"Pfft!"
After stepping out of the meatball shop, Uchiha Kai ducked into a side alley and spat out the tea he'd just sipped.
It wasn't that Kai had suddenly decided to back out of the alliance. Rather, he remembered—far too late—that Aya Hyūga had poured that cup of tea the day before they formalized their cooperation.
In other words, Kai wasn't sure whether the drink had been tampered with.
After spitting it all out, Kai walked briskly toward a convenience store to buy bottled water and rinse his mouth.
"I'm out of my mind. Why did I drink something she poured?"
He twisted the cap off and took several large gulps, swishing and spitting until he felt cleaner.
"Still... this outcome wasn't what I expected. My original goal was to recruit Kenta Imai, not get entangled with someone like Aya Hyūga."
The way things had developed felt twisted—off course. And yet, Kai had to admit: the terms Aya offered were tempting.
Given his unique condition, Kai needed someone who could monitor his physical changes precisely. In extreme cases, the Byakugan might actually be more useful than the Sharingan.
Even though Aya was from the branch family, her Byakugan was more than sufficient for Kai's purposes.
"If she really can bring Hinata Teru into this and master medical ninjutsu…"
After rinsing his mouth one last time, Kai turned and began walking toward Fujiu Hangpei's residence.
"Then her value goes way up. As for that cursed seal…"
The Caged Bird Seal was still a problem. Kai didn't know how to remove it. As far as he knew, there was no solution offered in the original records or even in the manga.
Helping Aya break free of it would benefit him too. Without the Hyūga clan's control, she'd pose little threat—especially given her cautious, non-confrontational personality.
"But how do I even start with the Caged Bird? There's nothing in Konoha's archives. Do I really need to go to the moon?" Kei frowned.
"And even if I did, is Toneri Ōtsutsuki even born yet? How many of them are up there right now?"
Toneri's combat instincts were lacking, but his raw power and the potential of the Tenseigan were monstrous—on par with the Rinnegan. Kai didn't believe the Tenseigan existed yet, but even the massive, pure Byakugan of the Ōtsutsuki were enough to make him uneasy.
He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away. Even if he had ambitious ideas, his current strength couldn't support them.
"Stay grounded, Kai. One step at a time."
With his thoughts cleared, he soon arrived at Fujiu Hangpei's house.
A woman in her forties answered the door—most likely Hangpei's mother. Kai was respectful, and under her guidance, he was quickly shown into Hangpei's room.
Hangpei looked up, startled.
"Kai? What brings you here?" He smiled faintly. "Come in, sit down. I didn't expect a visit, especially with how busy you are."
"I heard you were discharged from the hospital, Captain. I figured I should check in." Kai smiled politely.
In truth, he hadn't known Hangpei was released just the day before. Bandages still wrapped around Hangpei's chest—a grim reminder of the injuries he had sustained.
After all, Loess wasn't an easy opponent. Kai remembered the fight vividly: even with his Mangekyō Sharingan, he had nearly lost. Loess's monstrous strength and defense had pushed him to the edge—especially since Kai hadn't yet mastered Chidori or Arashiki at the time.
Though the fight had ended in a compromise for political reasons, Kai still managed to break Loess's arm before it was over.
"Kai-kun, thank you for giving Hangtai a chance to prove himself," Hangpei said, smiling strangely.
"But… please don't blame him for what he said about your actions in the Security Department. It's true your approach has made waves and helped stabilize your position, but in the long run—"
"Don't worry, Captain," Kai cut in with a calm smile. "I've already made preparations. If I want to reform the Security Department and bring in civilian ninja, I have to be assertive and capable. I'm sure many in the village already know what happened."
Hangpei hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"Yes… Kai-kun's efforts have always been reliable. I believe you'll succeed. Please take care of Hangtai."
"I believe he'll do well." Kai didn't promise anything—sometimes, silence carried more weight.
But even if Hangpei hadn't asked, Kai planned to keep an eye on Hangtai. The boy was valuable: his older brother was a former captain, and his social network extended into nearly every civilian group in Konoha.
Used wisely, Hangtai could help rebuild the Uchiha clan's image.
After some small talk, Kai finally got to the point.
"Captain, do you know where Kenta Imai lives?"
Hangpei blinked, then frowned thoughtfully.
"Are you planning to recruit Kenta? That's a good move. But I don't know exactly where he lives—just where he usually trains."
"You don't?" Kai rubbed his chin. This mystery surrounding Kenta Imai was becoming even more intriguing.
Not even his own squad leader knew where he lived. That alone made Kai want to understand the man better.
Hangpei shared the location of Kenta's usual training ground, and Kai wasted no time heading out.
It was in a secluded forest near an abandoned training site—one Kai was familiar with from his study of Konoha's topography.
He knew about certain off-limits zones in Konoha, some of which were tied to Orochimaru's old experiments.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
A massive water serpent burst through the trees, slamming into an old, cracked tree trunk and splitting it in half.
In the abandoned training ground, Kenta Imai stood alone, panting.
He had summoned that technique without any external water source—an impressive feat—and its force was undeniable. But his brow furrowed.
"Still not enough," he muttered.
Despite being stronger than most of his wartime peers, Kenta knew he had a long way to go.
He wasn't seeking power for pride or prestige. He just wanted to survive. Eight long years in war had shown him that power—and wits—were the only things keeping him alive.
Unfortunately, his family didn't share his simple goals. They had expectations. They gave him responsibilities.
Kenta didn't share their resentment toward the current regime, but he didn't have the power to refuse them, either.
"All I wanted was to live through it… but thanks to Kai's schemes and Minato's brilliance, I got branded a hero."
With that came more resources—and more expectations.
These would help him grow stronger, but they also came with costs.
"Still… I think I'm better off than that Uchiha Kai kid."
Kenta smirked wryly. In his mind, Kai was the first comparison that popped up. Aya Hyūga wasn't even in the same category—being a branch member with no true freedom.
He had saved her once, though mostly out of self-preservation.
"But Kei's been reaching out a lot lately—asking me to join the Security Department. What's his angle?"
Frowning, Kenta turned his eyes toward the woods.
He sensed something.