood, he followed Shisui out of the camp, until they reached a quiet stretch of coastline.

The two sat on the sand.

The sea breeze brushed past, the endless blue sky stretched above.

For a while, both hearts cald.

After a long silence, Shisui finally spoke, his expression calm, his tone deliberately casual:

"The day you left Konoha… why did you say those words to ?"

"Because you've treated well. I didn't want to lie to you."

Kai's voice was steady.

Shisui fell silent.

He could feel it—Kai wasn't lying.

And when he thought back on all their interactions, it did make sense.

Ti and again, he had treated Kai with sincerity.

And in the end, Kai had repaid him with those few honest words before leaving.

Yet Shisui still couldn't understand.

Yes—

For soone who had shown talent since childhood, who had always worked for peace between the clan and the village, Kai's thinking was incomprehensible.

All the more so now, when he realized Kai truly saw him as a friend. That made Shisui all the more unwilling to pry too deeply.

"Your strength… it's formidable," Shisui finally said, eyes sharp as blades.

"Even stronger than what Anbu's reports suggest these past days.

You led a squad through the Land of Whirlpools for six days, evading Mist's large units ti and ti again, killing countless enemy shinobi.

You even escaped from one of the Seven Ninja Swordsn—Hozuki Fuguki—dragging two others along with you, surviving until Konoha's reinforcents arrived.

Why?

If you have such strength, why hide it?"

He grew agitated.

He had thought about Kai's behavior for days, but still couldn't understand.

He stared hard at him, eyes full of doubt and confusion.

Kai, on the other hand, spoke lightly:

"Why? Because I don't want to."

"Don't want to? Why?" Shisui pressed imdiately.

"Because I don't want to get involved in the ss between the clan and the village."

Kai's tone was calm, tinged with disdain.

"In my eyes, the Uchiha are finished. Dood to extermination.

If I showed my talent, those useless fools in the clan would definitely try to rope in.

I don't want ties with them. Because when the clan is wiped out, I'll be dragged down with them.

Yes, my surna is Uchiha. But I'm not bound to the clan.

Why should I be buried with them?

Look at now—when the clan is destroyed, odds are I'll be spared as an 'orphan.'

I've never had any feelings for them anyway.

Worst case, I'll just beco a Rogue Ninja.

Since I have no deep ties to the clan, the village won't hunt too hard. Probably just a bounty posted on the black market."

Shhh—

Shisui froze completely at those words.

His mind went blank.

He had imagined countless possibilities…

But never this.

The clan… exterminated?

How could that be?

The village would never—

No! Impossible!

Shisui sucked in a deep breath, quickly trying to calm him:

"Kai, don't worry. The clan won't clash with Konoha.

I've worked for years to prevent that. I promise—what you fear will not happen.

As for the radicals in the clan, I'll find a way to deal with them."

But Kai—

He couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry—normally I don't laugh. Unless I really can't help it.

But Shisui, could you please stop joking?

Radicals? If the Uchiha had any radicals, would the clan be in this pathetic state?

What I see in the clan now are only moderates and surrenderists—plus a useless clan head.

But it's to be expected.

The Uchiha are relics of the Warring States era. They can't adapt to the new rules of the ga.

Extermination is only a matter of ti.

Sooner or later—what difference does it make?"

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