Back at the Uchiha Clan Compound, someone soon showed him to his new home.
Compared to his old little shack, his new place was ridiculously nice!
Five separate wooden houses, a courtyard spanning hundreds of square meters, and every kind of fruit and vegetable imaginable.
"Being strong is great. Even the bed's soft and cozy!"
Lying on the comfortable tatami, Uchiha Kei felt happiness for the first time in two years.
He rolled over and took a rabbit mask from his robes.
"Just as I expected. I really did join the Anbu."
As he traced the patterns on the mask, an inscrutable smile appeared on Uchiha Kei's face.
Joining the Anbu was only the first step of his plan. If he wanted Uchiha Itachi to truly claim the Hokage Position, the influence of a few clans and civilians wouldn't be nearly enough.
The Anbu was the foundation that kept the Hokage in power!
Of course, rather than being the Hokage's Anbu, it was more accurate to call it Danzo's Root. More than six out of every ten Anbu members belonged to Root.
He'd joined the Anbu to dismantle Root from the inside!
As he pondered this, two figures appeared beside him without a sound.
"Well, Itachi, Shisui, you two hear news fast. You found my new place already."
Uchiha Kei smiled at the newcomers.
"Congratulations, Kei."
Shisui and Itachi patted him on the shoulder, then looked at the rabbit mask in his hand.
"Did Lord Hokage let you join the Anbu?"
Itachi was happy about it. He was in the Anbu himself, and with Uchiha Kei joining, many things would be much easier.
Beside him, Shisui looked at the mask, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Yeah, I'm an Anbu member now, with the Ninth Squad."
Uchiha Kei made no attempt to hide it. Aside from his transmigration and the system, there was nothing he needed to keep from the two of them.
"Kei, now all three of us are in the Anbu. Isn't that too much concentration in one place?"
Shisui was more thoughtful than most people his age. The moment he saw the mask, he recognized the problem.
They were all in this together now, sharing the same path.
He understood the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket.
"Shisui, I know what you're worried about."
Uchiha Kei ushered them both into their seats and tapped a finger on the table.
"I've thought about it. It's essential for Itachi and me to be in the Anbu. We can root out Root's influence there, and it'll also put the Third Hokage at ease about us."
"But you're right, the three of us shouldn't be so concentrated. So, Shisui, you need to find a way to leave the Anbu."
As someone who knew the story, Uchiha Kei understood Shisui's situation all too well. He had to find a way to get him out of the Anbu as soon as possible.
That might delay Danzo's plans.
"Me?" Shisui looked startled.
Of the three, he held the highest position in the Anbu. He was already one of its five squad leaders.
He couldn't see any benefit to leaving.
Uchiha Kei nodded solemnly, tapping the table in a steady rhythm.
"Can you tell me why?"
"The reason's simple. Your Mangekyō Sharingan has been exposed, and Danzo knows what it can do."
Shisui's pupils contracted sharply. He sprang to his feet.
"How is that possible? I've never shown it to anyone outside the clan. How could Danzo know?"
Uchiha Kei shrugged. "But he does know. Unless something unexpected happens, Danzo will make a move against you soon."
"After all, your eyes are practically unbeatable, Shisui."
Shisui's thoughts were in turmoil. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"Shisui, if that's true, you have to leave the Anbu at once!"
Itachi knew how chaotic the Anbu could be. If Danzo had really set his sights on Shisui's eyes, every day from then on would be extremely dangerous for him.
"Kei, if I use Kotoamatsukami on Danzo, would that—"
Shisui still wanted to try. After all, he was far more useful in the Anbu than either of them.
"Have you noticed how Danzo always keeps his hand and half his face wrapped in bandages?"
"Uh, yeah. I heard he was injured fighting Hanzo the Salamander, and the wounds never healed."
Shisui didn't understand what Uchiha Kei was getting at. Confusion crossed his face.
"His arm is covered in Sharingan!"
"What?!"
Shisui was shocked, and even Itachi was stunned.
An entire arm's worth of Sharingan... Just how many Uchiha lives had that cost?
"Over the years, plenty of Uchiha have died under mysterious circumstances while carrying out missions. Danzo took most of their eyes and transplanted them into his arm."
"And the technique he uses to alter cause and effect..."
"Izanagi."
Shisui's pupils contracted.
Izanagi...
If Danzo had that many Sharingan, along with Izanagi's power to alter cause and effect, then Shisui's Kotoamatsukami really would be useless.
"Don't worry. Itachi and I are enough for the Anbu. Danzo won't be able to run wild for much longer."
"Then where should I go?"
Shisui accepted the truth quickly.
Without realizing it, he and Itachi had come to trust this eight-year-old completely.
"Next..."
Uchiha Kei rubbed his chin as the various forces in Konoha came to mind.
"Shisui, your next mission won't be easy..."
Uchiha Kei leaned close to them and quietly explained a few things.
"This... this..."
Shisui and Itachi jerked their heads up and stared at him in shock. For a long time, neither could speak.
"You have to trust me, Shisui. This person is a key part of our plan. We can't carry it out unless we get him under our control."
Shisui lowered his head and thought for a moment. Then he exchanged a glance with Itachi and nodded firmly.
"Leave it to me!"
After giving them a few more instructions, Uchiha Kei watched Shisui and Itachi leave his new home, their minds heavy with worry.
Once they were gone, Uchiha Kei took out a sheet of paper and began writing and sketching. Before long, he'd filled the whole page.
"The Anbu, the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, the civilian forces, and... him."
Uchiha Kei set down his pen and rubbed his temples. "That should be about everyone. All that's left is figuring out how to bring them together."
Soon, six large characters appeared on the page.
"Public opinion."
"Popular support."
"Economy."
After destroying the paper, Uchiha Kei lazily stretched out on the tatami again.
So comfortable!
Ding! The host has reached 10,000 Shock Value. You may draw an Intermediate Ninjutsu. Draw now?
Uchiha Kei sat bolt upright.
An Intermediate Ninjutsu!
Did that mean everything he'd drawn before was a beginner ninjutsu?
Was the Mangekyō Sharingan a beginner ninjutsu too?
"System, can you talk?"
Uchiha Kei asked tentatively.
Silence.
"Fine. Guess I was overthinking it."
Uchiha Kei chose to draw, his interest waning.
Ding! 10,000 Shock Value consumed. You randomly obtained an Intermediate Ninjutsu—Rinnegan. Exchange it?
This time, Uchiha Kei was completely dumbfounded.
The Rinnegan!
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