Chapter 170 – A Contest
Imai Kenta was a smart man.
Even though he had no desire to cooperate with the Uchiha—let alone deal with someone like Uchiha Kei—he knew there was little choice.
Since he couldn't pull himself out of the front-line roster, compromise was his only option.
After returning home and carefully reviewing the records left by his ancestors, Kenta became almost certain: this cunning Uchiha definitely possessed some kind of forbidden power.
"You're so sly that you'd never use it until the very last moment… what, planning to wipe us all out?"
Clearly, Kenta had misunderstood Kei—and this was not the kind of misunderstanding that could be easily cleared up.
Still, in a way, it worked out. Having fully realized his situation, Kenta decided not to act recklessly. The very next day, he dutifully reported to the Police Department.
Kei kept his word.
As promised, he made Kenta the vice-captain of his squad and publicly emphasized their working relationship.
"We're partners," Kei said bluntly.
"I don't know your exact thoughts, but I suspect you have some grievances against the higher-ups. Let me guess—an opinion shaped by your elders?"
"No need to fish for details about my family," Kenta shook his head.
"You won't get anything from me. And I won't tell you a thing—unless you plan to use genjutsu."
"I didn't use it yesterday, and I won't use it today," Kei smiled casually.
"If that's the case, keep your secrets until you feel like sharing them. I've prepared some people for you—true civilian shinobi, some battle-tested, some not. You'll lead them. There are also a few Uchiha who've all seen combat. If I'm not around, help them as well."
"Fine," Kenta nodded without hesitation. If he had agreed, he'd do it properly.
"So… you're trying to change the Uchiha's bad reputation in the village, make them fit in more? That's not enough. I've heard even the Third Hokage isn't fond of your clan."
Kei tilted his head slightly. Whether Kenta's words were deliberate or accidental, they pleased him. Even if the partnership was forced, Kenta knew how to show value—offering small hints to prove his worth.
Kei thought to himself: If this kid just blindly followed my orders, I'd make sure he stayed a tool for life.
"Some things I can tell you," Kei said evenly, "but I'm not ready to make them public yet."
"Understood, Captain. I'll be waiting for your signal," Kenta replied before leaving.
Kei knew he couldn't explain too much now—even to a cooperative Kenta. Only when everything stabilized would he choose to reveal certain truths.
And if Kenta really was a Senju descendant, Kei would have far more room to maneuver.
"I'm Uchiha, Kenta is Senju, and Ayaka is from the Hyūga… If handled right, we could combine the power of three great clans."
But Kei quickly chuckled at himself. Large clan alliances were tempting, but they also attracted the attention—and suppression—of those in power. He had no intention of building something that could get him toppled by one Hokage only to be betrayed by the next.
Small clans and civilians, Kei thought, they're the ones worth uniting. They need collective strength and a voice to counterbalance the big clans. And the Hokage will need a 'veto power'… though it has to be their idea, not mine.
The road ahead was long and uncertain. Kei's plans even accounted for the Fourth Hokage—who, according to the original course of history, would die next year—living on and continuing his duties.
Uchiha Kei was not the kind of man content to live under someone's rule.
When weaker, he sought protection—but always turned inevitabilities into bargaining chips, making allies believe they owed their survival to his cooperation.
And now his ambitions had grown—he wanted an obedient Uchiha clan. The current situation wasn't bad, but it was only secure because the Third Hokage remained in power. Kei, as an individual, was far safer than Fugaku, who led the clan.
Still, Kei would never allow the Third Hokage to keep his full authority. If the opportunity arose, he would strip the old man of all power—and, if necessary, strike decisively.
But once that happened, the balance between Kei and Fugaku could shift. Kei had no intention of letting that happen.
Fortunately, if everything went smoothly, there was still time. Kei would act cautiously, as always.
"Caution isn't about cowardice or fear," Kei smiled faintly.
"True caution means weighing the gains and losses before acting. If the benefits are great enough, I'll take the risk. If they're balanced, I'll wait. And if the losses outweigh the gains, I won't touch it at all. Difficulties? In the face of enough profit, they're nothing."
Standing up, Uchiha Kei had no intention of lingering any longer.
These days, members of the Police Force looked at him as if he were some sort of walking calamity.
No one dared to speak to him—most would rather take a detour than cross his path.
He didn't care. The only mildly amusing thing was that Uchiha Ryoko seemed completely unaffected by the tension. If anything, her work environment and treatment had actually improved.
---
"Your injuries have fully healed?"
In the chamber of the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder, the old man regarded Uchiha Tsubasa and Uchiha Chisai with calm, steady eyes. The two squad captains of the Police Force stood before him with unusual deference.
"Yes, Great Elder," they both answered in unison, bowing their heads.
Since the day Uchiha Kei sent them both to the hospital, they had been recovering for several days. The moment they were discharged, their first destination had been Uchiha Shin, the Great Elder.
Within the Police Force, the hardliners still held overwhelming influence—three out of the four squad captains belonged to their faction.
As a token of compromise, however, the vice-captains of Tsubasa and Chisai's squads were both from the more moderate "dove" faction.
Only Uchiha Yuu had purged every dissenting voice from his ranks… but he had since gone missing, and his squad was dissolved by none other than Uchiha Kei.
---
"Good," the Great Elder said, sipping his tea before giving a satisfied nod.
"Take care of yourselves. You are both valuable members of the clan—holders of the three-tomoe Sharingan. No matter what happens in the future, your safety comes first. Understand?"
"Yes, Great Elder."
The words were as good as a protective talisman. Still, everyone knew that when they returned to duty, conflict with that brat Uchiha Kei would be inevitable.
Especially after hearing, even from their hospital beds, that Kei had begun recruiting the 'outliers' of the Uchiha clan into his team.
That much they could stomach—after all, Kei himself came from such a background.
But when they learned he was also enlisting civilian shinobi? That crossed a line.
They might have lost to Kei, but they did not believe themselves truly weaker than him. To them, he was simply too devious—exploiting circumstances and their momentary carelessness. It was effective, yes, but hardly honorable.
It also taught them something important—Kei's resistance to genjutsu was formidable.
Even when they took turns assaulting his mind, he remained unaffected… and turned the tables on them instead.
---
"I called you here today to confirm something," the Great Elder said, breaking their thoughts.
"This Kei boy—how skilled is he, really? Even the two of you fell to him. Uchiha Fugaku certainly picked a capable aide."
"Great Elder!" Uchiha Tsubasa lowered his head further. "Last time was… an accident. We never intended to go all out, so—"
"He's also a man who's seen the battlefield," the Great Elder cut him off, voice cold. "Don't delude yourselves. Give me an objective assessment."
"…Very strong, Great Elder," Uchiha Chisai replied gravely.
"His speed is exceptional. His execution is clean and decisive. When facing Captain Yuu's subordinates, he dismantled them without effort.
His Sharingan perception is frighteningly sharp, and his resistance to genjutsu is extremely high. Other details are still unknown. That's all."
The Great Elder nodded in satisfaction. Of course, he already knew much of this—but hearing them admit it themselves was necessary. Recognition of one's shortcomings was the first step toward growth.
As for Uchiha Kei?
In his eyes, Kei was nothing more than Fugaku's chess piece—a piece meant to stir up the Police Force, muddying the waters. Talented or not, that wouldn't change his fate.
To the Great Elder, this was nothing more than a struggle for power—himself and the other elders on one side, the clan head Uchiha Fugaku on the other.