Chapter 358: A Turbulent Forty-Ninth Year of Konoha
Kei felt absolutely no guilt about "misleading" Ayaka.
Strictly speaking, everything he had said was true.
It was only that the way he presented the truth involved a certain degree of reinterpretation and selective emphasis.
But no matter how one looked at it, he had undeniably broadened Ayaka's horizons—
he had shown her what the Byakugan could ultimately become.
As for the so-called all-attribute chakra, that part really was him embellishing things.
Not because he believed Ayaka would definitely reach that level—
in fact, he didn't think the chances were very high at all.
But since he had already brought the information up, why not make it more complete?
Even if his explanation carried a strong element of suggestion, and even if Kei himself wasn't certain that awakening the Tenseigan naturally granted mastery over all chakra attributes, that didn't stop him from saying it.
Besides, encouraging Ayaka to prepare in that direction wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Ōtsutsuki Toneri's performance had been… underwhelming.
Although Kei no longer remembered the details of that arc perfectly, that impression had stayed with him.
So perhaps it could be interpreted this way:
Toneri's foundational strength—his true baseline—had simply been too weak.
As a result, the Tenseigan he wielded failed to reach its full potential, amounting to little more than a temporary burst of terrifying power.
Of course, there was also another possibility.
Those eyes had never truly been his—they had belonged to Hyūga Hanabi.
That incompatibility, combined with an incomplete "gestation" of the Tenseigan, may have caused the power to collapse entirely in the end.
"In short, there are too many possible variables,"
Kei thought quietly as he sat in the Police Force office, turning a strip of chakra paper between his fingers.
"Pursuing full-attribute chakra might not succeed—and it would cost her a massive amount of time and focus—but…"
"But laying that foundation now may bring far greater long-term returns than anything she gains in the present."
The uncertainty was immense.
But so were the potential benefits.
Ultimately, the choice belonged to Ayaka herself.
Whether she decided to deepen her understanding and control of chakra attributes,
or devote more effort toward unlocking her genetic potential—
Kei would support her wholeheartedly either way.
Lowering his gaze to the paper in his hand, a sudden surge of deep azure chakra flared from his palm.
In the next instant, the chakra paper reacted violently.
If one looked closely, it was clear that the paper had displayed five completely different forms of damage simultaneously.
Kei casually tossed the scraps to the floor.
A flicker of flame followed, reducing every trace of them to ash.
Not because he feared exposure.
For a Sharingan wielder, copying countless jutsu was nothing unusual.
Displaying multiple chakra attributes was simply a matter of talent.
Kakashi was practically a walking encyclopedia of techniques, after all.
And Kei—openly acknowledged as the greatest prodigy of the Uchiha—exhibiting such aptitude wasn't exactly shocking.
"Guess I should test it properly sometime,"
Kei thought with a faint smile.
Kei lifted his head and looked at the melting snow beyond the window.
Spring had arrived.
Time truly passed faster than anyone realized.
Before he knew it, Konoha Year Forty-Nine had already come.
Kei had crossed from fifteen into sixteen years of age.
In this world, sixteen was already considered adulthood.
Even though the shinobi world appeared peaceful on the surface, the struggles beneath were relentless.
Political maneuvering, covert conflicts, and quiet power struggles never truly stopped.
And the casualty rate among ninja—
it had never meaningfully declined.
Kei slowly stood and walked to the window, his thoughts drifting far away.
Konoha Year Forty-Nine wasn't a particularly famous year.
After all, the so-called "rookies" were only two or three years old at most.
Kei had attended the first birthday celebrations of Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto.
But he hadn't been invited by the Ino–Shika–Chō families.
Moreover, in certain political matters, those clans had begun expressing opinions subtly different from his own.
Most of the time they still stood together, and open opposition was rare.
Yet even those occasional dissenting voices were enough to make people notice that something had changed.
Minato had seen through the Ino–Shika–Chō clans' intentions long ago.
Like Kei, Minato didn't particularly enjoy dissent—but he also didn't reject it.
What Minato worried about was Kei growing dissatisfied, acting emotionally, or deliberately pushing back out of resentment.
Because of that, Minato had even pulled Kei aside to explain things personally.
The entire situation left Kei feeling both amused and helpless.
In the end, he simply told Minato that he understood their reasoning and that there was nothing to worry about.
Only then did Minato finally relax.
He had genuinely feared that the person he trusted most—and worked most closely with—might develop irreconcilable conflict with Konoha's traditional political elite.
That was the last thing Minato wanted to see.
In fact, Minato had already decided that if Kei truly opposed that direction, he would personally try to negotiate with Nara Shikaku and the others.
So Kei's calm understanding saved him a great deal of trouble.
At this point, the Police Force had become increasingly important within Konoha.
Combined with Kei's exceptional competence, clear logic, and the fact that he was one of the key figures who had helped Minato ascend to the Hokage seat—
In terms of closeness and trust, Kei ranked just below Minato's family and Jiraiya.
He was the same age as Kakashi and Obito, and although not Minato's student, he was closer to Minato than most of his disciples.
More importantly—
Kei had saved two of Minato's students.
If forced to choose, Minato knew very well whose side he would instinctively stand on.
Recalling how Minato had visibly relaxed, dragged him home to see baby Naruto, and insisted on hosting a lavish dinner afterward, Kei couldn't help but smile.
Their relationship was solid—and only growing stronger.
There was little need to worry excessively.
As for the final handling of the daimyō incident—
Although Minato had sided with Nara Shikaku on certain points, that reflected Minato's own restraint.
He didn't want to go too far.
Yet when the official announcement was released, Minato used Kei's report almost verbatim.
The wording itself carried a clear tone of authority.
The document was filled with phrases like "condemnation," "regret," and ultimately ended with a clear "warning."
Those who understood politics grasped the message instantly.
Those who didn't still knew the daimyō had crossed a line.
With the matter officially settled and the promised funds delivered, Konoha's economy surged with new vitality.
This influx of resources gave Minato the confidence to push forward with reforms aimed at lower- and mid-rank ninja.
Some former special jōnin voiced objections—but their complaints were drowned out.
Between the impact of the Kirigakure incident and the daimyō affair, their voices simply didn't carry.
Meanwhile, the chūnin and lower-rank ninja received tangible benefits.
Even those who had lost the "special jōnin" title and reverted to chūnin gained from the reforms.
Naturally, resistance faded—and acceptance followed.
Ironically, the daimyō incident hadn't originally been part of Kei's plan.
Yet it had dramatically accelerated Konoha's reform process.
Riding that wave of momentum—
Kakashi's hidden gains were staggering.
Although he had not yet been formally appointed Head of ANBU, his influence there had already peaked.
At the joint insistence of Kei and Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha members within ANBU firmly supported Kakashi.
Their numbers were small, but their stance was unmistakable.
Other factions with ambitions toward the ANBU leadership felt dissatisfied—but even they had to admit that Kakashi's gains far exceeded theirs.
And they weren't fools.
Even if they couldn't see the full picture themselves, someone behind them certainly could.
Gradually, opposition softened, and support—open or discreet—began to form around Kakashi.
"Kakashi's position is stable now,"
Kei thought as he watched the bustling streets outside, his gaze drifting toward the Mission Department building.
"And after this December, Kenta will likely become Head of the Mission Department as well."
Kenta had already taken on most of the department's responsibilities.
Minato likely didn't want two members of the same clan holding core leadership roles simultaneously.
The Nara clan understood this perfectly.
Thus, the current department head had been steadily relinquishing authority—nearly to the limit.
If Kakashi and Imai Kenta rose together during the year-end transition, it would mark another step in the reshaping of Konoha's power structure.
It would also mean Minato finally holding real, consolidated authority.
Once, he had lacked people.
Now, the situation was completely different.
Though the new generation was young, no one dared question their capability.
Just look at Kei—the youngest Police Force Head in Konoha's history.
This was the future of Konoha.
Yet as that thought crossed his mind, Kei quietly shook his head.
Konoha Year Forty-Nine wasn't special on paper.
But for him.
For Minato.
For Ayaka.
For Konoha itself—
It was a year destined to be turbulent.
"If nothing goes wrong,"
Kei murmured softly, gazing into the distance,
"this should be the year the Cloud ninja start making trouble."