The meeting between Uchiha Kai and Uchiha Fugaku lasted until Mikoto returned home.
While not every proposal Kai brought forward was accepted, some of his goals were nonetheless achieved. Though a few of his more aggressive recommendations were dismissed outright, the results were, on the whole, acceptable.
Kai Uchiha was not a sentimental man. After reporting what he knew about Kakashi's involvement with the Anbu, he quickly shifted the conversation to a more sensitive topic: Uchiha Isamu.
This time, however, Kai's suggestion pushed Fugaku to his limits.
He proposed using members of the clan—and even Isamu's girlfriend—as pawns in an operation meant to provoke emotional trauma, hoping to stimulate a Mangekyō Sharingan awakening.
Fugaku was immediately and deeply angered, rejecting the idea without hesitation.
"Kai," he said, his voice cold and firm, "I will not tolerate such callousness toward our people—not while I still lead this clan. The lives of innocent members are not tools for manipulation, and I will not see them reduced to mere means for power."
Faced with Fugaku's unwavering response, Kai paused. Then he nodded, albeit without sincerity.
He thought Fugaku's words naïve. After all, wasn't it Uchiha Itachi—Fugaku's own son—who would one day betray the entire clan? Wasn't it the so-called protector who would become the clan's executioner?
Such bitter irony was not lost on Kai.
Yet, for now, he let the matter drop.
Another of Kai's suggestions—that the clan elders be subjected to greater scrutiny and held more accountable—was also rejected. Fugaku preferred handling such matters through quiet diplomacy, though Kai suspected that approach would only delay the inevitable.
Still, neither man was eager to let a disagreement sour the entire meeting.
In return for compromising on key issues, Kai received several concessions.
One was access to a rare compound said to increase emotional sensitivity—likely a relic of the clan's more secretive days. Fugaku admitted that the drug had been used in controversial experiments in the past, now long discontinued. The formula had likely been lost, carried into the grave by its creator.
Kai accepted this without much emotion. While he regretted the limited supply, it was of no major concern. He already had his Mangekyō Sharingan; others' progress was secondary, provided it did not interfere with his plans.
Fugaku also quietly allowed Kai limited access to death row inmates in Konoha Prison—likely his most significant concession.
Though the political atmosphere was tense, and Konoha's higher-ups were hypersensitive to any signs of unauthorized experimentation, Fugaku assured Kai that it could be done discreetly.
Human experimentation was a taboo, even on condemned criminals, but for Kai, the potential benefits outweighed the moral cost. With some effort and subterfuge, he could extract valuable results.
"Transformations, genjutsu... there are ways to alter appearances," Kai thought to himself. "With the right preparation, these inmates could become useful pawns."
He even considered manipulating Uchiha Yuchi into a state of psychological collapse if necessary. It wasn't ideal, but Kai understood the price of power.
"It's a decent harvest for now," he mused. "I'll take what I can get."
Kai had no illusions. He was ambitious, not reckless. He also requested a promise from Fugaku—not to interfere with the elders personally, just to avoid stalling progress. Kai had no interest in dealing with them directly; his plate was already full.
He was planning major reforms in the Konoha Military Police Force. Many within the unit lacked competence—or worse, loyalty. Kai intended to remove the dead weight and replace them with individuals of actual value.
Recruitment would be a slow process. Even promising candidates like Kenta Imai remained difficult to pin down. Still, Kai had some prospects in mind.
"Fujiu Hangtai—brother of Fujiu Hangpei. He's a civilian, but understands the law. That could be useful for optics."
"Then there's Uchiha Chuan, Asahi's son. A Chūnin with battlefield experience. Not great, but not bad either."
Kai didn't put much stock in rank. A jōnin could be useless, while a genin might save your life. Actual strength and discipline mattered far more than title.
He preferred hardened veterans—shinobi who had tasted war and would follow orders without question. Not everyone was like Kai, Kenta, or Aya. If they were, Konoha wouldn't need to fight at all—the enemy would've surrendered already.
Instead, Kai considered gathering a force of "borderline" Uchiha—those who had seen battle, but remained politically neutral. As long as they didn't awaken the Sharingan or develop dangerous ambitions, they were ideal.
Lacking dojutsu didn't concern Kai. He had... methods. If experiments worked, he could ensure their loyalty. If they failed, well, he'd simply blame it on their lack of talent.
"I'll make it work," he told himself. "One way or another."
But the most dangerous Uchiha were not the weak. They were the fanatics—the ones like Itachi, who loved too much, hated too completely, and acted without restraint.
"Regret means nothing once the blade has fallen," Kai thought. "Better to eliminate the threat before it blossoms."
Besides his police reforms, Kai also had two other missions in mind: mentally destabilizing Uchiha Yuu, and arresting Uchiha Osamu.
The two brothers were closely linked—Yuu idolized Osamu, but it was unclear whether Osamu returned the sentiment. If Kai failed to break Yuu, he might have to detain Osamu first. Their emotional bond was delicate, and he'd need to analyze it carefully.
"I can't risk triggering the Mangekyō in the wrong way," Kai mused. "Or worse, wasting the chance altogether."
Osamu was especially tricky—a stoic, high-ranking ninja with a fortress-like mind. It was hard to know what he truly cared about, or whether he was hiding someone important to protect them from political enemies.
Worse still, what if Osamu was like Kai? What if the only person he truly cared for was... himself?
Kai had many other concerns too—chief among them, the transplantation of White Zetsu cells and the development of his Susanoo.
He had rough plans for obtaining the cells, but timing was critical. Orochimaru's defection from the village wouldn't happen for at least another year. Kai could try cultivating medical talent himself, or risk waiting.
He sighed.
"It looks like I'll need to speed up my Yin Release research—if I want to stabilize the Sharingan's higher forms."
Qualified medical support was rare, and Kai had no time to waste. He'd either have to find trustworthy healers or train them himself.
Still, despite the weight on his shoulders, he had no regrets. He had chosen this path—and he would see it through to the end.
He understood how to evolve the Sharingan. And if he played his cards right, his legacy would not just rival the great Uchiha of history—it would eclipse them.