Chapter 470
Chapter 470 — In My World, There Are No "What Ifs"
Sometimes, history truly did resemble an endless cycle repeating itself.
Especially in a world like this one—
A world where transcendent power existed.
Coincidences like these were often seen as history itself looping back around.
Kei Uchiha was not the clan head of the Uchiha Clan.
Yet compared to Fugaku, his influence was something far more difficult to describe.
In some respects, his words carried even more weight than Fugaku's.
That man practically represented the entire Uchiha clan.
Whether he officially held the title of clan head or not no longer mattered much.
Meanwhile, Kenta might not carry the Senju surname—
But he was unquestionably the true authority within the Senju Clan now.
His situation was strangely similar to Kei's.
After all, surnames mattered deeply in this world.
People like Kenta, who genuinely didn't care about reclaiming the Senju name, were exceedingly rare.
A leader of the Senju without the Senju surname.
A controller of the Uchiha whose authority rivaled the clan head despite not officially being one.
And these two people—
One from the Uchiha.
One from the Senju.
Wasn't that itself a kind of historical reincarnation?
Fortunately, Kei had no idea what Kenta was currently thinking.
Otherwise, he probably would have found the whole thing rather amusing.
After all—
The name "Kenta Imai" had never once appeared in the original story.
Neither had Ayaka Hyuga.
Back when Kei first arrived in this world four years ago, he had genuinely wondered about that.
Why had people like them never left behind even a trace of their names?
Had they died?
Had they defected?
But now, he no longer bothered thinking about questions like those.
Because to him, they no longer held any real meaning.
Not appearing in the original story did not mean they never existed.
During the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Five Great Villages had assembled an army of over eighty thousand ninja—
And that was after excluding village guards, academy instructors, and children too young to fight.
One could easily imagine how many shinobi truly existed within this world.
And among those eighty thousand people…
How many actually had names remembered by history?
In the end, there was only one conclusion.
Without ever meeting him, perhaps these people had simply died somewhere.
Or perhaps they had walked entirely different paths instead.
No one could truly know.
For shinobi, life and death had always been painfully ordinary things.
Maybe during a mission, you encountered an enemy far beyond your ability to overcome.
Or perhaps all it took—
Was a single poisoned cup of water handed to you by an ordinary civilian.
"There are simply too many examples like that."
Countless powerful shinobi had fallen in absurdly simple ways.
Stories of elite ninja getting completely overturned by unexpected circumstances had practically become textbook material by now.
After that topic ended, they didn't continue digging too deeply into Kei's proposal.
Kenta had invited everyone out tonight largely because he himself carried too many doubts and concerns.
But now, he seemed to have accepted Kei's way of thinking as well.
By sheer coincidence, the two of them had once again arrived at the same ideological crossroads as the Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha of the past.
Yet unlike those two, they stood from an entirely different perspective.
There was no need for them to fight to the death over their beliefs.
All they had to do—
Was watch.
Watch how everything unfolded, then judge the outcome afterward.
There was no reason to tear each other apart over ideals.
"In a way… that's probably the best outcome we could ask for."
By the end of the meal, the atmosphere had remained relatively peaceful.
No major arguments broke out, nor did anything unexpected happen.
Well—
Aside from Ayaka Hyuga falling silent after hearing Kei's plans, lowering her head and barely speaking another word.
Everything else had gone fairly smoothly.
Still, there had been one amusing little detail.
Kenta, Kakashi, and Obito had all clearly noticed something.
Although Kei and Ayaka barely seemed to pay attention to each other on the surface, the two of them kept exchanging quiet whispers that no one else could hear.
Their behavior appeared casual.
Natural.
As if they were merely having ordinary conversation.
But that alone already felt absurdly suspicious.
Under normal circumstances, maybe nobody would have thought much of it.
But after what happened yesterday…
Everything about them now looked incredibly suspicious.
Still, the other three had no intention of exposing them.
If those two wanted to deceive themselves, then fine.
They'd simply sit back and watch the show.
"Oh right, Head Kei," Obito suddenly spoke up as though remembering something. "There's something I should report to you. I'll probably be leaving in a few days."
"You're heading back?" Kei paused briefly before immediately understanding what Obito meant.
Thinking about it, it made perfect sense.
Obito had already remained here for quite a long time.
Far beyond the one-week limit they originally agreed upon.
During this period, he'd actually been enjoying himself in Konoha quite a bit.
Even though Kei hadn't spent much time personally keeping tabs on him, he still saw him around often enough.
Helping people within the clan alongside a group of children.
Going out with Kakashi and the others.
And—
Apparently beating up Might Guy.
Kei had only learned about that incident by accident.
Supposedly, Guy had run into Kakashi and Obito while they were out one day and immediately challenged them.
Eventually Obito got so annoyed that he decided to "play" with him a little.
The result was obvious.
An Obito using the Sharingan was far beyond what a sparring-mode Guy could handle.
And Obito's fighting style was direct to the point of brutality—almost comparable to Kei himself.
One genjutsu.
Guy instantly lost his ability to fight.
Then Obito followed up with a clean kick straight to Guy's face, giving him absolutely no opportunity to react.
Honestly, it wasn't exactly a graceful way to spar.
But Obito had enjoyed every second of it.
After all, he still remembered getting kicked in the face by Guy back in the day.
This time, he finally paid it back.
Ironically, the experience actually calmed Guy down considerably afterward.
He'd suddenly realized that when he used to spar with Kakashi, Kakashi had never even used his Sharingan properly.
If he had…
Guy probably would've ended up just like today—instantly defeated before he could do anything.
Rather than discouraging him, though, that realization only gave Guy even more motivation.
Now he was obsessed with finding ways to counter the Sharingan—
Or at the very least, avoid getting caught in genjutsu.
With a new goal in mind, Guy stopped constantly pestering Kakashi.
Though he'd started following Obito around instead.
Thankfully, he wasn't foolish enough to challenge Obito directly anymore.
Obito himself didn't mind Guy tagging along.
Right now, he genuinely loved everything about Konoha.
Even if the person he used to dream about day and night was no longer here…
This village still contained his teacher.
His friends.
And…
His superior.
"Yes," Obito said softly, taking a deep breath before nodding. "I need to return. I've already been away far longer than agreed. If I don't go back soon, people will start getting suspicious."
"Rin… you're leaving already?" Kakashi immediately turned toward him.
"Yeah." Obito smiled faintly. "Thanks to Head Kei and Lord Hokage, I've had plenty of time to rest here in Konoha. But if I stay any longer, it'll become a real problem. Kenta-senpai organizing this dinner tonight worked out perfectly—it's like a little farewell gathering before I leave."
"I see…" Kakashi lowered his gaze slightly before sighing. "Then… I hope your mission goes well."
Kakashi still knew about Obito's assignment.
Even now, he didn't know Obito's true identity—or the full nature of his mission.
But he could still guess enough to understand how important it was.
And because he understood that importance, there was nothing more he could say.
Once a shinobi accepted a mission, they were expected to complete it no matter what.
Especially missions tied directly to Konoha's highest secrets.
All Kakashi could do—
Was wish him luck.
Even if he felt reluctant.
Even if he worried.
Because more than anyone, Kakashi understood the fate of a shinobi.
…
"Who exactly is he?"
The night breeze drifted quietly through the streets of Konohagakure as Kei and Ayaka walked side by side down a narrow path.
Neither of them had a destination in mind.
Yet both instinctively knew where their feet were carrying them.
Once Obito revealed he was leaving, the tone of the gathering naturally shifted toward farewell.
After dinner ended, Kakashi left together with Obito.
Kenta, meanwhile, tactfully chose not to disturb Kei and Ayaka, tagging along with them instead.
Apparently they planned to buy some beer and continue drinking elsewhere.
As for Kei and Ayaka…
Being alone together still felt strangely awkward.
When surrounded by other people, the feeling wasn't as noticeable.
But the moment only the two of them remained—
The atmosphere became undeniably delicate.
Especially since neither of them had forgotten what almost happened earlier inside Ayaka's home.
Even though they'd been interrupted in the end, remembering it now still felt… difficult to process.
Seeing Kei remain silent, Ayaka finally spoke, perhaps to ease the awkwardness—or perhaps because she was genuinely curious.
"That person… was it really him?"
The man had appeared far too suddenly.
And according to all available intelligence, he truly had been the mysterious Uchiha who attacked Konoha.
So why had he suddenly changed sides?
Why was he so close with Kakashi and the others?
And why did he care so deeply about Rin Nohara?
Ayaka already had vague answers forming in her mind.
But she didn't dare voice them recklessly.
"You already figured it out," Kei sighed softly. "After all… only that person would behave like this."
"So it really was him…" Ayaka nodded lightly. "I'm more curious about how he survived. And why he ended up doing something like that."
"In simple terms? He was manipulated." Kei shook his head slightly. "And… don't forget. You examined Rin's body yourself."
"That guy probably witnessed his best friend personally killing the person he loved most."
"And that pushed him into absolute darkness."
Ayaka recalled Rin's corpse immediately.
That precise wound through the heart, carrying lightning chakra—
It was unmistakably Kakashi's handiwork.
And Ayaka, having personally examined the body afterward, understood Rin's condition better than anyone.
A seal had been placed on her.
A seal that distorted her thoughts and pushed her toward irrational decisions.
Combined with the circumstances at the time, she'd been cornered completely.
Either return to Konoha carrying the Three-Tails and unleash unimaginable destruction upon the village—
Or die, taking the beast down with her temporarily.
In the end, the girl chose what she believed was the correct answer.
To die by her comrade's hand.
To die by Kakashi's hand.
And unfortunately…
Someone had deliberately used all of it.
Whoever orchestrated the situation clearly understood the Uchiha clan—
Or more specifically, the evolution of the Sharingan.
Drive someone into absolute despair.
Inflict unbearable emotional trauma.
And in doing so—
Force the awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But who exactly was the mastermind behind all this?
What kind of existence was manipulating everything from the shadows?
"Don't think too deeply about it."
Kei glanced at Ayaka once before immediately understanding where her thoughts were heading.
"Some things are too complicated. Your current strength and status still aren't enough to truly touch this matter."
"Even though you've already guessed a lot, the complexity behind it far exceeds your imagination."
"So forget it for now."
"For now?" Ayaka looked at him with a faintly amused smile. "Sounds like you have a lot of confidence in my future."
"Of course I do." Kei answered immediately without hesitation.
But after noticing the teasing look in her eyes, he let out a quiet sigh.
"Alright… maybe not at first."
"But as our experiments continued, I gradually started believing it."
"You're surprisingly honest." Ayaka smiled faintly before lifting her head toward the bright moon overhead. "Actually, in the beginning, I didn't have much confidence either."
"But I kept forcing myself forward."
"Encouraging myself… while pressuring myself."
"Because I had no way out."
How could Kei possibly not understand the situation Ayaka had once been trapped in?
Back then, they'd only just started working together.
Their partnership itself had merely been born from compromise.
Without trust.
Without understanding.
And before Ayaka had proven her value, Kei honestly hadn't thought very highly of her.
At the time, she'd been just as cold-blooded and ruthless as he was.
But now…
Kei slowly stepped closer beside her and gently took hold of her hand.
Cold.
Perhaps because of the night air.
Or perhaps because she herself had always been like this.
Ayaka clearly noticed what he was doing.
Yet she neither resisted nor pulled away.
She simply continued gazing at the moon above.
Only after a long silence did she finally lower her eyes to look at him.
"Let me ask you something," she murmured softly.
"Go ahead," Kei nodded.
"If you had never awakened the Mangekyō…"
"And someday in the future, Kenta—the person who understands you best, maybe even your closest friend—was forced by circumstance to kill me right in front of you…"
"Would you—"
"In my world," Kei interrupted calmly, "there are no 'what ifs.'"