Chapter 444 — Why Is This Guy So Unreliable?
Ayaka's decision to proceed with her final experiment didn't surprise Kei at all.
Ever since Kimimaro had been brought back, her research had never stopped. Now, Kimimaro had gradually adapted to life in Konoha—one could even say he was living quite well. Meanwhile, Ayaka's experiments had essentially reached completion.
The only problem was—
she had hit a bottleneck.
Her genetic unlocking had stalled.
This wasn't unexpected. She had long anticipated something like this.
The Kaguya clan's bloodline could indeed help unlock the Hyūga's genetic limits, greatly enhancing the Byakugan. It could even strengthen their physique, making their already formidable close-combat abilities even more terrifying.
That alone was already remarkable.
But expecting that bloodline to fully unlock everything—
was unrealistic.
There had to be another key factor.
Ayaka didn't know what it was. She understood some of the evolutionary paths of the Uchiha's eyes, but Kei had already told her that the brutal, despair-driven method used by the Uchiha wasn't suitable for the Hyūga.
The two were fundamentally different.
Their evolution—
their effects—
were nothing alike.
Fortunately, she didn't need such extreme methods.
She had her own path.
All she needed—
was to continue unlocking her genetics.
This final experiment would mark the end of that phase. Her body had already adapted to the Kaguya bloodline's influence, and after this, she would stop further experimentation.
Instead, she would focus on consolidating the results—
and, as Kei had advised, seriously refining her Sage Mode while learning to control and develop more chakra natures.
She already possessed several chakra attributes, but compared to Kei—
the gap was obvious.
Kei had already accessed all chakra natures. Even if his mastery over each wasn't perfect, just reaching that level already put him far ahead of most shinobi. With further refinement—mastering both transformation and nature change—his strength would rise even further.
"Alright, if you're not coming, I'll find someone else."
Kei nodded, then turned his gaze toward Imai Kenta.
"And you? Mr. Busy Chief—what's your excuse?"
"Please, I'm the head of the Mission Department. Being busy is kind of part of the job, isn't it?" Kenta rolled his eyes, though he quickly straightened up.
"That said… going with you isn't a problem. I just need to hand over some work first. Honestly, I'm curious what Orochimaru thinks about Sage Arts too."
Kenta didn't know Kei's true intentions, but he was genuinely interested in Sage Arts.
After all, Kei himself had begun focusing on it—and even planned to extract Ayaka's sage chakra. That alone proved how powerful it was.
Before this, Kenta hadn't thought Sage Arts were anything extraordinary.
Even considering Ayaka's earlier outburst and the feats of his ancestor—
he had assumed those were special cases.
Ayaka's display had simply reflected their own weakness at the time.
And his ancestor?
That was just overwhelming strength—Sage Arts likely played a smaller role than people imagined.
But now…
it seemed Sage Arts were far more important than he had thought.
Even if they weren't as exaggerated as rumored, the potential boost in combat power alone was enough to tempt him.
So Kenta made up his mind.
If Kei was going to explore Sage Arts—
he was coming along.
And truthfully, he had another motive.
He still didn't fully understand how Kei integrated Tailed Beast chakra.
This was a perfect opportunity to observe closely.
After all, he hadn't sensed any Tailed Beast aura within Kei's black Susanoo before.
With Kenta joining, the plan was set.
Even without Ayaka, the two of them were more than enough.
As long as they were careful, there were very few people in the current world who could threaten them.
Their teamwork, admittedly, was terrible—
but that hardly mattered.
If they couldn't coordinate—
they'd just handle their own fights.
Simple.
---
Once the decision was made, Kei reported it to Minato in advance.
After all, two department heads leaving the village together—
without notice—
would be hard to justify.
Minato had already been aware of Kei's plans and didn't object in the slightest.
Minato didn't stop them. He simply reminded them to hand over their duties properly and told them to return as soon as possible.
He trusted Kei and the others completely. In his eyes, a mission like this posed no real risk to them.
"Don't worry," Kei said with a faint smile. "The expansion is already running smoothly even without me watching over it. Besides, Ayaka is still in the village."
"As for Kenta… I don't think there's anything to worry about there either. With Shikaku in charge, the Mission Department isn't going to run into problems, right?"
Minato chuckled and shook his head. "You're not planning to drag Shikaku into more of your schemes again, are you?"
"Alright, alright. I'll inform him for you."
"Much appreciated, Captain Minato," Kei replied with a nod. Then, as if remembering something, he asked casually, "By the way… how are things between you and the Nine-Tails?"
"Kurama…" Minato instinctively touched his abdomen, his expression turning slightly strange. "That guy… has a bit of a personality problem."
A personality problem?
Kei paused, then quickly understood. The Nine-Tails had always been… temperamental.
Still, he couldn't help feeling curious about how Minato and Kurama were getting along. Minato wasn't Naruto—he was sharper, more perceptive. And Kurama was a millennium-old being.
If those two truly synced up, the result would be terrifying.
But given their personalities… it probably wasn't that simple.
"Smart people tend to prefer someone a little more straightforward," Kei muttered to himself.
---
A few days later, inside an abandoned warehouse in the Uchiha district, space suddenly twisted into a spiraling distortion.
Moments later, a figure stepped out.
He wore a spiral mask and a black cloak—identical to the mysterious Uchiha who had once clashed with the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails.
But as soon as he landed, he glanced around and sighed.
A sealing barrier.
His arrival had triggered it.
That caught him off guard. The last time he came here, there had been no such thing.
Clicking his tongue, he removed his mask.
Half his face was scarred, the other half perfectly intact.
It was Uchiha Obito.
After putting on an act in front of Black Zetsu, he had spent nearly a month learning from him before finally making his way to Konoha.
"Not exactly an auspicious start," he muttered.
Still, he wasn't too concerned. If ordinary Uchiha discovered him, he could simply use genjutsu to make them forget.
And if Fugaku or Kei showed up—
that would save him the trouble of looking for them.
This time, he had come specifically to find Kei.
Partly out of nostalgia for Konoha, and partly to pass on what he had learned. He also intended to brief Kei on the current situation—about himself, Black Zetsu, and the self-proclaimed "gods" in the Land of Rain.
He had just taken off his cloak, quickly fixing his appearance into a clean, uninjured state, and was about to change into the Konoha uniform he'd gotten from Kei last time—
when the warehouse door opened.
"You're late, Clan Head," Obito said without looking up, calmly putting on the uniform. "If it were anyone else, they'd have already left."
"…You?" Uchiha Fugaku frowned as he stepped inside, glancing at the mask and cloak on the ground before shutting the door behind him. "What are you doing here?"
"Do you mean why I'm in Konoha, or why I'm in this warehouse?" Obito replied casually as he adjusted his clothes. Then he carefully took out a forehead protector and tied it around his head.
"If it's the warehouse—this is where I came last time. As for Konoha…"
He paused, tightening the knot before looking up at Fugaku.
"I'm here to see Captain Kei."
Fugaku studied him carefully.
This was the first time he had seen this young man's real face.
Seventeen, maybe eighteen. Around the same age as Kei.
But what puzzled him was how someone like this had infiltrated that organization—and earned its trust.
More than that…
He felt the boy looked vaguely familiar.
But only vaguely. Not enough to place him.
Uchiha genes had their quirks. Most clan members were good-looking, which ironically made them harder to distinguish. Only those who looked particularly unusual tended to stand out.
This one?
Perfectly ordinary.
Easy to overlook.
Fugaku rubbed his nose and gave up trying to remember.
As long as he knew the boy was one of theirs—an Uchiha of Konoha—that was enough.
Shaking his head, he let it go.
Obito tilted his head slightly. "What's with the sigh, Clan Head?"
"…Never mind. What's your codename?" Fugaku asked. Then he added, "Didn't Kei tell you? He's already left Konoha to meet someone."
"…Huh?" Obito froze. "No, he didn't."
"Then why are you here?" Fugaku asked, now genuinely puzzled. "Weren't you supposed to meet him outside the village to exchange information?"
Silence.
Both of them fell quiet.
Fugaku hadn't expected this boy to just show up on impulse—no coordination, no plan.
Was he really reliable?
Meanwhile, Obito was equally stunned.
Kei… had left the village?
That completely ruined his plans.
He had even been thinking about staying in Konoha for a while to rest.
Now that idea was gone.
Obito sighed, but quickly composed himself.
If Kei wasn't in Konoha, then so be it.
There would be another chance.
Right now, the mission came first.
"I'll be going then, Clan Head," Obito said with a slight bow. "Oh—and you can call me Uchiha Rin."
"Rin?" Fugaku thought for a moment and immediately concluded the name was fake.
He had never heard it before.
"Forget it. Rin—let me give you a suggestion. Why don't you go see the Hokage?"
"The Hokage?" Obito hesitated. "Is that really necessary?"
"Isn't it?" Fugaku looked at him strangely. "Shouldn't your actions be reported to the Hokage?"
"They should… but Captain Kei is my direct superior—"
"And do you know where Kei is right now?"
"…No."
"Then why are you still standing here?" Fugaku said flatly. "Kei is traveling with capable people. With their abilities, only the Hokage would know their whereabouts."
"…"
And just like that, Obito fell silent again.