Chapter 336 — A Relationship Growing Ever More Complicated
Obito and Kakashi talked for quite a while, and from a distance it was obvious just how happy the two of them were.
Unfortunately, other people's happiness is not always contagious.
While Kakashi and Obito basked in their reunion, Uchiha Kei and Ayaka were becoming more and more uncomfortable.
Neither of them knew why.
Perhaps Kei's earlier remark had hit too hard.
Or perhaps Ayaka's icy expression meant her mind was preoccupied—likely with Kimimaro and his condition.
Regardless, after a single awkward exchange, the two simply went silent… and stayed silent for far too long.
Thankfully, Kakashi and Obito eventually remembered the existence of the two people waiting nearby.
If they hadn't returned when they did, Kei and Ayaka might really have stood there awkwardly all afternoon.
The awkwardness came suddenly, and vanished just as suddenly.
Once Kakashi and Obito returned, everything snapped back to normal.
Kei couldn't help being curious, though:
How exactly were Kakashi and this "Uchiha Rin" interacting now?
From their conversation, Kakashi consistently called him "Rin," which confirmed Obito hadn't revealed anything.
Obito knew Kakashi too well—
and he certainly knew Kei too well—
so of course he'd find a way to build a connection without exposing himself.
Still, this wasn't Kei's main concern.
His goal was simple:
Use Obito's brief return to strengthen Obito's ties to Konoha…
and use that same opportunity to strengthen his own ties with his old classmates.
He had no idea how many class reunions their graduating class had held by now.
But one thing he knew for certain—
he had never once been able to attend.
This time, he wasn't going to miss the chance.
So that very night, Kei paid out of pocket to invite every single member of their graduating class—
close friends, distant acquaintances, even people he barely remembered.
Not only did this give Obito some cover,
it also gave Kei the perfect opportunity to rebuild relationships that had grown distant.
To his relief, aside from Guy and Kakashi,
none of their classmates reacted strangely to Obito's presence.
Some were curious, yes—but no one else sensed what Guy and Kakashi had sensed.
Guy's instincts truly were beast-like.
And Kakashi… well, faced with Obito's aura directly, how could he not notice something?
That night's gathering served its purpose perfectly.
Kei rekindled nearly all the connections he had neglected over the years.
With his rising status and constant absence from social events, those relationships had inevitably thinned.
But tonight, the distance dissolved.
Old classmates laughed again, bonds renewed.
Of course, maintaining those bonds would take time—nothing lasting is built in a single night.
But Kei understood that well.
—
The next day, Kei brought Obito to meet Minato.
Minato wasn't surprised to see him.
He had likely sensed Obito's return ahead of time—
or perhaps Kakashi had already reported it.
Either way, Minato welcomed him warmly.
Relationships, after all, require maintenance—
even between teacher and student.
They talked for a long time.
Mostly, Obito apologized—asking for forgiveness, for redemption.
And Minato, gentle as always, forgave him.
They exchanged a few pieces of important information.
Kei simply stood aside and watched the scene unfold.
Warm, yes.
Meaningful, certainly.
And also, to Kei, incredibly dull.
But now that Obito had met the people he needed to meet,
he had fulfilled all the goals of his return to Konoha.
Whether he stayed a few more days or chose to leave immediately was up to him.
But one requirement was absolute:
He must be certain he was not being watched.
And under no circumstances could he reveal his identity.
Kei didn't even need to remind him—Minato repeated that warning several times.
To be safe, Minato even used his now-proficient Sage Mode to check Obito carefully for any traces of surveillance or foreign chakra.
Obito understood very well:
his presence here was dangerous.
Staying too long could cause problems for everyone.
Still, he wanted to savor the feeling of being home again.
So in the end, he chose to stay one extra day—
and only then did he depart.
When he finally left Konoha, both Kei and Minato quietly exhaled in relief.
That kid… his emotions were far too volatile.
And volatile people attract trouble like magnets.
"Finally gone, huh?"
Deep underground in Kei's personal laboratory, Kei lounged lazily in a chair, flipping through a stack of documents.
Ever since Obito returned to the village, Kei had barely had the time—or the peace of mind—to read a single page.
Now that Obito was finally gone, how could he resist diving into these papers?
After all, these documents contained everything Black Zetsu had taught Obito.
Kei highly doubted their completeness—Black Zetsu was never the type to hand over all his cards.
But incomplete or not, the knowledge was still valuable.
---
"Hey… who was that kid, anyway?"
Imai Kenta asked weakly while rubbing his sore arms.
He still hadn't fully recovered from the latest round of experimental fusion.
"They say he's from the Police Force. But how come I don't remember ever seeing him?"
"When did you start getting this curious?"
Ayaka Hyūga tossed a cleaned syringe into the waste bin.
"Instead of worrying about that, maybe worry about your own condition. Do you have any idea how pathetic your fusion progress is?"
"Come on, that's not exactly something I control," Kenta sighed.
"And besides… I've got a feeling that kid is going to be trouble. We're all on the same team now—if he gets us into something, am I supposed to run? Doesn't hurt to be mentally prepared."
"You actually guessed right." Kei finally looked up.
"That kid is definitely a walking disaster. And the part that'll cause you trouble…?"
A faint, dangerous smile rose on Kei's lips.
"You'd only become a real problem once you figure out who he really is."
Obito's identity was a ticking bomb.
Anyone who learned it would instantly find themselves crushed beneath political pressure—
not from enemies, but from the Hokage's side.
A secret that enormous, known by only a handful in all of Konoha?
Of course it was dangerous.
Kenta swallowed hard.
Before he could respond, Kei continued.
"He's a member of the Police Force, yes. But he's not like the others."
Kei's expression turned playfully cryptic.
"I stationed him in a certain other country… handling some very 'special' assignments."
"Stop. STOP. STOP!"
Kenta immediately cut him off, face darkening.
"Don't say another word. I don't want to hear about any 'special assignments.' I only want to know one thing."
"Oh? And what's that?" Kei asked, amused.
"That kid…"
Kenta swallowed again.
"…does the Hokage know?"
Obito's meeting with Minato was a top-secret matter.
Only Kei had arranged it—thanks to Kamui, nobody had seen Obito come or go.
The problem? Kei had bypassed ANBU authority and started running his own espionage network.
That wasn't just bold—it bordered on challenging the Hokage's entire chain of command.
Now Kenta deeply regretted even asking.
"Of course the Hokage knows," Kei said lightly.
"That kid operates under joint orders from me and the Hokage. Still want to hear more?"
"Nope! You didn't say anything. I didn't hear anything!"
Kenta waved his hands frantically.
Some secrets were meant for burial—preferably far away from him.
"You hypocrite," Ayaka muttered.
"But he wasn't wrong—dangerous things are best left untouched. Isn't that right? Isn't that right?"
"Alright, cut it out."
Kenta ignored her sarcasm and turned to the practical topic instead.
"So… how's your experiment going?"
Ayaka silently tossed a report onto the table.
The first stage of her research was nearly complete.
Her activated genetic sequences were still limited, but she intended to squeeze every ounce of potential out of Kimimaro.
Unlike Kei and Kenta, she possessed an incredible advantage—
Kimimaro was alive.
A living, growing bloodline limit was an endless resource.
White Zetsu cells were potential but finite.
Sharingan cells were irreplaceable.
But Kimimaro?
He was a regenerating, evolving source of genetic power.
Ayaka wanted to see:
How far could she go?
Could her Hyūga biology—once saturated—finally break free from the Cage Bird seal?
She didn't know yet. But she intended to find out.
Ayaka walked toward Kei, curious.
He was completely absorbed in those documents.
What kind of knowledge could fascinate someone as composed and calculating as Uchiha Kei?
And stranger still…
she could feel it, undeniably—
her relationship with him was growing more and more incomprehensible.