Chapter 345: Internal Strife (Ext. Chap.)
Night fell.
Kei changed into a black coat and headed alone toward the address he had extracted from Kazuma's memories.
This kind of mission was hardly difficult for him.
Although he rarely handled such tasks anymore, infiltration and surprise attacks had once been his strongest suits.
He moved through the shadows the entire way. Even at night, the Fire Country's capital remained brightly lit and bustling—no less lively than Konoha.
Yet as he walked, a faintly amused smile appeared on Kei's face.
In the end, he had been faster than the Daimyō.
He had already begun hearing rumors.
Rumors about someone collecting the Nine-Tails' chakra—and that those people might be the Daimyō's own shinobi.
What made it even more interesting was that Kakashi had clearly worried ordinary civilians wouldn't grasp how serious this was. He had deliberately added "explanations" to the rumors.
For example:
how dangerous the Nine-Tails' chakra was,
how Konoha had once been devastated by the Nine-Tails,
and how secretly collecting its chakra would enrage Konoha—possibly costing the Fire Country Konoha's protection altogether.
In short, it was fear-mongering.
Fear-mongering grounded in fact.
Kei had given Kakashi a head start—barely half a day earlier than the Daimyō—but the difference was already obvious.
Information warfare always favored speed.
And rumors had to spread first.
With the Nine-Tails' chakra as the foundation, and the Daimyō inevitably attempting to counter by spreading claims like "Konoha shinobi behaved outrageously in the capital," the civilians would naturally reach a conclusion of their own.
That conclusion would be simple:
The Daimyō's personal shinobi provoked Konoha by collecting Nine-Tails' chakra—everything that followed was the consequence.
If this continued fermenting, the capital would be in chaos within days.
And once these rumors filtered back to Konoha through various channels, Kei's objective would be achieved.
The situation had to grow large.
Only then would the Daimyō be forced to obediently remain what this world truly allowed him to be—
a Daimyō.
Kei pulled his hood lower and quickened his pace.
This time, retrieving the Nine-Tails' chakra took priority.
It deviated slightly from his original plan—but results mattered more than form.
Plans existed precisely because reality was full of variables.
And once deviations appeared, rigid adherence only led to failure.
Adaptation was essential.
After some time, Kei arrived at a small forest outside the capital.
According to Kazuma's memories, he and his like-minded companions had hidden everything they'd collected inside a cave within this forest.
"They really picked a spot," Kei muttered, glancing around before following the remembered route.
But before he had gone far, he noticed something.
Ahead of him, another shinobi was moving stealthily toward the same destination.
Kei didn't recognize him personally, but he knew the man was one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas.
Excluding Asuma, who hadn't joined, Kei recognized only seven of them. The rest were faceless to him.
Blame Kishimoto for cutting corners, Kei thought wryly.
Guess this is what background characters look like.
Still, he was curious what this man was doing here.
From what Kei remembered, this ninja often stood alongside Chiriku.
Which meant he was likely one of the Guardian Ninjas who leaned toward the Hokage.
But "likely" wasn't certainty.
Allegiances were never that simple.
Kei slowed his pace and followed silently.
After a short while, he noticed something else—
Someone was following that shinobi as well.
Kei slowed down even more.
Now this was getting interesting.
If he wasn't mistaken, a rather entertaining scene was about to unfold.
Fortunately, it had little to do with him.
His goal was simple: remain unseen and take what he came for.
If necessary, he could also collect some "evidence."
Once enough distance opened between them, Kei subtly accelerated.
Even without following them, he could've found the cave on his own—Kazuma's memories were clear enough.
About ten minutes later, Kei reached the destination.
The cave entrance was there.
But the second follower hadn't appeared yet.
Kei didn't rush. He concealed himself and waited.
Soon enough, the first man emerged, carrying a scroll, his expression heavy.
His attention was entirely on that scroll.
In the next instant, a shadow burst out.
A pitch-black kunai stabbed viciously toward his chest.
Kei immediately recognized the attacker—
Kazuma.
At the same time, he noticed the man had already prepared a substitution jutsu.
"Substitution?" Kazuma frowned, then smiled.
"As expected of you, Kengo. You noticed me early on, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Kubo Kengo stepped out from the trees, his face grim.
"Why? Why are you doing this?"
Kengo hadn't wanted to believe it.
But Kei's arrival earlier—his unrestrained hostility toward Kazuma—had already hinted at the truth.
And the fact that Kei, Konoha's representative and Head of the Military Police, had demanded a private meeting with the Daimyō only underscored how serious the situation was.
After Kei and the others left, Kengo had wandered the streets, planning to drink.
He was a Guardian Ninja aligned with the Hokage's authority—but as a shinobi sworn to protect the Daimyō, he felt deeply conflicted.
That day wasn't his squad's rotation. Chiriku was a monk and didn't drink, so Kengo went alone.
By chance, at a tavern, he overheard a rumor that made his blood run cold—
Someone in the Fire Country was collecting Nine-Tails' chakra.
The rumor was spreading like a plague.
In that moment, everything clicked.
That was why Kei had come.
That was why his attitude had been so uncompromising.
Kengo immediately lost any desire to drink.
Thinking back, he remembered a cave in the forest outside the capital—
A so-called "war room" used by Kazuma and his like-minded group.
As Guardian Ninjas, they planned contingencies—ambushes, evacuations, even escort routes to Konoha if the Daimyō was attacked.
Even if they disliked it, they would still carry out those duties.
But the two factions among them were deeply divided.
They rarely discussed anything beyond the mission itself.
"So the rumors drove you here?" Kazuma asked, shaking his head.
"How disappointing. Konoha's lapdogs are everywhere in the Fire Country. They never respected the Daimyō."
"The Hokage is the leader of shinobi," Kengo replied gravely.
"The Daimyō is the leader of civilians."
"Leave," Kengo continued after a breath.
"We've been teammates for years. Even if we disagree, I don't want to betray you."
"I'll dispose of the chakra. We'll pretend this never happened. Let Uchiha Kei leave the capital."
"That is a good idea," Kazuma nodded, stepping closer.
"But—"
Metal screeched.
Kazuma's four-bladed claw snapped open and lunged toward Kengo.
"I think it's better if this stays with me."
"You—!"
Kengo leapt back, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Kazuma pressed forward relentlessly, giving him no time to breathe.
Taijutsu gave way to ninjutsu.
Earth Release clashed violently with Fire Release as the two fought.
Kei silently shifted farther back.
The battle wouldn't reach him—but exposure wasn't worth the risk.
What truly amused him was how unhinged Kazuma seemed.
His ambition was immense.
From Kazuma's perspective, shinobi villages and Kage were the root of all calamity.
But regardless of his beliefs, his fate was already sealed.
Because his actions had directly infringed upon Kei's interests.
Kei watched quietly, making no move.
This was internal conflict.
None of it concerned him.
In the end, Kengo was overwhelmed.
Kazuma's Earth Release crushed him completely.
Without hesitation, Kazuma's claws pierced straight through Kengo's chest.
"Brutal," Kei murmured from the shadows.
His expression remained calm—but Kazuma had just signed his own death warrant.
No matter how ruthless Kei was, he had never personally killed a teammate.
That line—he had never crossed.
And anything that disgusted him was rare.
Kazuma had managed it.
Kei shook his head, still unmoving.
Kazuma killing his own teammate wasn't his concern.
At most, once Kei retrieved what he needed, he'd avenge the man out of convenience.
After all—
Kazuma was dead anyway.
Suddenly, Kei frowned.
In an instant, Kiryoku flashed from its sheath—
Only to slide back in as soon as he saw who stood behind him.
Kei shot the newcomer an annoyed look.
If his reflexes had been even slightly slower, this person would already be dead.
His swordsmanship might not have improved much—but copying techniques from Imai Kenta and Kakashi meant he knew exactly how to kill.
"Next time you follow me," Kei muttered coldly,
"don't sneak around like that. One wrong move and I'll cut you down without even realizing who you are."
Kei spoke calmly,
"I've never personally killed a teammate—but watching that scene just now did give me quite a bit of insight."
"Kei-kun, you're joking,"
Ayaka replied softly.
She was wrapped in a black cloak as well, the dark hood pulled so low it almost completely concealed her eyes.
"I merely came along to see the excitement. Staying alone in that inn wasn't exactly comfortable."
The newcomer was none other than Hyūga Ayaka.
A faint smile lingered on her face—but it carried no warmth whatsoever, a kind of smile Kei didn't particularly like.
She was probably bored.
No experiments to run, Kakashi busy with the ANBU, and Kei sneaking off alone for covert operations.
Rather than sit idly in the inn, she had chosen to come out and watch.
"Fine. Since you're here, we might as well do something useful," Kei said, fixing his gaze forward.
"Let's see where Kazuma plans to hide that scroll."
"That's the scroll sealing the Nine-Tails' chakra?"
Ayaka nodded, immediately activating her Byakugan as she observed. At the same time, she asked tentatively,
"Kei-kun, that scroll is your real target, isn't it?"
"Oh?"
Kei tilted his head slightly.
"What made you think of that?"
He was mildly surprised by her sharpness.
But only mildly.
After all, he hadn't exactly covered his tracks perfectly.
Especially considering that after borrowing the scroll sealing the Three-Tails' chakra from Ayaka, he had never returned it.
She didn't know what experiments he had conducted—but that chakra had been genuine tailed-beast chakra.
Just as Kei expected, Ayaka continued smiling as she spoke:
"The Three-Tails' chakra extracted from Nohara Rin—those samples were probably already used in your experiments, weren't they?"
"More or less," Kei admitted with a nod.
"I discovered quite a few interesting things. Unfortunately, all that chakra has been fully consumed. I can't exactly make another trip to the Land of Water, can I?"
"So that's how it is," Ayaka nodded.
"I knew it. Helping Kakashi gain leverage fits your style—but that alone wouldn't justify you coming here personally. Kakashi could have taken his time."
"Someone like you would never act without a deeper purpose," she continued.
"So your real aim was tailed-beast chakra—and the method for collecting it."
Ayaka had never believed Kei came solely for Kakashi's sake.
And clearly, she was right.
The reason Kei hadn't requested chakra directly from the Fourth Hokage was simple:
his Mangekyō Sharingan could control tailed beasts.
If he demanded tailed-beast chakra now, it would invite dangerous suspicions.
Kei never allowed such risks.
His grasp of power—and of human psychology—was razor-sharp.
"Your analysis is spot-on," Kei said with a shrug.
"Too bad there's no reward."
"My target has always been tailed-beast chakra. The moment I heard this information, I began planning. Having Kakashi's situation cover my real objective just made things easier, didn't it?"
"But here's the key issue," Ayaka asked directly.
"Can you collect enough Nine-Tails' chakra in such a short time?"
"If you take it for experiments, how will you report back? Even if you obtain the collection method, can you really do all this without Kakashi noticing?"
"I don't need much," Kei replied calmly.
"If necessary, I'll simply use certain special methods to amplify the chakra."
"I don't act without certainty. As long as the chakra hasn't fully dissipated, that's enough to report. I can always say some was lost during inspection—it won't be a problem."
He had already accounted for this.
Kei had proven that Susanoo chakra could nourish tailed-beast chakra.
Although the Three-Tails and Nine-Tails differed, they shared the same origin.
He refused to believe one would work while the other wouldn't.
And he didn't need much Nine-Tails chakra anyway.
The residue left inside Rin back then had been pitifully small.
Yet look at it now.
Those traces had expanded dozens of times over.
So even if Kei absorbed all the Nine-Tails chakra here, it wouldn't matter.
He could always seal it again afterward.
As long as he brought some Nine-Tails chakra back, it would be enough.
And it would serve as damning evidence against the Daimyō as well.
"I see," Ayaka said softly.
"By the way—Kazuma sealed the scroll just now."
"The method is unusual, but I memorized the hand seals."
"Does that man still have a chance?" Kei asked after a moment's thought.
"When I observed earlier, it didn't look like a fatal strike. Without the Byakugan, I couldn't tell for sure."
"Unfortunately, he's already dead," Ayaka replied after a brief glance.
"The wound didn't hit a vital point directly, but his internal organs were torn apart. He bled out—there was no saving him."
"Then keep an eye on Kazuma," Kei ordered calmly.
"Figure out where he buries the body—or what he does with it."
Shinobi were always cautious with corpses—either burying them or, like Kei himself, incinerating them.
Ayaka understood his intent.
When the time came to strike, they needed decisive, irrefutable evidence.
The Nine-Tails' chakra alone was enough to fracture the so-called Twelve Guardian Ninja.
But splitting them again from within would be even better.
"I understand," Ayaka nodded.
"Though a warning—the cave has much stronger seals now. Getting inside won't be easy."
"It's manageable," Kei said, standing up.
"Has he come out yet?"
"He has," Ayaka replied.
"He's dealing with the body now. He's being more cautious—but also more reckless."
"Oh?" Kei raised an eyebrow.
"Let me guess—he sealed the body?"
Ayaka looked at him with mild surprise, then nodded.
Kei hadn't forgotten Kazuma's forbidden technique.
A resurrection-like jutsu.
He hadn't found it during memory probing earlier—proof his genjutsu still had limitations.
But that could wait.
For now, it was time to act.
"Moving out?" Ayaka tilted her head.
"Perfect timing. He's preparing to leave."
"Is he careless—or does he think we won't come?" Kei shook his head as he moved forward.
"Or maybe being discovered by a teammate rattled him."
"I lean toward a different conclusion," Ayaka said as she followed.
"He's fishing."
"If one person noticed, others might too. According to your logic, he's testing who can be recruited—and who believes him."
"If someone does, great. If not… he'll kill again."
"Don't be so cynical," Kei said shamelessly.
"Always assuming the worst about people isn't healthy."
Ayaka looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Kei ignored it completely and continued,
"Let's go. Since you're here, you should contribute. The seals are your job."
"…Why do I feel like following you was a mistake?"
"You're not wrong," Kei replied honestly.
"It absolutely was."