Chapter 242 — Conditions
After sending Iori home, Uchiha Kei and Ayaka Hyūga headed to one of Konoha's barbecue restaurants.
It wasn't Kei's first time here. The last time he'd come was for a reunion with his peers—a gathering he had conveniently turned to his own advantage.
As they stepped inside, Kei immediately spotted some familiar faces—Kurenai, Anko, and Asuma.
The three were chatting over their meal, but when they noticed Kei and Ayaka, they quickly waved in greeting.
"Kei, Ayaka-senpai!" Kurenai called cheerfully. "It's been so long since we last saw you two."
"Work has been keeping me busy," Kei replied with a mild smile. "Not much time to come out."
He hadn't expected to run into old acquaintances here—two of them his exact peers. Kurenai, as always, was warm and lively. Anko, on the other hand, seemed quieter, watching Kei with undisguised curiosity. Asuma's attitude was more neutral—polite but not overly familiar, perhaps shaped by the shadow of his clan.
Kei didn't particularly care either way. Asuma had never struck him as someone with deep foresight. After all, this was the same man who, in his late teens, left Konoha at its most critical time to serve as one of the Fire Daimyō's Guardian Shinobi.
Some would argue it was all part of the Third Hokage's design—an excuse to keep an eye on the Daimyō's faction. But Kei remembered how Asuma's hotheadedness eventually led him to throw his life away in revenge for a comrade.
Noble, perhaps, but hardly cunning.
Aside from his lineage and the prestige of leading the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, there wasn't much remarkable about him.
Kei's connection with Asuma had never been more than that of classmates.
"Kei, you've really transformed the Police Division," Kurenai said, admiration in her voice. "Must have been exhausting. Want to join us? We only just started."
Kei shook his head with an easy smile. "Not tonight. This is more of a team dinner. Kenta's already waiting for us, so I won't intrude."
"Ah, I see." Kurenai sounded a little disappointed but didn't press. "Then next time, let us know in advance. It's been too long since our class had a proper gathering."
Kei nodded before turning away with Ayaka.
Throughout the exchange, she had remained silent, smiling faintly.
She had seen Kei's warm smile before—but every time she did, she found it amusing. Someone so ruthless, wearing such a disarming expression… Did it work only because the Uchiha were blessed with good looks?
"What kind of look is that?" Kei finally asked, noticing her gaze.
"Nothing." Ayaka shook her head lightly. "Just thinking that your smile isn't all that convincing."
"…Is that so?" Kei gave her a sidelong glance, then chuckled. "Seems we should both take lessons from Kenta. His smile almost makes people forget what's behind it."
And yet, the more Kei observed, the more he sensed the rot beneath Kenta's carefully polished demeanor. For a while, he'd even wondered if Kenta had ties to Sai—or if ROOT had trained him. But that theory never held. ROOT wouldn't waste assets like that in a squad of expendables.
No—Kenta was something else.
And Kei's suspicion had proven right. The man wasn't ROOT at all, but a hidden remnant of the Senju.
Kei let the smile fade as they walked to their reserved table, where Kenta was already waiting. The young man had set everything out neatly, as though anticipating their arrival.
"You're early," Kei remarked, taking a seat. "Work all wrapped up?"
"Of course. I wouldn't dare break the rules set by our dear head," Kenta sighed. "I'm not like Ayaka here—I still have to check in at the Police Force Division every day."
The remark carried a faint bite. Ayaka was technically listed as part of the Third Squad, yet she was rarely seen there outside of nights spent at headquarters.
Kenta knew exactly why, but he still made the jab.
"Save the sarcasm." Kei waved it off. "We didn't come here just to share a meal."
Kenta didn't deny it. He exhaled slowly, then nodded. "As expected. But before anything else—I owe you thanks. If not for that mission, I never would have learned the truth… or seen something so horrifying."
His eyes flicked toward Ayaka, cautious. He wasn't sure how much Kei had shared with her. If she wasn't aware, and he spoke carelessly, it could complicate things.
"No need to thank me," Kei said casually. "After all, we were talking about the First Hokage."
He turned slightly toward Ayaka, then looked back at Kenta.
"So… are you admitting your identity?"
Kenta rubbed his brow with a weary smile. "Does it even matter if I deny it? You already figured it out long ago."
Ayaka tilted her head, surprised. Kei had been right all along.
Kenta's expression hardened. Gone was the polite smile; what remained was grave and serious.
"Strictly speaking, yes—I carry Senju blood. My family still bears the name, and my elders do as well."
Kei nodded. Outwardly calm, inwardly satisfied. A guess was one thing; a confession was another. Hearing Kenta admit it himself was proof enough.
Ayaka, for her part, was quietly stunned. Her new "team" was turning out far more complicated than she'd expected.
"Orochimaru's research disturbed you. It filled you with anger, didn't it?" Kei leaned lazily on one hand. "Spare me the gratitude. If you've come to me, it means you're ready. So let's skip the pleasantries."
Kenta's jaw tightened. He weaved a quick hand seal, and faint symbols flickered around their table—sound suppression seals.
"Just silencing," he said. Then, with measured resolve:
"I want deeper cooperation. At first, I doubted you. I didn't think you'd succeed. And even if you did, I assumed the Fourth Hokage would just be the Third's puppet.
But you proved me wrong on the first count. And I believe you'll prove me wrong on the second as well."
Kei smirked. "So?"
"So I want to work with you—seriously." Kenta's voice was steady now.
"Ayaka has her role. I want mine. Maybe I can't match her value, but I have my own contributions to make. Only… before that—"
"You want to hear my price?" Kei cut him off smoothly, his smile returning.
It wasn't hard to guess what this guy was after. Kei could see it clearly—Kenta Imai had already prepared himself for this step.
Kei's gaze lingered on him, sharp yet calm, as he weighed the man's bottom line—or perhaps, the true bottom line of the Senju clan itself. If he thought about it carefully, their hatred toward the Third Hokage was probably no less than his own.
And just as likely, the Senju longed to reclaim the status and authority they once held.
Power needed balance—Kei had never denied that. But how that balance was played… that was something he could very well dictate.
After a moment's thought, Kei leaned back and spoke evenly:
"You want to rebuild the Senju name, and reclaim the share of power that should be yours, don't you?"
Imai Kenta exhaled deeply, his expression wry.
"Honestly, I'd like to say I don't care… but my family does. Yes. That's our goal."
Kei's lips curved faintly.
"Suppose I establish a Fourth Division under the Police Force—"
Imai immediately straightened, ready to respond, but Kei cut him off with a raised hand.
"Don't rush. Hear me out. Along with this Fourth Division, I want two other things:
First, your clan's knowledge of countermeasures against the Sharingan.
Second, I need to know how much real influence the Senju still hold."
Imai calmed, his tone deliberate.
"If the Fourth Division is created, I can make sure we provide candidates for it.
As for the countermeasures—those are notes left by the Second Hokage himself. I can copy them for you.
And regarding influence—many of the smaller clans still maintain ties with us. Some of them… are the same ones the Uchiha have already tried to recruit."
Kei raised a brow at that. So the Uchiha had been courting families still loyal to the Senju? A tangled web indeed. But who really knew what shape the Senju had left themselves in these days?
Shaking the thought aside, Kei pressed on, voice steady:
"Good. Enough influence means enough value.
Now, the last condition—Orochimaru. I need him driven out of Konoha, because I require his research notes.
Don't misunderstand. The material I've acquired—similar to the First Hokage's cells—didn't come from him. I can even show you some of my spoils to prove it.
But tell me this—when it comes to removing Orochimaru… what can you, or your clan, actually do?"
(End of Chapter)