The commotion in the tavern was reaching its peak. As the Deputy Director of the Konoha Military Police Force, Uchiha Kai had little choice but to intervene—even if he found such matters beneath him.
Despite being seen by many as a harbinger of trouble—particularly by comrades like Kenta Imai and Aya Hyuga—Kai's reputation in Konoha was far from low. His title alone made most lower-ranking shinobi, especially civilians, think twice before acting out. When Kai arrived, the drunken chatter died almost immediately. Everyone sobered at the sight of him.
If the guards showed up, these men would likely spend a night in holding and wake up with a fine waiting for them. But no one dared flee. Not with Uchiha Kei present.
Still, to Kai, these matters were trivial.
After dealing with the disturbance, Kai lingered a bit longer with his companions. This casual gathering was actually the second unofficial meeting of his old war-time squad. And this time, Kai had picked up something interesting.
Through Aya Hyuga, he learned about suspicious developments in the Land of Rain. According to intelligence shared among the Hyuga Clan, a power struggle was brewing: Yahiko's faction—now calling itself Akatsuki—was clashing with remnants loyal to the late Hanzo of the Salamander.
Aya had brought this up because she'd heard that Konoha shinobi had become involved behind the scenes. But these weren't just ordinary shinobi. They operated more discreetly than even the ANBU and struck more decisively than any Jōnin. It didn't take long for Kei to connect the dots.
Danzo.
It had to be him. The mysterious "support" Yahiko received, the sudden betrayal, and Nagato's resulting massacre—it all pointed to the hidden hand of Root.
Danzo had always been a shadow operative with ambitions. Kai recalled the original timeline clearly: Yahiko died—possibly coerced into suicide—and Nagato awakened the Rinnegan's true wrath, annihilating Hanzo and much of his support structure.
Most of Danzo's men, Kai surmised, had died during that incident. He likely returned to Konoha alone. No doubt, the cost of that operation was what forced Danzo to fully back Orochimaru in the upcoming Fourth Hokage election. With Root's numbers decimated, he lacked the strength to push his own candidacy.
"Interesting…" Kai mused. "So that's why Danzo backed Orochimaru later on. Political compromise, not loyalty."
Although Kai knew Minato Namikaze was destined to win the election, his own presence in this world was a variable—one that could change history. Weakening Minato's rivals only benefited Kei's goals in both the short and long term.
"Looks like I need to keep an eye on Uchiha Osamu."
Lately, Osamu had grown bolder, emboldened by the elders to "fulfill his brother's dream" and reclaim lost prestige. While he had gained some support, so long as Uchiha Fugaku withheld approval, his ambitions remained stuck.
As for Kai himself, he had nearly recovered from the ordeal that unlocked his Mangekyō Sharingan—an ordeal that left Uchiha Yu broken. That torture had mirrored Kai's own suffering. The resulting emotional surge had catapulted Kai into mastering the Mangekyō faster than normal, allowing him to access Susanoo without depending on another's eyes.
Such trauma couldn't be repeated easily, but Kai had accepted that. Still, if the clan needed "cleaning," he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
Yu's chakra readings post-awakening were fascinating. Unlike Kai's, Yu's chakra spiked erratically and monstrously—a volatile byproduct of his unique genetic disposition. Kai suspected this variability might be useful in his experiments on ocular fusion.
Of course, he wouldn't transplant Yu's eyes into himself. Kai didn't consider himself a lab rat. Besides, Mangekyō fusion allegedly required the eyes of a close blood relative.
"It's not worth the risk if it fails," Kai reminded himself. "Better to use them as test samples."
Such logic kept Kai grounded. It reminded him he was still human, not a cold machine.
The next morning, Kai resumed his daily training before heading to the Police Headquarters. With the Hokage election heating up, unrest in the village had increased. His sub-commanders, Uchiha Tsubasa and Uchiha Chiya, were occupied investigating Orochimaru, leaving Kai to handle more day-to-day enforcement.
In his office, one of the young shinobi arrested the previous night stood before him, clearly hungover and embarrassed.
"Apologies, Lord Kai. I drank too much yesterday… I didn't mean to cause trouble."
"It's fine. Be more careful next time." Kai handed over a citation slip. "Sign this. Pay the fine, and you can go."
"Yes, sir."
The young ninja accepted the penalty without complaint. Compared to other Uchiha officers, Kai was measured in his discipline. The man knew he was at fault. A night in holding and a manageable fine were a fair punishment—far better than the harsher treatment others might've given.
After wrapping up the paperwork, Kai stretched and left his office. Though he wasn't physically exhausted, the administrative work was tedious. He far preferred honing his strength.
During his recent seclusion, Kai had grown stronger—but without a proper sparring partner, it was hard to gauge his progress. Kenta Imai avoided him, citing work. Kakashi was now in ANBU—earlier than in the original timeline—and too busy for training.
So Kai focused on refining techniques.
He was trying to adapt Chidori to be usable without the sprinting distance—a flaw that even Kakashi hadn't resolved until years later. Simultaneously, Kai worked on invoking his skeletal Susanoo more easily while still in his three-tomoe Sharingan state.
In the Uchiha Clan Library, he researched additional chakra natures. So far, he'd mastered Fire and Lightning. He aspired to follow the path of ancient shinobi—those from the Warring States era who wielded multiple chakra types effortlessly.
Kai recalled that Truth-Seeking Orbs were considered the pinnacle—manifestations of Yin-Yang Release combined with all five basic natures. They surpassed Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta in power. But to create them… required near-divine chakra.
"I probably can't awaken the Rinnegan without Asura or Indra's chakra," he thought. "But trying is better than stagnating."
He already possessed Yin Release through his Sharingan and had access to Senju DNA—thanks to White Zetsu's cells grafted onto his body. That potentially covered Yang, Earth, and Water Releases.
"Only Wind is missing," he muttered. "And the Uchiha clan isn't exactly known for Wind jutsu."
Kai was considering asking Minato for guidance. After all, Minato's son—Naruto—would grow to be the most proficient Wind user in the world.
"Lord Kai!" a voice called from behind.
It was Uchiha Kuan, one of the lower officers.
"Hm?" Kai turned.
"Young Master Itachi is outside. He says he'd like to see you."
"…Itachi?"
"Yes, sir. He called you 'sensei.'"
Kai fell silent.
So the prodigy had come.