Chapter 460: They Won't Be Going Home Tonight
On March 24th—Kei's birthday—Ayaka arrived at his home early in the day.
She didn't look pleased about it.
After all, that shameless bastard hadn't given her any chance to refuse.
First, he told her not to speak.
Then he issued his "invitation."
And finally—"If you don't say anything, I'll take it as a yes."
Was that agreement?
That was outright coercion.
Ayaka had met plenty of shameless people in her life—arguably, she counted herself among them.
But compared to Kei…
she suddenly felt almost innocent.
Still, an agreement—forced or not—was an agreement. So she came.
And the moment she arrived, she was met with unexpected enthusiasm.
Ryoko and Keisuke were visibly delighted, and even little Iori was excited to see her.
It was the first time Ayaka realized…
she was actually welcome in someone else's home.
---
"But don't you think your house is a bit small?"
Sitting in the living room, Ayaka glanced at Kei, who had only just woken up.
Keisuke had gone out to buy supplies, while Ryoko and Iori were busy in the kitchen.
Her tone wasn't kind.
He invited her over for his birthday—
and then slept in?
What kind of host was that?
And more surprisingly—
his house was genuinely modest.
Even smaller than her residence within the Hyūga clan.
Clearly, he was still living in the same place from when he'd been a fringe member of the clan, without upgrading at all.
"I did think about moving," Kei replied calmly, sipping tea. "I liked that bamboo grove Uchiha Shin had."
"Too bad I burned it down. It'll take time to grow back."
"Besides…" he added, "Minato still lives in his old house. After thinking it over, I decided not to move."
"Following your superior's example?" Ayaka shot back. "Sounds like self-inflicted suffering."
Kei shrugged, unconcerned.
Maybe it was.
But when your superior lived simply, making a similar statement wasn't exactly a bad idea.
That mindset came from his past life—it didn't always fit this world.
Still, Kei didn't care.
No one dared criticize where he lived.
And honestly…
he didn't mind this place.
Unless he had a real need, there was no reason to spend time or money changing it.
Ayaka studied him for a moment, then dropped the topic.
She understood him too well.
If it mattered, he'd change it.
If it didn't—he wouldn't bother.
---
"So," she said instead, "what's your plan today?"
"The negotiations between Konoha and Kumogakure are reaching a critical stage. Aren't you going to be involved?"
"Do I need to be?" Kei replied lazily. "If it's critical, then it's critical. They're the ones who want to negotiate—not us."
"We can afford to drag things out."
"As long as they've agreed to let Konoha station forces near their border to keep Iwagakure in check, that's enough."
Kei had no interest in the negotiations.
The war was already over.
Everything that followed wasn't his concern.
Of course, if he wanted to get involved, Minato would absolutely let him.
But why bother?
If negotiations broke down, they could always resume fighting.
That wasn't unusual.
And if it came to that—
Kei wouldn't hold back.
He still wouldn't expose everything…
but without the Fourth Raikage or the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki to oppose him—
could ordinary Kumogakure shinobi really stand against a third-stage Susanoo?
More importantly—
he wasn't the only one.
Fugaku Uchiha could deploy one as well.
Two Susanoo advancing on Kumogakure?
That would be… interesting.
As for smaller nations—
they were already intimidated.
After witnessing Konoha's strength, they no longer dared act recklessly.
But that also gave Kei an idea.
These minor nations weren't inherently hostile.
Most of their actions came down to survival.
They didn't want much—just enough to endure in a chaotic world.
So why not—
let Konoha lead them?
Kei already had a framework in mind.
If executed properly, it could be revolutionary.
A single successful model could encourage other nations to follow.
And if necessary—
he could personally infiltrate a small village, approach its leader, and present his terms.
Agree—
and Konoha would provide resources, support, and opportunities.
Even joint missions, employing local shinobi.
Growth.
Stability.
Profit.
Refuse—
and things would be simpler.
Eliminate the leader.
Stage an "accident."
Install someone more cooperative.
Kei didn't care about their internal politics.
He only needed influence.
A foothold.
At that thought—
a cold smile crept onto his face.
Agree or refuse—
live or die.
The choice would be theirs.
"What are you thinking about?" Ayaka suddenly asked, eyeing him. "That smile… definitely not something good."
"Of course," Kei replied seriously. "I was thinking about which inn has the best soundproofing—and the lowest price."
"…What?"
…
"Hey, Kakashi! Hurry up!"
Outside the Uchiha district, Might Guy waved energetically.
Behind him, Kakashi trudged forward with lifeless eyes.
It was nearly evening—
but Kakashi looked completely drained.
Anyone who knew what he'd gone through that day wouldn't be surprised.
Early that morning, Guy had dragged him out of bed—
and forced him into training.
Kakashi had tried to refuse.
He failed.
Somehow, over the years, Guy had undergone serious training.
He still specialized in taijutsu—
but his overall abilities had improved significantly.
Even Kakashi couldn't shake him off anymore.
Eventually, he had no choice but to spar.
What puzzled him was—
why him?
There were plenty of capable shinobi in Konoha.
Why target him specifically?
Guy's answer had been simple.
His real goal was Kei.
But Kei was too strong.
So he'd train with Kakashi first—
then challenge Kei later.
"So I'm just a stepping stone…"
Kakashi had resigned himself to beating him up.
But now—
he regretted it.
Because he couldn't go all out.
And Guy—
was a monster.
Knocked down, he got back up.
Rested for minutes, then attacked again.
Over and over.
Guy was bruised and battered—
but still full of energy.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was exhausted beyond belief.
"Cheer up, Kakashi!" Guy gave him a thumbs-up. "It's Kei's birthday today! I heard Ayaka-senpai already arrived—we're late!"
"…Yeah, yeah…"
Kakashi muttered weakly.
Behind Guy, several others followed.
Not a small group.
But not exactly a large one either.
And tonight—
it seemed no one would be going home early.
Almost everyone from their graduating class had shown up. As for others, no one knew—but at least among their cohort, they had all agreed to come together.
Even Asuma Sarutobi, who wasn't exactly on great terms with the Uchiha clan—or with Kei in particular—had come along.
That alone spoke volumes about Kei's influence in Konoha, especially among his peers.
"By the way… where's that guy, uh… Uchiha Rin?" Kurenai Yuhi glanced around and asked curiously.
"Kakashi, you're close with him, right? Since we're already in the Uchiha district, should we call him along? It's kind of strange—we've barely met him, but it feels like he's an old classmate we've known forever."
"I get that feeling too," Genma Shiranui said, exchanging a look with Raido Namiashi and Aoba Yamashiro. The three nodded in agreement.
Ebisu rubbed his chin. "Maybe it's because he's from the Uchiha clan? We had quite a few Uchiha classmates back then—Kei, Obito, and others from different classes. Maybe they just share similar traits?"
"Can we drop this topic?" Kakashi Hatake sighed. "Genma, Raido, Aoba—you're the Hokage's guards, aren't you? Don't you need to be at the office today?"
"We took leave," Genma replied with a grin. "The Hokage approved it when he heard it was Kei's birthday."
Kakashi nodded, then thought for a moment before deciding not to look for Obito.
Maybe Obito had already delivered his gift earlier. After all, they were both Uchiha—perfectly normal.
With everyone gathered, they headed straight into the Uchiha district.
These days, the clan compound was practically open. Five years ago, they wouldn't have been able to step inside at all.
But just as they entered, they froze in surprise.
They saw "Uchiha Rin" walking out—supporting an elderly man.
"Oh? Kakashi, everyone—you're all here?" Obito, with a lollipop dangling from his mouth, looked at them in confusion.
Kakashi, still wearing his trademark deadpan expression, replied, "We came to give Kei a birthday present."
"A present?" Obito blinked. "Why would you bring a present?"
"…Seriously?" Might Guy looked at him like he was an idiot. "It's Kei's seventeenth birthday today. Don't tell me you didn't know?"
"…."
Obito froze.
Birthday?
What birthday?
Kei's seventeenth birthday?
In the next instant, his expression changed drastically. He raised his head as if to say something—
Only for the sudden movement to lodge the lollipop in his throat.
The sheer stupidity of the moment made everyone think the same thing:
He's still just as dumb as ever…
The thought surfaced so naturally that even Kakashi paused.
Why would he think that?
After helping Obito recover—despite their confusion and a strange sense of familiarity—they all headed straight for Kei's house.
Obito followed along, though empty-handed.
He was already regretting giving Kei all that information earlier.
Now he had nothing left to offer as a gift.
But when they arrived, they received unexpected news.
"Ah, Kei isn't home," Ryoko said warmly, smiling at the group of young visitors. "He went out with Ayaka."
"Went out?" Kakashi and the others blinked in surprise. "Where to?"
"I wouldn't know," she replied with a gentle laugh. "I don't pry into young people's affairs."
"Then when will they be back?"
"I'm not sure… but I think I heard Kei say they wouldn't be coming back tonight?"
"…WHAT?!"