Chapter 379 – Ayaka's Birthday
When the Third Hokage would finally make his move—Kei didn't know.
What he did know was that everything he needed to prepare… had already been put in place.
Regardless of whether Shisui would ultimately earn full trust, Kei now held two additional cards in his hand—cards that could be used far more effectively than before.
With these in place, he could gradually gain insight into nearly every aspect of the Third Hokage's movements.
Given enough time, he might even learn what orders were being issued inside Root, and what actions were being planned.
But these things required patience.
Trust took time to cultivate.
So did traps.
However, while internal affairs needed time to ferment, war did not.
The tension between Konoha and Kumogakure had already become impossible to ignore.
Although Konoha had decided to deploy Military Police members as "shadows"—covertly escorting and protecting mission teams—
Kumogakure's movements were far faster than anticipated.
Shinobi out on missions were ambushed without warning.
Only a handful reacted quickly enough to escape with their lives.
The impact on Konoha was severe.
Not only had they lost manpower, but their mission success rate and credibility in that entire region came under heavy scrutiny.
Fortunately, contingency plans were already in place.
As a result, subsequent missions effectively turned into localized conflicts between Konoha and Kumogakure.
These clashes did not go unnoticed.
Other nations watched carefully—waiting for official statements.
But neither village issued one.
It was as if nothing had happened.
Or perhaps… both were quietly preparing something far larger.
This silence unsettled the other villages, yet none dared intervene.
After all, when the two strongest shinobi villages clashed, it was—strategically speaking—a blessing for everyone else.
If the remaining villages failed to seize this chance to recover from the devastation of consecutive Shinobi Wars, their Kage would be unfit to rule.
Thus, under this unspoken consensus, Konoha and Kumogakure fought relentlessly.
Over several months, both sides suffered significant losses.
At first, Kumogakure held the advantage.
Konoha's mission teams lacked intelligence, lacked coordination, and had no escorts.
Losses piled up.
But Konoha's response speed soon exceeded all expectations.
When the Cloud ninja attempted repeated ambushes, they were shocked to discover how rapidly Konoha reinforcements arrived.
Only then did Kumogakure realize—
Those mission teams had someone behind them now.
They began sending more troops.
While Konoha's teams were carefully selected elite squads with bloodline coordination, Kumogakure had prepared for a long time as well.
The result was a six–four split, slightly favoring Konoha.
Still, Konoha's casualties were primarily mission shinobi.
Kumogakure focused on assassinations—killing targets swiftly and avoiding direct combat with reinforcements.
But once Konoha's backup arrived, entire Cloud squads were often wiped out.
These losses exceeded even the expectations of both the Raikage and the Fourth Hokage.
Yet neither side sought peace.
One was waiting—patiently—for the right moment.
The other was deliberately allowing the conflict to escalate, to fuel internal reform.
Time slipped by.
July arrived.
Summer's brilliance faded, giving way to the quiet calm before autumn.
Konoha itself seemed subdued—no longer blazing with heat, but inwardly restrained.
July was also… special.
It was Ayaka's seventeenth birthday.
Under normal circumstances, Kei wouldn't have paid it much attention.
Losses among his deployed personnel weighed heavily on him.
But on the morning of July 7th, just as he was about to head to the Military Police headquarters—
He froze.
Standing outside his front gate was a woman wearing an unmistakably conflicted expression.
Kei was surprised.
And, frankly, a little amused.
He didn't laugh—doing so would only worsen the awkwardness.
What made it more interesting was that nearby clan members clearly noticed.
One by one, they slowed… then deliberately took long detours away.
"I have to ask," Kei sighed as he approached her, smiling faintly.
"Do you really need to look that troubled? This isn't your first time coming to my place, you know."
"As if I wanted to," Ayaka sighed.
"But last night Hyūga Hiashi came to my house and asked how I planned to spend today."
"I see." Kei tilted his head.
"Let me guess—he rejected your original plan, told you to come find me instead, and your family unanimously agreed?"
"…Yes," she admitted.
"So here I am. Honestly, this is exhausting."
Her words were full of complaint.
Yet if she truly didn't want to come, she could have hidden in the laboratory all day.
Hiashi certainly wouldn't have forced the issue.
So the fact that she was here…
Kei couldn't help thinking of a term from his past life.
Tsundere, perhaps?
In any case, since she had come, there was no reason to go to the Military Police today.
From April until now, clashes with Kumogakure had been nonstop.
Kei hadn't had a single real break.
Too many responsibilities.
Too many lives tied to his decisions.
Especially with the Military Police involved—he had no choice but to take everything seriously.
Casualty reports.
Merit records.
Compensation for the fallen.
"All things considered," Kei sighed softly,
"whether you like it or not, you're here. And I haven't been in great shape lately either. So… let's take today off."
"Still thinking about the casualties?" Ayaka asked quietly.
"This is the first time I've seen you react like this."
"I've long since grown used to death," Kei shook his head.
"But perspective changes everything. I used to be the one sent to the battlefield. Now I'm the one sending others."
"That feeling… is strange."
"At least we're no longer the ones facing death ourselves," Ayaka said gently.
"Let's go. Standing at your gate isn't great—and your family…"
Family?
Kei paused.
Then turned his head.
What left Kei both amused and helpless was that Ryōko and Keisuke were watching them from a window.
After being spotted, neither of them looked the least bit worried.
In fact, Ryōko even raised her fist and gave Kei an enthusiastic "You can do it!" gesture.
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Kei simply took Ayaka with him and headed out of the Uchiha compound.
Along the way, however, it was clear that quite a few people were secretly watching them.
Kei had long since grown used to this kind of attention—it hardly bothered him anymore.
Ayaka felt much the same. Compared to the attention they'd drawn before, this was nothing worth mentioning.
Before long, they had left the compound and made their way toward the main street.
Perhaps they were out early, or perhaps the standoff between Konoha and Kumogakure had dampened everyone's spirits, but the streets were unusually quiet.
"It feels a bit empty," Kei said, glancing around. "Maybe I've been holed up for too long. Things really have changed."
"It's been like this for a month or two," Ayaka replied calmly.
"Especially since Konoha officially entered wartime logistical control a few weeks ago. Of course, that probably has nothing to do with you, Kei."
"Maybe. But some changes are hard to pin down," Kei said with a faint smile.
"After all, with so much preparation, it'd be strange if nothing had shifted."
Months earlier, Kei had already arranged for certain interesting rumors to circulate.
How far they had spread—or how deeply they had taken root—he couldn't say for sure.
But based on reports from the Military Police still stationed in the village, the rumors had spread widely and were being taken seriously.
People loved talking about the strong, and someone like Uchiha Kei naturally attracted attention.
The real results, however, would only become clear by the end of the year.
"Anyway, it won't be long now. Just four months," Kei said, then looked at Ayaka.
"Shall we eat something?"
"Whatever. We've got the whole day," Ayaka replied, sighing.
"Still… spending an entire day with you is kind of unbearable."
"Being with me is that unbearable?" Kei raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry about that—but you're still going to be seen with me all day."
"Tch. You're annoying. What are we eating?"
"How about ramen?"
Kei had never actually tried Ichiraku Ramen before.
He'd heard all kinds of jokes about it—like the ridiculous rumor that the owner was secretly some kind of Ōtsutsuki being.
After all, the eternally smiling, squint-eyed types were always suspicious in stories.
And somehow, no matter what happened to Konoha, Ichiraku always remained standing.
Even when the village was flattened, that shop survived.
Of course, it was more likely that it just reopened faster than everything else.
Still, those old jokes had sparked a bit of curiosity in him.
That curiosity faded after he checked the owner's records—just an ordinary civilian.
And so, this visit became Kei's first time stepping into the shop.
The place had just opened for the day.
Teuchi was busy, and little Ayame, barely four or five years old, was already helping.
Kei and Ayaka's arrival clearly surprised them.
Even though the two had never been customers before, their faces and reputations were known throughout Konoha.
Teuchi welcomed them warmly and even promised extra toppings.
"I have to admit," Kei said after taking a bite, surprised,
"This actually tastes pretty good."
The flavor was genuinely solid.
Kei had never cared much about food—he'd eaten raw meat on the battlefield before.
As long as it restored stamina and chakra, taste hardly mattered.
That mindset still lingered.
Yet today, the ramen truly tasted good.
He even glanced at the price list—cheap and fair.
Now he understood why Naruto loved this place so much.
It was probably the only place he could afford—and where he could eat his fill.
More importantly…
It was where he was treated like a person.
"I agree," Ayaka nodded. "It's better than I expected. No wonder the business is always good."
"He deserves it," Kei said lightly, glancing toward Teuchi.
The ramen shop owner had already stepped outside, tactfully leaving them alone.
Whether he thought they were a couple or simply didn't want to overhear anything awkward, it was clear he had good instincts.
"By the way," Kei said suddenly,
"I did prepare a gift for you. It's a bit rushed, but I think you'll like it."
"A gift?" Ayaka froze.
"You prepared one? That doesn't sound like you. Let me guess—something 'useful' for me, right?"
Kei's gifts always had a purpose.
In her memory, there had only been two things that could even be considered gifts.
The first was her jōnin promotion.
The second was a Byakugan taken from the main family.
What could this one be?
"Well, here," Kei said, handing her a scroll.
"It contains the original materials I promised you, plus my own research—everything related to your eyes."
"I should thank you, then," Ayaka said dryly, taking the scroll.
"I suppose it counts as a decent gift."
"Does it?" Kei slurped his noodles, then added casually,
"Honestly, whether you're in Sage Mode or like this, I think I like both."
"…What?"
Ayaka stiffened, then snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting?!"
That sentence was far too ambiguous.
She hadn't forgotten what he'd said back when she was in Sage Mode—the very words that had left her angry for days.
And now he was saying this again?
What exactly did like mean here?
She knew their relationship had become strange—but not this direct.
"I don't think it's nonsense," Kei tilted his head.
"You're still you, regardless of the state you're in. What's with that look?"
Now it was Kei's turn to be confused.
Had he said something wrong again?
"…Shut up, you idiot!" Ayaka snapped.
"These weird, pointless comments—just stop!"
"Alright, alright. I'll try to say less," Kei sighed.
"…Try."
"You really are a jerk," Ayaka muttered, then lowered her head and focused on her noodles.
Kei stared at her, finally realizing—
Yeah. I definitely messed that up.
Better not explain further. That would only make it worse.
The atmosphere turned awkwardly quiet.
Then—
"Kei? Ayaka?"
A familiar voice broke the silence.
Minato stood at the entrance, looking surprised, with a small blond child perched on his shoulders.
"I didn't expect to see you two here."
"Hokage-sama," Kei and Ayaka both stood up immediately.
"Relax, relax," Minato laughed.
"This isn't the office."
He lifted the child down.
"Naruto, say hello to Uncle Kei and Aunt Ayaka."
Little Naruto looked at them curiously.
He felt oddly familiar with the dark-haired man—but had no memory of the white-eyed woman.
Still, he smiled brightly.
Healthy. Energetic. Loved.
In this world, with his parents alive, Naruto was walking a very different path.
"Good boy," Kei said, patting Naruto's head.
The child shrank back slightly—instinctively frightened.
Children were sensitive.
Kei's presence probably felt overwhelming to him.
Kei didn't mind. He ruffled Naruto's hair anyway and asked,
"Captain, where's Kushina-san? Didn't she come with you?"
"She's doing rehabilitation training," Minato sighed.
"She's worried Kumogakure might deploy a jinchūriki. I told her not to worry, but she can't sit still."
"I heard she was once kidnapped by Cloud ninja," Kei said calmly.
"No wonder she dislikes them."
"And she really doesn't need to worry," he added. "They won't make that move."
"I trust you—and Fugaku," Minato smiled.
"And thank you, Kei. You and the Military Police… without you—"
He stopped himself, despite earlier saying not to talk about work.
Too many lives had already been lost.
But unlike most people, Minato knew the truth.
With those two monsters in Konoha, how could Cloud possibly be a real threat?
Still… now wasn't the time.
And so, the conflict continued.
Kumogakure had never truly worried him.
Not from the very beginning.