Imai Kenta has always carried a deep reverence for the Senju clan. Though not bearing the surname Senju, he was raised within their remnants—educated in their values and history from childhood. He took his father's surname, Imai, likely to avoid the scrutiny and expectations that came with openly bearing the Senju name. The decision shielded him from political entanglements, but it also meant he was overlooked, thrown onto the frontlines for eight long years.
The war taught him much. It sharpened his instincts, hardened his resolve—but also twisted his ideals. Kenta began to stray from tradition. He became more pragmatic, even ruthless, in pursuit of results. He didn't notice the change at first. Not until he fought alongside Uchiha Kai and Hyūga Aya. It was then that he recognized a familiar darkness in them—the same shadow he carried within himself.
The realization forced him to reflect. His transformation wasn't inherently good or bad. It was simply adaptation—war shaping him into someone who could survive it.
Kenta still felt a sense of duty to the Senju, but he knew he wasn't willing to shoulder every burden. Yet now that he had shouldered some of them, he was determined to see them through—just as he'd learned on the battlefield.
He didn't trust Uchiha Kai completely, but cooperation was necessary. His identity couldn't be revealed, and he had no guarantee of protection. So he played along with Kai—deceptively cordial on the surface, but diligent and serious in his efforts.
Lately, however, Kenta had begun to feel restrained by the so-called "traditions" of the Senju. He understood why Senju Shoma had approved this mission. First, because Kai and Kenta had uncovered the lead together. Second, because the implications of this discovery—Orochimaru's experiments and hidden labs—threatened to shake the very foundations of Konoha's leadership.
This was their chance. A rare opportunity to strike at the Third Hokage's political faction.
More importantly, Kenta knew that if he didn't handle the matter with Kai, the mission might fall to other Senju—or worse, escalate into a disaster. The Senju were no longer the proud clan of old; most had changed their names, gone into hiding, or lived as civilians. A misguided attempt to act "honorably" could bring destruction.
So Kenta confronted Uchiha Kai directly. Then he returned to the clan to report to Senju Shoma, essentially forcing him to take a position.
Despite his upbringing, Kenta bore no deep hatred for the Uchiha. If anything, he saw them as victims of Tobirama's paranoia—another clan forced into shadows, burdened with suspicion.
Shoma ultimately agreed to support Kai's plan. But his parting words—"Remember your surname"—stung.
Kenta hadn't chosen this path. He was simply doing what needed to be done. Yet to be questioned and doubted for that—for showing initiative and adaptation—was something he could not reconcile. He said nothing, but inwardly, he envied Uchiha Kai: a man who spoke for his clan and shaped his own path.
Security Department
The next evening, during the shift change, Kai arrived at the Security Department with Hyūga Aya in tow.
Seeing Kenta still there, Kai chuckled. "Looks like you've reached an understanding with your family."
Kenta offered a faint smile. "More or less. Otherwise, I'm sure the department would've received my resignation notice by now."
Kai studied him for a moment, then smirked. "That smile's pretty forced, Kenta-kun. Still, you smile more than Aya and I combined. Maybe you can teach us."
"Don't joke." Kenta exhaled. "Just tell me the plan. You're going after Orochimaru. Don't tell me you came unprepared."
Kenta didn't ask about Kai's experiments, though the lingering aura he sensed from Kai's chakra made him curious. He suspected the Uchiha had undergone some unnatural enhancements—ones that reminded him of the sample materials he'd studied. But he held back. It wasn't time yet. Trust had to be earned, and Kenta knew Kai would only reveal his secrets once their pact progressed.
Kei's Plan
"Of course I'm prepared," Kai said calmly.
During his third fusion trial—a vulnerable stage in his body's evolution—he had still made progress.
Orochimaru's hideouts were hard to trace, designed to avoid detection by clans like the Hyūga, Inuzuka, and Aburame. But Kai noticed a pattern. The patrol maps from the Konoha Security Department had odd blind spots—zones labeled as "off-limits" or "unexplored." With both Hiruzen and Danzō's influence, these zones were deliberately excluded from standard patrols.
Naturally, those were Kai's top suspects.
He had assigned Uchiha Kawara and Uchiha Ryukage to discreetly search these areas for any sign of snakes. Meanwhile, Aya would support him directly, her Byakugan bypassing most genjutsu and detection barriers.
But what they didn't expect was to encounter Jiraiya conducting a parallel investigation.
Kai was startled at first. Orochimaru returning to the village was surprising enough, but the involvement of one of the Legendary Sannin? That suggested the Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze—was also quietly orchestrating things.
Jiraiya does return to Konoha after Orochimaru's betrayal. Kai figured this might be Minato's way of controlling the narrative—using Jiraiya as a silent scalpel to remove Orochimaru before the infection spread.
Kai let Kawara and Ryukage stand down while Aya continued surveillance. As expected, Jiraiya made some headway—perhaps due to lingering bonds with his former teammate.
But Kai wasn't going to wait.
He planned to act tonight.
To make sure this action resonated politically, Kai had informed Uchiha Fugaku. Ryukage had also delivered word to the Fourth Hokage. The stage was set.
Kai shared the broad outlines of the plan with Kenta.
Kenta listened in silence, then said coldly, "You're trying to cause a spectacle."
Kai smiled. "Making a bit of noise draws the right attention. If nothing else, it'll force the old guard to cut off their own limbs."
Kenta considered it. The Third Hokage's faction would likely sacrifice someone prominent to contain the fallout. One of the village elders might be ousted. The "Big Four" of Konoha could become the "Big Three."
Orochimaru had to die—or at the very least, be permanently exiled. The Third's faction would lose power. In turn, the Fourth would need to fill the vacuum quickly, rewarding clans that had helped. A political reshuffle.
"...How many seats have you prepared?" Kenta asked, tone suddenly serious.
"Oh?" Kai tilted his head. "Didn't expect you to think that far ahead."
"I'm just making sure I'm not left standing when the music stops."
"Well then, you'll just have to wait and see. Or fulfill your end of the bargain."
Kenta wordlessly handed Kei a folder. "This is everything I've compiled on the Sharingan. It may not be much to you, but it's my deposit. My sincerity."
Kai glanced through it, recognizing that it only touched on up to the three-tomoe stage. Still, it proved Kenta had learned more than he'd let on.
"You didn't clear this with your clan, did you?"
Kenta shook his head. "No. And yes—it probably goes against their interests. But so does sitting on the sidelines while the game changes."
He looked away, a little bitter. "My will wasn't supposed to matter. But I do envy your authority, Kai. I think we can cooperate just fine."