Chapter 207 – Walking Corpses
After handing over all the tasks meant for Hyūga Ayaka to handle, Uchiha Kei finally found himself with some free time.
It was a rare moment of leisure for him. Normally, he had far too much on his plate to even pause for breath. But right now, circumstances had aligned to give him a brief window of respite.
The Guard Division had just finished its reorganization. Uchiha Kawa's unit was doing relatively well—thanks to Kei's earlier hints, he had been able to prepare in advance. Uchiha Jun, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as fortunate.
She had been placed in her position by Uchiha Fugaku, and naturally, Kei offered her no support. To make matters worse, Kei had dumped one of the most difficult and exhausting "research projects" on her shoulders.
It was obvious that this was a "test." If she handled it well, she would stay and continue; if she failed, she would be cut out without hesitation.
Jun had no way out. After all, she had been the one who originally insisted on getting close to Kei, hoping to somehow tie him down. But now, she realized Kei saw her as nothing more than a tool—a bargaining chip between himself and Fugaku.
Fortunately for her, pride and stubbornness pushed her to prove herself. Otherwise, the mission Kei had thrown at her would have been enough to make most people give up.
Now she spent her days running around, recruiting suitable candidates from within the clan while also visiting other families in the village. Kei didn't bother checking on her progress. He wasn't interested in the process—only in the final "answer sheet" she would hand in.
"Uchiha Kawa's already gathered enough people. Several squads are training as we speak," Kei mused inwardly. "Overall, things are settling into order. I wonder how Namikaze Minato is doing right now…"
Ever since their meeting last year, neither Kei nor Fugaku had reached out to Minato. And Minato himself, to avoid unnecessary trouble, had kept his distance from all clan politics. He didn't even interact too much with his old teammates.
That was only natural. He had just taken office, and the Third Hokage's influence was still strong. He couldn't afford to appear impatient.
But in the end, no matter how low-key Minato tried to be, he would eventually realize he was nothing more than a man following orders.
"Forget it. No point dwelling on that," Kei muttered, shaking his head. "I should prepare for other things."
When Minato eventually found himself unable to control the situation, he might turn to Jiraiya—or perhaps Kei—for advice. But Jiraiya was no longer in Konoha, which left Kei as the only likely option.
That meant Kei didn't need to rush. All he had to do was wait patiently for Minato to come knocking.
For now, Kei had another priority: finding a suitable, sharp-minded apprentice.
He didn't need many with medical ninjutsu skills—but at least one capable fallback was essential. Hyūga Ayaka was excellent, but Kei preferred to keep a backup plan in case things went sour between them. If he ever had to eliminate her, someone needed to step in and continue her work.
Even if nothing went wrong, an extra assistant would only help.
With that in mind, Kei decided to visit Konoha's orphanage.
The place had always been something of a hidden gem. Kei couldn't be sure what it was like now, but he knew that in the future, the orphanage's director would be none other than Yakushi Nonō.
Whether Nonō was still running it now was uncertain. But the fact that someone like Kabuto had come out of this place was proof enough of the level of talent hidden there.
Talent largely defined a person's potential. But willpower and mindset mattered just as much. Without them, even the greatest bloodline or gift would go wasted.
Kabuto was living proof—a man of sharp intellect and iron will. Though he would eventually lose his sense of self, those qualities carried him all the way to becoming one of the masterminds behind the Fourth Great Ninja War.
With these thoughts in mind, Kei set out. He wanted to see if, aside from Kabuto, there were any other hidden "gems" waiting to be unearthed.
But just as he stepped out of the Uchiha compound, he spotted someone standing outside—Hatake Kakashi, alone.
"Hm?" Kei paused, then walked over with a smile. "Kakashi. Long time no see. No mission today?"
"Minato-sensei gave me a week off," Kakashi replied, his tone cold. "I didn't know what to do… so I came to find you."
"I see." Kei nodded. "How's ANBU treating you?"
"It's… tolerable. I can only numb myself through missions." Kakashi let out a sigh. "Sorry. I've disappointed you and sensei. I—"
Kei smirked faintly. He had known all along that Kakashi wouldn't be so easily "fixed."
The boy was stubborn to his core. Kei knew his story well.
Kakashi's life had been reshaped three times.
The first was his father's death.
Once an innocent boy who idolized his father, he had spiraled into doubt after Sakumo's suicide. He questioned whether his father had been wrong—whether his teachings had been wrong.
That doubt turned him cold and cruel. He abandoned the importance of comrades, focused solely on missions, and pushed away everyone—even Rin, who cared for him deeply. To him, nothing mattered but the mission.
That darkness only shifted with the arrival of Obito.
The two couldn't have been more different, like the future Sasuke and Naruto—polar opposites. And yet, against all odds, they formed a deep bond.
When Rin was captured, their philosophies clashed violently. But Obito's words pierced Kakashi's heart like no jutsu ever could:
"Those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their comrades… are worse than scum."
And, "I believe the White Fang was a true hero."
Those two statements rekindled Kakashi's faith in his father, overturning the doubts that had poisoned him.
It was because of those words that Kakashi broke mission protocol for the first time—choosing to save Rin.
But sadly, that incident marked the beginning of Kakashi's second transformation.
The wound to his left eye had left him with a massive blind spot, slowing his reactions when the boulders came crashing down. Obito, in order to save him, sacrificed his own "life." Before being crushed, he entrusted Kakashi with his Sharingan—his left eye—and with it, his final wish: protect Rin Nohara, no matter what.
This devastated Kakashi, but it also gave him a new purpose: to protect Rin with everything he had.
Yet fate was cruel. Once Uchiha Madara had set his sights on her, Rin's end was inevitable. And in the end, she died by Kakashi's own hand.
It didn't matter that it hadn't truly been his fault—the impact was catastrophic. Killing Rin with his own blade was nothing short of soul-shattering.
From then on, Kakashi could barely be called human. He became nothing more than a tool for missions—an empty shell, a walking corpse.
But one more event shifted him yet again: the death of Namikaze Minato.
Watching his teacher lay down his life to protect the entire village forced Kakashi to confront something. He still had things worth protecting.
Obito's dream had been to become Hokage, so he could protect Konoha. Rin's death—at Kakashi's hands—was meant to prevent the Three-Tails from rampaging in the village, protecting Konoha once again. His teacher and his comrades had all carried the same dream, fighting and even dying for it.
That realization cracked the darkness around him. Coupled with the careful support of his old friends, Kakashi slowly began to climb out of the abyss.
It wasn't until he looked at Team 7—his students, mirrors of his own old squad—that he finally began to feel human again.
Kakashi's life had been nothing short of tragic. Even when he regained a semblance of normalcy, Kei could still see Obito's shadow in him.
In truth, Kakashi wasn't living for himself anymore. He lived for his fallen comrades and his teacher, carrying their will on his shoulders.
That Kakashi might have been admirable, but to Uchiha Kei, it was also a problem.
He didn't want the man he had chosen to lead the ANBU to be just a shadow of someone else, moving only under the weight of inherited wills.
Kei realized then that he would have to do something.
"I see now, Kakashi," Kei said with a nod. "I understand what you mean. You still haven't been able to step out of the shadows."
"I…" Kakashi lowered his head. His voice trembled. "Kei… do you know? I don't even dare to draw my blade anymore. Every time I unsheathe it, I see blood on it—Rin's blood! I—"
"Enough." Kei cut him off sharply, his tone calm but firm. "Come with me. There are some things I need to tell you."