Chapter 259 – Shisui and Sasuke
Whether he was called Imai Kenta or Senju Kenta, it made little difference.
Kenta himself didn't seem to care.
He had used his father's surname since childhood; after more than a decade, he was long accustomed to it.
To him, what defined his lineage wasn't a name — it was the blood in his veins and the ideals that shaped his upbringing.
That suited Uchiha Kei just fine. He'd grown used to calling him "Imai Kenta," and changing that suddenly would have felt unnatural.
The deal they'd made could barely be called satisfactory.
Both men knew it.
Both believed they had given up too much… and gained too little.
But for now, it was the best compromise either could afford —
one seeking a stable alliance,
the other simply out of options.
From start to finish, Ayaka Hyūga had watched their negotiations unfold in silence.
She didn't particularly care about politics, but she did recognize the value of her role.
If their cooperation succeeded, she would gain the most.
Two powerful test subjects.
Better protection.
And far more freedom for her research.
When all was said and done, Kenta unsealed a scroll and produced a single document.
He placed it on the table before Kei and Ayaka.
Both of them froze the instant they opened it.
It was exactly as Kenta had promised —
the Senju Hashirama's Sage Art Records.
Neither had expected Kenta to hand something so priceless over so casually.
Was he truly that confident they wouldn't betray him?
Kenta caught their expressions and chuckled softly.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not being reckless.
I'm just showing my resolve.
Even if you decided to turn on me… knowing Kei, you'd burn my corpse clean before you'd ever search it, wouldn't you?"
Kei blinked, then sighed.
"You really do know me too well."
That particular habit — incinerating bodies to erase all traces — was something he had lived by for years.
No evidence. No loose ends.
And Kenta had just used it as his insurance policy.
A clever gamble, and one Kei couldn't help but respect.
Handing over the document to Ayaka, Kei discussed briefly with Kenta how to deal with Senju Shōma before the old man realized anything was missing.
Kenta had staked everything on this act of trust. Kei could have taken it all by force and eliminated him, but that would only alienate Ayaka — something he couldn't afford.
Her cooperation was vital.
Her trust, even more so.
So, he let Kenta live.
"They say a triangle is the most stable shape," Kei murmured later. "Three points of balance — hard to topple."
With their arrangement settled, Kei turned his focus back to Ayaka's experiments.
Using Orochimaru's recovered research, she began synthesizing a new generation of serums.
And Kei had to admit — Orochimaru's notes were invaluable.
Her success rate had nearly doubled.
Fusion stability had improved dramatically.
When the first batch was ready, Ayaka administered it to Kei herself.
The moment the serum entered his bloodstream, a familiar burn flared through his body — sharp, deep, but not unbearable.
He had felt it before.
This time, he endured it calmly.
What pleased him most was that there were no visible mutations.
Instead, he could feel the difference —
his chakra circulation was smoother,
his ocular power recovering faster.
The experiment was a success.
For the next few weeks, Kei took time to recover.
He had no reason to fight — the clan was stable, and Konoha was at peace.
And it was during this calm that history quietly moved forward.
July 23rd — the day Uchiha Sasuke was born.
Uchiha Fugaku waited anxiously outside the birthing room, and Kei stood beside him — the clan's second-in-command witnessing the arrival of a child destined to reshape the future.
He had been present for many turning points in history —
Kannabi Bridge, Minato's rise to Hokage — but this one felt different.
If fate stayed its course, this newborn would be Indra's reincarnation.
And when Indra's chakra met that of Ashura once more —
a new cycle would begin.
The power of the Rinnegan… or perhaps something even greater.
Still, Kei wasn't certain if the cells he possessed — the White Zetsu samples — retained any trace of Ashura's chakra.
If not… well, there were other ways to obtain it.
"A bit of blood, a scrap of chakra from the right pair of children," he thought grimly. "That should do the trick."
Inside the delivery room, Fugaku's son — small, wrinkled, crying — lay cradled in Mikoto's arms.
Beside them, young Itachi stood silently, trying and failing to hide his excitement.
Kei's gaze, however, drifted to another boy nearby —
a confident, bright-eyed youth of about nine, dressed in the black battle uniform of the Uchiha.
The calluses on his palms told Kei all he needed to know — a blade user.
Short, wavy hair. Clear, determined eyes.
"So that's Uchiha Shisui," Kei mused.
"The one who'll one day take his own life after giving up his eye."
He had already had Shisui investigated — an orphan, descendant of Uchiha Kagami, trained personally by the Third Elder.
Gifted, promising, and already awakening his Sharingan.
"Shisui, huh… interesting kid."
Fugaku's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Kei, you've been staring at him for a while. Something on your mind?"
"Ah, Shisui. I've heard about him," Kei said casually. "A prodigy, they say. I was curious."
"He is talented," Fugaku admitted, "but compared to you, Kei — he's still got a long way to go."
Kei chuckled softly.
"Maybe. But at least he's lucky. He won't have to grow up on the battlefield."
Fugaku smiled faintly, returning his gaze to the newborn.
"We've already chosen a name, but… any suggestions?"
Kei grinned.
"How about Sasuke?"
Fugaku blinked — then laughed.
"That's exactly the name we picked."
Kei smiled thinly. Of course it was.
Some things were never meant to change.
He looked once more at the sleeping infant — frail, unformed, yet destined for greatness — and felt no hint of chakra from him yet.
"Too early," he thought. "Naruto won't be far behind. When they meet, that's when everything will begin."
Leaving a small gift, Kei excused himself.
The family deserved their peace.
Only Itachi seemed disappointed — still haunted by Kei's cold words from before:
"I don't acknowledge you."
As Kei walked away under the setting sun, he muttered to himself:
"Shisui and Sasuke… not a bad harvest for one day."
Sasuke could wait — his time hadn't come yet.
But Shisui… he was already a variable worth watching.
"He's young. I'll observe him closely," Kei decided.
"Maybe bring him into the Division when he turns twelve.
The doves are quiet for now. Let's hope they stay that way."
When Kei returned to the Police Force headquarters, the halls were quiet.
Most shinobi were out on duty.
Those who remained straightened instantly when they saw him —
bowing respectfully, greeting him as their superior.
Kei acknowledged each one with a calm nod before retreating to his office.
He still had work to do.
He summoned Uchiha Kawa and Uchiha Ryu, assigning them new orders.
Kawa was already monitoring Shisui — Kei only needed the reports.
The second task, though, required discretion —
forging certain documents to match the story Kei had already fed Ayaka.
He wouldn't allow contradictions to expose his plans.
Both men accepted without question.
The best subordinates didn't ask why — they simply delivered results.
When they left, Kei stretched slightly, feeling the dull ache of recovery through his muscles.
The worst of the serum's side effects had passed.
Time to move again.
Not long after, Kenta arrived at his office.
"You called for me?"
"Yeah. Looks like you've recovered," Kei said, glancing up.
"More or less," Kenta replied. "Still feeling some aftereffects, but nothing serious. So… are we doing this?"
Kei's lips curved.
"It's time. Let's go meet your family's decision-maker."
Kenta exhaled slowly, tension flickering in his eyes.
"Yeah. He's been getting… impatient. Especially since his attempts to contact the Fourth Hokage keep failing."
Kei's smile thinned.
"You're nervous about being caught stealing the Sage Records. He's nervous because he can't reach Minato."
He leaned back lazily.
"Relax. I haven't tampered with anything. I've been lying low since Danzō's death — I'm not suicidal."
Kenta snorted.
"Right. The man who killed Danzō and pissed off the Third Hokage suddenly decides he's afraid of dying?"
Then his expression hardened.
"Just tell me, Kei — what's Minato really planning?"
Kei met his gaze evenly.
"He's choosing people worth investing in," he said simply. "And if your clan plays its cards right… you might just make that list."
Kenta didn't reply, but the flicker in his eyes said enough.
Whatever the outcome, one thing was certain—
their paths were now completely entwined.
Without that, going to see Uchiha Kei would have been suicide for Kenta — and not a clean one either.
"Actually," Kei said with a faint smile, "that proposal was mine."
He leaned back slightly, his tone calm and deliberate.
"The Uchiha already control the Police Force. That's enough.
As for the Medical Department, the Third Hokage refuses to let go — so there's nothing we can do about it.
But the Administrative Division has lost nearly half its staff, and the Mission Center now falls under the Fourth Hokage's direct authority.
He'll be handpicking his own people there — to stabilize and secure his circle of influence."
Kenta's eyes narrowed. He caught the keyword immediately.
"To stabilize his circle of influence... meaning—some of those key positions will be filled by clan shinobi, won't they?"
"Not necessarily," Kei replied evenly, "but until things truly begin to change, yes — that's how it'll be."
He knew reforms didn't happen overnight.
Before they could rebuild the system, they had to keep it standing.
And that required stability — even if it meant compromise.
"I see..." Kenta exhaled slowly. "Looks like your voice carries quite a bit of weight with the Fourth Hokage."
He studied Kei carefully, his suspicion finally giving way to quiet certainty.
Kei only smiled and said nothing.
Yes — his influence over Minato was real, perhaps even greater than most realized.
But it wasn't something he took pride in.
Power through influence was a dangerous thing.
The more your words could shape destinies, the more carefully you had to choose them.
He thought briefly of a certain "Wise King" from his previous life —
a man whose words alone had caused chaos across a nation,
even convincing some people to inject themselves with disinfectant.
A single loudmouth with too much authority could shatter the credibility of an entire country.
Kei shook his head slightly and changed the subject.
"Enough about that. Tell me—how's your Senju clan faring these days?
Once Senju Shōma steps down, are you sure you can take over?"
Kenta sighed, his shoulders sinking.
"The Senju aren't like the Uchiha anymore.
The war cost us too much — too many orphans, too many broken families.
The young make up the largest part of our numbers now.
There aren't many in their prime... and the elders..."
He trailed off with a bitter laugh.
Kei nodded slowly.
"So the generation gap really is that bad... but that also makes you the de facto leader of the young, doesn't it?"
A clan without a strong middle generation was fragile, yes — but also ripe for renewal.
It was a crisis, but also an opportunity.
"Alright," Kenta said after a pause, clearly wanting to move past the topic.
"Let's say our plan succeeds — that we reestablish our footing.
What kind of positions could you recommend for us?
Or better yet, which ones do you think are actually worth fighting for?"
Kei didn't hesitate.
"The Mission Department," he said simply.
Kenta blinked.
"The Mission Department?"
"Exactly." Kei's smile deepened.
"It's at the heart of every village operation. Whoever controls it controls the flow of resources, manpower, and intelligence.
For a clan trying to regain political relevance, there's no better place to start."
Kenta fell silent, letting that sink in.
He understood immediately.
Unlike the Police Force or the Medical Corps, the Mission Department was less bound by tradition — it was practical, results-driven, and replaceable.
If they played it right, the Senju could reenter Konoha's political system from there.
For the first time that day, a genuine spark of ambition flickered in his eyes.
Kei saw it — and allowed himself a faint, knowing smile.