Chapter 337 — Opportunity
The relationship between Kei and Ayaka had shifted into something subtly strange—
a change only the two of them seemed faintly aware of.
Even then, neither intended to alter their stance nor attitude.
If anything, both wondered privately whether they were simply overthinking things.
In the end, they buried the unease in their hearts.
They had far more important matters to deal with.
Neither had achieved the goals they truly sought, and allowing themselves to be distracted by inexplicable emotions served no one's interests.
So they focused—each on their own path.
---
Ayaka's Experiment: Phase Two Begins
Ayaka's first experimental phase was nearing completion.
Though not entirely finished, it had progressed to the point where she could already prepare for Phase Two.
Preparation ensured that the next stage would proceed without interruption.
This woman always planned her research with meticulous precision.
Her genetic activation had reached the 10–33 sequence range, an astonishing achievement for a first fusion.
But it still wasn't enough.
Her body had not yet adapted to the foreign power; the fusion efficiency was… ordinary at best.
Even so, she had already awakened three separate sequences—a promising sign.
And once her body adapted?
Once fusion efficiency increased?
Once she pushed Kimimaro's genetic gifts to their limit?
How many sequences could she ultimately activate?
Could she reach all thirty-three?
That answer remained unknown, hidden in the future of her experiment.
But for now, she was satisfied—and cautiously optimistic.
---
Kei's Progress: A Stagnant Plateau
Compared to Ayaka, Kei's situation was… less impressive.
Without real combat to accelerate fusion, his triple-fusion progress had slowed significantly.
He returned from the Land of Water in one state and remained almost unchanged now.
It was embarrassing.
Even worse—
his eye evolution was stuck at a perpetual, taunting 99%, refusing to budge.
It was like watching a download bar freeze at the very end.
Infuriating.
He pondered why his ocular evolution seemed separate from his physical fusion.
Did a full Eternal Mangekyō really not need complete ocular maturation to unlock the Fourth Stage Susanoo?
The more he thought about it, the more the theory made sense.
After all—
• Shisui opened Susanoo with only one eye.
• Itachi, resurrected with infinite chakra, manifested a perfect form instantly.
Both lacked Eternal Mangekyō-level stability, yet they succeeded.
Perhaps Susanoo could be forced open through sheer will and chakra, bypassing certain requirements.
But Kei dismissed the thought.
Shisui was suicidal.
Itachi was literally a chakra-cheating undead.
Kei had no reason to walk their paths.
He already had a far more rational solution—
Tailed Beast chakra.
Even a fragment of the Three-Tails had strengthened him.
So what about more?
And what about Nine-Tails chakra?
He'd already marked it as his next target.
But before moving, he needed Obito's intel.
Before Obito left, Kei gave him one order:
Investigate whether the Fire Daimyō's guardians had gathered traces of Nine-Tails chakra.
Obito had been confused about Kei's source of information but didn't refuse.
He even volunteered to retrieve the chakra himself.
Kei had been tempted—but ultimately shook his head.
"Kakashi is being groomed for ANBU Commander.
If someone has secretly collected chakra from the Nine-Tails incident, it means they're hiding major secrets.
Letting Kakashi handle it benefits everyone.
I'll inform the Fourth.
You focus only on reconnaissance—I don't want you exposed.
And you don't want Kakashi to miss out on the achievement… right?"
Obito had no idea how Kei could turn even Nine-Tails chakra into political leverage.
But he accepted the mission.
Now Kei simply had to wait.
With time finally freed, Kei returned to the documents—
the knowledge Black Zetsu had passed to Obito, originally meant to shape him into Madara's successor.
Incomplete? Certainly.
Useful? Absolutely.
Even in its censored form, Kei could glimpse:
• Uchiha forbidden techniques
• Six Paths arts
• Yin–Yang Release
• Advanced Sharingan theory
• Mangekyō combat methodologies
• Forgotten jutsu lost to the clan
Years ago, he had discovered the method to awaken Susanoo cheaply from Madara's scattered diary notes.
Now he held far more than scraps.
If he didn't exploit this opportunity, he truly would be no better than Obito.
"Uchiha forbidden arts, Six Paths techniques, Yin–Yang Release… this is incredible."
After days of sorting through the material, Kei finally leaned back with a headache.
"There's so much here.
Mastering it all will take ages.
And I still have to figure out what's missing in this edited version.
What a pain…"
Still—he would learn it.
He had to.
Power of this scale was impossible to ignore.
---
"What exactly have you been doing these last few days?"
Ayaka's voice drifted from behind him.
"You haven't shown up at the office. You're not handling paperwork. Not training.
Just staring at these pages endlessly. Can you even understand anything by just reading?"
"In learning, you filter before you absorb," Kei replied without looking up.
"And I have to be cautious. Those documents may not be complete—and they may contain traps."
Ayaka had noticed the documents long ago.
They were clearly Uchiha-related, and clearly from that "mysterious Uchiha" Kei kept secret about.
Her interest was mild, but Kei's caution intrigued her.
"You don't trust him?" she asked.
"Isn't he your subordinate?"
"Yes, he is." Kei closed the folder.
"But the person feeding him this information is NOT mine."
"I see… so you think the documents may be incomplete. Even misleading."
Ayaka nodded thoughtfully.
"You're right to be cautious.
One mistake with material like this and you may not survive the consequences."
"Thanks for the concern," Kei smirked.
"But those people's methods are predictable.
If they wanted to sabotage me, it'd take far more than this."
Kei knew very well that whether something was complete or not—he would never trust Uchiha Madara or Black Zetsu.
Especially Black Zetsu.
That creature was a crawling, eternal parasite—
a millennium-old schemer built solely to serve Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's will.
Someone like that was Kei's natural enemy.
A threat that would never change sides.
"Right… what did you come here for?" Kei asked as he shook away his thoughts, turning to Ayaka.
"My preparations for Phase Two are nearly complete. I might need—"
"Ah, I get it. Kimimaro, right? It's just—"
"Just what? Bringing him out is a problem?"
"Of course not. Go prepare his file. I'm simply… disappointed.
You didn't come here for me, huh?"
Ayaka's face instantly darkened.
"Your jokes need limits, you bastard!"
Her indignation was sharp, but Kei found it oddly pleasant.
It wasn't like the satisfaction he'd felt years ago when he exposed her fake injury in the hospital—
no, this was something different.
Something harder to identify.
But Kei knew one thing: he couldn't push it too far.
Kimimaro was now officially studying within ANBU.
Kei had kept his promise:
once Ayaka completed enough of her initial experiments, he relocated Kimimaro under ANBU supervision.
Currently, the boy was likely training with Kakashi.
He didn't live in ANBU housing—each night he returned to the Uchiha compound.
Kakashi was a little stressed about Kei dumping such a troublesome child onto him.
Kakashi also suspected… something.
But ANBU had rules, discipline.
Even if he had guesses, he would never voice them.
By all accounts, Kimimaro was doing well.
He had a lot to learn—ninja knowledge, village values, and regular monitoring of his emotional stability.
All necessary steps if the boy was going to remain in Konoha long-term.
Kei's influence in the village had grown so large that Kakashi's attitude toward him had softened even further—especially after the "Obito incident."
Truthfully, Kei could have taken Kimimaro away for several days without even asking Minato.
And Kakashi probably wouldn't question it.
But Kei chose to follow proper procedure.
He had no interest in destabilizing the delicate balance of the village.
Minato likely understood what Kei and Ayaka were doing as well.
Medical division was off-limits; few in ANBU knew Kimimaro's condition besides Kakashi.
So, Minato tacitly acknowledged Kei and Ayaka as Kimimaro's primary guardians.
He'd turn a blind eye as long as they didn't step over the line.
Not out of favoritism—
but because a Hokage had to compromise at times.
However, one rule remained absolute:
No harming Konoha's people.
No violating another's will.
Predictably, when Kei visited Minato to request Kimimaro for a few days, Minato felt uneasy—
but didn't refuse.
"Relax. I just discovered something," Kei said lightly.
"It is related to experimentation, but it's for his own good. The Medical Division is not an option for him, so you likely aren't aware of his condition."
"Oh?" Minato raised an eyebrow.
"Something new? Or… something wrong with the boy?"
"Yes," Kei said, handing over a prepared report.
"His kekkei genkai awakened too early.
It may trigger unforeseen complications. That's why I warned ANBU not to let him use it—and ideally, delay all training in that area."
"You mean—" Minato skimmed the files, his expression tightening—
"Kekkei Genkai Syndrome?"
Very few outside bloodline clans understood the concept.
Fused-chakra bloodlines typically didn't suffer from it.
But body-altering bloodlines—like the Kaguya clan—were highly susceptible.
If used too young, their abilities could destabilize their own biology.
Minato hadn't known this before becoming Hokage, but he'd learned much since then.
And Kimimaro fit the risk profile perfectly.
Kei nodded.
"So yes—we need to monitor him closely."
"I understand," Minato replied.
"I'll instruct Kakashi. No bloodline usage, and no training in that area."
"Good. If he matures safely, who knows—Konoha might gain an entirely new clan."
Kei smiled.
"And from now on Ayaka will submit routine reports. She's excellent in this field."
Minato chuckled.
"Looks like Ayaka is earning your approval.
And she seems gifted at administration as well.
You've chosen a fine assistant."
Kei smiled inwardly.
That was exactly the impression he wanted Minato to have.
Establish Ayaka as a competent medical and administrative figure—
and she would have a far better chance at securing the future Medical Division Director position.
Shisui had begun to rise.
Kei needed preparations in place.
He also found himself oddly amused:
Why were all Uchiha with Mangekyō potential either traitors or maniacs?
One was a millennium-old mole.
The rest were turncoats of varying degrees.
If Kei hadn't appeared, the clan would have been doomed.
But with Shisui as a pawn, and Fukuhiko Kohei being uncertain, Kei felt confident he could outmaneuver Hiruzen's faction.
Inside the rules, they could compete fairly.
Outside the rules?
Kei would crush them instantly.
Which was why he needed every piece of his long-term plan in place—including control over the Medical Division.
"She's more than capable," Kei continued aloud.
"She could run a department on her own."
Minato smiled.
"I never underestimate your generation. You're fifteen and already running the Police Force flawlessly.
And I've heard excellent things about Kenta Imai—though he has a habit of skipping shifts."
"Kakashi is also performing well. His age works against him, but his talent is undeniable.
Your cohort may very well become Konoha's greatest generation."
He's not wrong, Kei thought.
This was Konoha's First Golden Generation.
The second would be Naruto and Sasuke's era.
"Maybe so," Kei said lightly. "But the future is the future.
Right now matters most."
He paused, then asked—
"Is the competition for ANBU Commander harsh?"
"Very," Minato admitted.
"I'm not appointing him directly. He must win the position.
All he needs is the right opportunity."
"Oh? Speaking of opportunities—
I forgot to mention something."
Kei stroked his chin.
"Recently, one of my men told me his family member overheard rumors in the capital—
someone has been collecting the Nine-Tails' residual chakra."
Minato's expression hardened instantly.
That was a serious matter.
Kei continued,
"I didn't report earlier because it was only a rumor.
I didn't want to alert the enemy prematurely.
So I sent 'Rin'—to investigate discreetly."
Minato nodded slowly. Obito was well-suited for covert work.
"Any results yet?"
"Not yet.
But Minato-san…
if the rumor is real—
don't you think this could be Kakashi's chance?"
---