Seiryu and Kakashi escorted Gato to his vault. Having learned from last time, Seiryu brought plenty of empty sealing scrolls. Even with an extra person to share the spoils, Gato, who controlled the finances of an entire country, was far wealthier than that small noble who ran a casino in Tanzaku Quarters.
Seiryu was true to his word and only took seventy percent of Gato's treasury—about six billion ryo—then split it into two portions at a four-to-three ratio, handing one part to Kakashi.
Kakashi was dumbfounded as he accepted the sealing scroll. Nearly three billion! Even his Hatake clan's combined earnings over the generations might not add up to this. There was so much in this scroll that he'd have to refine chakra two or three times just to extract all the contents.
Kakashi now understood why Seiryu could be so generous. Judging by his skill, he'd clearly done this more than once. Last time in Tanzaku Quarters, Seiryu must have pulled a similar stunt.
No wonder Seiryu said the money from the Shimura, Koharu, and Homura clans was pocket change.
Even as Seiryu used a Juinjutsu on Gato and the two of them left the estate, Kakashi kept staring at him with disbelief.
"Ahem, what are you staring at?" Seiryu felt a bit uneasy under Kakashi's gaze, then reminded him, "You're not keeping all that money for yourself. Keep ten percent, give thirty percent to your mid-level subordinates, and distribute sixty percent among the lower-level ninja. Be careful with the process."
"Just like how you and the Inuzuka clan set up the police dog base, and how you support the Aburame clan's secret technique research?" Kakashi responded, catching on.
"Not bad, you're starting to understand politics," Seiryu said, and the two exchanged a smile as they headed to their pre-booked hotel.
Tonight, Seiryu's actions had opened a new door for Kakashi. However, after the initial shock and excitement faded, Kakashi realized what Seiryu had involved him in.
If what they did tonight was exposed, the two of them would become enemies of the entire ninja world. What they'd done was a flagrant violation of the unspoken rules all ninja accepted, and Kakashi had unwittingly become an accomplice.
Thinking of this, Kakashi's hand trembled slightly on the scroll filled with treasure. He swallowed and called out to Seiryu: "Hey, Seiryu."
"Hmm?" Seiryu smiled and turned back.
"Do you… know what you're doing?" Kakashi asked with difficulty.
"Of course," Seiryu replied nonchalantly. "What, are you scared? If you are, just give me the stuff and I'll pretend you weren't here tonight."
"Before today, I thought you just wanted to be Hokage. But today… Seiryu, what is it you really want?" Kakashi took a deep breath and asked.
Hearing that, Seiryu's smile faded, and he spoke slowly, "Do you really want to know? I'll warn you—once you know, there's no turning back."
Kakashi looked at Seiryu. The usually gentle smile was gone, and the cold moonlight gave Seiryu's face a somber edge.
Seiryu's question left Kakashi silent. But he remembered it was Seiryu who cleared his father's name, who let him care for his teacher's son openly, and who had saved him from a deadly plot.
Thinking of all this, Kakashi shook his head and said, "Wasn't I already your accomplice? There's no turning back for me anyway. So, can you tell me what you really want?"
Seiryu smiled again. "What do I want? I want to change this sick world."
Kakashi's pupils contracted, but before he could speak, Seiryu asked in return:
"Many in the village claim they love peace, that mutual understanding can end war. But, Kakashi, have you ever thought about what war really is?"
Kakashi shook his head. He'd heard Minato and Jiraiya discuss it: both believed that if people understood each other, war would cease, but neither knew how to achieve it. Jiraiya believed in the Toad Sage's prophecy about a destined child.
"We lost important people in the Third World War, but after it ended, did anything change? No. The nobles and daimyo still sit at the table, moving chips around, waiting for them to be spent and replenished before starting a new game. The friendship, bonds, and love you value are just cold numbers to them.
"In the end, war is just an extension of politics. The peace ninja think they've fought for is just the choice those at the table make for now.
"If that were all, fine, but the ones with real power are us. Yet I never understood why those we could crush like bugs get to play with our lives, while we're forever tools thanks to some ancient, ridiculous rules." Seiryu laid bare the cruel reality, then looked up at the moon and activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
"This world is sick. I want to try to heal it.
"So that children can grow up safely, heroes don't bear false accusations, and hot-blooded youths don't die needlessly. If my hands must be stained with blood for that, I'll bear the sin alone."
Seiryu's words left Kakashi stunned. For a long time, his lips parted and closed, before he finally composed himself and solemnly said:
"If that's your goal, I'm willing to go with you,"
Seiryu said nothing, just reached out his right hand. Kakashi took it without hesitation.