In the end, it was officially decided that Uchiha Kei would become the new Great Elder.
However, the date he would assume the role was postponed—by Kei himself. Bearing the title of Great Elder would mean every action he took represented the Uchiha Clan directly, which would complicate many things.
Therefore, Kei delayed officially taking up the post.
In his view, he needed to first upgrade to the three-tomoe Sharingan and reach elite jōnin-level strength. Only with true self-preservation capabilities could the title of Great Elder be of actual benefit.
Stepping into the position now would only tie him down and invite unnecessary trouble.
Regardless, even without the title, he already received the treatment and status it conferred.
Uchiha Setsuna and the others respected Kei's wishes and didn't press him. The seat was left vacant, and the consensus among the upper ranks was that it would remain so until Kei officially accepted it.
That night, Kei returned to his own home. Naturally, the escort team led by Uchiha Naori returned to the apartment building as well.
Then—
"Kei-nii?"
A surprised voice called out. As Kei stepped into the house, he saw Kikyo Uzumaki inside.
The energetic young girl had a scarf tied around her head and was holding a broom—clearly she had been cleaning.
Kei blinked in surprise. "Kikyo? Why are you in my house?"
He was simply curious. It wasn't unexpected that she could enter—he had long since given her a key.
Kikyo, not embarrassed in the slightest, responded naturally, "You went to the clan estate with the other Uchiha today, right? I thought your place would be empty tonight, so I came over to house-sit."
She glanced cautiously out the window, saw no one, then leaned in and whispered, "Kei-nii, as the creator of the genjutsu game, what you have is one of the Hidden Leaf's top secrets now. Also, the soda you had the Uchiha deliver earlier—Kushina-san and I tested it. She said we shouldn't expose that stuff lightly."
Kei's heart stirred. He immediately thought of the system soda he'd had delivered to the Uzumaki sisters. Clearly, they had discovered something.
He quietly shut the doors and windows, and Kikyo quickly formed hand seals. A barrier instantly enveloped the room, cutting it off from the outside.
Uchiha Naori and the others noticed at once and went on alert, activating their Sharingan while guarding the perimeter.
Though they had no idea what Kei and Kikyo were doing inside, they thought—
"Lord Kei must have his reasons."
A classic line. On Earth, this would be a goldmine for memes.
But to the Uchiha guards, Naori's words made perfect sense. They all thought the same.
Inside, Kei was discussing the soda's effects with Kikyo.
It refreshed the mind, reduced fatigue, and restored energy, which in turn partially restored chakra.
That was the system soda's real effect. While not as potent as a soldier pill, it lacked the pill's limitations and side effects.
Soldier pills were typically used for nutrition and chakra recovery, but they required rapid metabolization, which could deplete life force. And overconsumption could cause serious damage to the digestive system.
System-brand soda had none of that. At worst, the carbonation caused mild bloating—easily handled by a ninja's physique.
In theory, as long as you had stomach space, drinking soda could quickly replenish chakra.
Furthermore, after research by Kushina Uzumaki, it turned out regular shinobi couldn't fully maximize the effect. It was most effective for clans like the Uchiha or Yamanaka—those whose kekkei genkai or secret techniques were tied to mental energy.
After learning all this, Kei glanced into the system inventory—at the variety of "otaku combo meals" he had drawn using emotion points.
Everything in there, including the soda, came with short, crude descriptions: "XXX. Boosts productivity during all-nighters and overtime. Helps the host and team become the strongest game developers."
"XXX" being the name of each item.
No doubt, the system's intent hadn't changed—it still wanted Kei to become the overlord of the game industry. But within the shinobi world, these were top-tier supplies.
"Even trash from the system has its uses. No—if these were made public, it'd cause a huge stir..."
"But leaving them buried in the inventory is a waste. Only by using them can their true value be realized. And now that I have my standing in the Uchiha Clan, I don't need to be as cautious as before."
With that thought, Kei made a decision. Kikyo, stunned, watched as he pulled out burgers, chips, Orleans-style chicken wings, and more—the full otaku combo meal.
"All of this comes from the same place as the soda. Kikyo, use a sealing scroll to store these and bring them to Kushina-san. You two analyze the effects."
Snapping out of her shock, Kikyo quickly retrieved a scroll and sealed everything inside.
When it was done, she hesitated, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't quite get it out.
Kei simply smiled, patted her head, and said softly, "Don't worry. This is a power unique to me—a special summoning-based ability. Just don't tell any 'outsiders.'"
At those words, Kikyo nodded emphatically.
The shinobi world was full of bizarre abilities. The Uzumaki clan was known for odd bloodline powers.
Take the Reaper Death Seal, for example—a secret Uzumaki technique that summoned the god of death to steal souls. It was a completely different flavor from other clans' jutsu.
So Kikyo had no trouble accepting the unusual.
More importantly, Kei had said it—so she trusted him completely and would keep the secret.
As for whether to hide it from Kushina and Minato—of course not. Kei had already told her to share it with Kushina. There was no intent to keep it from them.
Kikyo promptly promised Kei she'd analyze the effects of the combo meal as soon as possible. Kei chatted with her for a while longer before walking her back late at night.
Her cheeks were tinged with pink, her eyes glowing with happiness.
It was the joy of someone who saw endless possibilities in the future—she might have already picked out baby names.
After spending time with Kei today, Kikyo had noticed a change.
The girl named Kikyo Uzumaki liked Uchiha Kei. She saw him as her hero, and ever since she was fourteen, had never hidden her admiration.
Yet Kei had always carried some inner barrier. He never rejected her, but there was always a faint distance—leaving her with the lingering fear he could vanish at any moment.
That fear had always made her uneasy, though she never said it aloud. She didn't want to worry others or make things difficult for Kei.
But now, things were different. Kikyo could feel it clearly. That faint wall was gone. Kei no longer gave off the sense that he'd disappear.
She didn't know the reason why, but she believed—this time, there would be no regrets.
So, she was genuinely happy.
What she didn't know was: her feeling was spot on. Kei had indeed once been ready to vanish at any moment. With dreams of running far away, he had always kept a distance from her longing.
He had no desire to emulate those "noble" qualities from Nii-san.
But now, he no longer had to run. The things he once rejected—he could now finally accept.
————
At the same time, within the Uchiha Clan's estate, in a central chamber, a high-level meeting of the clan's top members was underway.