Chapter 431 — A Bond Beyond Friendship
The defeat of Kumogakure had already spread across the entire shinobi world—
and within Konoha, celebration had erupted.
Even if the war had ended somewhat abruptly…
Even if Konoha hadn't been the one to directly bring it to a close—
what did that matter?
In the end—
Konoha was the victor.
No matter how coincidental it seemed, the fact remained:
The Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki were now in Konoha's hands.
An undeniable truth.
Other villages could feel shock, frustration, or resentment—
but they had no choice except to accept it.
Because Konoha, in its current state…
was not a village anyone wanted to provoke.
Their losses in this war had been minimal.
And more importantly—
they had proven something crucial:
Even without the Legendary Sannin,
they still possessed terrifying strength.
Uchiha Fugaku alone was enough to deter most enemies.
And beyond him—
there was Uchiha Kei.
The man who had fought alongside Fugaku and Minato against the Nine-Tails.
The one chosen to take command of the second division after the Third Hokage stepped down.
The one even that mysterious Uchiha in black had singled out—
as someone worth fighting.
With Fugaku's performance setting the standard—
no one dared underestimate Kei anymore.
Add to that Minato Namikaze, whose reputation had already soared during the Third Great War—
and Konoha's fully prepared war footing, their rising morale—
picking a fight with them now would be nothing short of foolish.
And yet…
amid all this,
another name had begun circulating on every leader's desk.
A mysterious Uchiha—
known only by his surname.
No identity.
No background.
Only fear.
The Nine-Tails in Konoha.
The Three-Tails in Kirigakure.
Now the Eight-Tails in Kumogakure.
All had crossed paths with him.
And it seemed he wasn't alone—
but part of an organization.
An organization whose members were all dangerously powerful—
reckless, lawless, and seemingly obsessed with tailed beasts.
No one knew who they were.
No one knew what they truly wanted.
But everyone—
in every village—
had begun paying attention.
Especially those who possessed tailed beasts.
Because the question was simple:
If those lunatics decided to strike their village next…
what then?
---
As for Konoha—
the outside world didn't concern them much.
Yes, some still worried that those mysterious attackers might return.
But they had already come once—
and Konoha still stood.
More importantly—
they had the Uchiha clan.
And those in the upper ranks knew the truth:
Uchiha Kei had already clashed with them—
and won.
Though to outsiders, it was often assumed the enemy simply hadn't gone all out.
Only a select few truly understood—
that Kei himself was the most dangerous "attacker" of all.
---
"Looks like everyone's in a good mood," Kei said with a light chuckle, sitting in a small tavern as he looked around.
The snow had melted.
Yet the lingering chill of winter couldn't dampen the spirits of Konoha's shinobi.
It had been a surreal Spring Festival.
The war had started at the end of last year—
lasting over three months.
During that time, their clashes with Kumogakure hadn't even been particularly brutal.
Many had assumed it would drag on indefinitely.
And yet—
it ended in the most dramatic way imaginable.
Even those who had returned early due to injuries were stunned to discover—
that Konoha itself had undergone sweeping changes.
The reform of the shinobi system—
especially for jōnin of civilian origin—
was nothing short of revolutionary.
For the first time—
they had a voice.
Something that had once been completely out of reach.
For those who had just returned from the frontlines, unaware of internal developments—
the realization was overwhelming.
Two pieces of good news at once—
victory in war and reform at home.
No wonder their spirits were so high.
Even members of great clans like the Uchiha—
though still seen as elites—
were now met with unprecedented respect from civilian shinobi.
"Yeah, morale's definitely high," Imai Kenta nodded, before smirking slightly. "Though… we kind of became a joke, didn't we? A whole crowd came to send us off—and then the war ended before we even left."
His remark drew laughter from Kakashi, Might Guy, and Kurenai.
Today was, more or less, a small reunion—
if one ignored the slight age gap between Kenta, Ayaka, and the others.
Earlier that morning, Kei had planned to report to the Police Force.
But Kakashi had come to find him—
and dragged him into this gathering.
To Kei's surprise, Kakashi had even invited Ayaka and Kenta—
perhaps out of consideration.
"What's there to be embarrassed about?" Kei said dismissively. "The war's over—that's a good thing."
"That just means I'm lucky. The moment I was about to step in, everything ended."
"And it means fewer casualties. Fewer families torn apart. Right, Ayaka?"
"Yes, yes. Kei is so gentle," Ayaka replied, nearly rolling her eyes.
Gentle?
Wasn't he one of the very people who allowed this war to happen?
He had sensed it coming long ago—
and yet, for the sake of his own plans, he had let it unfold.
If not for the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki exceeding his expectations—
forcing him to go all out—
the war might still be ongoing.
He had started it.
Driven it forward.
And ultimately ended it.
Calling him "gentle"—
was perhaps the most insincere thing she had ever said.
And yet—
she smiled as she said it.
"Kei really is gentle," Kurenai added with a soft smile, though her gaze quickly shifted away.
"No matter how the war ended, it prevented countless tragedies. My father even said—you've done a lot for the village."
"Yeah, Kei!" Guy said, visibly emotional.
"Everyone says the jōnin reforms were only possible because of you. Without your support, they never would've passed!"
"I don't fully understand all the details—but they say even earlier reforms for genin and chūnin were backed by you."
"Thank you!"
Guy's sincerity was overwhelming—
but no one found it strange.
Many even looked at Kei with gratitude.
For someone like Guy—
the system had once offered no future.
At least, that's what he believed.
A taijutsu specialist—
with no talent for ninjutsu—
his path had seemed limited.
Like his father, Might Duy,
he might have remained a genin forever.
Even though his father had sacrificed his life to defeat members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—
his rank had never changed.
But now—
everything was different.
With the reforms—
and the introduction of specialized training paths—
people like Guy finally had a chance.
Even if becoming a jōnin remained difficult—
the resources, guidance, and opportunities he now had…
surpassed what even jōnin once received.
What more could he ask for?
And he wasn't alone.
Nearly every shinobi from a civilian background—
felt the same way.
Perhaps becoming a jōnin would now be significantly more difficult. After all, while the title remained the same, what it represented had completely changed.
The authority they held, the resources they received, and the responsibilities they bore were no longer comparable to those of the past. Even the promotion exams had reportedly been made far stricter—designed specifically to weed out those who sought status without fulfilling their duties. Unsurprisingly, this change had gained widespread support.
"Alright, alright, this isn't a thank-you session," Kei said, waving his hand as he noticed the admiring looks around him. "We're here to celebrate the end of the war."
"Besides, this vote wasn't just my doing. Kakashi, Kenta, and Ayaka all played their part. We only won by a narrow margin—without them, it wouldn't have passed."
"Don't drag me into it," Kakashi replied lazily, raising both hands with a faint smile. "If anything, Kenta contributed more than I did."
"Let's not get into that," Kenta said with a harmless grin, one that strangely resembled the expression he had when he first met Kei. "Now that everyone's back, things won't be so easy anymore. But with Kei around, I doubt we need to worry too much. What about Kumogakure? Any plans? Fugaku-sama should be back soon, right?"
"Yeah," Kei replied, glancing at him briefly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Kenta really didn't hold back.
With the clan shinobi returning from the frontlines, their attention would inevitably shift from the war to the reforms. What Kei and the others needed to do was redirect that focus—from internal reforms to external negotiations.
During their earlier discussion with Minato and Shikaku, they had already decided to appoint Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane as negotiation representatives. As key figures of the opposition, they carried significant influence. With the Third Hokage still unconscious, even the Sarutobi and Shimura factions—and their affiliated clans—had aligned themselves with these two.
Assigning them to negotiations would occupy their attention. Even if they suspected this was a deliberate diversion, they couldn't refuse. Their reputations and political stakes were tied to it.
At the same time, Kei's side needed to consolidate their own people—keep them occupied and prevent the opposition from pulling them away. Only then could they stabilize their position and push the reforms forward smoothly.
Of course, none of this was appropriate to discuss here. Fortunately, Kenta only brought it up briefly before shifting the topic.
Still, Kei couldn't help but find it a little amusing. Kenta didn't seem particularly close to the others, and his behavior reminded Kei of their early days as a team.
Back then, at least, Kenta hadn't been nearly as irritating.
As if sharing the same thought, Kei glanced at Ayaka—and found her looking at him as well.
He smiled.
She calmly turned away.
Perhaps Kenta had stirred up old memories… or perhaps something only the three of them understood.
"I remember when we first met," Kei said quietly, lowering his voice. "The way you looked at me—it was like you were already looking at a corpse."
"That's rich coming from you," Ayaka replied just as softly. "You were the youngest, yet the most insufferable. Always acting like everyone else was beyond saving. Every time a mission turned dangerous, you were either the first to retreat or already figuring out how to use us as shields."
"Was I?" Kei chuckled. "I recall you trying the same thing. I saw through it. Kenta too."
"…Same here," Ayaka sighed lightly. "Back then, the three of us probably spent more time guarding against each other than the enemy. The only one we didn't watch was our captain."
"Yeah… maybe." Kei's voice softened. "Honestly, I never thought we'd make it this far."
"Do you regret it? Or are you just feeling sentimental?"
"No regrets," Kei said with a faint smile. "The one who understands you best is your enemy. But when that enemy becomes your ally—and even something more than a friend… everything changes."
"…More than a friend, huh…"
-