Chapter 436 — His Name Is Uchiha Itachi
Watching Uchiha Shisui leave alongside the attendant, both Kei and Fugaku wore complicated expressions.
Only after the servant returned to report that Shisui had taken Uchiha Itachi with him did the two seem to come back to their senses.
They exchanged a glance—
and fell into silence.
Shisui's sudden visit had clearly shaken them.
Or rather—
the "surprise" had been far greater than expected.
He hadn't stayed long.
Five minutes at most.
And yet, within those five minutes—
he had made his stance unmistakably clear.
He would act as a spy.
For Kei.
He would provide whatever intelligence he could obtain.
And more than that—
he had even revealed the curse seal engraved on his tongue.
That single act…
was tantamount to betraying the Third Hokage.
Now, someone like Sai had done something similar in the future—
but Sai's identity had always been an open secret.
He was a Root operative placed into Team Seven—
to monitor the Jinchūriki, establish contact with Orochimaru, and even eliminate Uchiha Sasuke if necessary.
That arrangement had likely been a compromise from Tsunade.
At the time, she had just become the Fifth Hokage, and needed the support of the elders to stabilize her position.
Without a strong political backing, every step she took would have been difficult.
If she hadn't learned to compromise—
she would've been reduced to a puppet in no time.
Tsunade was impulsive—
but never foolish.
And Naruto's infamous "talk-no-jutsu" had ultimately forced Sai to reveal himself.
But Shisui…
was different.
He was meant to remain completely hidden.
By exposing himself—
he had essentially revealed something far more dangerous:
that the Third Hokage had extended his reach into the domain of clan shinobi.
No clan would willingly send their prodigies into Root.
Everyone knew what kind of place it was.
Forced recruitment?
Unacceptable.
Deception—luring in young talents before they matured?
Equally intolerable.
From any perspective—
this crossed a line.
Even if Danzo had initiated it before his death—
the fact that the Third Hokage had taken over Root and continued cultivating Shisui…
made him complicit.
If this were exposed—
the political bloc supporting the Third Hokage would suffer a devastating blow.
The image he had carefully built over the years—
could collapse overnight.
In the end—
human hearts were the hardest things to predict.
In the end, everyone was driven by the same thing—
their own interests.
Protecting them. Expanding them.
"Looks like things turned out much easier than we expected," Kei finally said after a long pause, letting out a quiet sigh.
"For him to openly reveal his identity like that… I didn't see it coming."
"I was originally planning to talk to him first—or have you control him directly with genjutsu."
"But now… it seems unnecessary."
"Not necessarily," Fugaku replied, his expression still complicated.
"You say he's leaning toward you—and from what we've seen, that seems true."
"But who's to say this isn't part of a plan by the Third Hokage… or those two old foxes, Homura and Koharu?"
"What if they intend to remove the curse seal the moment we act?"
"Difficult," Kei shook his head. "Removing it without leaving traces isn't easy."
"Still…" he added after a brief pause, "it's not something we can ignore entirely. Fortunately, I have ways to deal with it."
"You have another method?" Fugaku asked, clearly surprised. "Don't tell me you've also been studying sealing techniques… is it that Senju representative?"
Kei let out a quiet snort.
He knew exactly who Fugaku meant—Imai Kenta.
Kenta did have talent for sealing techniques. After all, mastering Flying Thunder God required a deep understanding of them.
But relying on him to research something like this?
That would be a waste of time.
Both Kenta's—
and his own.
Why gamble on uncertainty—
when there was someone far more reliable?
Orochimaru.
Yes, dealing with him always came at a price.
But in Kei's experience—
he was "reasonably priced"…
and remarkably "trustworthy," in his own way.
And this time—
Kei intended to meet him personally.
Outside the village.
After all, he had already obtained the Eight-Tails' chakra—
and planned to integrate it into his Susanoo.
Minato had said nothing about it.
Perhaps he had forgotten.
Or perhaps…
he was too busy figuring out how to break through the Nine-Tails' defenses.
Either way, Kei didn't care.
But to avoid unnecessary trouble—
doing this outside the village was safer.
The sensory unit wasn't something to underestimate.
Yamanaka Masato, for example—
was one of their members, even a team leader now.
Kei couldn't read that man.
Even though Masato had kept silent during the previous border incident—
that silence might have been due to Minato's involvement.
Not loyalty.
Not trust.
Just caution.
Kei had no intention of gambling on that.
Better to step outside the village, meet Orochimaru, and handle everything at once.
Efficient.
Clean.
And with the sheer volume of Eight-Tails chakra he had gathered—
he was genuinely curious.
Once it merged with Susanoo…
would it evolve further?
And his eyes—
how far would their fusion progress?
"…None of them," Kei said at last, his tone turning faintly mysterious.
"Think about it."
"A man who belongs to Konoha… yet isn't in Konoha."
"Master of countless jutsu, sealing techniques… even forbidden research."
"Who do you think that is?"
Fugaku frowned.
Then his expression changed.
"…The one who left you that 'gift'?"
Kei smiled.
"Exactly."
That "gift"—
was the evidence pointing directly at the Third Hokage and Danzo.
"Orochimaru."
"…You're in contact with him?" Fugaku's voice tightened. "Wait… was this arranged by the Hokage?"
"…You could say that," Kei replied casually. "Think about it—why retreat on sight? Why did only Jiraiya pursue him?"
"He knows too much. The core secrets of Konoha."
Fugaku exhaled slowly.
"I see… keeping someone like that outside the village allows him to do things Konoha cannot."
"…Minato is becoming more and more like a true Hokage."
Kei didn't bother correcting him.
If anything—
that misunderstanding was convenient.
Because the truth was—
this arrangement had been Kei's idea from the beginning.
Minato, for all his decisiveness, wasn't someone who would willingly walk such a dark path.
If Kei hadn't pushed for it—
he would've simply left Orochimaru alone out of guilt.
Shaking his head, Kei dismissed the thought.
There were more pressing matters.
As he headed toward the Hokage Tower, he reflected briefly on his earlier conversation with Fugaku.
Fugaku had been curious—
why Kei showed so little interest in training Itachi.
This time, however—
Kei had given a clear answer.
He still refused to take Itachi as a disciple.
But—
he offered an alternative.
Let Itachi train under Kakashi—
the current ANBU commander.
It wasn't a perfect solution.
But considering Kakashi's position, his Sharingan, and his close relationship with Kei—
Fugaku couldn't refuse.
As for Sasuke—
there was no point bringing him up.
A two-year-old child knew nothing.
And yet—
emotional cultivation had to begin early.
With that, Kei took his leave.
Fugaku, for all his composure, still had one lingering concern—
Shisui.
"Honestly… if Shisui had malicious intent," Kei muttered to himself as he walked, "Itachi wouldn't even still be alive."
Concern clouded judgment.
Fugaku had always known Shisui's position was… complicated.
Yet he never stopped Itachi from interacting with him.
Perhaps he trusted Itachi.
Perhaps he trusted the unseen protection around him.
But Sasuke was different.
Too young.
Too vulnerable.
"…Whatever. I'll deal with that after meeting Orochimaru."
"For now… Kakashi."
---
The ANBU headquarters wasn't located in the Hokage Tower—
but Kakashi often worked there at this hour.
ANBU itself wasn't exactly a secret.
Some former members had even returned to regular shinobi ranks.
Yet no one dared interfere with it.
Because that place was sealed—
fortified—
and filled with dangerous individuals.
To provoke it—
was to invite death.
The ANBU commander had two offices.
One within the headquarters—
to directly oversee operations.
And another within the Hokage Tower—
to ensure the Hokage maintained full awareness and control.
The previous commander rarely used the latter.
He knew exactly where his loyalty lay—
and it wasn't with Minato.
But Kakashi was different.
As the Hokage's student and the newly appointed commander—
he made regular appearances.
And Kei knew his schedule well.
Kakashi had never hidden it from him.
It didn't take long for Kei to arrive.
This might've been the first time he entered the Hokage Tower—
without heading to the Hokage's office.
Several hidden gazes flickered toward him along the way—
but only briefly.
Once they confirmed his identity—
they withdrew.
That was the privilege of his status.
Anyone else wouldn't have it so easy.
"Hmm? Kei? What brings you here?"
Kakashi looked up from his paperwork, his eye curving into a crescent smile.
"First time visiting my office, isn't it?"
"Who goes out of their way to visit ANBU?" Kei replied casually, closing the door behind him. "You're settling into the role nicely."
"Compared to you? Not even close," Kakashi shrugged. "So—what's this about?"
"I doubt you came all this way for small talk."
"True." Kei rubbed his chin. "Tell me—interested in taking on another student?"
Kakashi's expression collapsed instantly.
"…I knew it."
Another headache.
Last time, Kei had dropped a Kaguya clan child—Kimimaro—on him.
A boy with a bloodline limit.
At the time, Kakashi had been full of questions.
But he was smart enough not to ask.
Everyone had secrets.
And not all of them were meant to be shared.
Later, Minato had personally instructed him—
to ensure the boy's identity remained hidden.
That told Kakashi everything he needed to know.
Trust.
Responsibility.
So he taught the boy carefully.
But now—
another one?
"Seriously?" Kakashi sighed. "Kimimaro's already enough trouble. You're giving me another?"
"Where's this one from?"
"And why do you think I can handle them?"
"Because you can," Kei said simply. "So I'll leave it to you."
"Oh—and in a few weeks, it's my seventeenth birthday. Don't forget to show up."
"…Yeah, yeah," Kakashi waved him off. "At least tell me the kid's name."
Kei paused at the door.
Then spoke lightly—
"Uchiha Itachi."