Chapter 270 – Clash of the Mangekyō Sharingan (Part I)
"Was that the Fourth Hokage who teleported the Nine-Tails away?"
Nara Shikaku watched the golden brilliance fade across the horizon,
the sky still pulsing from the flash that had split the night in two.
He didn't need confirmation — he knew what had just happened.
The scene moments ago had been terrifying beyond words.
The Nine-Tails truly lived up to its title — the most dangerous and fearsome of all the Tailed Beasts.
Even in the midst of chaos, it had chosen the most devastating option with terrifying precision.
If Minato Namikaze hadn't moved it away in time,
there wouldn't have been a single survivor among the shinobi nearby.
---
Shikaku exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
"Alright… everyone—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
There was no time for relief.
"We move to support the Fourth Hokage."
"No need, Captain Shikaku."
The calm interruption came from Uchiha Kei.
He raised a tri-pronged kunai in his hand — one engraved with intricate seals.
"He already knows," Kei said evenly.
"I've sent the signal.
No matter how far he is, he'll come to us soon enough."
---
Shikaku froze for half a second, then his eyes widened slightly.
"That's… the Fourth Hokage's kunai?"
Realization dawned immediately.
Kei wasn't just guessing.
He could contact the Hokage directly.
That meant the boy had far more trust — and access — than anyone had realized.
Shikaku's analytical mind began piecing things together.
Rumors had long circulated that the Uchiha had backed Minato's rise to Hokage —
even taking extreme risks, such as confronting Orochimaru,
to eliminate political obstacles for him.
It had been a dangerous gamble — but a decisive one.
After all, Danzō's death had cemented Minato's power,
and shifted the balance between Konoha's clans.
---
"It seems the Uchiha's ties with the Fourth run far deeper than anyone thought,"
Shikaku mused silently.
He glanced toward Yamanaka Inoichi beside him.
"Good thing we listened to your brother's intel.
Looks like the rabbit hole's even deeper than expected."
---
Before he could think further,
a golden flash erupted beside Uchiha Kei —
and in the blink of an eye, the Fourth Hokage appeared.
Minato's expression was grim,
colder than anyone had ever seen him.
Even Kei, who knew him well,
had to admit that this side of him didn't belong to the smiling, easygoing sensei he remembered.
But after a deep breath, Minato's face softened,
his calm composure returning like a mask sliding back into place.
"Kei-kun," he said quietly. "You wouldn't have summoned me now unless you had a plan."
---
From a few meters away, Shikaku's eyes narrowed slightly.
That single exchange told him everything.
The relationship between the Fourth and this young Uchiha wasn't just cooperation —
it was trust.
Real trust.
The kind forged on the battlefield,
where men relied on each other with their lives on the line.
He wasn't the only one who realized it.
The other clan leaders exchanged glances —
each one quietly adjusting their estimation of Uchiha Kei's influence within Konoha.
---
"I do have a plan," Kei replied, his gaze turning toward the dark horizon.
"Tell me, Lord Fourth — the one who attacked you,
he wore a black cloak and a spiral-patterned orange mask, didn't he?
And you were planning to bring Kushina to seal the Nine-Tails again, right?"
Minato's eyes flickered in surprise.
Then he nodded.
"Yes. That's correct."
There was no reason to lie.
He was exhausted, his chakra nearly spent.
And Kei — for all his secrecy — was someone Minato trusted.
He had been about to retrieve Kushina and begin the sealing process,
but Kei's sudden summons had stopped him.
Perhaps for the better.
Minato knew all too well —
forcing a seal in his current state could have fatal consequences.
He and Kushina were prepared to die for the village if it came to that,
but if there was another way…
---
"Lord Hokage," Hyūga Hiashi spoke up suddenly.
"We were attacked as well — by a man in black, similar to what you described.
He fought like an Uchiha."
Minato's eyes hardened.
"I see… So there's more than one."
He turned back to Kei.
"Your thoughts?"
Hiashi fell silent immediately.
He could tell from Minato's tone —
this conversation wasn't meant for outsiders.
But as he watched the two,
a strange chill crawled up his spine.
There was something eerily familiar about Kei's chakra, his presence…
like the man who had ambushed them earlier.
He pushed the thought away.
Now wasn't the time.
---
"This situation," Kei said calmly, "can actually be simplified — if handled correctly."
He looked Minato straight in the eye.
"You've already realized it, haven't you?
That the Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails."
Minato nodded slowly.
"Yes… Are you suggesting your eyes could do the same?"
Then his voice dropped.
"But as far as I know,
a normal Sharingan can't subjugate a Tailed Beast.
Even the man who attacked me—"
Kei smiled faintly.
"You've been doing your homework, I see, Lord Fourth.
But tell me — have I ever done anything without absolute confidence in the outcome?"
The question hung in the air.
---
Minato froze.
Then, for the first time, he noticed something —
a faint, otherworldly gleam in Kei's eyes.
The tomoe began to spin,
their edges twisting together into a complex, hypnotic pattern —
the Mangekyō Sharingan.
---
"You… you possess those eyes?" Minato's voice trembled slightly.
"Impossible… Only Madara was said to—"
Kei chuckled softly, but there was bitterness in it.
"It's not that strange, is it?
You've seen my life, my losses.
You know what I've endured.
These eyes… are just the cost of surviving."
Minato's heart sank.
He had seen the reports — carefully selected, always laced with subtle warnings about the Uchiha.
He had ignored them, of course.
He knew what fear did to good men.
And now, seeing Kei standing before him — powerful yet restrained,
a young man who carried the pain of his comrades in silence —
Minato understood.
'To bear the will of the fallen and keep moving forward…'
That wasn't something Kei had said for Kakashi's sake.
It was a mantra he had forged for himself.
---
"You've worked hard, Kei-kun," Minato said softly.
"So… you're planning to use your eyes to test something, aren't you?"
"I am," Kei replied. "But before that, I have another mission.
I'll leave a shadow clone here as a contingency."
His tone darkened.
"Whoever controlled the Nine-Tails won't stop here.
If he returns, I'll deal with him myself."
---
"But what about the beast?" Minato asked.
Kei turned toward him, eyes glowing like molten crimson.
"You have another collaborator, don't you?
Someone who also wields the same eyes."
Minato blinked — and then it hit him.
"Fugaku…"
---
Kei continued, his tone steady.
"The one controlling the Nine-Tails is strong — another Mangekyō user.
That's why I'll handle him.
Fugaku-senpai can focus on restraining the beast.
My clone will assist him."
"And you, Lord Fourth — take your wife and child."
"Both of them?" Minato's brow furrowed.
"You mean—"
"Exactly. The Nine-Tails must be divided."
---
The ground beneath them rumbled — the earth itself trembling under the distant roars of the approaching beast.
"Your wife's life depends on the Nine-Tails' chakra to sustain her," Kei said quietly.
"But she's too weak to contain it all now.
You'll need to split the fox's chakra between her, yourself… and your child."
Minato's eyes widened slightly,
but deep down, he understood.
---
Kei's logic was harsh,
but flawless.
In the original timeline,
the entire burden had fallen on Naruto —
and yet it had shaped him into who he was meant to be.
Now, Kei intended to preserve that destiny —
but without the tragedy that had forged it.
"If done right," Kei murmured, almost to himself,
"the Fourth will live… and so will she."
"That's not difficult. Let Kushina take half of the Nine-Tails, and the rest gets sealed just like in the original timeline."
That was Uchiha Kei's conclusion — simple, precise, and brutally pragmatic.
---
"Split the Nine-Tails' chakra," Minato Namikaze repeated, brow furrowing.
"Half sealed into Kushina… and the rest divided between us?"
He paused, calculating the implications.
"That could work, but… my chakra reserves are dangerously low right now."
Kei smiled faintly.
"That's what allies are for, isn't it? The Nara or Akimichi clans can stabilize your chakra flow temporarily.
And if that's not enough—" his eyes gleamed, "the Uchiha have certain elixirs that can restore chakra rather efficiently."
Minato sighed.
"You make it sound easy. I just don't want to botch the sealing.
Last time, I couldn't even undo Danzō's seal without Orochimaru's notes…"
That memory still stung.
It had been a near disaster — one mistake away from collapsing their entire plan.
But now was not the time for hesitation.
For Konoha… for Kushina… for his family —
Minato needed the resolve of someone who knew victory was the only path forward.
---
"Don't worry," Kei said calmly. "Once the Nine-Tails is subdued, you'll have control.
Just make sure the Medical Corps arrives as soon as possible.
The only thing left to worry about now…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"…is whether someone else plans to interfere."
Minato nodded gravely.
"Understood. Then, I'll leave the rest to you and Fugaku."
He turned toward the assembled clan leaders — the Ino-Shika-Chō trio — and strode forward.
Kei and Uchiha Fugaku exchanged a glance.
Fugaku gave a firm nod — a silent signal of trust.
That was all Kei needed.
---
Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan leaned toward mastery of chakra control and technique.
While not as precise as Obito's in manipulating the Nine-Tails, his reserves and discipline made him formidable.
He would manage.
"By the way, Clan Head," Kei murmured, his tone lowering,
"the eyes we prepared — they're almost fused."
Fugaku gave a short nod.
"Good. You didn't have to say it — I'll do what must be done."
"You misunderstand, sir." Kei smirked faintly.
"We're not fighting for anyone. We're protecting Konoha — and ourselves."
The words silenced Fugaku.
He couldn't argue.
He was protecting Konoha — but at the cost of revealing the Uchiha's greatest secret.
---
Kei's role was safe.
He'd engage the mysterious enemy — the man in the mask — far from prying eyes.
Even if he unleashed his Mangekyō, no one would witness it.
Fugaku, on the other hand, would have no such luxury.
He would have to stand before the Fourth Hokage —
and likely before every clan leader —
and reveal his true power.
It would earn trust, yes… perhaps even awe.
But it would also expose everything the Uchiha had kept hidden for decades.
And the toll on his eyes…
Fugaku clenched his fists.
Even with his level of control, the Mangekyō's power drained him deeply.
At least, he thought grimly, there was good news — Kei's Eternal Mangekyō fusion was nearly complete.
That meant the boy would surpass even him soon enough.
Fugaku could only sigh.
Youth really does move faster than we can keep up with.
---
"Captain."
Two figures appeared silently — Hyūga Ayaka and Kenta Imai.
They bowed respectfully to Fugaku, then turned to Kei.
"We found him," Ayaka said, her tone calm but sharp.
"The masked one has appeared."
Kei's eyes flickered, though his face remained composed.
"So soon? Perfect." He nodded once.
"Then we move."
"Understood!" they both replied in unison.
---
Meanwhile, deep within the forests bordering Konoha—
Obito Uchiha stood atop a shattered tree branch, cloaked in black, the swirling orange mask gleaming faintly under the moonlight.
He gazed toward the distant village, where the Nine-Tails rampaged through fire and ruin.
His voice was cold.
"Tch. So the beast regained its mind…"
He shook his head slowly.
"Still, it's nothing to worry about.
Sealing that monster won't be easy.
Even now, no one can control the Nine-Tails without a Mangekyō Sharingan."
He flexed his gloved hand, feeling the faint ache from his earlier battle with Minato.
"Unless, of course," he murmured, "someone else with those eyes decides to interfere."
His gaze darkened.
He could already sense the faint flicker of that familiar chakra.
"Uchiha Kei… let's see what you can really do.
I'll even let you burn through your precious Mangekyō —
before I take those eyes for myself."
---
A soft chuckle echoed from beneath the soil.
Black Zetsu emerged from the shadows, his half-black, half-white body twisting unnaturally.
"Nine-Tails is approaching fast," Zetsu hissed.
"What's your plan, Obito?"
"Plan?" Obito's tone dripped with arrogance.
"I'll sit back and watch.
If Kei interferes, I'll make sure he exhausts his eyes fighting me.
If not, I'll let him do my work for me."
"Then you might be disappointed."
Obito's single red eye narrowed.
"Oh? And why's that?"
Zetsu's smile widened, inhuman and amused.
"Because that boy — Uchiha Kei — is already coming for you."