Chapter 427 — How Do I Know You Won't…?
Why the Hidden Cloud had managed to produce a perfect Jinchūriki was something that baffled many in Konoha.
By all accounts, Kumogakure's sealing techniques were nothing special. Whether judged by Konoha's own standards or by historical precedent, that conclusion seemed sound.
If they had truly mastered advanced sealing, they wouldn't have resorted to abducting Kushina when she was still a child the moment they learned of her existence.
And yet now, something clearly didn't add up.
Back then, they hadn't even managed to leave the Land of Fire before being intercepted. The entire incident lasted only a short time—far too brief for any meaningful research into sealing techniques.
So how had they managed to cultivate a perfect Jinchūriki?
This question had long plagued Konoha ever since the intelligence surfaced. But at the time, no one had the luxury to dwell on it—there was a war to fight, and internal reforms to push through.
Now, however, it seemed that Uchiha Kei might have uncovered part of the answer.
That realization both surprised and intrigued Minato Namikaze.
After all, Minato himself was now a Jinchūriki—albeit an incomplete one, possessing less than half of the Nine-Tails and only a single attribute. Still, it didn't hinder him much. He could draw upon Kurama's chakra to enhance his abilities.
For instance, his recent long-range teleportations had all relied on that power.
If he could become a perfect Jinchūriki, his strength would undoubtedly undergo a qualitative leap.
"Tell me, Kei," Minato said, unable to hide his curiosity. "Did you discover something while fighting Killer B?"
"I did notice something… quite interesting," Kei replied with a faint smile. "To put it simply, the seal on him felt unusually weak."
"Weak?" Minato frowned. "That doesn't make sense. If the seal were weak, the Eight-Tails would have broken free long ago. Unless… there's more to it?"
"Most likely." Kei nodded.
"During the fight, I heard the way he addressed the Eight-Tails—it was surprisingly intimate. He called it things like 'Little Eight' and 'Gyūki.' That's completely different from how we usually refer to tailed beasts."
Of course, Kei was making it up as he went.
In truth, he hadn't heard any such exchange during the battle. Communication between a Jinchūriki and their tailed beast typically occurred within the mind—no words required.
But no one else knew what had really transpired in that fight. Even those watching from afar couldn't grasp what happened up close.
Only Hyūga Ayaka gave him a subtle glance before calmly standing by his side, as if silently confirming his words.
Minato, however, fell into deep thought.
A weak seal. Intimate forms of address. Even names he had never heard before.
Did that mean Killer B and the Eight-Tails shared a bond so strong that the seal existed merely as a formality—for the sake of the village?
Those affectionate nicknames—were they proof of a genuine relationship?
And… did tailed beasts actually have names of their own?
Minato's mind worked quickly. In just a few moments, he pieced together a plausible conclusion from these fragmented clues.
And because the information came from Kei, he trusted it completely.
Their relationship needed no further explanation—without Kei, Minato believed it would have taken him another decade or two to even approach the position of Hokage.
Without Kei's support, he might never have reached this point at all.
There was another reason he found it convincing, too.
He had begun to notice something about the Nine-Tails within him.
Though their relationship wasn't exactly friendly—after all, he had split its very body—they had developed a faint connection over time.
And what he discovered was unmistakable:
The Nine-Tails wasn't like a beast at all.
It could think. It had memories.
It even possessed… emotions.
"…Is that so," Minato murmured, his expression turning serious. "Kei, I want to meet the Nine-Tails. Will you come with me?"
"The Nine-Tails?" Kei tilted his head. It was clear Minato had already grasped his point.
After all, Minato had previously hinted at his interactions with the beast.
This was simply accelerating that process—guiding him toward understanding sooner and more completely than before.
But going together?
Kei thought for a moment, then firmly shook his head.
The Nine-Tails' hatred for the Uchiha was something he understood all too well.
Whether or not it had been controlled by Indra in ancient times, one thing was certain—during Madara's era, it had been treated like a mere tool, forced into battle against Hashirama.
That humiliation had led to its eventual sealing.
Since then, it had been manipulated or confronted repeatedly by Uchiha—Obito, Fugaku… even Kei himself had "disciplined" it more than once.
If the Nine-Tails had any goodwill toward the Uchiha, that would be the real miracle.
"Better not," Kei said decisively. "The Nine-Tails definitely won't welcome me."
"And this is something only you can do, Captain Minato. Becoming its friend… I can't help with that. I might even make things worse."
"True. That guy hasn't exactly spoken kindly about you," Minato admitted with a nod.
In fact, he had already begun to regret asking.
The Nine-Tails had complained about Kei more than once—his Mangekyō Sharingan, his abnormal strength… nothing it said was flattering.
If Kei entered the mental space alongside him, the Nine-Tails might very well lose its temper on the spot.
And if that happened, Minato would lose any chance of earning its trust—of becoming a perfect Jinchūriki.
"That fox really holds a grudge," Kei said with a shake of his head.
"Well, we Uchiha haven't exactly treated it gently. No wonder it doesn't have anything nice to say about us. But that only proves one thing—these tailed beasts aren't mindless creatures."
Minato listened quietly.
"So try to understand them," Kei continued. "Try to befriend them. You might gain something you never expected."
"Of course… if the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki is still alive—"
"I could always help you interrogate him."
Understanding the tailed beasts… befriending them…
That insight came from everything Kei remembered of the original story.
There were also fragments of other key details lingering in his mind.
He vaguely recalled that before Naruto managed to control the Nine-Tails, he had trained on some remote island—something about a waterfall.
It was there, if memory served, that a certain incident occurred…
Might Guy mistaking Kisame for his "dark self,"
Kisame showcasing his overwhelming strength and unwavering shinobi resolve.
That moment had left a deep impression on Kei.
So much so that he had even considered—
If the opportunity ever arose…
Perhaps he might extend a hand to Kisame.
Kei was no saint.
But when it came to useful people—
He was never stingy.
Kisame's doubts—about the Mizukage, about the policies of Kirigakure, and even about himself—
were what ultimately drove a shinobi of such exceptional caliber down a harsh and twisted path.
And yet, for Kisame, it was a path worth walking.
Because on that road, he found something he had always lacked—
a sense of purpose.
He could bury his past, and at the same time, hold onto a fragile hope… that someday, even if only within a false peace or an illusion, he might see that girl again.
It was a humble, almost pitiful wish—
but sometimes, that alone is enough to keep a person alive.
After all, what people seek in life is nothing more than affirmation of their own worth—or, perhaps, something more noble.
Friendship. Love.
To Uchiha Kei, even those things were already lofty ideals.
As for himself… he didn't need a reason to live.
Living was his right.
Kisame, as a shinobi, had already cast aside his life and death.
But Kei wouldn't.
If anything, he was more "selfish" in the simplest way—he only wanted to live.
And yet, that alone was a driving force others could hardly match.
"Once I understand what you're chasing… you'll never escape my control."
After parting ways with Minato—who was eager to return and begin his own experiment—Kei and the other two left the warehouse together.
The Uchiha district was still lively, though compared to before the war, it had grown noticeably quieter.
With nowhere urgent to go—the frontline could essentially be considered resolved—they didn't need to rush back out just yet.
So the three of them found a small tavern within the clan grounds and sat down.
By this point, Kei had more or less finalized his plan regarding Kisame.
Exactly when Kisame would defect didn't matter.
What mattered was that everything about him had long been under Uchiha Obito's watch.
Although Obito had remained mostly silent lately, he still passed along occasional information to Kei.
Through him, Kei had a clear understanding of both Kirigakure and the Akatsuki's current situation.
Kisame had not yet joined.
Which meant—everything was still in play.
In truth, Kisame wasn't that difficult to deal with.
From childhood, he had been ostracized for his appearance—put bluntly, he was considered ugly.
Coupled with Kirigakure's brutal policies, he had rarely, if ever, experienced warmth.
There had only been one exception—
a woman.
A woman he personally killed… and in doing so, began to question everything.
That woman would be the key.
The key to bringing Kisame under control.
Kei recalled that the mission where Kisame chose to slaughter his own comrades to prevent intelligence from leaking—that was when he encountered Konoha forces… led by none other than Morino Ibiki.
At present, Ibiki hadn't even gone bald yet. Though he had already joined the Torture and Interrogation Unit, he was still just a rookie.
As for Kisame, strictly speaking, he joined the Akatsuki slightly before Uchiha Itachi—
though not by much.
Which meant that right now, he was still a loyal shinobi fighting for Kirigakure.
In that case, Obito would keep an eye on him—
and Kei himself would keep watch on Ibiki.
Even if his own involvement—the butterfly effect—caused events to shift, keeping a close eye on key individuals would simplify everything.
And if that still wasn't enough…
there were always other methods.
Rin's body was still preserved in a life-support tank.
Kei had already begun considering how to make that girl open her eyes once more.
"What are you thinking about?" Hyūga Ayaka suddenly asked, eyeing him curiously. "Did that fight tire you out? Want to go back and rest?"
"No. Just thinking about a few things." Kei shook his head. "That level of battle doesn't amount to much for me."
"Yeah, sure. You nearly killed me, you know." Imai Kenta grumbled, rubbing his chest. "It still hurts!"
"You're not injured. It's just psychological," Ayaka shot back coldly. "Under the Byakugan, pretending is useless."
Kenta's expression darkened even further.
Who said chest pain had to mean broken ribs?
Still, he couldn't be bothered to argue with her—there was nothing to gain from it.
Kei, on the other hand, chuckled lightly.
Kenta had likely been rattled by the shockwaves—that kind of impact was never pleasant. Kei himself knew that feeling well.
Even inside his Susanoo, he had been shaken by the aftershock.
Not as badly as Kenta—but uncomfortable nonetheless.
"By the way…" Ayaka ignored Kenta and leaned slightly closer to Kei, lowering her voice. "What you told the Hokage earlier… that wasn't quite how things were before, was it?"
"Yeah. Got some new intel." With only the three of them present, Kei saw no need to hide anything. "You always prepare properly before fighting Kumogakure. I just didn't expect Orochimaru's information to be that useful."
"Orochimaru again, huh…" Ayaka gave him a strange look, then simply nodded. "I see. Very valuable intelligence."
"Hey—wait." Kenta suddenly snapped his fingers. "You collected the Eight-Tails' chakra, didn't you? What are you planning to do with it? The Hokage left in such a hurry, I think he forgot to deal with it."
"Obviously I'm keeping it for myself," Kei replied casually. "My Susanoo already incorporates the chakra of the Three-Tails and Nine-Tails."
"…What? Damn it! Why didn't you ever tell me that?"
"First—you never asked. Second—the Nine-Tails chakra fusion happened in the Land of Fire's capital. You weren't even there. How would I know you didn't know?"
"…."