Chapter 317 – An Unexpected Move
Ayaka still couldn't figure out what was going on with Kei lately—
and Kei had no idea why Ayaka was reacting so strangely either.
But neither of them dwelled on it.
Some things were better left unexamined, lest the air turn awkward.
After Kei injected the new batch of refined serum and confirmed that his body showed no adverse reaction, he left the laboratory.
Ayaka still had her own work to do—particularly monitoring and analyzing Kimimaro's condition.
Kei went home and actually allowed himself a full day of rest.
The next morning, he rose early and reported to the Police Force.
He had already skipped work for several days; if he continued, Minato would probably show up at his house personally.
When he arrived at the Police HQ, Kei casually grabbed a Nara clansman on duty and told him to summon all three squad captains.
Then he sat down to review the stack of reports and proposals that had accumulated in his absence.
These documents contained disputes, recommendations, and provisional solutions from various departments.
Kei skimmed through them but quickly lost interest.
Most of it didn't concern him directly.
The only topics that carried any real weight were:
‧ Expansion of Police Authority
‧ Enforcement Power
But to Kei, these topics weren't negotiable at all.
He had already decided that the Police Force would eventually become Konoha's sole standard of law enforcement
—so there was no room for compromise unless Minato personally approached him and successfully persuaded him otherwise.
And truthfully, Minato had little reason to oppose him.
Kei's initiative to insert the Police Force into local civil disputes had already shown outstanding results.
Even the last district not yet under Police jurisdiction had begun petitioning for them to take over.
There was nothing to debate.
Still…
"Growing too fast looks… greedy."
Kei stroked his chin.
"Fine. We'll slow the expansion slightly. Let's finish establishing the civil-dispute system first, polish our procedures, gain full experience… then move outward."
He didn't agree with the objections raised by his subordinates, but some of their concerns were valid.
Expanding too aggressively risked creating backlash.
Kei was firm, but he wasn't arrogant—he welcomed useful input.
Those who refused to listen to advice never ended well. History had proved that countless times.
So he wrote down a set of revised instructions based on his thoughts.
And because he had just spoken to Shikaku Nara about reclaiming spy-hunting jurisdiction for the Police Force, he also needed to draft an implementation plan—
though he had no intention of leading this particular operation personally.
Better to wait for ANBU to coordinate, then integrate their findings.
"Chief."
A knock sounded. Kei called for them to enter.
The three captains walked in—Uchiha Kawa, Uchiha Ryu, and Uchiha Jun.
Behind them stood Ayaka… and the man Kei had already suspected would appear.
Hyūga Hizashi.
The younger brother of Hyūga Hiashi.
Only someone like Hizashi could simultaneously command respect from the branch family and suppress the arrogance of certain main-house members.
Kei inwardly sighed at the man's misfortune.
Born just minutes after his brother, condemned to a life of servitude under the Caged Bird Seal.
He remembered Hizashi's future—
the man who chose death to protect his brother, his clan, and the village,
declaring, "I do not die for the main family. I die to protect my brother and my village."
A true shinobi.
Kei had fought him before, so he knew Hizashi's strength.
Even using only taijutsu and shunshin, Kei had defeated him—but Kei had been using Mangekyō-level perception and a body enhanced by multiple serum rounds.
For an ordinary elite jōnin, Hizashi was undoubtedly formidable.
Kei's gaze lingered on Hizashi for a moment before turning to Ayaka.
"Ayaka… looks like your clan has made its decision."
"Yes, Chief."
Ayaka stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Hizashi-san is the most suitable candidate."
"I understand," Kei nodded. "I respect your clan's choice."
He shifted his attention to Hizashi.
"Well then, Hizashi-san… you'll be serving under me from now on. It may feel a bit degrading."
"I understand, Chief."
Hizashi's reply was calm, respectful—but not servile.
A perfect attitude, neither arrogant nor humbled.
Kei was satisfied.
A "compromise candidate" he might be, but once he joined the Police Force, he was Kei's subordinate.
That was enough.
And Kei no longer needed to plant someone to monitor him.
His control over the Police Force was absolute now.
"Good." Kei nodded, then addressed everyone present.
"Since we're all here, I'll outline your new assignments. Ayaka, stay behind. After this, take Captain Hizashi to meet his squad."
"Yes, Chief," Ayaka responded.
She had planned to leave, but since Kei wanted her present, she had no reason to refuse.
Kei handed the captains copies of the document he had drafted.
"Read along while I explain.
"First, your performance has been satisfactory. No major incidents occurred while I was away—good.
But things are about to get much busier.
"You three are to finalize the Civil Judicial Guidelines and fully standardize the operational procedures.
We need a unified enforcement system and unified judgment criteria.
"Consult the teams already handling civil cases—they'll give you useful insights."
The three captains exchanged thoughtful looks.
They had been deeply involved in this area already, so Kei trusted them to handle it.
Hizashi, meanwhile, remained quiet, observing everything with careful focus.
He was beginning to understand the true power of the Police Force.
Handling "civil cases" sounded trivial, but in reality, whoever controlled judicial authority controlled enormous political power.
And on the document… there was something else written.
Something far more shocking.
---
"Next," Kei continued, "about the Kirigakure spies. My report should have explained the situation clearly."
"Yes, Chief," the three captains answered.
"Good. Then you know what needs to be done."
Kei leaned back slightly, fingers interlocked beneath his chin.
"You now possess authority over civil oversight.
Use that reach.
Investigate thoroughly.
I don't want a single spy escaping—or passing on unwanted information. Understood?"
"Yes, Chief!"
This time, all four responded, Hizashi included.
"Chief," Uchiha Ryu suddenly asked, "why are we targeting Kiri's spies specifically? Did something happen? Because they sealed their borders?"
Kei chuckled lightly.
"Oh, it's more than just a border closure.
But don't worry—you'll hear the full story soon enough."
In truth, the intel was spreading faster than Kei expected.
Thanks to Shikaku and Minato deliberately guiding public attention, news of Kirigakure's "disaster" had swept through Konoha in just a few days.
Kei's destruction in Kirigakure hadn't merely caused casualties—it had shattered the village's dignity.
The incident was irresistible gossip fodder.
Even elite shinobi were stunned.
And Minato saw opportunity in the chaos.
By redirecting Konoha's anger and anxiety toward an external incident, he could ease internal tensions—especially those surrounding the Nine-Tails disaster.
Shikaku understood this perfectly and helped accelerate the spread.
Thus, within days, all of Konoha was talking.
---
"Hey, Kakashi! Heard the news?"
Might Guy grabbed Kakashi by the shoulder.
Kurenai, Asuma, and other classmates were gathered around.
"Kiri got wrecked!"
Kakashi rolled his eye.
"I work in ANBU. How could I not know?
And someone in ANBU must've leaked it. Completely unforgivable."
His tone was harsh, but inwardly he approved.
Konoha had suffered enough.
Many civilians and shinobi were still grieving the Nine-Tails attack, clinging to fear, anger, and resentment.
Some had even begun directing vague hostility toward the Nine-Tails' new host—dangerous signs of manipulation.
Kakashi didn't know who was stirring these emotions, but he felt certain someone was.
If the identity of the new jinchūriki leaked under these conditions, the consequences would be severe.
But now?
Kirigakure's catastrophe had completely diverted everyone's attention.
Iruka, listening on the side, looked shocked.
"Is it really possible for one person to do something like that?"
Kakashi sighed.
"There are things you guys don't know.
And remember… Kei used a massive chakra avatar to suppress the Nine-Tails before."
Everyone fell silent.
"Then… who was that Uchiha who attacked Kiri?"
someone finally asked.
"A rogue ninja?"
Kurenai glanced at Kakashi, curiosity flickering in her red eyes.
"Kakashi… does the Uchiha Clan have any missing-nin officially on record? Or—"
"No."
Kakashi cut her off before she finished.
"There are no rogue Uchiha listed in ANBU's files, and the village has never documented one either.
But there are Uchiha who went missing in action during the war. At least one we all know…"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Kurenai immediately realized she had touched on something she shouldn't have.
Uchiha losses weren't numerous, but definitely not rare—and among those missing was someone very close to Kakashi.
His best friend, his teammate, their classmate.
Might Guy, understanding the sudden heaviness in Kakashi's posture, quietly patted his shoulder.
War was cruel.
Their generation had more memories they wished they could forget than cherish.
To break the silence, Kurenai spoke again—hesitant, but curious.
"You don't think… what happened to Konoha last time… could've been caused by the same people?"
Asuma immediately answered, eager to speak up.
"My father told me—during the Nine-Tails incident, someone did attack. An Uchiha. His abilities were bizarre… probably the same group that struck Kirigakure."
Kakashi frowned.
He didn't interrupt Asuma, but he clearly disapproved.
The young Sarutobi was leaking information he shouldn't even know.
And calling the attacker "the Uchiha clan" was dangerous.
Terribly misleading.
Kakashi exhaled quietly in frustration.
Asuma was speaking from pain—after all, he had lost his mother that night.
Kakashi understood.
Even so, careless words could ignite unnecessary fires.
He finally spoke.
"Let me correct that:
They were Uchiha who abandoned the village and held a grudge against Konoha—NOT the Uchiha of Konoha.
"And we must be very clear about that.
Kei and his men saved countless lives that night. Their contributions were acknowledged by the Hokage himself.
I won't let vague accusations create misunderstandings."
Kurenai nodded.
"True. Even though his men kicked most of us out of the battlefield, his contribution was undeniable."
Then her expression shifted to curiosity again.
"Setting that aside… that attacker is terrifying. One person reduced half of Kiri to rubble and then escaped. That's insane."
"It IS insane," Guy agreed.
But then his fists clenched, veins bulging.
"No matter who he is… he released the Nine-Tails, destroyed our village, and caused so much suffering… I'll find him. I swear it!"
"Please," Kakashi muttered dryly.
"Those guys appear and disappear like ghosts. You think you can catch one?"
"Exactly," Kurenai added.
"But now I wonder… could Kei ever reach that level?"
Their small group was just one example.
Similar conversations were erupting across the entire village.
Unexpectedly, this sudden leak of Kirigakure's disaster had redirected Konoha's simmering resentment.
People now understood the Nine-Tails hadn't escaped naturally—
it had been released.
Their hatred shifted away from the beast…
and toward the unknown masked Uchiha who caused everything.
Exactly what Minato and Shikaku wanted.
---
Meanwhile, Underground…
Deep beneath Konoha, in an underground command room, the Third Hokage stared at the report in gloomy silence.
Beside him, Koharu and Homura looked equally unsettled.
It was too unexpected.
The Kirigakure incident had detonated at the worst possible time.
Because of it, their carefully laid political strategy—
their plan to destabilize Minato's position as Hokage—
had been abruptly crushed.
Yes.
They had been preparing to undermine the Fourth.
Minato was elected by the people…
and he was one of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Why not use that volatile combination—his popularity and his hidden identity—to turn public sentiment against him?
Koharu and Homura had already begun moving in secret.
But all of their calculations collapsed overnight.
Kirigakure had suffered a catastrophe mirroring Konoha's—
only worse.
Because of that, all their efforts were rendered useless.
Wasted.
Frustration simmered in the air.
After a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally put the report down.
"I can't believe… those people showed up again.
And at a time like this. The coincidence is ridiculous."
He knew very well what his two old teammates had been plotting.
He disapproved, but he didn't stop them.
Politics was dirty, and the stakes were high.
But no one could have predicted the masked Uchiha group would strike Kirigakure so destructively.
And so publicly.
Hiruzen gritted his teeth.
He hated those people—hated them so much he wanted to face them himself.
But deep down, he knew he stood no chance.
The masked Uchiha who fought that night…
and the unknown Uchiha who led the raid on Kiri…
Hiruzen knew he could not defeat either.
And there were multiple Uchiha involved.
"What now?"
Homura asked bitterly.
"Our plan failed. We lost a perfect opportunity. Those damned outlaws…!"
"Indeed. I want nothing more than to kill them myself!"
Hiruzen shook his head.
"But now that this has exploded, your propaganda must stop.
Seems fate really favors Minato."
"And what do we do next?" Koharu frowned.
"Continue to endure?"
"For now, yes," Hiruzen said.
"But I already have a plan."
He raised his pipe, inhaled deeply, and slowly exhaled smoke.
"If we can't touch Minato directly…
then we sever his wings.
"That mysterious organization has at least two Uchiha.
And we too have Uchiha in our hands.
"Besides…"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Don't forget—we still have our own Uchiha under our control."
---