Chapter 193: Growth
"Lord Kei."
"Captain."
Barely three minutes after Asahi left, Uchiha Kawa and Imai Kenta appeared in Kei's office.
Their speed was equally swift, but their demeanors could not have been more different.
Kawa radiated calm respect. Like his father, he seemed to have erased Uchiha Shuu from memory entirely. His loyalty was simple: Kei's orders, and nothing more.
Kenta, however, was another matter. His expression betrayed a tangle of emotions. Kei could guess easily enough what churned in the young man's head, but he didn't press.
Kenta's rumored "true identity" remained unconfirmed—since the boy had never once hinted at it, Kei had no reason to pry. For now, his status as a "commoner ninja" was far too useful. That was why Kei had chosen him in the first place.
And besides—Kenta was clever. Kei valued that greatly.
"I called you both here because there are things we need to discuss," Kei began, skipping preamble. "For now, just keep what I say in mind. Do not share it outside this room."
"Yes, Captain (Lord Kei)," both men answered in unison after exchanging a glance.
"Good." Kei nodded. "When spring comes, I will no longer serve as squad captain. That position will go to you, Kenta."
"Me?" Kenta blinked, his face twisting into something between confusion and suspicion. "And you, Captain? Even if you're stepping down, why hand it to me of all people?"
It made little sense. No matter Kei's ambitions, surely he couldn't ignore the clan's opinion so brazenly? Handing command of a Police Force squad—an Uchiha stronghold—over to an outsider wasn't just risky. It was suicidal.
Especially when Kawa was right there—an Uchiha, loyal and competent. Why pass him over?
A bead of cold sweat traced down Kenta's neck. Don't tell me this bastard is preparing to go to war with his own clan…
Or worse—he's setting me up as bait. Put me in command, let me soak the backlash, and then discard me when convenient.
Kenta wasn't naïve. Raised on blood and intrigue, his mind was steeped in suspicion. And Kei—sharp, ruthless Kei—had toppled the political board and forced a new Hokage into power. If anyone warranted paranoia, it was him.
"Don't doubt it," Kei said firmly, unaware of the storm inside Kenta's head. "You are my vice-captain. You know this squad better than anyone. Under your leadership, it will thrive. Kawa will serve as your deputy for now—let him learn from you."
"…Learn from me?" Kenta narrowed his eyes. "You've got other plans, don't you?"
A faint smile touched Kei's lips. "Correct. When spring arrives, you will take my squad. Kawa will then move to lead another—either Uchiha Tsubasa's or Uchiha Chisai's. By then, the situation should have stabilized. But some matters can't wait for spring."
"I see." At last Kenta relaxed, though the look he gave Kei was more complicated than ever.
So it was true. Kei was preparing to strike against the clan—or at least certain factions within it. But crucially, the timing meant Kenta wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.
This sly bastard… stepping down here, promising Kawa a captaincy there… He's clearing the board for something larger. He's aiming for the Police Commander's seat.
"Lord Kei." Kawa spoke at last, his tone as even as ever, showing no sign of desire for the captaincy Kei had just denied him.
"Your role will be heavy," Kei said with a casual smile. "Learn from Kenta. Watch how he manages people, how he balances Uchiha and commoner shinobi alike. Your time is short—once we've resolved certain… issues, you'll be captain yourself. Can you manage that?"
"I will not fail, Lord Kei!" Kawa dropped to one knee, bowing his head. "Thank you for your trust. I will never betray it."
Kei nodded in satisfaction. The boy was almost mechanical in his obedience, but that wasn't necessarily bad. Every leader prized subordinates who were both loyal and capable.
Whether or not Kei could call himself a true "leader" yet, he was walking that path—balancing political authority with raw strength. Neither could be neglected.
Rising to his feet, Kei smiled and clapped both men on the shoulder. Two captains were secured. Only one remained.
---
Within the Uchiha compound lay a sea of bamboo, towering and dense, growing near the clan's central district.
There, in the heart of the grove, stood a small pavilion. Seated within, Uchiha Shin—the clan's eldest elder—waited. Three other grey-haired men sat around him: the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Elders.
Once, all of them had fought fiercely for the clan. All shared the same belief—that the Uchiha were destined to stand above the rest of Konoha. And all of them despised the other clans, sneering at the village's so-called allies.
Their creed was simple: the Uchiha were the strongest, a lion robbed of its prey by lesser scavengers.
"Great Elder," the Second murmured after sipping his tea, "have there been any word of Shuu?" His sigh carried more weariness than hope.
The council of six elders leaned hard to the hawkish side—four of the six, including Shin himself, were firebrands. It was a telling measure of the clan's current state.
And it was a dark omen for its future. When the Uchiha were finally cornered, there would be no "dove faction" left—only scattered voices drowned beneath the hawks' roar.
Ironic, perhaps. In Konoha, the majority always won. Among the Uchiha, that principle had become a bitter joke.
The truly formidable ones were always the lonely figures—people like Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi. Their perspectives rarely found acceptance among the clan.
But if one stepped back and looked at the bigger picture, the Uchiha were still just one family. Konoha was the village that housed them.
The clan had always stood as a minority. Their story, in the end, could only be called the victory of traitors—a bloody, shameful triumph that dragged countless innocents down with it.
"For now, there's no concrete news," Elder Shin admitted with a sigh. "But I suspect… Orochimaru has nothing to do with this.
"According to certain reports, the night Shuu vanished, he left following Uchiha Kei. It's said Kei handed him a letter. That same night, Uchiha Yan and Uchiha Akira also disappeared."
"You think this was Kei's doing?" the Sixth Elder frowned. "That two-faced bastard—siding with the clan head now of all times. Tell me, could it be…?"
"It's possible," the Fifth Elder replied evenly. "And not unlikely. The clan head has been opposing us more and more recently, seizing influence piece by piece—especially within the Police Force."
"To think, the same clan head who was once hesitant, easy to control, has grown so much."
Elder Shin twirled a teacup slowly in his hand before speaking again.
"Growth is a good thing. But when one grows in the wrong direction, correction becomes necessary. And I believe our clan head is walking a path that does not serve the Uchiha's true interests. What say you?"
At his words, the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Elders froze for a moment, then their expressions hardened into solemnity.
They could not depose the clan head—that was a rule of the Uchiha, as it was with every great family.
But they could refuse to follow him. Even Uchiha Madara, when he commanded the entire clan to leave Konoha with him, was abandoned by most. In the end, even those few willing to follow were left behind.
A clan head was not always right.
"We are willing to follow your lead, Great Elder," the three declared after only the briefest hesitation.
"Good." A faint smile curved Shin's lips. "Before we strike back, however, there is someone I must meet."
"Uchiha Kei?"
"Of course. I want to see for myself what kind of spell this boy has cast—enough to push even our timid clan head into growth. I've heard of his potential.
"If he joins us, I will overlook the matters of Uchiha Yuu and Uchiha Shuu… I will overlook them. But if he refuses…"
Shin trailed off, his voice fading into silence.
At some point—no one could say when—a masked shinobi cloaked in black had appeared soundlessly behind him.