Chapter 327 – The Three-Tails Chakra Experiment
Even though Ayaka's antics often left Uchiha Kei speechless, he still kept his promise.
For the past several days, he stayed by Ayaka's side—
not only helping her record her condition each night after the serum injection,
but also deliberately sending out another message:
If they were going to act as each other's shields, they might as well do it properly.
Ayaka was using him as a buffer against the Hyūga clan's politics.
Kei was using her to ward off the endless matchmaking attempts aimed at him.
Mutual protection.
Mutual convenience.
"A mutually beneficial façade."
As for the future—if either of them eventually found someone they truly liked?
That would be simple.
They never publicly confirmed anything anyway.
Even if they acted close, it wasn't a binding promise.
And if the time came to part, they could just say:
"We're not suitable,"
and it would silence any questions.
The only one who knew their real intentions was Imai Kenta… and that man couldn't be trusted to say anything pleasant.
In his eyes, a "lunatic" and a "maniac" pairing up was doing a public service to Konoha—
saving many innocent young men and women from delusional fantasies.
Whether Kei and Ayaka actually ended up together didn't matter to him.
If they did, great—two disasters cancel each other out.
If not, whoever ended up with them would just be unlucky… and it definitely wouldn't be him.
Ayaka's body remained frail after the serum injection, but the fusion experiments couldn't simply stop.
Both Kei and Kenta needed her expertise.
Fortunately, after some rest, she recovered enough to function—
at least she no longer felt faint whenever she used a bit of chakra.
But being Ayaka, she simply couldn't sit still.
The moment she regained strength, she resumed planning the next experiment and analyzing her own data.
Neither Kei nor Kenta bothered to stop her.
Even if they tried, she wouldn't listen—
her stubbornness was as fearsome as her talent.
During a data review session, Ayaka finally spoke of her results.
"The Kaguya clan's bloodline cells are indeed useful.
My Byakugan's visual range has increased by roughly twenty percent."
Kei paused.
"Meaning… you can see at least four kilometers away now? Through obstacles?"
Ayaka nodded.
"Yes. Clear as day. And more importantly—
I can feel the Caged Bird seal loosening slightly.
It's still intact, but… if this continues…"
She didn't finish, but everyone understood.
If this continued, Ayaka might actually free herself from the Hyūga's cursed seal.
That was monumental.
The Caged Bird was both a "protection" for the weak
and a cage for the strong—
a symbol of the Hyūga clan's fear and backwardness.
Kei wanted her to break it.
But deep down, he suspected Kaguya cells alone wouldn't be enough.
How many dormant genes could be activated?
How many needed to be activated to shatter the seal?
No one knew.
Ayaka continued:
"My physical abilities have increased slightly.
My chakra didn't grow in quantity… but its quality improved."
Kenta scratched his chin.
"So… somewhat like the captain, but with differences.
Still, it's a promising path."
"It's only the beginning," Kei said.
"Continue experimenting. Once the Kaguya bloodline stops giving results, we'll move to the next step."
Ayaka looked up.
"You mean… the moon?"
Kenta blinked.
"The what?
What secrets are you two hiding? Someone explain."
Kei ignored him.
He was, in fact, seriously considering going to the moon someday.
That massive Tenseigan—
overflowing with chakra far beyond anything on earth—
was something Kei must investigate.
Even if he couldn't use it, studying that chakra would be invaluable.
His Eternal Mangekyō was close to another evolution.
He could feel it.
"You'll understand someday, Kenta," Kei finally said.
"For now, we wait—
for Ayaka's final results and for the right opportunity."
Kenta sighed helplessly.
Ayaka nodded in agreement.
Finding a way to the moon would take time—
and even then, success wasn't guaranteed.
But Kei wasn't worried.
Time was something he had plenty of.
None of them knew what Kei meant by "the right timing,"
but it was obvious they needed the complete data from Ayaka's experiment
before making any further plans.
And the idea of finding a path to the moon sounded absurdly fantastical.
Besides…
he wasn't even sure whether the Ōtsutsuki on the moon were truly extinct.
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now," Kei said, rising to his feet.
"Today's results were good for all of us. But don't forget—we still have work to do on other fronts."
"Of course. I wouldn't forget that," Kenta replied with a laugh as he stood.
"Oh, right, I heard something about you and Chief Shikaku—"
"He invited me to visit whenever I have free time," Kei replied plainly.
"When the time comes, both of you will join me. We'll go to his home together."
"That might take a while," Ayaka sighed softly.
"My condition won't recover this quickly."
Kei waved his hand dismissively.
He didn't care how long her recovery took.
Her health mattered far more than appearances—
and if her condition worsened publicly, that would cause problems.
Ayaka was already recovering, slowly but steadily.
He didn't need to watch her constantly anymore.
After Kenta left, Kei found a larger room to himself.
Ayaka's experiment would be paused for now.
Which meant…
it was time for his experiment.
Kei still vividly remembered the moment he had activated his Susanoo atop the Three-Tails, blocking the assault of the Three Swordsmen—
—and how his Susanoo had absorbed the Three-Tails' chakra.
That discovery shocked even him.
In his memory, only Uchiha Sasuke—years later—had achieved anything similar.
And Sasuke's Susanoo had been on an entirely different level by then.
If Kei's Susanoo could absorb tailed-beast chakra as well…
It would be an unbelievable advantage.
Yes, tailed-beast chakra was difficult to obtain—
but not impossible.
He pulled out a scroll—the one containing the Three-Tails' chakra that he'd extracted from Rin Nohara long ago and sealed away.
He wasn't sure how much remained, or whether some had dissipated over time.
But quantity didn't matter.
For this test, any amount was enough.
He formed a hand seal and tore open the scroll.
To his surprise, the burst of Three-Tails chakra was far greater than expected.
So the chakra could be sealed effectively. Good.
There wasn't much overall, but for Kei, this was more than enough for experimentation.
He drew a deep breath.
Dark chakra erupted from his body like black mist, wrapping around him completely.
In the blink of an eye, it solidified into a towering, armored half-body Susanoo.
Kei could feel it—
his control over Susanoo was becoming more refined, more precise.
At this rate…
it won't be long before my Susanoo is no longer a slow-moving fortress.
I'm tired of fighting inside a tank that can't keep up with my style.
Speed had always been Kei's hallmark—
yet Susanoo was the very definition of immobility.
But that era seemed close to ending.
Soon, his Susanoo would no longer drag him down.
The Three-Tails chakra began to drift outward like shimmering mist.
Kei focused his mind,
directing his Susanoo to reach toward the loose chakra.
Instantly—
The Three-Tails chakra reacted as if finding its home.
With a rush, the chakra spiraled into the Susanoo, pouring into it like water funneling into a drain.
Though the quantity wasn't large,
it was completely absorbed within seconds.
Not a single trace remained.
Only the jet-black Susanoo stood there—
looming, cold, ominous—
its presence darker and more oppressive than before.