Chapter 278 – I Hope You Survive
"That's the situation in full.
Prepare yourselves accordingly."
Kei leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced beneath his chin.
A faint smile curved his lips as he watched the three division captains standing before him, each lost in their own thoughts.
He had just delivered a piece of news that hit them like a thunderclap—
the complete reorganization of the Konoha Police Force.
The department had already undergone quiet, sweeping reforms ever since Kei's appointment — even back when he was only the Deputy Commander.
But this time, it was different.
This change wasn't quiet. It was structural, fundamental — and shocking.
At first, his reforms had been relatively modest: enforcing conduct rules, standardizing patrol discipline.
Then, gradually, Kei had pulled the entire department under his direct control.
And now, he was reshaping it from the ground up.
The boldest move of all —
the creation of a Fourth Division.
For decades, the Police Force had operated with just three divisions, each with its own distinct patrol routes and coordination systems.
It had always been enough.
They were, after all, the village's primary combat-ready defense unit.
Adding an entirely new division — and expanding personnel — would have caused panic in anyone else's administration.
But Kei had pushed it through smoothly, effortlessly.
That alone spoke volumes.
The Fourth Hokage didn't just approve of Kei. He trusted him — almost too much.
Now, in the aftermath of the Nine-Tails' attack, with the village being rebuilt, Kei was openly extending his influence.
And instead of opposition…
He was being celebrated.
Supported.
Encouraged.
It was unthinkable — and yet, he'd done it.
---
Uchiha Kawa and Uchiha Ryu were clearly exhilarated, already calculating how to manage their respective new districts.
Their excitement was almost palpable; this was a chance to prove themselves — and earn Kei's personal approval.
But Uchiha Jun, standing silently beside them, wasn't smiling.
Jun had been with the department longer than either of them.
Despite her experience, she had never earned Kei's full trust.
At best, she was tolerated — useful, but not indispensable.
Worse, she could feel herself being quietly pushed aside.
The alliance between Kei and Fugaku had deepened without her involvement, leaving her out of the loop entirely.
She still delivered periodic intelligence reports to Fugaku, but even he seemed less interested in her information lately.
Her influence — once subtle but significant — was fading.
And now, with this new restructuring, she was certain of one thing:
If she were reassigned as a division leader to an external district, she would be cut off from headquarters.
Cut off from Kei.
Her mission would effectively be over.
Still, she kept her composure.
"Understood, Commander," said Kawa and Ryu in unison.
Their voices were firm — eager.
Kei nodded slightly.
"Good. Do your jobs well.
Also, your jōnin promotion papers — submit them soon.
Best to clear the bureaucratic hurdles now rather than later."
He paused, his tone sharpening slightly.
"Once the divisions are finalized, each sector will be evaluated.
I'll allow your teams to operate autonomously, but if your sector receives the most complaints or fails its assessments…"
He gave them a cool, warning look.
"Handle it yourselves. Don't embarrass me."
"Yes, Commander!"
Even Jun, despite her inner turmoil, straightened and answered loudly with the others.
She knew better than to hesitate — hesitation could easily be mistaken for disobedience.
And disobedience… would get her removed.
She couldn't afford that.
Not after coming this far.
---
"Commander," Jun spoke up suddenly, her tone measured.
"If we're all stationed in separate districts, then… what about coordination with headquarters—"
"Weekly meetings," Kei interrupted before she could finish.
"At least one every week — possibly more.
You'll all report directly to me.
I refuse to let this department blind itself through complacency."
He leaned back slightly.
"If our name is going to mean something again, you won't make me regret trusting you."
"Understood."
Uchiha Kawa hesitated, then asked,
"Commander, what about headquarters security? Who's staying to protect the main office?"
Kei chuckled lightly.
"No need to worry. The Hokage has already approved an expansion of our staff.
But I'd rather fill headquarters with administrative shinobi, not more fighters.
The divisions will handle field operations — that's your responsibility. Headquarters is for governance, not war."
At that, Jun's eyes brightened — just for a moment.
Administrative personnel meant she might find a way back into relevance.
But she quickly masked the thought.
Now wasn't the time.
She'd play along — for now — and start grooming a successor to take her current position.
Someone loyal, pliable, and obedient.
Someone who could act as her hand inside the system once she was gone.
The idea began to take root in her mind, sharp and deliberate.
---
"That's all for now," Kei said finally, standing.
"Oh, and about the Fourth Division — keep them in training.
No deployment until they've proven themselves, and not before their captain is selected."
"Understood," the three replied in unison.
"Ryu, stay. The rest of you can go."
Kawa blinked, then nodded and left — pulling a reluctant Jun with him.
Ryu stayed behind, visibly nervous, though his eyes gleamed with restrained anticipation.
He remembered the words Kei had spoken to him during the Nine-Tails' Night —
and now, standing alone before him, he couldn't help but feel his heart hammer faster.
Kei studied him silently for a moment, then placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're tense," Kei said quietly.
"Relax. You've earned this conversation."
Ryu swallowed hard.
No Uchiha could remain calm upon hearing what Kei was about to offer —
a way to awaken the Sharingan by unconventional means.
The path to the clan's power — and its curse — was opening before him.
And Kei, as always, stood at the center of it.
The rush of emotion had felt when he first succeeded in awakening his Sharingan was something he could still recall vividly to this day — the heat, the trembling thrill, the sudden clarity of the world.
Uchiha Kawa had gone through the same experience not long after, and Kei remembered how shaken he had been too — pale, exhausted, eyes blazing red for the first time.
Now it was Uchiha Ryu's turn.
Though he hadn't yet undergone the awakening himself, he knew — with almost perfect certainty — that Kawa had done it through Kei's "method."
And knowing that made his heart pound with a mixture of fear and anticipation that he could barely contain.
---
"Nervous?" Kei asked with a faint smile.
Ryu swallowed. "A little."
"Good," Kei said. "Nervousness keeps your mind active.
Once your spirit goes numb — once you lose that spark — things tend to go badly."
Ryu nodded uncertainly, not entirely sure what his commander meant.
But if Kei said that fear and tension were good, then maybe his current state — sweaty palms, restless heart, breath quickened — was exactly what Kei wanted.
He tried to steady himself, wondering what his commander was planning to do next.
No one truly knew how Kei's method worked.
Even Kawa, the only other person to have gone through it, refused to speak about it afterward.
The process remained shrouded in mystery — disturbing, unfathomable, and yet… irresistible.
---
"All right," Kei said suddenly, his smile fading as his tone turned serious.
"Before we begin, I have something to ask you."
Ryu straightened instinctively.
"The task I gave you and Kawa some time ago — creating those… sensitive materials — how's the progress?"
Ryu's voice dropped immediately, his tone respectful, cautious.
"It's finished, sir. Half of the files are stored in Captain Kawa's office, the other half in mine.
They're locked in the internal archives — I keep the only key on me."
Kei nodded approvingly.
"Good. And aside from you and Kawa… no one else knows?"
His eyes narrowed slightly. "You're certain there are no flaws? No traces left behind?"
Ryu hesitated only for a heartbeat, then lowered his gaze.
"Yes, Lord Kei," he said — the shift in title subtle but deliberate.
"We've made sure of it. No irregularities, no signs of tampering.
No one will ever know those documents were… fabricated."
His expression was solemn, his voice steady. Kei could see the sincerity in his eyes — the kind of cautious devotion he valued in subordinates.
Good.
Those files would soon be passed to Ayaka Hyūga, his most important collaborator.
If Kawa and Ryu were his most trusted lieutenants within the Police Force, then Ayaka was his most vital ally outside of it.
He had plenty of subordinates.
But very few people he truly trusted.
And he couldn't afford mistakes — not with her.
Still, he'd verify the materials personally once this was over.
For now, there was something else that required his attention.
---
Without another word, Kei's eyes shifted — the deep black turning to crimson as three tomoe spiraled outward.
The air seemed to grow colder, sharper, as the Sharingan awakened in full bloom.
Everyone in the village knew Fugaku Uchiha possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But few truly understood what that meant — the raw, overwhelming pressure it exuded, the terrifying beauty of it.
As for Kei… some suspected he possessed it too.
But only a handful knew for certain: Minato, Fugaku, and a select few others who had stood close enough to see the truth.
Even so, Kei rarely used the Mangekyō.
He had no need to. Especially not now — not on someone who hadn't even awakened the ordinary Sharingan yet.
This would require precision, not power.
---
"Keep your emotions sharp," Kei said quietly, his tone both calm and commanding.
"Don't let yourself go numb. Don't suppress what you feel.
And more importantly…"
His eyes met Ryu's — scarlet tomoe spinning like a silent storm.
"Stay alive, and wake up clear-headed."
Ryu blinked in confusion, his heart hammering.
"What…?"
But before he could speak further, the world around him blurred —
and the illusion began.
---