Sometimes, coincidences could be depressingly ironic. The Uchiha often moved in the shadows to eliminate threats—but it just so happened that their enemies had also chosen to strike from the shadows.
That irony made Uchiha Kai's actions seem, at least on the surface, like he was trying to save lives.
But Kai knew better. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation himself, other than the lingering thought: Aya Hyuga shouldn't die here.
He glanced at Aya, who stood nearby with a guarded yet puzzled look in her pale eyes. The tension in her stance made it clear she was ready to defend herself, but not sure why Kai hadn't attacked.
Kai lost interest in further action.
"Why save me?" Aya's voice was flat, her expression unreadable. "Wouldn't it put your mind more at ease if I died?"
"If you want to die," Kai muttered, voice low and sharp, "cut your own throat with a kunai or find a cliff and jump. Don't put that choice on me."
He didn't even bother to look directly at her. It wasn't that he wanted to save her—he just didn't know how to explain himself.
The mist around them began to thin, the heavy chakra presence of Ao and Terumi Mei fading into the distance. Kai exhaled in relief. At least that threat was gone.
Turning his head slightly, he looked at Aya again, irritation flickering in his dark-red Sharingan.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "Kakashi's to the north?"
"Activating."
Aya opened her Byakugan without further comment, veins bulging at the sides of her eyes. She scanned the area in the direction Kai mentioned.
"…Yes. He seems to be tracking something. But he's too far for me to see clearly."
The Byakugan's range, like the Sharingan's insight, depended heavily on the user's skill and chakra control. The difference was that the Sharingan evolved through trauma and chakra surges, while the Byakugan sharpened with steady training and refinement.
Kai nodded and sheathed his sword.
Without another word, he turned and began walking toward Kakashi's direction.
Aya stared after him, surprised. She had expected him to take advantage of the moment—of her vulnerability. Instead, he walked away. It was relieving… and confusing.
As Kai walked, his voice drifted back toward her.
"Killing you wouldn't take much effort. I've had so many chances—so many clean ways to do it. But using someone else's hands? That's dull. If you really can't go on, end it yourself. I might even leave a flower on your memorial stone."
"You're joking, Kai-kun."
Aya's words were polite, but her tone was still cold. "Why would someone like you waste time on a caged bird like me? I must be overestimating myself."
"No," Kai stopped and turned back to her, his crimson Sharingan spinning slowly. "You're not wrong. I do want to kill you. Because you're dangerous. A caged bird who knows too much and dreams too big. If the Hyuga clan is ever offered the right price, you might turn against me—and when you do, you'll explode like a paper bomb."
Aya didn't flinch at his words. She just listened.
There was no point in pretending anymore. Kai knew she had suspected him, and now she had confirmation. He didn't feel guilty for saying it aloud.
Life as a ninja was cruel. Aya was a tragic character. But wasn't everyone?
It was just a matter of who suffered more—and who could fight harder through it.
"So I was right," Aya said quietly. "You do hate me. My instincts weren't wrong."
"Hate?" Kai chuckled bitterly. "No. I remember you because you're like me. We're the same kind of people. I know your thoughts… just like you know mine. Try not to push me too far, Aya-kun. I hope I never have to make that choice."
"I understand, Kai-kun." Aya gave a slight bow. Then her tone shifted. "Captain… what are my orders?"
"Find Imai Kenta," Kai said, glancing briefly at the corpses scattered across the clearing. "Clean up the bodies. After that, regroup and come support me."
With that, he vanished in a flicker of movement, leaving only a disturbed swirl of leaves behind.
Aya watched him go, her eyes lingering on the empty space.
A free bird… how enviable.
Especially for someone like her—someone bound by a cursed seal and a clan's control. Her dream had always been to break free.
Shaking off her thoughts, Aya turned to begin collecting the corpses. But she paused when she reached the body of a Kiri shinobi.
"How long do you plan to hide, Kenta-kun?" she asked calmly. "After everything you've just overheard, don't you think you've crossed a line?"
From the shadows, Imai Kenta stepped out, dragging a body behind him.
"I could ask the same of you," he said with a sheepish smile. "Worried about what Kai-kun might do, weren't you? I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but for the sake of the team…"
"Don't you feel even a little ashamed saying that?" Aya scoffed. "If Kai-kun had attacked me, you would've been next. I saw your stance—you were ready to run."
"Was I?" Kenta said innocently. "Aya-kun, you must be mistaken. Captain's not that kind of man. Besides, I didn't hear a thing."
Aya stared at him for a moment, then turned away.
He was lying. Of course he knew the truth. Kenta always knew more than he let on. He was the kind of man who stayed hidden in the safest shadows, who watched and waited.
Smart, subtle… and dangerous.
If Kai had struck Aya down, Kenta would have been next.
Powerful people were like birds with white feathers—they avoided blood and dirt at all costs. And Kai, rising now as a war hero with the Uchiha name behind him, could no longer afford to make a single mistake.
Thinking this over, Kenta lowered his head and began quietly inspecting the corpses.
No one could say for sure what he was thinking.