Chapter 147: A Peach for a Plum — Returning the Favor
Susanoo — the forbidden power of the Uchiha clan.
Only those who awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan can unlock this ability, often referred to as the power of the gods.
Susanoo symbolizes destruction, and the terrifying truth is — few who have witnessed it have lived to tell the tale.
What's even more intriguing is that each Susanoo differs in appearance and ability, depending on the user's Mangekyō powers.
Uchiha Kei had previously assumed he simply lacked the strength to awaken Susanoo. He'd never felt its presence, so he naturally concluded it was out of reach.
But through his recent studies, he was shocked to discover the truth: Susanoo had always been within him — he had just never truly noticed it.
In reality, Susanoo resides in the body of every Uchiha who awakens the Mangekyō. It is — or rather, they are — the guardian spirits of the Uchiha clan.
But to find one's guardian, a prerequisite must be met — a key is required.
"And that key... is the Mangekyō Sharingan itself!"
Kei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Even now, with his eyes shut, he could still see those eerie, blood-red eyes staring back at him from the shadows.
The Mangekyō Sharingan unlocks Susanoo, and as Kei immersed himself in the yin chakra techniques described in Uchiha Madara's journal, he inadvertently discovered the hidden power within him.
Through that discovery, Kei sensed a faint but growing link between his eyes and the fearsome giant — a bond forming between them.
That link granted him feedback through his eyes — he could now use its power.
Yet Kei found the irony almost laughable. So what if he had forged a connection with Susanoo?
Was he actually crazy enough to use it?
Even someone as strong as Madara Uchiha — after years of battling Hashirama Senju — eventually went blind due to overusing Susanoo.
And Uchiha Sasuke? He managed to burn through a perfectly healthy pair of eyes in less than a day.
Clearly, this power isn't just a death sentence for enemies — it's a death sentence for the user as well.
"The only good news is… I've found the key," Kei muttered, "and…"
He exhaled, his emotions slowly settling.
"I think I finally understand what Madara meant by the 'yin chakra' within the Sharingan."
Yes, he had truly felt it — the nature of yin chakra that exists within the Mangekyō.
It was far more sinister and darker than the yin chakra used in standard genjutsu.
Until now, Kei had always believed yin chakra was simply a manifestation of one's spiritual energy — the foundation of illusions and mental techniques.
But this chakra… it wasn't normal. Not even close.
The yin chakra in the Sharingan was born from extreme emotions — the kind that bordered on madness.
"So that's what it is — emotions like intense love or overwhelming hatred," Kei sighed. "No wonder the Second Hokage called the Uchiha a clan born of evil. The more unhinged our emotions, the stronger our power becomes. In other words… we're all a bunch of lunatics."
This emotional chakra was something Kei found difficult to access. After all, he wasn't someone who easily lost control.
Aside from the time he used genjutsu to awaken his own Sharingan — and maybe the moments when Minato or Kitsuchi nearly killed him — Kei's emotions had mostly remained stable and composed.
"Does that mean a calm Uchiha isn't a true Uchiha?"
He rubbed his eyes in frustration. But then he paused.
"No… wait a second. Madara was pretty composed in his later years, especially while waiting for his grand plan to unfold. At least on the surface."
This line of thinking gave Kei a new hypothesis — perhaps extreme emotions were the catalyst for unlocking Susanoo's next forms.
Take Uchiha Shisui, for example. Kei didn't believe Shisui had the time or chakra to master his Mangekyō through training.
But after being ambushed by Danzo and betrayed by the village he swore to protect, it was likely his entire worldview collapsed — and that emotional devastation pushed him into awakening the second stage of Susanoo.
As for the 'yin chakra' within the Mangekyō — Kei now believed it didn't necessarily require emotional surges to manifest.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was constantly generating this kind of energy — it was innate to the eye itself, born from trauma and extreme emotions. The eye was practically forged from that essence.
"Looks like I'll have my hands full when I get back. With yin chakra plus my chakra control… let's see how far I can push this."
Kei stroked his chin thoughtfully. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but his mindset was stable.
He wasn't Madara — not by a long shot — but he was nothing if not obsessively determined.
Otherwise, how could he have awakened his eyes in such a twisted way?
How else could he have endured the years of hiding his power from Konoha?
How else could he have pulled off the shocking stunts he did on the battlefield?
Obsession could be a flaw, but sometimes… it was exactly what greatness required.
Everything he had now was a result of that stubborn, unrelenting mindset.
"Let's see… once I return, I need to deal with Uchiha Yuu and Uchiha Shuu."
Forcibly awakening their Mangekyō would be the first step. After that, he'd need a compatible body to serve as a vessel for Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan — but that would come later. For now, forcing their evolution wouldn't be easy.
"Then there's the matter of White Zetsu cells — or more accurately, the Hashirama cells."
Orochimaru would undoubtedly interfere, which meant Kei needed to act swiftly. Recruiting medical-nin was essential.
Or… he'd have to train some himself.
Without their help, even with Hashirama cells and Orochimaru's detailed experiment logs, Kei wouldn't be able to pull it off.
Otherwise, he might as well take the Madara route — cut himself open and shove the cells inside with his bare hands.
"What a damn hassle," Kei muttered, exasperated. "But considering the potential rewards, I suppose it's all worth it."
That thought alone lifted his mood.
Sure, the path ahead was riddled with complications and danger.
But compared to the power and advantage he'd gain from overcoming those obstacles — they were nothing.
He'd already risked everything by attacking Obito just to shape the future he wanted.
If he could do that, then what else was there to be afraid of?
With that final thought, Uchiha Kei drifted off into a deep, exhausted sleep.
After all, it had been a long, sleepless night — and forging a connection with Susanoo had drained him in ways he hadn't expected.
After a full night's rest, Uchiha Kei felt much better when he woke up the next morning.
He washed up quickly, only to realize he was the last one up. Imai Kenta and Hyūga Ayaka had already left the tent.
After getting dressed and fastening his ninja blade at his waist, Kei stepped outside—
—and was surprised to see only Imai Kenta and Hyūga Ayaka waiting for him.
There was no sign of Namikaze Minato or Kakashi.
"Just the three of us?" Kei frowned slightly. "Where are Captain Minato and Kakashi?"
"It's rare to hear you use honorifics when referring to someone behind their back, Captain." Ayaka's pale eyes swept over him coolly before she explained, "You overslept. Captain Minato left word for us to go ahead—he's staying behind to wrap up some final matters with the Iwa-nin. But he asked us to summon him when we're close to Konoha and wait for his arrival."
"Oh?" Kei couldn't help but smile. "Looks like Captain Minato plans to send us back with a rather generous gift."
And a generous gift it was indeed.
By now, the messenger hawks had likely already carried news of Minato's negotiations back to the village.
Especially with Iwagakure having no choice but to accept the terms and awaiting the Tsuchikage's final confirmation, it was likely that spirits in Konoha were already high.
Minato, of course, would receive unprecedented praise—this was his political capital.
In the original timeline, it was the Ino-Shika-Chō trio who represented Konoha in peace talks with Iwagakure, but under the Third Hokage's orders, they made significant concessions—practically sacrificing the village's interests in the name of ending the war early.
But behind that excuse likely lay another motive: the higher-ups were trying to free up resources to prepare for the upcoming power struggle.
The Third Hokage might've planned to step down, but he certainly didn't intend to relinquish power so easily.
It's hard to say whether he was intentionally tarnishing his own reputation to leave a clean slate for his successor… or deliberately creating a mess to manipulate whoever took over into becoming a puppet.
At the very least, people of influence within Konoha knew what was really going on.
And though they remained silent out of unspoken agreement, Danzo was a notable exception—openly displeased with the Third's actions.
In fact, that might be why Danzo grew so resentful. After all, he had long coveted the Hokage's seat.
Orochimaru had been incredibly discreet, and with Danzo covering for him, how did his secret experiments get exposed?
That alone was worth pondering.
It wouldn't be surprising if Danzo had orchestrated it all—pretending to support Orochimaru on the surface while sabotaging him behind the scenes.
As a result, Hiruzen couldn't possibly choose Orochimaru as his successor.
Danzo may have guessed as much, but what he hadn't anticipated was that his old friend Hiruzen would rather hand the position to a student's student… than to him.
But things were different now.
Whatever the Third Hokage's motives—whether to sanitize the path for his heir or to mire them in political quicksand—it no longer mattered.
Once Uchiha Kei got his hands on the intel about Kitsuchi, the entire game changed.
And Namikaze Minato had returned the favor, sharing the spotlight and the glory.
"A gift indeed," Imai Kenta added with a warm, harmless smile. "When the time comes, we might receive cheers together. Just imagine it—that moment of honor isn't something that comes often…"