Chapter 245 – The Operation
Imai Kenta's words caught Uchiha Kei off guard, though he didn't comment.
Everyone had their own burdens. And sometimes, the resolve forged out of helplessness became the most terrifying kind of drive.
Kei himself was the perfect example.
Everything he did—every calculation, every ruthless choice—was for himself. To ensure he could survive in a future both foreseeable and utterly unpredictable.
For that purpose, he had already discarded restraint.
It looked cold, selfish, even sinister. But in this unfamiliar world, Kei had no luxury for generosity.
Especially on the battlefield, where the shadow of death never lifted. That was where he'd truly grasped the fragility of life.
His Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened not out of ambition, but from the crushing terror of having his life ripped away.
Hyūga Ayaka was the same—though purer in her way. Her cruelty and cold methods all pointed to one goal: freedom.
Freedom was vast in definition, priceless in value. Kei recalled the old saying: "Life is precious, love is more dear. But for freedom, both can be cast aside."
Ayaka's path seemed to echo that sentiment.
Kenta, though, was different. Kei could hear it in his tone—he resented the burdens forced on him, perhaps the expectation of "reviving the clan." But his nature was simple: give him a mission, and unless it threatened his life or was outright impossible, he would see it through.
That was how he had survived the battlefield. That was how he served in the Police Force.
Yet now, he seemed weary. His choices clashed with his clan's leaders, and the dissonance gnawed at him. His remark about envying Kei's influence within the Uchiha clan was telling.
Kei smiled faintly. He didn't know what the Senju taught their youth these days. But he sensed Kenta disliked the Third Hokage's faction far more than he disliked him.
Otherwise, even when Kei had cornered him, Kenta would have had other options. His choice to cooperate spoke volumes.
Perhaps it wasn't just personal—maybe his whole generation felt that way. The Third's faction had buried the Senju. Resentment had shifted away from the Uchiha and onto Hiruzen's camp.
"If that's the case," Kei thought, amusement flickering across his face, "then things will get interesting."
Ayaka and Kenta both noticed the smile. They didn't ask. Kei's sunny grin never matched the darkness of his methods—under the pale moonlight, it looked almost eerie.
They had other things to worry about anyway.
They were drawing close to a forest. Ayaka had tracked Jiraiya here, noting the comings and goings of others and the presence of a powerful barrier. She hadn't seen ANBU, but she remembered Jiraiya standing silently outside this forest for half a day before departing. There was a secret here.
She couldn't be sure this was the right spot, but Kei wanted to investigate. She had no reason to stop him. She trusted that Kei wouldn't move without preparation.
Sure enough, at the edge of the restricted zone, they found a gathering of Police Force members—some of them even Kenta's subordinates.
Kenta scanned the group, then fell silent. He hadn't been informed of his squad's deployment tonight. Clearly, Kei had bypassed him entirely.
But given that Kenta hadn't officially reported in today, it wasn't surprising. Kei was simply preparing for the worst. In Kenta's place, he would have done the same.
The officers dropped to one knee as they approached, showing full respect to their superiors—especially the commander they all revered.
"Ryu, did you get what I asked for?" Kei said, gesturing for them to rise before turning his gaze on the young man.
Uchiha Ryu, newly promoted vice-captain of the Third Squad, stepped forward and handed over a sealed document. Kei's choice to include him tonight was both a gesture of trust and a signal to his sponsor, Uchiha Kawa.
"Captain," Ryu said quietly, "this is the authorization from the Fourth Hokage. He's also dispatching an ANBU squad to support us. He added a warning—his teacher may appear here as well."
"Jiraiya, then." Kei took the document, his mind working swiftly.
If Jiraiya was likely to appear, then this was indeed the right place.
When Kei first spotted him, he had wondered how to confirm the exact location. That was why he had Ayaka shadow him for several days. This forest had proven the most suspicious.
Sending Ryu to Minato wasn't only to request authorization—it was to confirm what Kei already suspected.
"Good. That settles it." Kei tucked the document away, then looked to Uchiha Kawa. "And you? What did the clan head say?"
"He knows," Kawa replied at once. "He plans to meet with the Hyūga clan head—just the two of them."
He glanced briefly at Ayaka as he spoke.
"This will be interesting," Kei murmured with a smile. Ayaka stiffened slightly.
Tonight promised to be extraordinary.
How extraordinary would depend on what they uncovered.
True, Orochimaru might have already moved his experiments elsewhere. But that hardly mattered.
If they found him—and made enough noise—the impact would be felt across the village.
If Kei could drag all of Konoha's current "Four Giants" into the open at once, his mission would already be accomplished.
"Hopefully this time we won't be late… well, here's hoping."
He patted the pouch at his hip. Inside was one of Minato Namikaze's marked kunai. Kei shook his head, face turning serious.
"Notify everyone: assemble here and surround the forest. Imai Kenta, Hyūga Ayaka—you're with me."
"Yes, Captain!" the officers answered in unison.
Without hesitation, Kei turned and led Ayaka and Kenta straight into the forest. They made no attempt at stealth, striding in openly and without pretense.
No explanation was needed. Both Ayaka and Kenta understood exactly what Kei intended. With the Hokage's authorization in hand, they had little to fear.
"Captain, Jiraiya's here too," Ayaka suddenly said. Her Byakugan had already activated. "He's nearby, following us."
"Isn't it better to have protection?" Kei replied calmly. "If we clash with Orochimaru, no one can predict the outcome. With one of the Legendary Sannin trailing us, at least we don't need to worry about dying here."
"Captain… do you really think we'll find anything?" Kenta asked quietly. "Or rather, do you think Lord Fourth will?"
"'Captain'—it's been a while since I've heard that title," Kei remarked with a faint smile. "Who knows what we'll find? That doesn't matter. All we need to do is play our part—make it loud, make it impossible to ignore.
"When the rats scurry out, won't their nest be revealed?"
They pressed deeper into the woods. At the heart of the forest, they finally saw it—a dark cave entrance.
And standing before it was a man both Kei and Kenta knew all too well.
Orochimaru.
His skin was pale as death, his expression cold and unreadable. His lips curled into a thin smile as his golden eyes swept over the three of them.
Hyūga, Uchiha, and Senju?
What an amusing combination. Especially since two of them had crossed blades with him before. He had let them live then. He hadn't expected them to come seeking him again.
"The Police Force Captain, a squad leader, and a little Hyūga brat." Orochimaru licked his lips slowly. "How interesting. Tell me—what business does the Police Force have with me?"
"Why, to pay a proper visit to Lord Orochimaru, of course." Kei's voice was calm as he met the Sannin's gaze.
"Last time, we didn't get to finish our conversation. Tonight, I'd like to remedy that."
"I'm surprised you survived at all," Orochimaru said lightly. "But I noticed you didn't go running to the Yamanaka clan afterward. Afraid outsiders might learn of your clan's little secrets?
"And this time? What makes you so certain you'll find anything here?"
"We don't need to find anything," Kei replied, his Sharingan flaring scarlet. "We just want to talk, Lord Orochimaru. And… perhaps take a tour of your laboratory. We do have the Hokage's authorization, after all."
"A tour and a chat, is it?" Orochimaru's smile widened, predatory and gleaming. "I see. Very well then… shall we begin?"
As his words fell, several massive serpents slithered out of the shadows at his side, tongues flickering as they fixed their hungry eyes on Kei and his companions.