Chapter 166: An Unexpected Encounter (Part 2)
"Cooperation?"
Uchiha Kei looked at the woman in front of him with a curious expression. The word "cooperation" was by no means unfamiliar to him.
Especially now—he was already collaborating with Uchiha Fugaku and, by extension, working with Namikaze Minato through that alliance.
His typical partners in cooperation were all people of power and political value. But what did Hyūga Ayaka have to offer?
In Kei's eyes, she had nothing. Aside from the 'leverage' she had on him, she held no real value worth investing in.
"Yes. Cooperation," Ayaka nodded, her voice deliberately hushed.
She still wore a smile on her face, but the tone of her voice had long since lost any warmth. "I can tell Kei-kun doesn't think much of my proposal, and I understand. After all, someone like me hardly makes an ideal partner."
"You're being too modest, Ayaka-san," Kei replied flatly. "I believe someone like you has the ability to soar once more."
"Besides," his voice cooled, "your suicide wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for me. So don't joke about it. Just because I care what others say doesn't mean I fear them."
"Don't be in such a rush, Kei-kun," Ayaka said with the same unfazed smile. "There are still a few... interesting things I'd like to share with you."
"Interesting?" Kei's patience was wearing thin, and his tone reflected it—sharp and frosty.
Did this woman really understand her place?
She was just a branch member of the Hyūga clan. What could someone like her possibly accomplish?
In the original timeline, Kei couldn't recall any branch family member ever escaping the curse of the Caged Bird Seal—aside from those weird Byakugan users on the moon, who didn't count.
So why should he cooperate with a woman with no future?
What, based on some fragile bond from past missions?
More like: "Thanks for not stabbing me in the back"—that would be the more accurate sentiment among them.
"Fine. Let's hear it—what's this 'interesting' thing?"
Kei's lips curled into a cold smile as he stared at Ayaka. He was curious what kind of tricks this woman thought she could pull.
He also noted, faintly, that his smile had been getting colder lately. But he didn't mind. After all, in the future the Uchiha would produce the infamous "Four Maniacal Grinners." Adding a "Cold-Faced Jester" to the mix didn't sound all that strange.
"Still as cold as ever, Kei-kun," Ayaka remarked. "But I do appreciate you staying, even if I had to force the issue."
She looked at him with a strangely mysterious gleam in her eyes.
"Tell me, Kei-kun—do you remember what happened the night before last, in that underground chamber just outside the Uchiha compound?"
Kei's smile froze instantly. His expression turned dark, and the look he gave Ayaka became genuinely dangerous.
She'd been spying on him?
The Hyūga compound wasn't anywhere close to the Uchiha district. It was impossible for her to investigate him from the comfort of her home.
Which meant only one thing: she had approached the Uchiha territory. She had tracked him. And she had seen something she absolutely wasn't supposed to.
"Hyūga Ayaka... do you know what you're saying?" Kei's voice had grown chillingly low.
"There are things you shouldn't speak of. Things you shouldn't see. Knowing them could cost you your life. Even your clan won't be able to protect you."
"I understand completely, Kei-kun," Ayaka replied, her tone calm, eyes locked with his.
"But I didn't come here to threaten you. I just wanted to let you know what I saw. That's all."
"I stumbled across it by accident. I was already on my way to meet you that night… I just didn't expect to witness that."
"And?" Kei frowned, his wariness still present.
"You know as well as I do—if I wanted to use what I saw to threaten you, I could have easily reported it to my clan."
Her voice was soft, almost a whisper only Kei could hear.
"But I didn't. Isn't that proof enough of my sincerity?"
"I'm sure you also realize… that incident could be far more damaging to you than anything that's happened on the battlefield. Maybe even fatal."
She was absolutely right. Attacking and killing a fellow Konoha ninja within the village—no matter if the victim was a fellow Uchiha—would have dire consequences.
First, the village wouldn't miss such a perfect excuse to suppress the Uchiha clan.
Second, the clan itself wouldn't tolerate Kei's actions.
The fragile alliance between Kei and Fugaku would collapse instantly. Fugaku would publicly disown the incident to protect the clan, and their collaboration with Namikaze Minato could either become one-sided—or cease entirely.
In short, Kei would have sacrificed everything, only for Fugaku to walk away unscathed. Kei's own end would be all but guaranteed.
Of course, Ayaka might not have thought through all of that. But she clearly understood enough—at least from Kei's personal perspective.
Disgrace and ruin—that was what awaited him. And beyond that, the merciless judgment of Konoha.
Uchiha Kei stared coldly at Hyūga Ayaka. He genuinely wanted to kill her now. But he also knew he couldn't act here—not without making things worse.
If he made a move now, how would it be any different from her going straight to the village elders and exposing that he personally tortured and killed Uchiha Yuu?
"What do you want?" Kei asked sharply. "Cooperation? You really think that's possible between us?"
"Why not?" Ayaka replied with a light laugh.
"If Imai Kenta is acceptable, why not me? His strength lies in his independence. My strength lies in what I know—secrets. Secrets that I can keep. Secrets that I can use to help you."
"Promises mean nothing. You're just a branch member of the Hyūga clan," Kei sighed. "Tell me what this so-called cooperation entails."
"So you're at least willing to consider it," Ayaka said, her smile growing a little brighter.
Kei shook his head. She was overestimating him. He hadn't made any firm decisions. All he could do for now was explore the path that seemed most beneficial to him.
Still, his first instinct was to eliminate her.
She was far too dangerous. The knowledge she held posed a real threat to him.
But if her proposed cooperation was valuable enough, he might be willing to reconsider—at least temporarily.
Ayaka took a deep breath and met Kei's gaze with something sharp and dangerous in her eyes.
"I'm not asking what your goal is, Kei. I won't pry into your plans. But if we cooperate, I will do everything I can to help you accomplish them. I know you're worried I might expose you, and I understand your concerns about my identity. So I'll do something to put your mind at ease."
"And what's that?" Kei asked, intrigued.
"Hyūga Hikaru—the fiancé the clan arranged for me. I'll kill him with my own hands."
Even as she smiled, Ayaka's voice turned ice-cold when she said the name.
Clearly, she had long grown sick of the clan's control. And for a branch member of the Hyūga clan to speak openly about killing a member of the main family—in front of an Uchiha, no less—took courage bordering on madness.
Kei could see the resolve in her eyes. She wasn't bluffing. She meant every word.
But aside from that bold offer, everything else she presented felt hollow—insubstantial.
"You don't even know what my goal is, Ayaka," Kei said, shaking his head.
"What I want to do… even I'm not sure it's possible. And what I plan—it's terrifying. Yuu was just the beginning. There will be others who follow."
"I understand, Kei," Ayaka interrupted softly.
"I told you—whatever your goals, I'll support them. I'll do everything I can. That's the foundation of our cooperation."
Kei sighed. "And what exactly can you help me with? Killing? You're not as strong as I am. Information on the Hyūga? Sorry, I have zero interest in your clan. If you were a medical ninja, maybe I'd consider it—but I doubt you're trained in that field."
"Medical ninjutsu?" Ayaka frowned.
"So… you're planning experiments."
She paused, then smiled faintly.
"Actually, the Hyūga have a natural advantage when it comes to medicine, don't we? If I mastered medical ninjutsu, wouldn't I be more useful than anyone else you could recruit?
"And those you bring in—how many of them can you truly trust? I believe in my own talent. I will learn medical ninjutsu."
Kei fell silent.
She wasn't wrong.
He needed a medical ninja—someone who could know his secrets and keep them.
Forget Yuu for a moment—even Uchiha Shuu and Kei himself had issues that required medical support. And Rin Nohara's body—still sealed in a scroll—needed a discreet, reliable hand to repair it.
But… could he really trust Ayaka?
Kei felt unsure. But he couldn't deny—he was tempted.
With her Byakugan, she already outclassed most ordinary medics in one crucial area: precision. She could pinpoint injuries, detect chakra abnormalities, and perform advanced diagnostics instinctively.
If she truly mastered medical ninjutsu, her value would skyrocket.
After a moment's thought, Kei finally spoke.
"Bring Hyūga Hikaru to the place where I dealt with Uchiha Yuu. Then, prove you have the potential to master medical ninjutsu. Meet those two conditions—and we'll have a foundation for cooperation."
"No problem." Ayaka smiled, her expression suddenly more sincere. "Then… aren't you going to ask what I want?"
"No need," Kei replied, shaking his head as he lifted a teacup from the table.
"You're a caged bird seeking freedom. Whatever that freedom looks like… I'll help you attain it. That's our cooperation's foundation, isn't it?"
"You really do understand me, Kei. Then—shall we say, happy cooperation?"
"Happy cooperation."
With that, Kei took a small sip from his tea.