Chapter 386 – Live On, Without Fear
A unified Konoha shinobi was far more universal—and far more practical—than any so-called "Konoha shinobi of such-and-such clan."
Ayaka had never been slow to grasp things.
The moment Kei spoke those words, understanding dawned on her almost instantly.
Kei—no, more accurately, he and Namikaze Minato together—were trying to overturn the very marks of the great clans.
They were trying to erase them.
For some reason, instead of fear alone, what Ayaka felt was a strange mix of excitement and exhilaration.
She herself had been born into a branch family. Her sense of identification with the concept of shinobi clans had never been particularly strong.
Perhaps she was an exception—but for someone like her, the sweeping changes Kei was proposing didn't seem like a bad thing at all.
What truly puzzled her was something else.
Was this really good for the Uchiha clan?
And beyond that—weren't they effectively offending every major clan in Konoha?
For the first time, Ayaka found herself unable to fully understand Kei's intentions.
Even Minato's goals felt hazy to her now.
"Not quite able to wrap your head around it?"
Kei asked calmly, having read her expression at a glance.
"Do you think breaking the existing ecosystem and rebuilding one that seems to bring no obvious benefit—especially to oneself—is stupid and pointless?"
"…Yes," Ayaka nodded honestly.
"I really don't understand it."
"This approach hurts your own interests. I'd already guessed some of it, but I didn't expect your ambitions to be this big."
"It's fine if you don't understand," Kei sighed softly.
"You simply haven't seen deeply enough yet."
"The stakes of this game are enormous. And trying to find a way out of a maze like this… is never easy."
He wasn't wrong.
For someone trapped inside the rules of the game, trying to see the entire board was nearly impossible.
Minato himself hadn't seen it clearly at first.
Even Uchiha Fugaku had only begun to understand after Kei pointed it out.
As for everyone else…
Kei wasn't optimistic.
Unless someone, like him, had come from another world entirely.
A world with a much higher level of civilization.
Without that perspective, many things were simply impossible to comprehend.
To be fair, the Third Hokage's methods in the past had been extremely effective.
Whether intentional or not, he had successfully consolidated Konoha's internal interest groups.
From the standpoint of a ruler, he had been highly competent.
Unfortunately, his deeply ingrained views—and his long-formed biases—left Kei with no choice but to push back.
Because some systems, once solidified, could only be changed through resistance.
And this time, Kei had no intention of backing down.
If he didn't resist, the only outcome would be death.
Kei had no intention of dying himself—nor of being erased along with the entire Uchiha clan.
That was why he had been forced to carry out a series of decisive actions.
Internally, he eliminated the hardliners. If those extremists hadn't backed down so quickly, they would have been his next targets.
Externally, he worked to draw the Uchiha clan closer to Konoha itself—while doing everything possible to dismantle the "game rules" established by the Third Hokage.
Of course, all of this had to be done while safeguarding his own interests.
But for someone who already knew where the road ahead led, how could he possibly allow himself to suffer losses?
"Sigh…"
Ayaka let out a quiet breath and shook her head helplessly.
"Honestly, no matter what you choose to do, all I can do is support you—just like you supported me. I only hope you truly understand what you're doing, Kei, and that you won't lead us into a disastrous situation."
"Don't worry," Kei replied with a smile.
"If I weren't confident, I wouldn't have made such a decision."
He turned to face Ayaka, gazing at her for a long moment before speaking again.
"Thank you for trusting me. And my approach isn't without foundation. Let me ask you one more question—maybe then you'll see more clearly."
"Go ahead," Ayaka said softly, slightly uncomfortable under his gaze as she tilted her head aside.
"Within Konoha," Kei asked calmly, "which do you think there are more of—clan shinobi, or civilian-born shinobi?"
Ayaka almost rolled her eyes at him.
It was practically a rhetorical question.
How many major clans did Konoha even have?
Small clans were numerous, yes, but limited by population, quality, and the difficulty of producing top-tier fighters.
Civilian shinobi were different. They were born in vast numbers.
Even if their average quality wasn't high, their sheer quantity was overwhelming—and on the battlefield, they were the true backbone of Konoha's forces.
Still, she answered seriously.
"Civilian shinobi, of course. Ignoring differences in strength, all the clan shinobi combined probably don't even make up a quarter of their numbers."
"Then what do you think about the current allocation of resources for genin and chūnin?" Kei continued, nodding.
Ayaka paused before responding.
"I'm no longer a genin or chūnin, so I don't know the details. But I've heard that those who lost their special jōnin titles resisted fiercely at first—yet quieted down once the new policies were implemented. That suggests the compensation must be generous."
"Hypothetically," Kei said, stepping closer—close enough to feel intrusive—
"if jōnin were to receive even greater resource investment—money, techniques, and political authority—what do you think would happen?"
Ayaka's expression turned strange.
Kei's proximity unsettled her, especially with her thoughts already in turmoil.
She closed her eyes briefly, forcing herself to calm down and think.
Kei watched her with faint amusement, saying nothing.
At this point, any intelligent person should already be piecing things together.
And Ayaka was intelligent.
Sure enough, after a moment, her eyes opened—and clarity dawned.
Even though Kei had said little, and his words were deliberately vague, she had grasped the core idea.
If Kei and Namikaze Minato's plan succeeded, many people—especially the clans—would protest.
But paradoxically… they would also gain more than ever before.
"You're trying to completely secure control over Konoha's lower ranks," Ayaka said slowly,
"and even introduce dissenting voices within the clans themselves."
She sighed.
"It's extremely risky. But considering the potential returns… you actually have a high chance of success."
"Maybe," Kei replied, sitting back in his chair with a quiet exhale.
"I never wanted to do this. But haven't you ever wondered why the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha deteriorated so badly?"
"Don't tell me you don't know. Maybe you didn't before—but now, with your authority, you can access information you couldn't touch in the past."
"I've read the records," Ayaka nodded.
"But I can't truly feel what your clan went through."
"So that's your reason for changing everything?"
"More or less," Kei answered.
"When everyone is vertically divided by clan, trapped in rigid circles that block communication, the Uchiha end up abandoned by all."
"But if we redivide the village horizontally—where everyone is simply a Konoha shinobi, and the only distinctions are rank and ability—then doesn't that create upward mobility and break down social barriers?"
He leaned back fully, settling into the chair.
"Only then can we dismantle the system the Third Hokage used—isolating clans one by one before forcibly merging them."
"Only then can we prevent the Uchiha from ever being isolated again."
"And only then," Kei said quietly,
"can I live on… without fear, and without hesitation."
---
Land of Lightning – Kumogakure
In a massive plaza within the Hidden Cloud Village, the Fourth Raikage, A, stood beside his brother Killer B, gazing down at the assembled force below.
More than eight thousand shinobi stood in formation.
All of them would march with him—to Konoha.
Yes.
This time, the Raikage intended to lead the campaign personally.
Kumogakure had always favored Raikage-led expeditions.
The Second Raikage had died during an internal rebellion.
The Third Raikage fell in the Third Shinobi War, overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
And the Fourth Raikage himself had a long history of frontline missions.
Facing Konoha, he could afford no complacency.
Eight thousand shinobi was neither excessive nor insufficient.
The Land of Lightning and Kumogakure still required defense—but this force was already immense.
With the Raikage personally commanding them, it conveyed attitude, strength, and resolve.
They were furious.
And Konoha would have to give them an answer.
"Is everyone ready?"
Raikage A roared, his voice echoing across the plaza.
"We go to Konoha to demand justice!"
"READY!"
"READY!"
"READY!"
Thousands of voices thundered back, shaking the ground.
Only when the echoes faded did Raikage A nod slowly.
He raised his right hand.
"Move out."