Chapter 338 — Deep Strategy
"A chance for Kakashi?"
Minato looked at Uchiha Kei for a moment before letting out a helpless smile.
This kid…
He really was something.
Kei didn't have to say it directly.
If Minato couldn't understand what he was implying, he wouldn't be worthy of being Hokage.
Secretly collecting Nine-Tails chakra—
Such an act could be minor or enormous.
But in principle, anything involving the Kyūbi had to be treated as enormous.
Anyone seeking Nine-Tails chakra inevitably carried a plan, and that plan—and the identity of whoever was behind it—needed to be taken very seriously.
Kei's suggestion couldn't have been clearer:
If Obito verifies the rumor, then they must magnify the incident—treat it as a major case.
Once it becomes a "major incident," having Kakashi participate and resolve it would give him a massive advantage in the ANBU commander competition.
Handled correctly, this could even push Kakashi to a position beyond that.
A result both Minato and Kei wanted.
But how to operate such an incident…
That required someone on the ground.
Someone who could influence how big or small the matter became.
Minato thought it through carefully—
And realized only one person could realistically handle that kind of manipulation.
His eyes naturally drifted to Kei.
So that was Kei's plan—
Use this operation to propel Kakashi straight to the top of ANBU.
"…Isn't this a bit rushed?" Minato rubbed his chin.
"And can you really keep the situation within the scale we want?"
"I think it won't be a problem," Kei replied confidently.
"If it were outside the Land of Fire, maybe I'd hesitate.
But in the capital?
Doesn't that immediately make you think of a certain group?"
"A certain group…?" Minato blinked—and then his expression hardened.
"The Twelve Guardian Ninja?
Wouldn't that make the situation too big?"
The Guardian Twelve—
A group of elite shinobi who served as the personal protectors of a nation's daimyo.
Officially, they were a "volunteer band" of righteous guardians.
Unofficially…
No such organization could exist without certain people approving it behind the scenes.
Their duty was simple yet awkward—
To protect the daimyo.
But in the shinobi world, daimyo weren't truly powerful.
Among the Five Great Nations, aside from the Wind Daimyo who relied heavily on Sunagakure, most daimyos held symbolic authority at best.
The true military power rested with the Kage.
Respect them? Yes.
Fear them? Not really.
If danger arose, the Kage could "offer protection," though a daimyo almost never accepted such oversight.
They preferred guardians not directly tied to the village's military—
Hence the Guardian Twelve.
If the rumor really led back to them, then things would indeed get interesting.
The relationship between daimyo and Kage had never been harmonious, even since the one-country-one-village system was established.
A clash of interests—
always simmering beneath the surface.
Kei, with one rumor, might have handed them the leverage to tilt that balance.
"We haven't confirmed anything yet, have we?" Kei said lightly, unconcerned.
"Until Obito brings back concrete intel, we should stay patient.
But if the rumor turns out to be true, then… let's just say I'm confident I can handle the situation."
"Kei, I trust your capability," Minato replied seriously. "But you know—once you start fighting, some of your abilities…"
"That won't be an issue," Kei interrupted with a soft laugh. "Do you think I need overkill-level power to deal with a few people?"
"And even if it somehow escalates, I can always summon you in, right?
Besides, if this turns out to be legitimate, you showing up would be a problem.
I'm the better candidate to meet the daimyo."
Minato instinctively nodded.
After all—Kei's display in the Land of Water was because he'd faced nearly a thousand enemy shinobi alone.
Of course that had blown up into a spectacle.
But in the Fire Capital?
They would be facing—what?
Twelve shinobi at most.
A handful of samurai without chakra.
Against Kei, that was barely a warm-up.
"I understand. If it is them, then I'll rely on you."
Minato's expression sharpened. "If not, I'll send Kakashi with his own squad to handle it.
Still… I really hope this turns out to be nothing."
"Of course. Peace is hard-earned. No one wants to destroy—"
Kei suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
The Kirigakure incident flashed in his mind.
If that came to light… trouble wouldn't even begin to describe it.
He immediately shifted the topic.
"But, Minato-san… you should also pay attention to the political atmosphere—especially reconstruction after the war."
"Reconstruction…" Minato sighed.
"So you noticed too. As expected of you. Shikaku has been reminding me nonstop to monitor that."
Shikaku noticed?
Kei was surprised for a moment—but quickly accepted it.
For someone as brilliant as Nara Shikaku, noticing early anomalies wasn't strange.
What mattered was how much he had inferred, and whether others would listen.
In the original timeline, Kei had no idea how deeply Shikaku understood the threat.
But here… Kei intended to test it.
"So, like me—you're worried about the Hidden Cloud, right?"
"As expected… you and Shikaku think exactly alike." Minato rubbed his temples.
"They took the least damage in the war.
They're recovering the fastest.
They'll come swaggering in, step on our pride, and push for more mission market share. Correct?"
"Yes. Looks like Shikaku truly thought of everything I did."
Kei sighed inwardly.
He only "noticed" because he already knew the future.
Shikaku, without any foreknowledge, had arrived at the same conclusion purely through logic.
A frightening man indeed.
But there was one thing Shikaku didn't know—
The extent of Cloud's ambition.
Or how outrageous their eventual methods would be.
In the original timeline, with Konoha crippled after the Nine-Tails attack, events unfolded predictably.
But now?
Konoha was stronger than ever.
Minato alive.
Kei lurking in the shadows.
And Fūgaku—who Kei had barely seen lately, likely because he was busy working on "those eyes."
If Cloud stirred trouble now, they might very well be the ones who suffered.
"Still… I actually hope they cause a bit of trouble," Kei said suddenly.
"Because it's an opportunity—for them, and for us."
"…Honestly, I don't want them coming at all," Minato muttered.
"But if they do… then we'll respond.
I refuse to believe they'd actually start a war."
"If that's what you think, then you're very wrong."
Kei shook his head.
"This isn't about face.
Hidden beneath the crisis is a rare political opportunity."
"Opportunity…?"
Minato's expression changed.
"Kei… I know you want peace.
But the price of peace—war, death—could be immeasurable.
Don't go down that path."
Kei froze.
He stared blankly at Minato, who looked painfully earnest.
Then it hit him.
Oh.
He'd stepped in his own trap.
He recalled the "theory" he once shared with Minato about achieving lasting peace in the shinobi world.
Minato had clearly misunderstood—
believing Kei was suggesting they intentionally provoke Cloud.
But Kei had zero intention of doing that.
"Minato-san, you misunderstood," Kei sighed.
"What I mean is—if Cloud stirs up trouble, it gives you a chance to present a strong front and win public support.
It also gives us the perfect excuse to push forward the reforms of the Jōnin System."
"…Hmm?"
Minato blinked.
Then realization dawned.
"You think it won't be too rushed?"
"Tell me," Kei countered, "how long until Cloud fully recovers?"
"At least a few years," Minato estimated.
"Then say two years from now they act up.
By then, if we've already restructured the Genin and Chūnin systems, and fully implemented new welfare policies—
don't you think that would be the perfect moment?"
"This…"
"Or what—did you plan to have me attack another hidden village myself to create a distraction?"
"…"
Silence.