Pride

One must still mind one's image in front of subordinates. Kei suppressed his excitement, first telling the two of them that their salaries would be increased, and declaring that from now on, they were his Blade God and Sword Saint.

Seeing that the two were quite satisfied with his affirmation, he then broke the news that he wanted them to guard the gate.

Watching the dumbfounded expressions on the two, Kei felt his perverse sense of humor satisfied.

In the end, thanks to their efforts, they didn't end up guarding the gate, but they did become Kei's gatekeepers.

After the two left, Kei stood before his own statue and laughed maniacally.

"Hahaha, I said I only admire you in this life, and I was right. If I just churn out a few fakes, they can be blessed by faith and become treasures. Tell me, if I organize this mythological system and promote it extensively, could I establish a Takamagahara?"

Uchiha Kei had no reverence for the divine; he lounged in a dissolute posture before the statue, which was modeled after his appearance in his previous life, gesturing wildly at it.

"Don't you worry, as long as it's a myth I've concocted, you will definitely be the head of the Kotoamatsukami, the Ame-no-Minakanushi. If we're going to be gods, we have to be the most badass ones."

Lying on the ground, Kei looked at the statue he had crafted with his own hands with a sense of elation.

Gods? Naturally, divine grace is as vast as the sea, and divine might is like a prison.

To translate that: it means being able to intimidate people so that they follow orders, obey prohibitions, accept punishment for violations, and face execution for grave offenses—merciless and beyond debate.

It also means making people feel compassion, where the grace is as vast and continuous as the sea, boundless and endless, leaving the recipient feeling refreshed and ethereal, forever inclined toward goodness.

Kei had put a lot of effort into embodying these two forms.

His appearance in his previous life was ferocious, unlike the current Uchiha Kei, whose features were delicate and carried a hint of evil charm—a classic, seductive villain's face.

Therefore, the "divine might like a prison" didn't need special sculpting; his previous self naturally possessed a face that could scare a three-year-old child to tears.

Thus, he could only depict "divine grace as vast as the sea" through facial expression.

Just like that, a god with a fierce, menacing appearance but a benevolent, kind expression appeared, currently looking down at Kei.

Kei looked up at the god from below. Suddenly, a deep sense of mockery was transmitted. The statue conveyed an attitude that was ambiguous.

"You idiot, what are you getting so high on yourself for?"

The narrow-minded Kei was provoked, stood up, and jumped around, cursing at himself.

"You brat, aren't we of one mind? You actually mock me? Can't I be proud for a moment? Can't I be a badass for a bit? I've lived so cautiously for so many years, acting tough while terrified, fearing that if I went too far, I'd be hacked to death on the spot."

"Now that my subordinates are one more impressive than the next, what's wrong with me being a bit arrogant?"

The statue remained the same, yet it was no longer the same statue.

After years of walking a tightrope, anyone would have been driven to madness.

Clearing the mind and seeing one's true nature—every conversation with the statue was, in fact, a conversation Kei was having with his own heart!

As he spoke, Kei suddenly couldn't continue.

"My subordinates are getting more and more impressive. Hiss, they are getting stronger, but I'm the only one standing still. It turns out I'm the weak link of the entire team."

Kei stood up and sat cross-legged.

"Although it was like this before, in terms of strength, I might be on par with the genin under my command, but when it comes to a real fight, those genin who have fought for years are definitely much stronger than me in life-or-death situations."

"Now, I'm still the one dragging them down, but I can't just strip myself bare, can I?"

"My current lineup is impressive; there are few clans that can field such a strong team. I can hit whoever I want and scold whoever I want. But in terms of individual strength, even the dog of the Hatake clan could beat me to a pulp."

"If something really happened, I'd be beheaded in an instant!"

"No, I need to strengthen myself!"

But with his talent, being a civilian chunin was his peak. To improve further, he couldn't rely on himself; he had to rely on external objects.

What should he get?

The poor rely on mutation, the rich rely on technology.

As wealthy as I, Uchiha Kei, am, should I fear not having a way to spend money to get stronger? There is plenty of black technology here.

Having had a conversation with his inner self, Kei shed the ecstasy brought by the rapid growth of his subordinates and sat calmly before the statue, entering meditation.

Sweeping the mind frequently, clearing away dusty emotions, the spiritual platform is empty and clear, and a single thought of stillness arises. The monkey and horse are restrained, the spirit is cautious and towering, and all connections are cleared away.

All sorts of thoughts rose and extinguished in Uchiha Kei's heart until they integrated into a perfect plan.

The so-called law of diminishing returns means that it is very difficult to take one thing to the extreme. But finding a way to be "good enough" is very easy.

It is hard to practice one move to invincibility, but if you know a little bit of a bunch of moves, you are also a versatile, composite talent.

In the world of Hokage, while powerful techniques give ninjas a great boost, ultimately, a ninja's strength depends on the basics.

That is: is the destructive power high enough, is the speed fast enough, and is the chakra volume sufficient?

And in the world of Hokage, there are actually quite a few ways to gain these boosts.

Just as Kei began to think about where to start, Hotaru returned.

The insecure Hotaru, along with Oboro and Shujen, requested an audience together. She figured that with so many people present, Mr. Orochimaru wouldn't act recklessly or make unreasonable requests to Lord Kei.

"My Lord, Mr. Orochimaru is here!" This was Hotaru's task.

"My Lord, Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku is here too." Oboro also had her report.

"My lord, an elder from the Uchiha Clan named Yawei has also arrived." This was naturally Shujen.

Upon hearing the news of Orochimaru's arrival, Qi's eyes lit up.

Orochimaru, that's right, who else is more familiar with human experimentation than him? Isn't this just delivering a golden opportunity right to my doorstep?

"Hotaru, Oboro, come with me to meet Mr. Orochimaru. Shujen, go notify Tenshen to receive Clan Leader Fuqiu, and as for that fellow named Yawei, just let him wait!"

Aside from Orochimaru, Qi didn't care in the slightest about the other two; even with his eyes closed, he knew exactly why they were here.

Well, that wasn't entirely true—at least he didn't understand why Yawei, a die-hard loyalist to Fugaku, would want to see him in private.

There was no need for that; he could have just come along with Fuqiu to see him.

But it didn't matter. Whatever he wanted to do, he could do it. Did he really need to pay him any mind?

He was, after all, the overlord of Konoha Village, the kind of person even the Third Hokage would offer a cigarette to upon meeting. Whatever Yawei wanted to do, did he really need to take it seriously? It was just the same old Uchiha Clan business anyway.

He hated this kind of palace intrigue the most; it was all just petty, trivial gains!