Honor!
14: Loyalty!
Honor!
Kei felt he had made himself perfectly clear.
His arguments should have been more than enough to justify why he refused to go to the battlefield.
But reason had never truly governed people’s actions.
Interests did.
The war on the front lines had placed enormous pressure on Minato Namikaze.
He hadn’t won Kushina Uzumaki’s hand in marriage simply because he was handsome.
His willingness to marry into the Uzumaki Clan had also been part of the arrangement.
He could make sacrifices for love.
But that didn’t mean he wanted to remain beneath others forever.
He wanted to distinguish himself.
He wanted achievements worthy of becoming Hokage.
Yet he couldn’t accomplish that alone.
So he had placed his hopes in the Uchiha Clan.
Back when Jiraiya had taken him to visit the village’s great clans, everyone had treated him warmly.
But Minato wasn’t naïve.
He understood that politeness didn’t mean support.
Of all those clans…
Only the Uchiha had ever shown genuine interest in working with him.
Originally, he had believed that with Fugaku’s agreement, today’s ceremony would persuade the major clans to send more shinobi to the front lines.
Once a great clan like the Uchiha took the lead…
The others would at least contribute something.
Even a token contribution from each clan could dramatically change the battlefield.
After all…
A shinobi from a ninja clan who possessed secret techniques could often match two or three ordinary shinobi.
That was common knowledge throughout the shinobi world.
Now, however…
Minato realized he had been overly optimistic.
The Uchiha were far from united.
Even the Clan Head couldn’t decide everything alone.
Still…
He believed the situation wasn’t beyond saving.
At the very least, he had learned one thing.
The young elder standing before him truly cared about his clan.
Young people were passionate.
If that sense of responsibility could be redirected…
From the Uchiha…
To Konoha…
Then perhaps today’s goal could still be achieved.
Fortunately for Minato…
Kei had no idea what he was thinking.
Otherwise, he’d probably have muttered: “What an overconfident guy…
that’s seriously off-putting.” “Kei.” Minato spoke gently.
“You’re still young.” “You don’t understand.” “Without the village, there is no family.” “If everyone thought only about protecting their own household instead of the village…” “Then the village itself would cease to exist.” Hearing that, Kei couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
Shinobi really are just a bunch of warriors.
Not much of a political education among them.
He had expected someone he admired like Minato to say something profound.
Instead…
It was simply the same old rhetoric in different words.
“Minato.” “The village was created in the first place to protect our families.” “If it can no longer protect those families…” “Then it has no reason to exist.” “Nonsense!” Before Minato could answer, Fugaku finally exploded.
“What kind of thing is that to say?” “This village was built with our ancestors’ blood!” Now that Kei had successfully convinced everyone that the Uchiha were one of Konoha’s founding clans…
Fugaku had no intention of letting him destroy that consensus in the very next breath.
Minato himself looked stunned.
“Kei…” “Don’t you love your village?” Kei smiled faintly.
“For all these years…” “The village has always asked whether the Uchiha love Konoha.” “But it has never once asked…” “Whether Konoha loves the Uchiha.” “…” “How could the village not love you?” Minato answered immediately.
“Konoha loves everyone who lives here.” “The Uchiha included.” “Love has always been something that goes both ways.” “The Uchiha are willing to walk ninety-nine steps toward Konoha.” “But first…” “The village has to take even one step toward us.” “We’ve already given so much.” “And yet…” “We’ve received nothing in return.” “What…” Minato asked quietly.
“Would the village have to do?” “Minato.” “You’re making too many assumptions.” “That’s not something you can decide.” “Go enjoy today’s welcome ceremony.” “After all…” “There won’t be many peaceful days like this left.” Silence.
Minato fell silent.
Orochimaru fell silent.
Fugaku didn’t want to remain silent…
Yet he found himself with nothing to say.
The welcome ceremony that Kei had seemed destined to ruin…
Had somehow become something entirely different.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon…
The gathering naturally came to an end.
Kei’s shadow stretched long across the street.
Everyone present was calculating something in their own minds.
Perhaps…
Only hot-blooded youths without ulterior motives weren’t.
Watching Kei walk away…
Itachi Uchiha suddenly called out.
“Uchiha Kei!” “When Konoha faces true destruction…” “Will you go to the battlefield?” “Or will you still find another excuse not to fight?” Everyone froze.
Only moments earlier…
They had all been questioning why they fought.
Yet somehow…
Itachi had reduced everything back to one simple accusation.
Lord Kei is afraid of war.
Kei almost felt sick.
He hated people whose instincts were frighteningly accurate.
We’ve built up the atmosphere this far…
So how is there still someone capable of arriving at the correct conclusion?
Minato’s eyes immediately lit up.
Whether Kei answered…
Or refused to answer…
It benefited Konoha.
If he answered, it could be dismissed as sophistry.
If he stayed silent…
People would assume he had no response.
Orochimaru’s expression turned even colder.
If I ever had a son like that…
What a headache he’d be.
What exactly does marriage bring a man?
Even Fugaku felt uneasy.
If Itachi were already Hokage…
Then those words would have been perfectly appropriate.
But spoken by a child?
Whether they were appropriate or not was another matter entirely.
Everyone held their breath.
They all wanted to see how Kei would respond.
After all…
Only moments ago he had built the image of a man acting for both the village and its people.
He couldn’t very well contradict himself now.
Itachi’s question was fascinating for another reason.
On the surface…
It was the village questioning the Uchiha.
It was merely voiced through an Uchiha child.
Even if it proved inappropriate…
People could simply dismiss it as disagreement within the Uchiha Clan itself.
A few seconds stretched into an eternity.
Then…
Kei’s voice drifted back from the distance.
“My heart and my actions are utterly clear, like a polished mirror.” “Everything I do is justice.” Without waiting for anyone’s reaction…
He raised one arm high.
“Uchiha!” “Let’s go home!” At that moment…
The word Uchiha no longer referred only to Kei’s own faction.
It included every Uchiha who had been scattered across different battlefronts and had finally returned for rotation.
Every Uchiha who had always felt out of place within Konoha.
For the first time…
They seemed to have found somewhere they truly belonged.
The members of the Shinsengumi quietly sheathed their swords.
Moving with flawless discipline, they returned to Kei’s side in perfect formation.
Then they shouted in unison.
“Loyalty!
Honor!” The powerful cry echoed across the street.
Soon…
Other Uchiha, though not fully understanding why, instinctively joined in.
“Loyalty!
Honor!” “Loyalty!
Honor!” The chant spread from one voice to another without end.
One after another…
They silently fell into formation behind Kei.
At that instant…
Two completely different worlds appeared within Konoha.
On one side…
The villagers celebrated in loud, carefree disorder.
On the other…
The Uchiha marched home with unwavering discipline and military precision.
The contrast could not have been clearer.
The villagers who remained behind stared silently after them.
The disdain in their eyes had not disappeared.
But now…
It was mixed with something else.
Envy.
And longing.