Chapter 165: An Unexpected Encounter (Part 1)
Early the next morning, Uchiha Kei was already up.
Ever since arriving in this world, he'd lost the habit of sleeping in.
After a quick wash-up, he exchanged greetings with Uchiha Ryoko and Uchiha Keisuke before heading out the door.
Ryoko and Keisuke couldn't help but feel helpless watching Kei come and go without ever settling in at home since his return.
Still, they both understood his current status and position within the Konoha Military Police.
More importantly, they were well aware of some of the outrageous things Kei had accomplished.
While they were proud of him, they also couldn't help but worry about the dangers he faced.
That's why their current mindset was simple: Don't cause trouble for Kei.
As Kei had anticipated, when he invited Ryoko to join his squad, she politely declined.
He wasn't surprised—he had expected this.
He didn't take it personally either. If need be, he could always use his deputy commander status to make her job more comfortable.
Walking quietly down Konoha's main street, Kei suddenly realized a problem.
"Where the hell does that bastard Imai Kenta even live?"
He stood there awkwardly in the middle of the street, mildly exasperated.
Imai Kenta had always been a secretive guy, and to make things worse, he was a civilian. Civilians didn't exactly come with a paper trail that was easy to follow.
If it were Hyūga Ayaka I was looking for, this would be a piece of cake, Kei thought with some irritation.
All he'd need to do was show up at the Hyūga clan's compound or stop a passing Hyūga, and Ayaka would eventually find him herself.
But with Kenta, it was a different story.
Ironically, out of the three of them on the team, the civilian Kenta seemed to be the one doing best for himself.
Kei and Ayaka both came from powerful clans, which came with privileges—but also political baggage.
And that baggage made it hard for them to cooperate on certain matters.
Hyūga Ayaka's dismissive attitude toward him before he awakened his Sharingan was a perfect example of this.
Of course, people from noble clans tended to be pragmatic.
The moment Kei awakened his Sharingan, Ayaka's attitude shifted dramatically.
Kei didn't put much stock into her sudden change.
All he knew was—this woman was dangerous.
And so was Kenta, in his own way.
The difference was that Kenta wasn't tied down by family obligations.
The Hyūga clan's distinction between the main house and branch house was an ancient relic, one that dated back to the time of those near-extinct lunatics on the moon.
The branch house were nothing more than caged birds—servants of the main house.
Dress it up however you like, the reality didn't change.
It was a tragic system—perhaps the most pitiful fate imaginable.
"Looks like I'll have to ask around."
Kei rubbed his chin. Wandering the streets aimlessly clearly wasn't going to help.
As he smiled and politely acknowledged a few shinobi who greeted him along the way, Kei slowly made his way toward Fukuhiko's home.
He hadn't seen the guy since they returned from their last mission.
Given the circumstances, Fukuhiko's attitude toward him should've improved—especially now that Kei had recruited his younger brother into the Military Police.
But halfway there, Kei suddenly spotted a woman up ahead.
What caught his attention wasn't just her presence—it was the tactical hand signal she flashed at him.
"Hyūga Ayaka?" Kei frowned.
"What rotten luck. I was just thinking about her, and here she is. What the hell does she want now?"
That signal she'd used was simple: "Follow me."
Kei wasn't quite sure what she was planning.
After a moment of thought, he decided to follow.
He was curious—just what kind of stunt was this woman trying to pull now?
If she was up to something shady, then good.
His gains from last night had left him eager to test out some new training material.
Unfortunately, Kei ended up disappointed.
Ayaka was being extremely cautious. She simply led him to a nearby dango shop.
"Kei-kun, please have a seat," she said with a flawless smile, gesturing politely.
"We haven't seen each other since the last mission. This time, it's my treat."
"Well, thank you for the invitation, Ayaka-san."
Kei still wasn't sure what her intentions were, but that didn't stop him from playing along.
Sitting neatly across from her, he maintained his usual calm, polite smile.
But he didn't say a word—he just stared quietly at her.
Ayaka didn't speak either. She simply brewed a pot of tea, poured a cup for Kei, and then one for herself.
After everything was in place, she sat down, still wearing that perfect smile.
"Won't you have a sip, Kei-kun?" Ayaka said, still smiling.
"These tea leaves are something I specially acquired from within the clan… from my fiancé, in fact."
"Oh?"
Kei raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then, a mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Well then, congratulations, Ayaka-san.
Even if you're a bit young for it, now that you're engaged, I suppose you won't have to go on missions anymore."
Hyūga Ayaka is getting married?
To be honest, Uchiha Kei wasn't too thrilled about the news—because it meant he probably wouldn't get another chance to deal with her.
This woman was certainly decisive. After publicly admitting her wrongdoings, she came up with this strategy to preserve her life.
And it had to be said—if she really stopped going on missions, then Kei would indeed have very few opportunities left.
But on the flip side, once she got married, she'd probably be too afraid to speak recklessly again.
What remained unclear now was whether she was marrying a member of the Hyuga main family, or just another unfortunate branch house member.
"Thank you," Hyūga Ayaka replied with her usual radiant smile.
"His name is Hyūga Hikaru. He's from the main family. I've heard he's kind, a bit naïve perhaps, and though he's never seen the battlefield, he seems to be a decent man overall."
"I see. If you manage him well, Ayaka-san, your standing in the clan might actually rise from now on," Kei said calmly as he looked at her.
With her intelligence and manipulative skills, controlling a kind-hearted and naive man wouldn't be hard at all.
Indirectly, through this main-family fiancé, Ayaka's status in the Hyuga clan would naturally rise.
As Kei observed her expression, he couldn't help but shake his head.
Was she showing off?
To be fair, this was something worth bragging about. At the same time, it also seemed like a gesture of peace—though one that left Kei rather displeased.
"Thank you for your blessings, Kei-kun," Ayaka said, her smile slowly twisting into something a bit more sarcastic.
"So now, it seems like I finally have some value... and I wouldn't dare to run my mouth anymore, right?"
"Ayaka-san, please watch your words," Kei lowered his voice slightly.
"This kind of talk, especially directed at me, in a place like this—it puts me in a difficult position, even if I understand what you mean."
"Looks like Kei-kun still cares a lot about his reputation," Ayaka said, though she had indeed lowered her voice.
"Understood. I won't say anything further."
"Did you come here just to show off?" Kei frowned.
"Well, congratulations then. You've achieved your goal. What a shame though—I didn't think you'd choose this kind of 'exit'."
"But maybe it's for the best. Perhaps you'll shine brighter on the stage of Hyūga clan politics."
Kei didn't feel like wasting more words on Ayaka. He had never had a good impression of this woman.
Yes, she was beautiful—but after surviving six or seven years on the battlefield, Uchiha Kei had long since stopped caring about appearances.
He'd killed too many "pretty" kunoichi to be fazed.
Terumi Mei had nearly had her throat slit by him. And there was that nameless Mist kunoichi—just as attractive—who had practically been tortured to death by his own hands.
Glancing at the untouched tea on the table, Kei eventually decided not to bother with it. He stood up, ready to leave.
Since this woman had chosen to "retire," and given her nature, they'd probably become strangers from now on.
And in that case, Kei would act like this meeting had never happened—unless something more interesting came up.
For example, if this woman ever left the village… then Uchiha Kei would make sure she died in a perfectly staged "accident."
"Leaving already, Kei-kun?" Hyūga Ayaka seemed to read his thoughts, her voice still low. "In that case, let me give you a parting gift."
"A gift?" Kei frowned, eyes narrowing at her.
That's when he noticed it—in the long sleeve of her kimono, she was hiding a sharp kunai.
"A kunai? Do you actually think you can kill me with that?" Kei sneered. Was this woman out of her mind?
"Of course not," Ayaka replied, still smiling with that pale, porcelain face of hers. "With Kei-kun's strength, how could I possibly harbor such a foolish idea?"
"Then what is—?"
Before he could finish, she moved. The kunai slid under the table—and she held it firmly, with its tip pointed not at him, but at herself.
Kei's pupils widened slightly in shock.
Was this woman… threatening him with her own life?
So that's why she chose this location. Even though it was still early morning, the restaurant was already fairly crowded.
But had she gone mad?
This was someone who cherished her life more than anything—yet now she was using it as leverage?
"Did your clan put you up to this?" Kei's expression darkened. "Interesting. Or… have they found out what you've done?"
"Neither," Ayaka's smile brightened again. "This is my own choice. It has nothing to do with anyone else."
"…Why?"
"I want to cooperate with Kei-kun."