I'll Remember You Two

Uchiha Kei and Namikaze Minato talked for a long time. Kei could tell that Minato was fairly friendly toward him.

That made Kei rather happy. Minato might die after less than a year in office, but perhaps Kei could still gain some benefits during the time he had left.

Kei was also thinking about what he should do in the future. After all, anyone who came to this world and became a member of this clan would have to think about it, whether they wanted to or not.

Danzo and the Third Hokage were both rotten to the core. They were both deeply devious and hypocritical.

The only difference was that Danzo made no attempt to hide his treachery. He let everyone see it, then put on a sanctimonious act and said, "I'm doing everything for Konoha."

The Third Hokage, on the other hand, put on a full display of his "tolerance and benevolence" as Hokage, but the major ninja clans in Konoha probably knew best what he was like behind closed doors.

There was no denying that these two had run Konoha well while in power. But as they grew older, this splendid tree that was Konoha inevitably began to rot from within.

Power was the best catalyst. The two might not have been completely at odds, but they certainly weren't of one mind, either. Even so, they were absolutely in agreement on certain matters.

Turning the Fourth Hokage into his puppet had been the Third Hokage's doing. If he hadn't been thinking along those lines, he wouldn't have taken the position himself after the Fourth Hokage's death instead of holding another Hokage selection.

In his eyes, he was probably the best Hokage, wasn't he?

Danzo might have interfered, but there was also the Jonin vote of confidence to consider. Danzo's greatest achievement to date was becoming Acting Hokage.

Speaking of Danzo, that man was driven by self-interest, too. His infiltration of the Anbu and his control over Root made his aims plain enough.

The Anbu was the most complex unit in Konoha's ninja forces. Its members were mysterious and powerful, skilled in both assassination and protection. Only the Hokage could command this unit.

"Get some rest. You'll be able to go back soon, and your squad will return as well. Thanks to you, the outcome of the war is now more or less clear."

Namikaze Minato had no idea what Kei was thinking. He smiled at him, then got to his feet to leave.

Kei shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it anymore. As he watched Minato turn to leave, all he could do was wish him luck.

There was no denying that Minato was strong. Kei still remembered the sight he'd witnessed after taking out four Iwa Ninja.

Massive Rasengan, radiating a terrifying aura, rained down from the sky. Amid the thunderous explosions and the Five-Tails' cries of pain, the battle finally came to an end.

Kei couldn't forget how stunned he'd been. He'd suddenly realized that he was incredibly lucky to have survived after crossing Minato.

No wonder Uchiha Obito had been beaten by him when he attacked Konoha. Obito had lost an eye, but his control over the Sharingan and the Mangekyō Sharingan was far beyond what Kei could manage now.

Still, Kei thought that if he could reach Obito's level, he'd have a good chance of beating Minato.

You use Flying Thunder God, and the instant you appear, I use Time Stop, then twist your neck. That should do it.

Kei wasn't sure what would happen to his eyes afterward, but at least he had a way to beat Minato.

He flopped onto the stone bed and let his mind wander. Just then, he realized he might have underestimated Imai Kenta.

Kei had always considered Kenta pretty capable, but now he realized he might still have been underestimating him.

How could another Iwa Ninja guarding the same bridge be anything less than formidable?

But when Kei had seen Kenta yesterday, the man had only been covered in a few scratches, and while his chakra was badly depleted, he'd completed the mission and returned alive.

That could only mean one thing: Kenta had defeated the Iwa Ninja hiding beneath the bridge, perhaps even killed him, and completed the mission. He really was no ordinary man.

"By comparison, Hyuga Ayama had a rougher time."

Kei rubbed his chin, then froze. "Wait, could that woman have done it on purpose? Kakashi was badly injured then. Whether you went by the fact that she was his teammate or by the severity of his injuries, Nohara Rin would have treated Kakashi first. Which meant Ayama..."

Kei had actually been envious of Ayama's injury earlier. Now that he thought about it, he realized she might really have done it on purpose!

As a woman who had survived on the battlefield for so long, she wouldn't necessarily have been beaten so easily by an Iwa Jonin—especially since she was a member of the Hyuga Clan.

Kei knew very well that Hyuga Ayama couldn't stand him. It wasn't just because of their clan's Dojutsu or the extent of their Kekkei Genkai. It was also because they were alike.

Kei didn't take Ayama's dislike personally. From her perspective, anyone would resent having a squad leader with no strength.

On top of that, there was some bad blood between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans. Naturally, that only made her resentment grow.

Even if Kei could take down some Iwa Jonin by catching them off guard, that only worked when he had the element of surprise and his opponents were unprepared. Ayama must have thought that, with the Hyuga's defensive abilities, she could handle Kei easily.

But everything changed after Kei "awakened his Sharingan." And since Ayama had "offended" him, with the mission being so dangerous, the chances that she had deliberately gotten herself injured had grown enormously!

"That woman..." Kei couldn't help laughing at the thought. Was he really supposed to kill her on Konoha's front lines?

Or kill his own teammate somewhere inside Konoha?

Kei wasn't going to do that. Besides, although he disliked her, he wasn't about to slash a line through his Forehead Protector.

What about during a mission?

He still wasn't sure he'd strike. She was far more useful as a shield against Ninjutsu and enemy attacks than she would be dead at his hands.

Ayama was already on her way back to Konoha. She was returning with Kakashi. She probably hadn't expected that he and Imai Kenta would be going back now, too.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing her expression when she sees me again."

Kei thought maliciously, I really underestimated you. And not just you—even Imai Kenta. But I've got my eye on you two now.