Chapter 192 – A Solution
That day, many of the great clans—and even some farsighted individuals—began to realize the truth.
The Fourth Hokage had all but been decided.
Though still under official secrecy, the signs were plain enough: it was Namikaze Minato who had been summoned privately by the Third Hokage, not Orochimaru. That fact alone spoke volumes.
Among the discerning, it was clear—Orochimaru had already lost. And so, preparations quietly began.
The Hyūga clan, for instance. And the family of the mysterious Imai Kenta. Both made their own moves.
Their clan heads or elders summoned them, not for scolding, but to probe their ties to Minato.
Thanks to Uchiha Kei's maneuvering, Minato's "team" wasn't just Kakashi, Obito, and Rin anymore. Kei's squad had woven themselves in as well.
Together, the two groups had completed not one but two critical missions—missions that shifted the course of the war itself.
Because of this, Kei's squad was already being viewed as Minato's direct line, his trusted cadre. At least… once Minato officially took the title.
Imai Kenta and Hyūga Ayaka both answered their clan's questions with care. Neither of them were fools; both grasped the true purpose of the conversation.
And deep down, they shared a similar bewilderment.
So it worked?
Had Uchiha Kei's scheme really… succeeded?
They had seen enough of Kei's methods to know he wasn't a man to bet blindly. Ayaka, for her part, found reassurance in his success. Not only had he shown the terrifying power of his eyes—he had proven his cunning.
Working with him was dangerous, but it was also undeniably valuable.
Kenta, however, felt nothing but vertigo.
This… this was too sudden. Too overwhelming.
His entire partnership with Kei had been founded on a single premise: bringing down the Third Hokage's order. Replacing him with someone outside Sarutobi's system.
And now, just like that, it was done?
Does this bastard see the future or something? Kenta thought bitterly. And if things have gone this far, how the hell am I supposed to get out of the Police Force now?
His feelings were a tangled mess.
Yet at the same time, sitting in the Police Department office, he couldn't deny there was a certain… comfort.
Minato's rise had been secured. Uchiha Fugaku had given Kei a staggering opportunity.
The Hyūga clan's medical resources were decent, but Ayaka's rank and standing barred her from the truly advanced knowledge. The Uchiha, awkward as their position in Konoha was, still wielded influence. If Fugaku wanted, he could obtain things of real value.
True, Kei had agreed to Fugaku's condition: that after a year of fusing the Eternal Mangekyō, the eyes would be returned.
But Kei's room to maneuver remained vast.
And while Kei could be trusted to keep his word, his sense of restraint and generosity was not something that could be compared to Fugaku's.
If it ever came down to the battlefield, Uchiha Kei's actions would prove his honor better than any oath.
"The Fourth's succession is settled," Kei murmured, rubbing his chin. "Now comes the real task—making sure he doesn't die in the Nine-Tails' attack."
"And beyond that, we need him free of the Third's shadow. Only then can Minato truly be an independent Hokage."
Breaking Sarutobi's lingering hold could wait. Preventing Minato's death could not.
Kei considered warning Kakashi early, telling him to keep certain truths to himself. That alone might divert tragedy. Yet after much thought, he decided it must unfold.
Because that calamity could become the Uchiha clan's offering of loyalty—a pledge of fealty laid at the Fourth Hokage's feet.
His gaze darkened. "And if the chance arises, perhaps Danzō must die. Or…" Kei's voice trailed into thought.
"…I might seek out Obito again. Study his body more closely. But for that, I'll need Ayaka with me—her Byakugan can see what my eyes cannot."
The Byakugan, for all its shortcomings in direct combat, was unmatched in reconnaissance. That alone made Hyūga Ayaka invaluable.
Their partnership wasn't only built on shared secrets, nor her pursuit of medical ninjutsu. What Kei truly prized were her eyes. Without them, her worth might not even surpass that of Imai Kenta.
Still, Kei had other matters beyond Minato.
The fusion of the Eternal Mangekyō could wait. He needed more data on Uchiha Shuu's condition anyway. His vision, while strained, remained clear for now. The deadline loomed, but there was no need to rush.
And besides—his agreement with Fugaku was clear: once Minato officially took the mantle, Kei would be named head of the Police Force.
He had no intention of inheriting a broken, stagnant mess. Preparations had to be made.
"My squad is already a testing ground," Kei reflected. "It's worked well so far—so let's build on it."
The captaincy he would hand to Imai Kenta. As vice-captain, it was a natural step. Another team could go to Uchiha Kawa. The third… that was trickier.
He considered Fukuhiko Kouta, brother of his former jōnin instructor. A solid fighter, but no leader—better a weapon than a commander.
Balance mattered too. If there were only two teams—one Uchiha-led, one by a commoner—that balance held. But the Police Force had always kept three divisions, a symbolic equilibrium. Discarding one now would be politically dangerous.
The solution was clear: let another Uchiha captain that third squad, but stack its ranks with more commoners—or better, underperformers from other clans.
Recruiting them would be uncertain, but the intent mattered.
The Police Force must not appear as the private army of the Uchiha. It must look like it belonged to all of Konoha. That was the message Kei intended to send.
"Troubles really do come one after another," he sighed. "Step by step then. First, cooperate with Fugaku—there are debts to be collected, and people who need… removal."
He disliked acting as Fugaku's enforcer, but when the clan head required his hand, Kei would neither refuse nor hesitate. And truthfully, he was curious.
Fugaku's Mangekyō ability remained a mystery—rumored to resemble some twisted version of Tsukuyomi, but nothing more. Kei doubted Fugaku would reveal it against ordinary foes.
But what if?
Preparation cost little. And if an opportunity came, Kei intended to be ready.
Until then, there was work enough.
Though he regarded Fugaku as a potential rival, the man's recent behavior suggested that "rival" might remain only a hypothetical.
Kei pressed a small bell on his desk. Moments later, Uchiha Asahi entered.
"Lord Kei, your orders?" Asahi's deference was genuine. His tongue was discreet, his loyalty sharpened after recent events.
On the night Shuu was ambushed, Asahi and his son Kawa had been restrained by Fugaku's men. Yet neither held resentment. On the contrary, since whispers of Shuu's disappearance began to circulate within the clan, Asahi had grown even more humble.
"Bring Kawa to me," Kei said with a smile. "And Kenta as well. I have matters for them both."
"As you wish, Lord Kei." Asahi bowed deeply. "I'll see to it immediately."