Chapter 376 – Shut Up, You Bastard
It really was astonishing.
No matter how Kei thought about it, the whole thing felt almost unreal—so extraordinary that it bordered on the unbelievable.
And yet, despite his amazement, far too many questions lingered in his mind.
How exactly had Ayaka done this?
How much senjutsu chakra could she store now?
And beyond that—how stable was it? How practical was it in real combat?
These were questions Kei cared about deeply.
Ayaka clearly understood that he had many doubts.
After carefully stabilizing her condition, she chose not to exit Sage Mode. Instead, she maintained it and faced him directly in that state.
This made Kei feel… slightly uncomfortable.
He hadn't forgotten that in this chakra state, a user's sensory perception increased dramatically.
Put more mystically—one could even perceive the "evil" within others.
Kei had never considered himself a good person. In fact, he'd occasionally wondered—
If Naruto were to one day master Sage Mode, then combine it with some Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, what exactly would he sense when facing him?
That scenario wasn't far-fetched at all.
Strictly speaking, Kei could even be considered Naruto's uncle.
After all, he wasn't Minato's student—he was Minato's collaborator, and friend.
Who knew what kind of expression Naruto would wear after sensing that he had this kind of uncle?
"Kei… your aura is really unpleasant," Ayaka said slowly, clearly doing exactly what he'd anticipated.
"No—evil isn't quite the right word. It's more like…"
She paused, searching for the description.
"Dark. Cold. No matter how you look at it, you don't seem like a good person at all."
"Is that so?" Kei raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry to make you feel that way—but I don't recall ever claiming to be a good person."
"Ordinary villains don't feel like you do," Ayaka shook her head.
"It's honestly hard to believe that someone as gentle as you can carry such darkness. That aura… it's like a venomous snake."
"Really? I've heard that before," Kei chuckled indifferently.
"I remember quite a few people calling me despicable, a cold-blooded viper. Maybe that's the highest praise my enemies can give me."
After all, the more vicious an enemy's judgment, the stronger your capability usually was.
There wasn't much he could do about it.
Even as his position in the clan and village rose—
Even as he appeared gentler, smiled more—
The darkness embedded in his soul and blood could never truly be erased.
He wasn't like Uzumaki Naruto.
When Karin sensed Naruto's chakra, she felt warmth, sunlight, comfort.
Only beneath that lay the Nine-Tails' extreme darkness.
Kei's chakra, on the other hand, was probably closer to that of a Sasuke fully consumed by vengeance.
The difference was—
Sasuke's chakra became dark over time.
Kei's had likely been dark from the very beginning.
If anything, Kei suspected his chakra might be even more terrifying than Sasuke's.
"Let's drop that." He shook his head and changed the subject.
"I'm more interested in your condition. Does this count as success? What exactly is going on with your Sage Mode?"
"It should count as success," Ayaka nodded, then turned her gaze toward the mirror on the desk.
Reflected in the mirror was her face.
A little pale.
Beneath her Byakugan, two faint purple markings traced her eyes, standing out clearly against her fair skin. And more than that—something about her presence had changed.
It felt unfamiliar.
And yet… strangely so.
Noble?
The thought surfaced out of nowhere.
After a moment's hesitation, Ayaka reached up and removed the forehead protector resting on her brow.
Her pupils shrank.
The Caged Bird Seal engraved into her forehead—the curse that had bound her for her entire life—had visibly dimmed.
"This…"
She brushed aside her bangs and touched the mark with her fingers, disbelief written all over her face.
"It seems this senjutsu has a suppressive effect on the Caged Bird," Kei said, frowning slightly.
"I didn't expect senjutsu to interact with it like this."
"Neither did I," Ayaka replied quietly, still staring at her reflection.
"But I think it's related to my bloodline being activated."
She turned to look at Kei.
"Thank you, Kei."
"Huh?" He blinked, caught off guard—especially by her expression, by the weight in her voice.
But after a moment, he nodded.
He understood what she meant.
She was thanking him for everything he had done for her.
And honestly… she didn't need to.
Everything she had gained was something she had earned. Her effort and her rewards were proportional. Kei had never believed otherwise.
This was cooperation. And cooperation meant mutual benefit. That was all there was to it.
"It seems you don't quite agree with my thinking," Ayaka suddenly smiled.
"You're probably thinking that everything I gained was only natural. Honestly, Kei, the way you think is very confusing. You really don't see the world the way most people do."
"Don't read my thoughts," Kei shook his head. "That's rude."
Then he spoke calmly.
"My way of thinking is simple.
Subordinates—can be cultivated into capable helpers.
Valuable 'friends'—can deepen into true friendships.
And then there are partners."
"Partners with shared interests," Ayaka cut in before he could finish, smiling faintly.
"Even if they have different motives, they can still move forward together—as long as they remain cautious. And if both sides show enough value, then both sides deserve proper returns."
"…Exactly," Kei paused, slightly surprised.
"That way of thinking is extremely utilitarian," Ayaka continued softly, "but it's also strangely comforting.
To be honest, Kei… this is the first time I've ever felt truly respected."
"Is that so?" Kei murmured.
He hadn't expected something as mundane as workplace logic from his previous life to resonate like this.
Giving others basic respect was instinctive to him.
He had done it with Uchiha Yūshi before his death.
With Uchiha Shū, even as he stripped him of everything.
With Uchiha Shin, at the very end.
Even with Ao of Kirigakure—regardless of motive, he had spoken plainly.
It was his way of holding onto what little humanity he had left.
Human nature was never pure. It was a blend of light and darkness. Respecting one's own people was, to him, simply natural.
Perhaps that was why his relationships with Minato and Fugaku had been so genuine.
"No matter how you see it, I still want to thank you," Ayaka said, her smile sincere.
"You gave a Hyūga branch member respect. That's why—even though I used to despise you—I can work with you now."
She paused.
"And your hints. I'm grateful for those as well."
"You're my partner," Kei replied calmly. "And more importantly—you're my friend.
But… the hint you mentioned. You mean—"
"Yes," Ayaka nodded. "The Kaguya clan bloodline."
"You know I experimented with those white cells before. They had some effect, but the side effects were severe. That experience gave me a foundation. When you used your ability to stimulate my blood serum, I became much more sensitive to that chakra."
She clenched her fist lightly.
"I haven't fully recovered yet, but… I can already condense it."
"…Unbelievable," Kei muttered.
It really was.
Who would have thought that combining Hyūga and Kaguya genetics could lead to this? He'd guessed blindly—and somehow hit the mark.
More than that, restoring traces of Ōtsutsuki blood had made her closer to natural energy itself.
The Hyūga bloodline really was cheating.
Difficult—but terrifyingly effective.
This woman had stepped in something divine.
"Kei," Ayaka suddenly frowned at him.
"Why do I feel like you're thinking something very rude?"
"How could that be?" Kei denied instantly. "I was just admiring how incredible you are."
He immediately changed the subject.
"How long can you maintain this state?"
"If I don't fight, quite a while," Ayaka replied.
"But in real combat… I doubt I could last even a minute."
"…That's disappointing," Kei sighed.
"Strange," Ayaka narrowed her eyes.
"I get the feeling you're disappointed about something else."
"Impossible. You're overthinking it. Besides—this look suits you. It's kind of my type."
"You—!"
"Shut up, you bastard!"