Uchiha Kei, don’t be afraid.
The sun will rise as always.
That night, everyone finalized their own plans to deal with Uchiha Kei, all determined to eliminate the outspoken young man before he could fully mature into a threat.
So what?
Kei still opened his eyes to greet the next morning’s sunrise.
In fact…
He knew every one of their plans.
Early the next morning, Uchiha Hotaru was reporting everything that had happened in Konoha to Kei.
Her report was so detailed that it even included what had transpired in Uchiha Fugaku’s bedroom the previous night.
For an ordinary woman, such information would have been unbearably embarrassing to recount.
But as an intelligence officer…
It was simply professionalism.
Her responsibility was to deliver every piece of intelligence to her leader without omission.
As for the conclusions drawn from that intelligence— That was for her leader to decide.
Trusting him to do so was itself an expression of confidence in his judgment.
“Lord Kei,” Hotaru reported, “after Clan Head Fugaku had a brief conversation with Itachi last night, he returned to his room.
According to the butterfly we stationed outside his door…” “…Clan Head Fugaku appeared to be in exceptionally high spirits.” “He kept at it the entire night.” As she spoke, Hotaru lightly licked her crimson lips, looking almost as though she were savoring the memory.
She radiated the mature charm of a married woman.
She was as beautiful as a butterfly.
She also possessed a unique genjutsu that allowed her to summon illusionary butterflies, along with an innate affinity for snakes.
Beauty…
Danger…
And temptation…
All wrapped into one.
Uchiha Hotaru Ninjutsu: A Taijutsu: B Genjutsu: A+ Unfortunately…
Kei felt none of that temptation.
Only speechlessness.
…Sigh.
She used to be such an innocent girl.
Back then, he’d noticed the mutual affection between Hotaru and Uchiha Maru, so he had personally officiated their wedding.
When he’d first brought up the subject to her…
The young girl had blushed so fiercely that she looked like a kettle about to whistle.
Only two years had passed since their marriage.
How had she become this uninhibited?
Openly discussing her clan leader’s bedroom activities with her superior…
Right in the courtyard.
So this is the difference between a maiden and a married woman?
Does this count as workplace harassment?
For one absurd moment, Kei imagined himself saying: “Madam…
you wouldn’t want Mr.
Maru to hear about this, would you?” The atmosphere instantly transformed into something completely different.
Thankfully…
Over the past two years, he’d come to understand exactly what kind of people his subordinates were.
They were real human beings.
The ideological imprint placed upon them ensured absolute loyalty to Uchiha Kei.
It did not erase their personalities.
Nor their emotions.
And Kei had absolutely no interest in creating bad blood with Uchiha Maru— A man capable of slicing solid rock apart with a single strand of hair.
Uchiha Maru Ninjutsu: B Taijutsu: A+ Genjutsu: C Besides…
He had long since accepted another fact.
None of the kunoichi summoned through his system had fallen in love with him.
Not even the unmarried ones.
Hotaru’s marriage had even received his personal blessing.
As for the others…
He had no intention of pursuing them either.
The satisfaction that came from power…
Far surpassed the fleeting pleasures of romance.
Closing his eyes, Kei silently organized the intelligence he’d received.
He quickly accepted reality.
The Hokage’s Faction…
Danzō’s faction…
Even Itachi Uchiha…
All had begun entertaining thoughts that they never should have had.
Namely— Killing him.
Fortunately…
They weren’t working together.
Each side was still pursuing its own plan independently.
Among them…
Danzō’s was by far the stupidest.
He intended to assassinate Kei the moment he found himself alone.
It was the simplest plan.
The crudest plan.
And, admittedly…
Potentially the most effective.
If it succeeded, everything afterward would become irreversible.
But that was also why Kei considered it so foolish.
Because it handed him the perfect justification to escalate matters.
You can try to assassinate me.
Then I can assassinate you.
Fair is fair.
Danzō…
You’ve always been so arrogant.
Always convinced that no one would ever dare strike back at you.
What Danzō had forgotten…
Was that all of his previous victims had been isolated individuals with no backing.
This time…
His opponent was another leader of an armed organization.
Neither of them were invincible fighters.
Both relied on loyal subordinates.
Who didn’t have a few men willing to die for them?
How had Danzō convinced himself that he alone possessed the right to kill others…
Without ever becoming a target himself?
Kei didn’t even need to kill Danzō.
All he had to do was release enough false intelligence to lure Root into deploying large numbers of agents.
Then…
While Danzō’s forces were scattered…
Strike directly at Root’s headquarters.
Drag the man who had hidden in darkness for decades…
Out into the sunlight.
Once exposed…
Danzō would lose the greatest advantage he possessed.
From then on…
Every move he made would be constrained.
And if Kei could tie all of Danzō’s crimes back to the Third Hokage…
That would be even better.
You think I’m your prey.
But I’ve already turned you into bait.
This gamble…
Would depend entirely on Danzō’s luck.
If he was lucky…
He would simply die.
Quickly.
Cleanly.
But if fortune abandoned him…
Then he could spend the rest of his miserable life crawling beneath the light of day.
Compared to Danzō’s stupidity…
Itachi’s hopes seemed almost innocent.
Even his use of a secret communication technique to contact Shisui Uchiha only made Kei smile.
How wonderfully naïve.
Children always imagined an ideal world.
They believed reality would bend to match their convictions.
Completely ignorant…
Of how ugly human nature could truly be.
You think Shisui can stop me?
Let him first survive the consequences of his own failures.
Although the Third Shinobi World War had not officially begun…
It was already impossible to conceal that the Land of Fire had simultaneously clashed with both the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water along its eastern front.
The Hidden Sand Village, long resentful of Konoha’s dominance, had already grown restless.
Its long-prepared “righteous” betrayal from the western front was ready to begin.
Military campaigns between nations were never arranged overnight.
Anyone paying close attention could see the warning signs.
Before war officially erupted…
One side merely fabricated a paper-thin excuse.
The other…
Simply chose not to believe the danger.
Or perhaps…
Those who recognized what was happening each had their own reasons for allowing it to unfold.
Kei was one of them.
Thanks to his knowledge of history…
Combined with his intelligence network…
He could accurately predict the Land of Wind’s next move.
Yet he had deliberately chosen not to interfere.
Because his true objective lay elsewhere.
The Land of Rivers.
Although the country was poor and barren…
It possessed something Kei wanted.
The Red-Eye Clan.
They, too, possessed crimson eyes.
But unlike the Uchiha…
They lived in misery.
Having lost their ninjutsu traditions generations ago, they were no longer capable of serving as shinobi.
Instead…
They had become targets.
Ordinary villagers vented their resentment toward shinobi by taking it out on them.
They were ostracized everywhere they went.
Kei intended to recruit them all.
He would grant them the surname Uchiha.
Bring them back to Konoha.
And train them himself.
Possessing a bloodline limit, they were naturally suited to becoming shinobi.
More importantly…
Their dōjutsu was a natural counter to the Hyūga Clan’s Byakugan.
When the time came…
He would simply claim they were Uchiha whose Sharingan awakening had failed.
Who would dare challenge him?
After all…
Who understood the Uchiha better than Uchiha Kei?
For that reason…
Kei had invested considerable effort into ensuring the Red-Eye Clan’s lives remained difficult.
After all…
If they weren’t driven to absolute desperation…
Why would they follow him with unwavering loyalty?
One of Kei’s most charismatic subordinates— Gennosuke— Was currently carrying out that very mission.
Bandits…
Rogue Ninja …
All had been manipulated into relentlessly harassing the Red-Eye Clan.
The weak would be eliminated.
Those willing to sacrifice themselves for their people would survive.
All the while…
Gennosuke secretly protected the worthy.
Then…
At the moment of utter despair…
He would descend like a savior.
Rescuing them from the depths of hell.
Overnight…
The destitute refugees would become members of the prestigious Uchiha Clan.
Failed Sharingan awakenings.
A cadet branch serving the main family.
As for the Rogue Ninja and bandits responsible for persecuting them…
Gennosuke would lead the Red-Eye Clan in slaughtering every last one of them.
Years of pent-up hatred would finally find release.
And the true reason behind their suffering…
Would disappear forever.
Kei was convinced.
Someone who had climbed from absolute despair into paradise…
Who had crossed the gulf between the oppressed and the privileged…
Would willingly give everything for the glory of the Uchiha.
By then…
They would worship the Uchiha almost as gods.
The plan was progressing smoothly.
Now all that remained…
Was for war to erupt between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, completely destroying the already fragile living conditions within the Land of Rivers.
To achieve that…
The Sand shinobi needed to launch their surprise invasion.
March through the Land of Rivers.
Then link up with the Hidden Mist forces landing from the east to create a pincer attack against Konoha.
Oh, right…
In this world’s history, the present-day Land of Bears occupies what was once the Land of Whirlpools.
Once such a front was established…
The limited border conflicts between the hidden villages would end.
The Third Shinobi World War would truly begin.
At that point…
No one could afford to hold back anymore.
Konoha would be forced to commit every ounce of its strength to a full-scale counteroffensive.
It couldn’t allow the other villages to sense weakness.
And once the front collapsed…
Someone would have to take responsibility.
The deputy commander on that front— Shisui Uchiha— would become the perfect scapegoat.
After all…
The commander-in-chief was a member of the Nara Clan.
One of the Hokage’s staunchest supporters.
Naturally…
The blame would fall upon the Uchiha instead.
Even if Shisui himself was equally loyal to the Hokage.
And you’re counting on Shisui to come back and deal with me?
How naïve.
You’d better hope he doesn’t end up becoming another Sakumo Hatake, crushed beneath the village’s condemnation.
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