Chapter 169 – Progress
Uchiha Kei truly intended to recruit Imai Kenta. Whether his family name was "Imai" or "Senju" didn't matter in the slightest to Kei.
What Kei wanted was Kenta's identity as a so-called "civilian shinobi"—and more importantly, his attitude toward Konoha's current leadership.
Imai Kenta was certainly not the type to be loyal to Konoha, nor someone willing to selflessly give his life for it.
Kei could see it clearly from Kenta's conduct on the battlefield.
Of course, Kei could also interpret it as dissatisfaction toward Konoha's high-ranking officials.
If Kenta truly was a Senju… well, canon never really explained what became of the Senju clan.
But the once-mighty family that had stood as equals to the Uchiha seemed to have fared even worse than the Uchiha themselves.
In the original timeline, the only named Senju we saw was Tsunade. The rest?
Aside from a few flashbacks to the Warring States era, there was only Senju Nawaki—blown to pieces.
At least the Uchiha still had a handful of powerful figures carrying the clan's name until the very end. Numerically alone, they seemed better off than the Senju.
Kei couldn't help but wonder—half seriously—whether Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō had once engineered a Senju version of the "Uchiha Massacre," refining the method before using it on Kei's own clan later.
But more likely, Kei thought, it all stemmed from Tobirama's policies.
It was Tobirama who had raised the standing of civilian shinobi and encouraged widespread intermarriage between Senju and non-clan members.
After his death, Hiruzen expanded those policies even further, burying the Senju identity entirely among the civilian population.
The result: the clan lost any real path to prominence. Even exceptional individuals weren't guaranteed recognition—and some likely died on missions without fanfare.
Over time, the once-legendary clan simply faded from history.
The clans that forbade outside marriage survived. Medium and small clans actually flourished.
Just look at the Sarutobi clan during the Fourth Great War—they were doing just fine.
Strictly speaking, Tobirama's policies weren't wrong.
They served Konoha's overall interests and curbed the influence of major clans—especially the Uchiha. From a strategic perspective, it was sound.
The problem was that Tobirama died too early. The only notable Senju left were Hiruzen's disciple and another who died young.
Without moderation, the intermarriage policy erased the Senju name itself.
Kenta's father or mother—or perhaps a grandparent—was probably Senju. Seeing his talent, the elders had invested heavily in his training.
But his temperament had… issues. Whether that came from birth or from the attitudes of his elders, Kei could feel it: Kenta's loyalty to Konoha, especially to its leadership, was lukewarm at best.
With a mindset like that, Kei didn't care what clan Kenta came from—his thinking aligned with Kei's own.
---
"So, what's your answer?" Kei smiled.
"I don't care who you really are, Kenta—but I do know this: you and I are alike."
Kenta raised an eyebrow.
"And how exactly are we alike? I'm just a civilian shinobi. You're from a major clan—Uchiha—and now you're even the Police Force's Deputy Commander. We're worlds apart."
"In front of me, you can stop pretending to be just a 'civilian,' Kenta-kun."
Kei stepped closer, the black skeletal chakra of his Susanoo long gone.
"When I say we're the same, I'm not talking about clan or bloodline. I'm talking about how we've acted on the battlefield—and about our views of certain people in Konoha's upper ranks."
"…You're reading too much into things, Kei-kun."
Kenta blinked slowly, neither confirming nor denying the statement.
But inwardly, he sighed. Of course Kei would notice.
If there's no official background to justify one's actions, people will trace it to personal motives.
And on a personal level… yes, Kenta feared death.
But his heritage made that fear politically loaded. Even overinterpretations would sound plausible.
And truthfully, Kei was right—Kenta did harbor doubts about the current leadership.
---
"Well then," Kei said with a faint smile, turning to leave, "today's talk has been… enlightening. Oh, and you're not the only one I met today—another of our dear 'teammates' came to see me."
Kenta frowned. "Teammate? …Hyūga Ayaka? Are you insane?"
"Hardly. She has something I need—and the price she's willing to pay is steep. One of those prices is her main family fiancé. For a moment, I thought she'd lost her mind… but the more I think about it, the purer her ambition seems compared to ours."
"…And how exactly are you planning to work with her?" Kenta's expression darkened.
"Cooperation. The same as with you. Rest up, Kenta—I'll be waiting for you at the Police Force tomorrow morning."
---
Kenta watched him leave, his expression still grim.
Kei had effectively forced him to make a choice. And if that choice turned out "wrong," the consequences could be dangerous.
Hyūga Ayaka—that insane woman. Kenta almost regretted saving her in the first place.
To think she'd turn around and betray him for some lofty, unrealistic goal… how could that not make him furious?
He muttered curses under his breath—at Kei, at Ayaka, and at the Third Hokage for saddling him with these teammates.
---
Meanwhile, in the Hyūga main compound at the heart of Konoha, Ayaka smiled sweetly at a young man who looked no older than fifteen or sixteen.
His forehead was smooth, unmarked by the Caged Bird Seal.
This was Hyūga Hikaru—Ayaka's main-family fiancé.
In the Hyūga clan, it was perfectly normal for engagements to be arranged in childhood and for marriage to follow once the couple reached a suitable age. The engagement period was, in theory, a time to nurture affection between the two.
"There's no need to be so formal, Ayaka," Hyūga Hikaru said warmly, smiling at her. "If you need something, just tell me directly. Don't forget—I'm your fiancé."
Hikaru genuinely liked the girl in front of him. He couldn't remember exactly when those feelings had begun—perhaps it was the accidental glance they once exchanged, or maybe the time at the Academy when she, a branch family member, had defeated him in sparring.
The details no longer mattered. What mattered was that the clan had entrusted this girl to him, and that she was now officially his betrothed.
"Thank you, Hikaru. I'd like some books on medical ninjutsu. Could you help me get them?"
Ayaka's smile was almost flawless, her gaze pure—so different from the shadowed, calculating look she wore when speaking with Uchiha Kei. She was a born actress; even Kei himself might have had trouble deciding whether she was being sincere or merely pretending.
Yet the request that left her lips revealed her true intent. Medical ninjutsu—this was one of the conditions in her collaboration with Kei.
She was in such a hurry that the moment she returned to the clan after parting with him, she immediately sought help. And the person she turned to—
"Medical ninjutsu?" Hikaru blinked, then broke into a smile.
"Don't tell me you're planning to leave a frontline combat squad to join Konoha's medical corps? That would be wonderful news!"
"Sorry, Hikaru," Ayaka said softly, wearing an apologetic expression.
"If I left so abruptly, everyone would think I'd lost my nerve. But if I study medical ninjutsu, I can protect myself better. That way, I won't have to shoulder as much combat risk, right?"
Leave the combat squad?
She almost laughed at the thought. In truth, she would rather stay in her current unit than spend her days in the clan, constantly face-to-face with Hikaru.
She knew all too well what awaited her if she returned permanently: the gradual erosion of her ambitions until nothing remained, and she became nothing more than a dutiful housewife.
Not that she despised such a life—but the "cage" hanging over her head, restricting every choice she could make, was something she had sworn to shatter with everything she had.
"I see…"
Hikaru sighed, a hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes before he forced a smile.
"Well, if that's what you want, I'll see what I can do. I've heard medical ninjutsu isn't too hard to pick up—the real challenge is mastering it. But with your talent and potential, I'm sure you'll have no problem."
"Thank you, Hikaru." Ayaka's smile grew even brighter. "Then I'll leave this matter in your hands."
"Of course. I'll speak with my father right away." Hikaru, clearly pleased by her trust, grinned as though he had just won a small victory. "Just wait for my news!"
He turned and jogged off, his face glowing with excitement and anticipation.
Behind him, Ayaka's smile slowly faded, replaced by an expression far more dangerous.