Chapter 466 — Plans for the Future
Kei had been thinking about how to make use of the surrounding minor nations for quite some time.
At first, he had his reservations and chose not to bring it up.
But now, he felt the time had come to at least begin experimenting with the idea.
It wasn't simply an attempt to change the subject.
Right now, it truly was time to start considering the future.
For Kei, the expansion of Konoha's influence carried far more benefits than drawbacks.
In fact, he could hardly think of any real disadvantages at all.
At most, certain "special operations" might become more restricted.
But Kei didn't particularly care.
At his current level, he genuinely didn't believe anyone could truly threaten him.
More importantly, he had always imposed limits upon himself.
He refused to become the kind of person who discarded humanity and ignored all rules simply because they possessed overwhelming strength.
Retaining his humanity had always mattered to him.
After all, submission born solely from brute force would inevitably breed resistance.
And in that regard, he was deeply grateful for the country he had lived in before his transmigration.
It had taught him too many valuable lessons.
It had allowed him to see through far too many things.
Konoha's current situation was already excellent.
True, many reforms were still ongoing, and much of the work remained unfinished.
But just as he and Minato had discussed before, as long as they continued advancing according to the current plan—and maintained control through their own political leverage—there was little chance of things spiraling out of control.
And if that was the case, then planning ahead became absolutely necessary.
For any power, village, or nation to continue growing, one thing was essential:
A constant awareness of danger, even in times of peace.
Kei calmly organized the conclusions he had reached over the past several days.
Then, combining those ideas with the knowledge and theories he had learned in his previous life, he carefully explained his thoughts to Minato and the others.
The moment they heard it, both Minato and Shikaku looked visibly unsettled.
Or rather—
Kei had effectively opened an entirely new way of thinking for them.
To most people in the shinobi world, the surrounding minor nations held little real value.
Neither Minato nor Shikaku—nor practically anyone else across the continent—had ever seriously considered extending their influence directly into other countries.
But Kei was different.
He had genuinely examined the strategic value of those small nations.
And the more they listened, the more tempted both Minato and Shikaku became.
Because his proposal aligned almost perfectly with Konoha's interests.
As for Minato himself, his ideals had never changed.
He had merely compromised with reality, forcing himself to focus more heavily on Konoha first.
But he had never forgotten Jiraiya's teachings.
Nor had he abandoned his dream.
His original plan had been simple:
Realize his ideals within Konoha first.
Then gradually spread them outward through Konoha's influence.
But now, comparing that approach to Kei's…
Minato suddenly realized how painfully slow his own method truly was.
And perhaps how ineffective it might ultimately become.
How long would it take for Konoha's achievements to naturally influence the rest of the world?
And how many obstacles would emerge along the way?
No one could say.
Kei's method, however…
Even if it was somewhat ruthless—
After all, choosing a compliant ruler meant many unpleasant things would inevitably happen.
And Kei had explained those consequences quite clearly.
How could Minato possibly fail to understand?
Once a new ruler was installed, what would they do to stabilize their authority?
Minato had personally experienced similar situations before.
He himself had avoided turning things into a bloodbath.
But those newly supported "proxies" would not necessarily be so restrained.
To prove loyalty.
To eliminate internal dissent as quickly as possible.
Bloodshed would almost certainly become the fastest and most effective method.
And with Konoha backing them from behind, they would have little reason to hesitate.
Meanwhile, all Konoha needed to do was transplant its systems and policies.
Regardless of who sat on the throne, they would ultimately remain Konoha's proxy.
"Cruel and bloody toward outsiders, as always…" Minato thought silently. "But as long as those proxies remain under our control, achieving our goals becomes far easier. And after enough time…"
His eyes gradually began to shine.
Because he understood it now.
Yes, the plan was ruthless.
But that ruthlessness would only fall upon a minority.
For the majority, it might not feel cruel at all.
There would undoubtedly be resistance.
There would undoubtedly be hatred.
But hatred itself was merely one of the tools used to ignite wars for the sake of profits.
And if war could no longer be incited…
Then what practical use would hatred still have?
Of course, resentment could still inspire rebellion.
But if people were genuinely benefiting from the new order—
Why would they rebel?
And even if they did…
Could they actually win?
Without realizing it, Minato's way of thinking had already undergone a tremendous transformation.
Perhaps it was because he had worked alongside Kei for more than four years.
His core ideals remained unchanged.
His essential nature had not shifted much either.
But his methods—
His way of handling power—
Had fundamentally evolved.
Kindness was meant for one's own people.
Not for enemies.
Perhaps Minato had already learned that lesson during the war.
But now, he had begun applying it on a much broader and deeper scale.
His perspective had grown larger.
His ambitions wider.
At the same time, Shikaku was also silently analyzing Kei's proposal.
Minato had Minato's ideals.
Shikaku had his own priorities.
And what Shikaku cared about above all else…
Was Konoha's profit.
As for the people of those smaller nations?
He frankly didn't care much.
Position determined perspective.
Standing determined priorities.
The things Shikaku focused on had always been brutally practical.
Konoha's environment.
Konoha's profit.
Thee profit of Konoha's people.
Those were the things worth considering.
Everyone else?
Did they matter to Konoha?
How deeply connected were they?
Not connected at all?
Or only loosely tied together?
Then sorry—
Shikaku truly had no interest in worrying about their lives or deaths.
He had lived through too many wars already.
He would never waste energy focusing on things outside his sphere of concern.
At first glance, Kei's proposal almost seemed foolish.
Konoha would spend money rebuilding the shinobi systems of smaller countries.
A thankless investment.
But the deeper implications hidden beneath it were enormous.
And as Kei himself had said—
There would be countless ways to reclaim that investment later.
Not only reclaim it…
But profit from it.
The wealth earned from dealings with the Kaguya Clan of Kirigakure had already brought Konoha tremendous returns.
If they expanded further, then Konoha would never lack channels to unload aging weapons and surplus supplies.
Beyond that came something even more important:
Influence.
And strategic defense.
Konoha would help these nations build their shinobi systems while simultaneously filling them with ninja educated under Konoha's ideology.
From a certain perspective…
It was an exceptionally underhanded strategy.
But for the sake of Konoha's profit—
What was wrong with being underhanded?
If those ninja grew up understanding Konoha's "kindness," then hatred toward Konoha would gradually weaken.
In its place, feelings of trust and belonging would emerge.
And through treaties, Konoha could establish strategic alliances at the same time.
A win-win arrangement.
Shikaku had no intention of letting such an opportunity slip away.
"And," he recalled Kei mentioning, "there's another method as well…"
"Turning those small nations into sources of raw materials—and markets for exported goods."
Shikaku's gaze shifted toward Kei Uchiha, who was lazily leaning against the table with one hand supporting his chin beneath it.
"But that approach might have worked in the past," Shikaku said slowly, "whereas now it would just be foolish. Yes, the initial investment would be enormous, but considering the long-term returns and expansion of influence… there's really no debate about which option is superior."
He paused for a moment before sighing inwardly.
"Uchiha Kei… you really are terrifying."
Kei's proposal had, in the end, gained everyone's approval.
But approval alone didn't mean they could act immediately.
There were still too many details that required careful planning.
On top of that, they first needed to identify a suitable target nation.
And finding a proper small country was far from simple.
It would require extensive evaluation from every angle.
Even after choosing a target, they would still need to determine that nation's attitude toward Konoha.
Only then could they decide whether to preserve the current ruler and gradually win them over…
Or cultivate a new proxy they could fully trust.
And afterward?
The existing leadership would still need to be dealt with.
In short, this was not the sort of operation that could be completed overnight.
Kei wasn't in a hurry.
Neither were Minato Namikaze nor Shikaku Nara.
Kei himself already had plenty to deal with.
For example—
He now had even greater motivation to stabilize and strengthen his own power, while continuing to evolve his Susanoo.
There was no question that he was already powerful.
But he also knew something very clearly:
His eyes still weren't truly complete.
What he possessed right now was an overwhelming foundation and terrifying potential.
But he had not yet fully brought the abilities of his eyes to their absolute limits.
It had taken him nearly two years to completely push the abilities of his Mangekyō Sharingan to their peak.
That said, it didn't mean developing the power of the Eternal Mangekyō would take equally long.
Because during the fusion process itself, he had already begun expanding and refining those abilities.
Aside from the higher applications of "Chrono Leap," which he still lacked opportunities to test properly…
His mastery over "Chrono Drift" had already become remarkably smooth.
He had used that ability several times now to restore his own physical condition.
And honestly—
Its effects were absurdly useful.
Of course, the strain it placed on his ocular power was equally terrifying.
Every time he used it, even the most basic applications of "Time Drift" had to be restricted afterward.
But its value was impossible to ignore.
In some respects, Kei even felt the technique had surpassed the effects of Izanagi.
"Even if it can't truly reverse death itself…"
Kei thought quietly to himself,
"I would never allow myself to become trapped between life and death."
Deep down, he understood the obsession buried at the core of his heart.
He feared death.
He had never forgotten how he awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Nor had he forgotten why he fought so desperately to climb to where he stood now.
At his core, he was doing all of this for himself.
An extremely self-centered pragmatist.
True, his actions continuously benefited the people and forces around him.
But Kei would never deceive himself about his own nature.
"What I need to do next," he thought silently, "is further research the ability of my left eye while thoroughly testing the limits of my right eye."
"And beyond my eyes… my Susanoo still needs development."
His Susanoo was still lacking.
Not compared to the shinobi of the current era, of course.
At this point, Kei already felt like he was practically bullying the entire generation.
The opponents he truly measured himself against were those from the future—
Or the monsters from ancient times.
Compared to them, his Susanoo still wasn't strong enough.
Not only in raw power, but in growth potential as well.
Kei's demands weren't even particularly high.
At the very least, he wanted his Susanoo to reach its "proper form"—
And gain the ability to fly.
"And besides developing the Eternal Mangekyō," he continued thinking, "I also need to accelerate my chakra training."
Through sheer effort, Kei had already managed to gain basic mastery over every chakra nature.
But his development in those areas remained mediocre at best.
Aside from Lightning Release and Fire Release—which he could practically be said to have mastered completely—
The other chakra natures had barely progressed at all.
At this stage, he truly needed to reorganize and refine his chakra system as a whole.
After all—
What he ultimately sought was to genuinely trace his bloodline back to at least the level of Indra Otsutsuki.
"Maybe it sounds overly ambitious," Kei thought as he slowly narrowed his eyes.
"And maybe it's far too idealistic…"
"But I've already come this far."
"So why shouldn't I try to go even further?"
"Madara Uchiha reached that level. In fact, he even surpassed Indra and entered an even more terrifying state."
"I may not necessarily succeed…"
"But people should still have dreams."
Dreams.
Or perhaps—
Ambition.
Desire.
Those were the forces that drove people forward.
Kei's most primal desire had always been simple:
To survive.
And what did survival require?
Constant growth.
Constant strength.
Strength great enough that no one could casually kill him ever again.
Taking a deep breath, Kei slowly opened his eyes.
He knew very well that the days ahead were going to become extremely busy.
"And while improving myself," he thought with a sigh, "there are still countless other things waiting for me too…"
His gaze drifted toward Minato and Shikaku, who were still discussing other matters nearby.
He shook his head helplessly.
"Sage Mode…"
"Ayaka's experiments…"
"Kenta's growth…"
"And political affairs…"
"…Damn it."
"Why do I have so many things to deal with?"