Chapter 347 — You Are Provoking a War You Cannot Win (Ext. Chap.)
"It looks like it's finished."
Uchiha Kei quietly sensed the state of his initial Susanoo.
Its overall strength had clearly improved.
While it was far from a heaven-and-earth–shattering transformation, Kei could unmistakably feel that the rate at which his Susanoo was growing had accelerated—so much so that the improvement felt almost visible.
This sensation was far stronger than when he had first resonated with the Three-Tails' chakra.
Especially now—he was effectively using Susanoo's chakra to nourish Susanoo itself. The growth was impossible to ignore.
"I wonder just how far this can be pushed…"
Kei thought to himself. But when his gaze fell upon the scroll on the floor, he shook his head.
"For now, I can't continue. Evidence is still necessary."
With that thought, Kei crouched down.
As he extended his hand, a trace of orange chakra appeared in his palm.
This chakra had been stripped directly from within Susanoo—it was pure Nine-Tails chakra.
What made Kei frown, however, was that this chakra carried a faint trace of Susanoo's own chakra signature.
The trace was extremely subtle. If Susanoo hadn't been his own power, he likely wouldn't have detected it at all.
For an ordinary person, this wouldn't matter.
But taking chakra like this back to Minato Namikaze would be tantamount to walking straight into a trap.
Kei had no intention of revealing that his Susanoo could absorb tailed-beast chakra.
Every shinobi had secrets.
Kei was no exception.
He carried far more secrets than most—though there were people like Hyūga Ayaka and Imai Kenta who knew fragments of them.
Still, such people were few.
More importantly, Kei held fatal secrets of their own.
And he understood very clearly what each of them desired most.
Once you grasp what someone wants—and what they fear—you decide their fate.
Kei liked that saying.
And he lived by it.
To a certain extent, both Imai Kenta and Hyūga Ayaka were already under his control—not through coercion, but through their deepest ambitions.
Though they operated as collaborators, Kei was fully aware that he was guiding them forward by leveraging what they wanted most.
Of course, he never said such things aloud.
Especially now—his mindset was beginning to change.
Still cold. Still selfish.
But with greater strength and broader vision came subtle shifts in perspective.
"It seems the plan needs to change."
Kei sealed the chakra back into the scroll. He could feel his Susanoo weaken slightly—but it didn't concern him.
There was still Nine-Tails chakra within Susanoo itself. With time, it could continue to grow.
What truly concerned him now was how this scroll should be handled.
After some thought, he decided it was better not to bring it back to Konoha—certainly not to place it directly before Minato.
"I'll need to find the right moment to release this chakra instead."
Kei dismissed his Susanoo and continued calmly,
"And I'll need one critical item—the head of Kazuma."
Without the scroll as definitive evidence, Kazuma's memories would become the key.
For the Yamanaka clan, extracting memories didn't require the target to be alive.
A head was more than enough.
As for the scroll—
Kei decided he would tear it open directly in front of the Fire Daimyō.
Let him experience firsthand what true terror felt like.
"If that's the case, then the battlefield has to change."
Kei stored the scroll away, a faintly mocking smile appearing on his face.
"I originally planned to deal with them all quietly, in a secluded place.
But now… it might be better to put on a performance in front of the Daimyō himself."
"Though that does mean Kakashi and Ayaka will get off easy…"
---
Early the next morning, Kei led Kakashi and Ayaka straight toward the Daimyō's palace.
This time, there was no attempt at concealment.
At the peak of morning foot traffic—between eight and nine o'clock—nearly every civilian noticed the three shinobi wearing Konoha forehead protectors.
Almost instantly, fresh rumors began to spread.
With yesterday's groundwork already laid, people now sensed the gravity of the situation.
Especially since the Konoha ninja were making no effort to hide themselves—everything suggested the matter had escalated further.
"Your strategy seems to be working," Ayaka said with a faint smile as she listened to the hushed whispers around them.
"Everyone's talking about it now."
"Of course," Kei replied calmly.
"This is exactly the reaction we want. If they showed no response—or worse, hostility toward us—then it would only mean we'd handled this poorly."
"Kei," Kakashi asked quietly from behind, "how did the inspection go last night? The commotion you caused was… excessive. And that chakra—it was terrifying."
"Nine-Tails chakra," Kei said, shaking his head. "You can never be too careful. But yes—it's been confirmed. It was Nine-Tails chakra. Unfortunately, not much of it remains."
The disturbance the night before had indeed been enormous.
Susanoo's power was, at its core, an explosive manifestation of chakra.
To a shinobi, it was impossible to miss—like a full moon blazing in the dark night.
And the damage hadn't been limited to Kei's room.
The entire inn had suffered.
If Kakashi hadn't known what Kei was doing, he would have intervened without hesitation.
Fortunately, the outburst didn't last long, and calm soon returned.
That was the only reason Kakashi felt confident enough to rest and prepare for what came next.
As expected, early that morning, Kei summoned both of them and delivered his final verdict.
The scroll contained Nine-Tails chakra.
Kakashi felt relieved—but he also knew what that meant.
It was time to act.
More importantly, Kei had secured decisive evidence.
With public opinion already fermenting, the impact of what followed would be immense.
And in the end, the greatest beneficiary would be Kakashi himself.
A major incident.
Sharp instincts. Accurate judgment. Swift, decisive resolution.
Though anyone with eyes could tell that Uchiha Kei was the true driving force behind it all—
Kei was already the head of the Police Force, his authority continuing to expand. He could not—and would not—touch the ANBU.
Ayaka, meanwhile, was his subordinate.
That left only one person to receive the credit.
Kakashi.
"Thank you, Kei," Kakashi said quietly, despite having said it countless times before.
"Hm?" Kei paused, then understood.
He waved it off. "Just do your job well. I know you don't care much about power—this was probably for someone else's sake. But as the Hokage's student, you were never going to stay uninvolved."
"I know," Kakashi nodded.
"I've actually set a new goal. Power itself doesn't interest me much. But I keep wondering—if my father had possessed this level of influence back then… would his fate have been different?"
He shook his head lightly.
"That's in the past now. Kei—do you have any advice for my future?"
Kei glanced at him.
Hatake Sakumo's tragedy wasn't something he couldn't comment on—but any honest answer would inevitably offend.
Fortunately, Kakashi didn't dwell on it.
What caught Kei's attention instead was the request itself.
Seeking guidance meant acknowledging a difference in standing.
If Kakashi truly became ANBU Commander after this incident, that humility would be… interesting.
After a brief pause, Kei spoke.
"Advice is too strong a word. You're young, capable, and full of potential—you'll find your own path. But there are two things you must remember."
"Please," Kakashi said quietly.
"First," Kei said evenly,
"power is like real estate. Location is everything. The closer you are to the center, the greater your value.
"But remember this—proximity to power often tricks people into believing they own it. I don't want you to become that kind of person."
He continued,
"Second—do what you believe is right. But whatever you choose, never abandon your stance."
"Because your stance determines the direction you fight for and the goals you pursue—and it also determines how those who share your stance see you, and whether they acknowledge you."
The advice Kei gave Kakashi was, at its core, fairly basic.
Yet it was more than enough to give Kakashi plenty to think about.
Once one stepped onto this path, even if the essence of being a shinobi never truly changed, one's actions, mindset, and way of thinking inevitably would.
Kei wasn't preaching anything profound—he was simply passing on lessons he believed in, lessons he had seen proven effective on certain seasoned veterans. That alone was enough for Kakashi to reflect on and internalize.
Ayaka remained silent, though she too seemed thoughtful.
Those words were, indeed, worth pondering.
After Kei finished speaking, an unspoken silence settled over the three of them.
It lasted until they arrived at the Fire Daimyō's palace.
Only then was it broken.
---
Today, the palace felt… wrong.
The heavy, oppressive atmosphere grew even more pronounced the moment the three stepped inside.
Naturally, this put them on guard—though only to the degree any shinobi would be when facing potential enemies. Anything less would be fatal.
Led by an attendant, they soon arrived at the same hall where they had met the Daimyō before.
The moment they fully entered, the strange, suffocating tension hit them head-on.
Kei swept his gaze across the room, a cold smile forming on his lips.
It seemed these people were ready to lay everything bare—or perhaps they had been pushed into action by certain pieces of information.
Either way, their intentions were obvious.
"Greetings, Daimyō-sama."
Even though Kei had long anticipated this confrontation—and had already torn away any pretense—he still performed the necessary formalities.
Following his lead, Ayaka and Kakashi bowed slightly as well.
"Chief Kei," the Daimyō said, his voice tight with tension as he forced himself to maintain dignity. "I didn't expect you to arrive so early."
"Some matters can't be delayed any longer," Kei replied calmly as he raised his head.
"That wouldn't be good for either of us, would it, Daimyō-sama?"
"So I summoned them," the Daimyō said after taking a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over Kazuma and the others. "I believe they have explanations to offer."
Explanations?
Kei looked expressionlessly at the eleven guardian shinobi before him and silently shook his head.
He had no interest in explanations.
He had already decided to act—whatever they said no longer mattered.
Still, there was no harm in hearing them speak.
Especially since Kei noticed that Chiriku and the four Lightning Release users all looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"Explanations?" Kei said evenly. "Then go on."
At that moment, Kazuma stepped forward.
"We don't owe you any explanations at all!" he snapped.
"You Konoha dogs—don't think we don't know what you've been doing! Spreading rumors all over the capital—this is how Konoha operates?!"
"Rumors?" Kei scoffed. "Do you have proof? Forget it—there's no point asking. What do you intend to do?"
"Chief Kei," Chiriku suddenly spoke up, "I have a question. Last night, Beizi and the others went to visit you—but you weren't in your room. Why?"
Visit?
Kei paused. He hadn't expected that.
So they had come looking for him.
Likely to confirm the situation.
But he hadn't been there—
Suddenly, Kei understood.
His gaze shifted meaningfully toward Kazuma.
Was this man playing with fire?
Interesting.
"I don't see how where I go concerns you," Kei said flatly.
"But what I do see is that someone here is far more foolish than I thought."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Because he's trying to start a war he is guaranteed to lose."
"Enough of your mad rambling!" Kazuma snarled. "Let me ask you directly—where is my friend, my comrade, Kubo Kengo?"
"Shouldn't you know that better than anyone?" Kei replied calmly.
"He's waiting for you in the Pure Land."
The moment those words fell—
Kei raised his hand.
Shing.
Chidori-like blue chakra flared along the blade of Kiryoku, drawn in a flash as Kei's eyes turned scarlet.
He could have explained.
But he had already decided to give the Daimyō a brutal lesson.
Explanations could wait—after everyone here was crushed.
A single slash of blue-lit steel cut straight toward Kazuma's chest.
---
The sudden attack caught everyone in the hall completely off guard.
Kazuma and his men had expected violence—but not this level of decisiveness.
Ayaka and Kakashi were startled as well, yet they were prepared.
The instant Kei moved, Ayaka activated her Byakugan and intercepted Chiriku's group.
Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan as his blade met the four Lightning Release shinobi.
The Daimyō was utterly stunned.
He had never imagined the Konoha ninja would act so ruthlessly.
As he turned to flee—
Thunk.
A kunai embedded itself less than ten centimeters from his head.
He froze.
Kei spared him a brief glance. He had thrown that kunai himself.
Once the Daimyō stopped moving, Kei focused entirely on the guardians.
He faced four enemies—including Kazuma.
Kakashi had four as well.
Ayaka, three.
The difference?
Kei didn't care who lived or died.
Unless necessary, only Kazuma would be spared.
The rest could all be slaughtered.
Kazuma reacted quickly, raising his four-bladed iron claw to block Kiryoku.
But in the next instant, Kei lifted his gaze—
Kazuma's mind went blank.
A brutal kick slammed into his abdomen, warping his body mid-air.
Blood sprayed as he crashed into a stone pillar.
Kei's blade flashed again, cleaving an incoming earth dragon in half.
Shunshin.
Kei appeared in front of another guardian.
Blue chakra gathered in his left hand—chirping thunder echoing through the hall.
The shinobi felt despair.
Kei was too fast.
He tried to form seals for a substitution—
But his eyes met Kei's.
His mind went white.
A moment later, searing pain tore through his chest.
Kei's hand pierced straight through him.
Lightning chakra erupted inside his body.
Numbness followed.
As Kei withdrew his hand, the man collapsed, eyes closing forever.
No resistance.
No chance.
"Don't look into his Sharingan!" the remaining guardians shouted.
But they knew it was useless.
They had never trained for this.
Kei was too fast.
Kazuma sat amid the rubble, clutching his stomach—alive, but helpless.
He could only watch as his comrades were butchered.
Kei showed no mercy.
Another shunshin.
One guardian swung his blade.
Kei ducked, twisted—and redirected the attack.
The blade pierced the heart of the man behind him.
At the same time, Kiryoku drove through the first man's chest.
Clean.
Efficient.
Within seconds, Kazuma's squad was annihilated.
Kei flicked the blood from his blade and turned toward the Daimyō.
The man was trembling, curled into himself.
Kei sneered.
Then his gaze shifted briefly to Kakashi and Ayaka's battles—before settling back on Kazuma, the sole survivor.
Disdain filled his eyes.
"I told you," Kei said coldly,
"You were trying to start a war you were destined to lose."
"And this—"
"—is the price."