Chapter 313 – Prediction (Double Length Chapter)
To say that Ao's death had benefited Uchiha Kei would be a massive understatement.
The advantages were almost absurd.
Ao had been a long-standing thorn in Kei's side — a clever, suspicious man with a Byakugan that had once nearly exposed everything.
Killing him wasn't just revenge.
It was damage control.
Kei knew perfectly well that even if Ao hadn't died, Obito's brutal manipulation of Kirigakure would eventually have come to light.
The man's methods were far too bloody, his control over the Mizukage too overt.
Even without intervention, that kind of tyranny could only end one way — a coup.
But the real problem wasn't Ao's politics.
It was his eye.
That single Byakugan had given him insight far beyond any ordinary shinobi's.
It had even allowed him, in the midst of battle, to detect that the Fourth Mizukage was being controlled by a Sharingan.
And that — Kei thought grimly — was completely unacceptable.
If Ao had discovered the truth too early, all of Kei's carefully laid plans in the Mist would have unraveled overnight.
He had planted seeds of doubt among the bloodline clans, manipulated tensions, and ensured that Obito's shadow hung over everything.
But if the truth came out prematurely, his investments — his influence — would have been lost.
That simply wasn't an option.
So yes.
Ao had to die.
And as a result, his Byakugan — a Hyūga clan eye from the main family, no less — had fallen into Kei's hands.
Kei, of course, didn't know the exact mechanics of the Caged Bird Seal.
Could a branch family member even transplant a main family's eye?
Would the seal recognize the chakra and destroy the new host instantly?
Even Ayaka Hyūga, for all her genius, refused to experiment on that level — not without risking her own life.
One misstep, and the seal could activate automatically, blinding her… or worse.
That was not a risk Kei was willing to take with her.
Still, preparation was everything.
If disaster ever struck — if Ayaka lost her sight or her research went wrong — then this eye would be the perfect fallback plan.
The ultimate insurance.
And if, by some miracle, she could adapt it safely, then the problem of the Hyūga's limitations would be halfway solved.
That was what contingencies were for — the last line of defense when everything else failed.
"Another gift?"
Ayaka's pale eyes flicked toward him, her expression caught somewhere between disbelief and suspicion.
Kei almost smiled at her tone.
She wasn't wrong to be surprised.
He wasn't exactly the type to hand out presents.
In public, he was known as kind, composed, and rational — a young genius who had risen to power through intelligence and merit.
In private, though?
Ayaka knew the truth.
He was cold, pragmatic, and frighteningly calculating — a man whose kindness always had an angle.
A "refined egoist," she'd once called him, though she'd never said it aloud.
Every move he made, every gesture of generosity, always served a deeper purpose.
So why was he suddenly offering her a gift?
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Kei… what exactly are you trying to do?"
"Didn't I just say?" he replied casually, kneeling beside a nearby desk as he opened his tool pouch.
"It's something only you can use."
Ayaka blinked. "That's not an answer."
Kei didn't respond. He simply drew out a small, tightly sealed scroll.
With a single hand seal, the storage mark flared open — and a glass vial materialized between them.
Inside the vial floated an eyeball, suspended in pale medical saline.
A Hyūga's Byakugan.
Ayaka's eyes widened in shock.
She recognized it instantly — and her mind leapt to the only possible source.
Ao.
That Mist Anbu who had once abducted her, using her as a bargaining chip against Kei.
In all of Kirigakure, he was the only man known to possess a transplanted Byakugan — and a main family one at that.
So Kei had killed him.
And now… he was offering that eye to her.
Kei set the vial gently on the table.
"This belonged to Ao," he said evenly. "The Mist Anbu who kidnapped you. Consider it… repayment, of sorts."
Ayaka said nothing. Her face was unreadable, but her thoughts were racing.
He'd tracked down her captor, executed him, and brought back his stolen eye — just for her?
No. That wasn't his style.
He must have found Ao in the way and decided to make use of the opportunity.
Still…
She looked at him again, the faintest trace of emotion flickering across her composed features.
"You killed him… and brought this back for me?" she asked quietly.
Kei shrugged. "Didn't I tell you before? Your progress has been unstable lately. Consider this my way of making sure you have… options."
His tone was casual, but his words carried an undercurrent of meaning she didn't miss.
"This eye can serve two purposes," he continued. "One — a safeguard, if anything goes wrong with your own. Two — a potential political weapon. Having it could strengthen your position within the clan."
He smiled faintly. "Personally, I prefer the first use. But… the choice is yours."
Ayaka stared at him for a long moment before exhaling slowly.
"…I see."
Her voice softened, just barely.
"In that case," she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips, "since it's a gift from you, I'll make sure to keep it."
Kei nodded, though something about her tone struck him as… odd.
He couldn't tell what it was — and honestly, he didn't feel like overthinking it.
As long as she held onto the eye, the contingency was in place.
That was all that mattered.
His gaze shifted toward the boy lying motionless on the operating bed.
Kimimaro.
Even free from the Kaguya clan's cruelty, the child had merely traded one kind of cage for another.
Still, compared to his old life, this was paradise.
At least here, Kei thought, he'd have a real childhood — something the Kaguya never gave him.
"I take it he's still out?" Kei asked, gesturing toward the boy. "You two didn't go a little overboard, did you?"
Ayaka shook her head. "No. He woke up once," she admitted calmly. "I just… gave him another dose to keep him under."
Ayaka forced herself to shake off the flicker of emotion in her chest and turned her attention back to Kimimaro, who lay still on the examination bed.
"To maintain his vitality, I've kept him on a steady dose of nutrient fluid," she said evenly. "We have plenty in storage, so it's not a problem."
"Good," Kei nodded. "But let him wake up now."
He knew full well how much of that medical solution they had — he'd personally arranged the supplies — but he wasn't about to let the boy sleep any longer.
"I've already spoken to the Hokage," he added, "about his situation."
Ayaka's brows furrowed. "Oh? And what did Lord Hokage say?"
Kei relayed the results of his discussion with Minato, explaining the arrangement they had agreed on. It was, realistically, the best outcome they could hope for.
After all, the boy was a possessor of a rare kekkei genkai — even if it hadn't awakened yet, that alone made him too valuable to ignore.
Ayaka understood this perfectly. She didn't look pleased, but she accepted it with quiet resignation.
Keeping Kimimaro close, for now, was the wisest option.
She couldn't demand more.
"Don't worry," Kei said calmly. "Some things are still under my authority to decide."
He smiled faintly, though his tone carried an undercurrent of steel.
"I know it's not exactly polite to override the Hokage, but let's be honest — the reason we brought this boy back was to study his bloodline.
So… focus on awakening it. Even if his kekkei genkai doesn't fully manifest, we'll still gain valuable data from partial activation."
"I understand." Ayaka nodded. "Let's hope he's worth the trouble. But what's your plan now? Are you taking him home with you?"
Kei shook his head. "Not just yet. And no — he's not staying at my place."
His lips curved in amusement. "Actually, it might be better if he stayed with you. It'd avoid suspicion. But… given your position in the clan, that might stir unnecessary trouble.
So I'll arrange for a foster family within the Uchiha to take him in. Somewhere secure, discreet."
He paused. "In the meantime—"
"You want me to observe him," Ayaka finished for him, her tone knowing. "See how he reacts to us. And then… adjust his appearance and memories, right?"
Kei gave her a look of faint surprise before chuckling.
"You know me too well."
And she was right — he'd already planned all of that.
His genjutsu hadn't yet reached the precision he wanted, but it was close.
His recent mission to the Land of Water had delayed his progress, yet now that he was back, he intended to resume training immediately.
Kimimaro would make an excellent test subject — though he'd have to proceed carefully.
He'd promised Minato he wouldn't harm the child, and he meant to keep that promise.
Kei had built his reputation in Konoha as a calm, rational protector — not a monster.
Breaking that image would only bring chaos.
If he said he'd give the boy a peaceful childhood, he would.
While Ayaka examined the Byakugan he'd brought her, Kei watched her with mild satisfaction.
She clearly accepted the backup plan he'd proposed.
Perhaps she also wanted to study the limits of Kimimaro's genetic potential — or simply to confirm whether a Kaguya bloodline could truly awaken.
Kei stepped closer and lightly patted her shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said quietly. "I have a feeling about this one."
Ayaka looked up, curious. "A feeling?"
Kei's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of confidence glinting within them.
"Yes," he said. "A prediction. That boy… won't be ordinary."
He smiled faintly. "In fact, I'm certain — he will awaken his bloodline."
It wasn't a baseless prediction.
Kei was thinking ahead — remembering what the future should hold.
The Kaguya bloodline didn't awaken through emotion or trauma like the Sharingan.
It was deeper — written into the genetic code, a gift of ancient bloodline inheritance from the Ōtsutsuki lineage.
Even the Sharingan, in its essence, was the same — a violent method of gene activation triggered by extreme emotional shock.
The Kaguya, however, relied entirely on dormant DNA — an awakening that could only occur in those with the purest strain of that ancient blood.
Kimimaro, Kei was sure, was one of those few.
Perhaps even the last.
Well… aside from one unpredictable variable.
Orochimaru.
That name alone made Kei's eyes harden.
Orochimaru — the man who had dissected the very essence of kekkei genkai, who had even dared to study the Rinnegan itself.
If anyone could artificially activate the Kaguya's dormant genes, it would be him.
If he succeeded… he could produce more like Kimimaro — shinobi capable of wielding the Shikotsumyaku, the Dead Bone Pulse.
Kei respected that level of brilliance.
Feared it, even.
Orochimaru was one of the few people in the world he truly took seriously — a man whose intellect was as dangerous as his ambition.
Even if, in the future, Orochimaru's endless soul-transfer technique eroded his will to nothing and left him vulnerable to genjutsu…
The fact remained — he had achieved near-immortality.
And his research?
Always groundbreaking. Always useful.
That was why Kei maintained contact with him — and intended to keep it that way.
He remembered something else too:
The Third Hokage's death — orchestrated by Orochimaru himself.
A disaster on the surface, yes… but one that brought unprecedented renewal to Konoha.
The attack on the Chūnin Exams had devastated the village, but it also forced a new generation to face war for the first time.
Before that, they had been soft — sheltered by peace.
Sandaime had ruled for too long after Minato's death, refusing to relinquish power.
But Orochimaru's invasion changed everything.
He killed the Kazekage, uniting Konoha and Suna through shared tragedy.
He killed Hiruzen, allowing the village's political system to reset.
He reminded every young shinobi what it meant to fight.
In the long run, the attack made Konoha stronger.
Maybe that was why Tsunade, after becoming the Fifth Hokage, never pursued Orochimaru's punishment.
And Kakashi, the Sixth, followed suit.
Orochimaru's so-called "sentence" — exile with full research freedom — was barely a punishment at all.
Because they both understood something:
He was dangerous, yes.
But his value far outweighed his sins.
"An interesting outcome indeed," Kei murmured to himself, eyes glinting with thought.
"If the Third ever becomes too… troublesome to remove cleanly," he mused, "then Orochimaru might just be the perfect solution."
A scapegoat. A weapon. A tool.
Kei wouldn't hesitate.
Obito and Orochimaru — those two were his ultimate contingency pieces.
Each capable of doing what he couldn't openly do himself.
But between the two, Orochimaru was the safer bet.
Obito had already shown a strange soft spot when it came to killing the old Hokage.
Orochimaru, on the other hand… planned every strike down to the last breath.
When he killed Hiruzen in the original timeline, there had been no coincidence about it.
Everything — every detail — had been orchestrated.
Kei didn't believe in luck.
He believed in preparation.
"The only wild card," he thought, "would be the Sand Village."
But as long as Konoha didn't publicly condemn Orochimaru, the man would walk free — even after such a grand act of treason.
And that was exactly what Kei needed.
A plan to remove the Third Hokage with honor — and to reshape Konoha's leadership in the aftermath.
It would take time.
But it would be worth it.
"If everything unfolds correctly," Kei murmured, eyes glinting dangerously, "by then, the Third's influence will already be gone.
And the Medical Corps…" — his lips curved — "will be entirely under my control."
"What's with that dangerous look?" Ayaka's voice broke his thoughts. She was smirking faintly. "Plotting something sinister again?"
Kei chuckled lightly. "Ah, yes — just the Third Hokage, this time."
Ayaka tilted her head, amused. "You're really planning to hand me the Medical Division, aren't you? Aren't you afraid it'll fall under Hyūga control? Especially if I'm still bound by the Caged Bird?"
Her words weren't wrong.
No great clan was free of ambition — and the Medical Corps was too valuable a department to ignore.
If Ayaka remained bound by the clan's seal, it was inevitable that the elders would try to use her authority for their own gain.
Kei's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't worry. I'll find a way to remove that seal. And if I can't…"
His tone dropped to a cold whisper.
"Then anyone who tries to exploit you will lose their hands."
Ayaka blinked — and then laughed softly. "My, Kei. So bloodthirsty. It's almost frightening."
"Is it?" He smiled faintly. "I've always considered myself gentle. But when people reach for what's mine…"
His eyes hardened.
"I make sure they remember whose table they're eating from."
Ayaka couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Yes… gentle isn't exactly the word I'd use for you."
She hadn't forgotten the storm he unleashed in Kirigakure — that apocalyptic display of power.
Someone like him didn't need to claim authority.
He was authority.
When he played by the rules, no one could outmatch him.
When others broke the rules… they simply didn't live long enough to regret it.
"By the way," Kei said casually, changing the subject, "did your clan head speak to you after you got back yesterday?"
Ayaka shook her head. "No. He has no idea what we were doing. He just asked what I've been up to these past few months. I think he suspects we left the village, but he doesn't dare ask."
"Reasonable," Kei chuckled. "It'd be strange if he hadn't noticed. We've been gone long enough."
He leaned back slightly. "Did he mention anything about the Police Force sub-division captains? We've been away for months — those recruits should be ready by now."
He wasn't wrong.
The trainees should've finished their programs ages ago.
If they hadn't, it would mean the current team leaders were failing their duties.
And Kei didn't tolerate incompetence.
"I haven't heard anything concrete," Ayaka replied. "But from what I gather, the elders and Fugaku have been… clashing.
They can't agree on who should be appointed. The elders have their own candidate — the clan head has another. It's been heated."
Kei smirked. "So my return stirred the nest, did it?"
He sighed lightly. "I made myself perfectly clear before I left — I don't want useless men holding rank. Did the elders not understand that?"
"Oh, they understand," Ayaka said dryly. "They're just gambling — testing how far they can push you. But your reputation for being unyielding makes them nervous."
Kei's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, deliberate calm.
"Then it's time I reminded them what happens when they push too far."
He looked at her steadily.
"Tell them this, Ayaka — tell them it comes directly from me.
They have three days to present a candidate I approve of."
His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
"Otherwise… they won't need to choose at all."