Chapter 326 — Discovering the Beauty of Life
Hyūga Ayaka's serum experiment ended with results far better than anyone expected.
Running a before-and-after genetic analysis on herself, she found that certain dormant sequences—gene fragments she had never been able to activate—had finally awakened.
It was only the first injection, yet her body had responded immediately.
Of course, there were problems.
The negative reactions were intense, her body unable to fully adapt to the sudden internal transformation. Her dosage had been slightly too high, and absorption was far from ideal.
But even one activation from a single attempt was enough to convince Ayaka that she was on the right path. If she continued these injections, she was certain more results would follow.
How far she could push it… even she couldn't predict.
But one thing was undeniable—Uchiha Kei's method worked. Even on a Hyūga.
Through a special stimulation, her unused genes could be coaxed into awakening. Almost like a form of ancestral regression.
Perhaps the power of their forebears had never been bound by the cursed Caged Bird Seal. Ayaka had truly found a direction.
But…
Both she and Kei were exasperated by her current condition.
Her body was in a complete slump. Perhaps the foreign chakra still lingered inside her, continuing to reshape her. She could carry out day-to-day life, but complex work—experiments, guard corps duties—were out of the question.
Kei had no choice but to look after her temporarily.
Originally, he had thought that after surviving the battlefield, he would never again have to do "babysitter-type missions."
Clearly, he had been far too optimistic.
"That kid actually awakened his kekkei genkai?"
In the Hokage's office, Minato blinked at Kei as if he'd misheard.
He truly hadn't expected to receive such news first thing in the morning.
Unlike the Third Hokage, Minato had never planted watchers around Kimimaro. He trusted Kei—deeply. Trusted that his friend would handle everything perfectly.
But this was… too perfect.
"Yes. He awakened it," Kei confirmed.
"It was a coincidence, really. I had Ayaka monitoring his condition, guiding him in some basic taijutsu. His chakra flow was strange, and the Kaguya clan were known for taijutsu, so it made sense.
But none of us expected that kid to just—"
Minato rubbed his forehead.
"It looks like we're both lucky… and unlucky."
Ten years. For ten years, no Kaguya child in the Mist had awakened Shikotsumyaku.
Kei raids Kirigakure once, grabs a scapegoat child on a whim, and that kid awakens the clan's legendary kekkei genkai?
It was absurd. Impossible. Unreasonable.
But also incredibly beneficial.
With proper cultivation, Kimimaro could grow into a devastating ninja for Konoha. In the best case scenario, Konoha could even birth a new Kaguya clan.
The problem?
There was no hiding this.
The Shikotsumyaku was too distinct. Too unmistakable.
If Kimimaro's ability became known, even if the world never discovered who attacked the Mist, they would instantly associate the boy with Konoha.
Minato sighed again. Sometimes, incredible luck came with headaches.
"No need to overthink," Kei said. "In a few decades, the Kaguya clan might be nothing but a footnote in history anyway. And with what Obito is doing out there… I doubt anyone will even remember them properly."
"I hope so," Minato muttered. "Honestly… Kei, how are you so damned lucky? You kidnap someone randomly and he awakens a kekkei genkai missing for ten years. The odds—"
"You mean I'm unlucky, don't you?" Kei raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, what about the 'shipment' for the Kaguya traitors?"
"I had Shikaku handle it," Minato said, his expression turning serious.
Kei paused.
"You had the Head of Administration manage… that?"
Shikaku Nara, Minato, and Kei—the three major powerholders in Konoha—working together to smuggle weapons to a rebellious clan in another village?
That was on a whole new level of conspiracy.
But thinking carefully… it also made perfect sense.
Only Shikaku could manipulate troop records, supply logs, and paperwork so flawlessly that the supplies would "vanish" inside Konoha and quietly reappear aboard a ship heading for the Mist.
Minato and Kei could do it, but Shikaku would do it without leaving a single seam.
"He's also noticed Obito's existence," Minato added.
"…He what?" Kei's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He's too smart. Since he's already suspicious, I think it's better to bring him in. He's more than capable."
"Shikaku's ability has never been in question," Kei agreed.
He didn't like that Shikaku had noticed things he shouldn't. But fate was unpredictable.
And ultimately, they needed funding. Post-war Konoha required reforms, and reforms demanded money.
A lot of money.
Minato brought out a thick folder.
"The reform proposal. Especially the part you mentioned—the Specialization Program."
Kei skimmed through it.
His brows rose.
"This old fox really is clever."
Shikaku hadn't just refined Kei's ideas—he'd added a new category:
"Civil-oriented ninjas."
A track for students who were smart but lacked combat potential. A pipeline for administrative, management, and bureaucratic personnel.
"Good, isn't it?" Minato smiled. "Your Uchiha Police headquarters inspired us."
Kei nodded.
He had always believed in specialization. A ninja should excel in the areas they were most suited for. This system would eventually produce top-tier combatants and top-tier administrators.
As he closed the folder, a stray thought hit him:
Did I just erase the possibility of the future Seventh Hokage?
Because under these standards… Naruto Uzumaki had little chance.
Unless he grew up more like Minato.
Kei snorted inwardly.
But that thought could wait. He waved a hand lazily.
"If that's all, I'll be heading out."
"Kei, wait," Minato called suddenly.
"If it's about Kimimaro—" Kei began.
Minato shook his head and leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
"No, something else. Congratulations—I'm glad you finally found a girl you like.
When I was your age, I had already started courting Kushina. Ayaka's status is complicated, but don't worry. I'll help you!"
"…"
The power of rumors… Kei had always known. But this—this was a whole new level.
He and Ayaka had simply been too lazy to explain, too indifferent to bother denying anything.
And somehow, silence became consent.
Even the Hokage had been swept up in it.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
Kei suddenly felt that seeing Uchiha Fugaku any time soon might be extremely dangerous.
Still… from another angle, this wasn't a bad thing.
At least no one would come nag him about marriage now.
In this world, children of powerful clans were expected to be engaged by thirteen or fourteen. If not for Kei's special status, he would probably already have been forcibly arranged into some political marriage.
He knew his parents—Uchiha Keisuke and Uchiha Ryoko—had dropped him plenty of hints over the years.
He had simply pretended not to hear them.
But eventually, the pressure would come.
Unless—
Unless there was a convenient shield.
Kei now glanced at the exhausted girl sitting next to him by the riverside.
Hyūga Ayaka.
Perhaps this woman truly was his "defensive wall."
At least now, when he went home, he no longer had to face a dozen other troublesome questions.
He wasn't against romance. Nor against women. He just didn't want to be shoved into a political marriage. And yes—like he told Ayaka—
He wanted to meet someone he genuinely liked.
"Why do I get the feeling," Ayaka murmured, "that you're thinking something extremely rude?"
While Uchiha Kei was lost in thought, Hyūga Ayaka abruptly turned her head toward him.
"Are you thinking that having me as your decoy is very convenient?"
"Ah. Yes, that thought did cross my mind," Kei admitted bluntly.
Ayaka snorted softly.
"Then shouldn't I say the same? You're my shield too. Even if your reputation in the Hyūga clan is… not exactly flattering, your current status—and your association with me—are enough to attract the attention of certain… 'interest-driven' people."
She didn't elaborate, but her tone made everything clear.
Just as Kei had said, Ayaka had been dealing with headaches of her own.
Her reputation within the Hyūga clan had always been poor. Partly because of the trouble stirred up by the late Hyūga Hikaru, and partly because she was the first Hyūga member to join the Police Force—an institution led by the Uchiha, the Hyūga's centuries-old rivals.
But after Kei's rise in power, and Minato becoming Hokage, stabilizing the balance of the village…
Even the Hyūga's most stubborn, tradition-bound elders—men who should've been thrown away by time—finally understood just how massive the Police Force's expanded authority had become.
Especially after the reemergence of the Senju heir, and after Hiashi began pushing more Hyūga members into the Police Force. When he himself earned a division captain position, clan ambitions only grew stronger.
Hyūga Ayaka—the woman Kei trusted deeply, the one he openly protected—suddenly became extremely "valuable."
If before, they saw her as a troublemaker, a walking disaster…
Now she was a tasty, lucrative cake, and the clan sharks were circling.
Meaning she too had been approached, harassed, or pressured.
But now?
Those people wouldn't dare.
Everything in this world was relative.
Ayaka became Kei's shield, blocking annoying marriage proposals and political schemes. And Kei became her shield, warding off ambitious Hyūga who wanted to "share the cake."
So perhaps this misunderstanding spreading through the village wasn't all bad. Some effects were… surprisingly positive.
"Then should I thank you?" Ayaka gave him a sideways glare and brushed her hair aside.
The breeze was pleasant, brushing against their faces, but for someone with long hair, it was less of a blessing.
"Up to you," Kei said with a lazy smile.
Watching her tuck her hair behind her ear, he suddenly added:
"Today's wind is a little restless, isn't it?"
Ayaka blinked at him.
"…"
She stared, completely baffled.
Kei may look cold—he was cold, frighteningly so in battle—but for a while now, Ayaka rarely felt that killing intent directed at her. The artificial gentleness he used as a mask was gone too, but that was fine.
Fake warmth was worse than no warmth at all.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Ayaka said dryly. "If your brain's malfunctioning, I can't fix that."
"Your brain is malfunctioning," Kei countered. "Your literary appreciation and ability to see the beauty in life are absolutely hopeless."
He shook his head with disdain.
"Truly beyond saving."
"Oh?" Ayaka raised an eyebrow. "You, of all people, claim you can appreciate life's beauty? You? Kei-kun, please don't joke."
Kei gave her a flat, offended look—the kind that said 'Are you stupid?' loud and clear.
He had been a liberal arts student in his previous life. He had read countless books, memorized essays, poems, and phrases, suffered through emotional literature during exams, and consumed enough internet jokes and romantic lines to arm a poet.
This woman actually thought he had no literary sense?
Fine.
Time to educate her.
"Look at those leaves drifting in the wind," Kei said, lifting his gaze toward the floating foliage. "Tell me—do the leaves fall because the wind chases them, or because the tre—"
"It's abscisic acid," Ayaka cut him off instantly.
"…What?"
"It's a plant hormone that triggers leaf shedding," she continued matter-of-factly. "Natural genetic response. Don't romanticize it. Even with this wind, leaves won't fall unless the hormone triggers it."
"…"
Kei stared at her.
He hadn't expected her to counterattack. And with science, no less.
He inhaled sharply.
Fine. He'd try again.
"Sitting by the river like this, can't you smell the fresh, earthy scent...
"I can. It feels nice," Ayaka nodded. Then paused. And added mercilessly:
"But that smell is produced by actinomycete excretions."
"…"
For one moment—just one—Kei wanted to activate his Mangekyō and erase her from existence.
This woman wasn't just sarcastic. She was professionally sarcastic. And the worst part?
He couldn't refute her.
This must be what happens when scientific knowledge headbutts poetic aesthetics.
He took a long, steadying breath, telling himself not to commit a homicide.
"Fine," he said slowly. "Then tell me this—do you know what sunlight smells like? It's the scent left on freshly sun-dried—"
"Stop," Ayaka interrupted again with a sigh. "I already know what you're trying to say. It sounds beautiful, yes.
But that 'sunlight smell'? Isn't that just the scent of dead mites baked by the UV rays?"
"…"
Kei clenched his fists.
Held his breath.
And absolutely refused to snap.
After a long, painful moment, he exhaled.
"Forget it," he muttered. "You're hopeless. Absolutely incapable of appreciating life's beauty."
"If your version of 'beauty' is just excretions and corpses," Ayaka responded calmly, "then no thanks."
"You—" Kei growled. He took another deep breath. "Forget it. You're impossible."
Ayaka looked at him with open disgust.
"I'm starting to think all that time you spent in Kirigakure at night messed with your head. Sea breeze damage?"
"You idiot, nighttime wind over the sea is land breeze!"
"…"