Whether he was called Imai Kenta or Senju Kenta didn't really matter to him.
He had used his father's surname since childhood, and after more than ten years, he was long used to it.
In his eyes, one's clan wasn't defined solely by a name, but by the blood flowing in their veins—and by the values instilled through upbringing.
That suited Uchiha Kai just fine. He was used to calling the guy "Imai Kenta." A sudden change would have been a hassle, if not outright irritating.
So the matter was settled—for now. In truth, both Kai and Kenta knew they weren't entirely satisfied with how things had played out.
They had each paid a high price, but the returns felt modest.
Still, for differing but aligned reasons—Kai seeking a stable clan ally and Kenta lacking better options—they compromised and formalized their "cooperation agreement."
Hyūga Aya had watched the entire negotiation unfold. Though she didn't care much for the politics, she understood her value in all this. With Kai and Kenta joining forces, she stood to gain significantly.
Two strong experimental subjects—and once their collaboration stabilized, she'd have more resources, more protection, and more space to pursue her work.
After their discussion, Kenta presented a sealed scroll and unsealed it before them, revealing a single, tightly wrapped document.
Kai and Aya frowned the moment they glanced at its contents—this was Senju Hashirama's Sage Mode research.
Neither of them had expected Kenta to pull out something so valuable. Was he truly that confident in their alliance?
"It's just to show my commitment," Kenta said, noticing their expressions. "And besides, even if you decided to betray me, Kai-san isn't exactly the type to leave bodies intact. Wouldn't you just incinerate me with Fire Release?"
Kai sighed and rolled his eyes. "You really do know me."
He wasn't thrilled that his battlefield habits were becoming common knowledge. He always destroyed bodies—never out of malice, but to deny enemies access to intel, DNA, or stolen secrets.
Now Kenta had used that quirk to justify offering up something as dangerous as Senju data. It was gutsy—possibly reckless. But Kai could see the logic behind it.
It was a huge gamble. Mishandled, it would've been a death sentence. But Kenta had judged Kai well.
After handing the document to Aya for study, the conversation turned to another concern—Senju Shoma, Kenta's mentor and clan elder.
They agreed they had to deal with Shoma before he realized the scroll had gone missing.
Kai could've easily stolen it and erased Kenta's existence—but such a move might have alienated Aya, who already saw Kenta as a key to progress.
And besides, Kai wasn't keen on wasting rare assets. Iori, their medical assistant, still lacked the qualifications to replace Kenta. It would've been a net loss.
"No wonder they say triangles are the most stable shape," Kai mused dryly. "A three-legged stool doesn't fall easily."
With that settled, Kai put off further action. Aya had begun formulating a new serum based on stolen notes from Orochimaru.
It had to be said—Orochimaru was a terrifying intellect.
Even if his early research lacked the depth of his later work, his methodology had improved Aya's failure rates and fusion ratios significantly.
After successful calibration, Aya injected Kai with the first batch of the upgraded serum.
The low-intensity backlash that followed was unpleasant, but manageable. He had experienced worse.
More importantly, his skin no longer mutated—always a relief. And this time, he could feel a real difference. His chakra circulated more efficiently, and his Mangekyō's pupil power was recovering faster than before.
Orochimaru's intel was clearly worth it.
Kai's condition dipped into a brief recovery period, but that was fine—there was no immediate war, and both clan and village matters were stable.
He could afford to wait.
While recovering, Kai witnessed a pivotal moment in history:
Uchiha Sasuke was born.
July 23rd—a date forever etched into Konoha's timeline.
As the Uchiha clan's second most influential figure, Kai stood beside Uchiha Fugaku outside the delivery room. It was a rare quiet moment.
He had seen many turning points: the Kannabi Bridge mission, the rise of the Fourth Hokage…
But Sasuke was different.
In Kai's mind, there was no doubt—this child would inherit Indra's chakra.
And when Indra's and Asura's reincarnations crossed paths, the cycle resumed. From their union sprang power that could reshape the world—Rinnegan, Six Paths Sage Mode… the mythical Forest of All Creation.
Whether that forest was metaphorical or literal, Kai wasn't sure. But he knew the key was chakra fusion—and he had White Zetsu cells from Hashirama's lineage.
Still, he wasn't sure if Hashirama's chakra, extracted posthumously, retained its Indra-activated potential. Could dead cells still carry living destiny?
It remained to be tested.
As Kai stepped into the room with Fugaku and a young Itachi, he noticed a child—perhaps eight or nine—wearing the standard Uchiha black training gear.
Callused hands, confident eyes, short curly hair—Kai recognized him instantly:
Uchiha Shisui.
The boy who would someday sacrifice himself to prevent a coup, the prodigy who awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan before adulthood.
Kai had investigated him before—descendant of Uchiha Kagami, raised by the Third Elder, orphaned early.
A quiet standout.
"He's interesting," Kai thought, watching him from across the room.
"You're staring at Shisui," Fugaku remarked.
Kai smirked. "He's a prodigy, right? I'm just curious."
"He's talented," Fugaku replied. "But he was trained by the doves. Compared to you, the gap is still large."
Kai chuckled. "Maybe. But I had my Sharingan by age eight, and I was on the battlefield that same year. At his age, I would've crushed him."
"But… maybe he's lucky. He didn't have to go to war."
They turned toward the newborn.
"Have you picked a name?" Kai asked casually.
"I have," Fugaku nodded. "But if you have a suggestion...?"
Kai smiled knowingly. "What do you think of Sasuke?"
Fugaku's eyes lit up. "That's the exact name I chose."
As parents fawned over their baby, Kai observed quietly. Sasuke looked like any other newborn: wrinkled, soft, undistinguished.
But to Fugaku and Mikoto, he was perfect.
Kai tried to sense Indra's chakra within the infant—but nothing. Maybe it was too early. Maybe the catalyst hadn't arrived yet.
"Perhaps he needs Naruto," Kai thought. "Those two are bound to awaken each other."
After offering congratulations and a gift, Kai excused himself. He had no desire to linger.
Fugaku didn't press him, though Itachi seemed disappointed—Kai hadn't spoken a word to him.
That boy still remembered when Kai once told him, "I don't recognize you."
On his way back to the Police Force HQ, Kai reflected:
Sasuke didn't need attention yet. But Shisui…
They were from different sides of the Uchiha political spectrum. Kai didn't trust him—but he wasn't ready to eliminate him, either.
Shisui was young. He could still be guided.
Danzo was dead. The power structures were shifting.
"We'll watch him. If he proves useful, he can join the force around twelve," Kai thought. "For now, we observe."
Back at the HQ, Kai was greeted respectfully by subordinates.
He called in Uchiha Kawai and Uchiha Liuying and handed out two assignments:
Kawai was to continue monitoring Shisui.
Liuying would help forge fake intelligence files to support their fabricated backstories.
Both accepted the orders without question—exactly how Kai liked it.
If Liuying completed his mission flawlessly, Kai would personally guide him to awaken his Sharingan.
Afterward, Kai met with Imai Kenta.
"You're looking better," Kenta remarked.
"I'm recovering. Still some negative effects, but nothing serious," Kai replied. "Time to meet your boss."
Kenta sighed. "Yeah. My elder is getting antsy. No word from the Fourth Hokage yet."
Senju Shoma was pressuring Kenta to make contact using his former team affiliation with Minato, but nothing had come of it.
"The old man's afraid of missing his shot," Kenta muttered. "There aren't many seats left at Minato's table."
Kai nodded. "Your boss is anxious. You're afraid of being exposed. Relax. I haven't made any sudden moves."
"You're just scared of Hiruzen after killing Danzo," Kenta teased.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Naturally."
"But tell me honestly—what is Minato's plan?"
"To gather capable, loyal people," Kai answered. "I recommended it."
He didn't mind telling Kenta. At this point, Kenta was all-in.
The restoration of his clan's standing depended on this alliance—and Uchiha Kai had the influence to make it happen.
"The Mission Department suits your people," Kai said. "It gives them structure, exposure, and influence without direct political entanglement."
Kenta nodded. "Makes sense."
He looked thoughtful, then said, "The Senju aren't like the Uchiha anymore. We've lost too many. Most of us now are orphans or young adults—few leaders, fewer elders."
Kai nodded in understanding. "Which means... it's your time."
Whether Kenta became the next leader or not, the opportunity was real.
The Senju needed rebuilding. And this time, it wouldn't be with swords or trees—but with strategy, patience, and bloodlines reawakening in unexpected forms.