Chapter 149: Celebration
As agreed upon with Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Kei and his group summoned him once they neared the outskirts of Konoha.
When exactly the man hailed as the "Fastest in the Shinobi World" — yet perpetually late — would actually show up was not something Kei concerned himself with.
During their journey, however, Kei realized something about himself:
He was not a good conversationalist — in fact, he was a certified conversation killer.
After he subtly expressed his interest in recruiting Imai Kenta and was politely rejected, the rest of their journey was marked by heavy silence.
Both Kenta and Ayaka Hyuga seemed lost in thought.
Seeing this, Kei chose to stay quiet as well. He had already extended his olive branch — what came next was out of his hands.
After summoning Minato, they slowed their pace, quietly approaching Konoha as they waited for his arrival.
To Kei's surprise, this time Minato was far quicker than usual.
They had barely waited five minutes when the Yellow Flash appeared before them, Kakashi in tow.
Despite looking slightly fatigued, Minato's face was lit with joy — and Kei could already guess what had happened.
"Looks like the Third Tsuchikage responded pretty quickly, huh, Captain Minato?" Kei asked with a faint smile, his tone casual.
Minato beamed. "Yes. His reply came very fast. It didn't take long before he confirmed and accepted the terms of the negotiation.
You could say… the war is officially over."
The war… is over?
Kei stood silent for a moment, letting those words truly sink in.
The war that had ravaged the world for so many years… was finally over.
He still vividly remembered the helplessness he'd felt being forced to graduate early and head to the front lines.
For six long years, he had pushed himself forward, step by agonizing step, just to survive.
The pain and despair he'd endured — he'd lost count.
But now, that seemingly endless nightmare was finally at its end.
Of course, this only marked the end of large-scale warfare.
Smaller conflicts would still persist — after all, shinobi were warriors by trade.
And hatred between nations and villages was deeply rooted, nearly impossible to erase.
When you factored in each nation's interests, these frictions would only become more glaring… more frequent.
Kei recalled that not long after Konoha and Iwagakure's peace treaty in the original timeline, rogue shinobi from other villages had tried to sabotage the hard-won peace — attacking Konoha nin in the name of their own villages' interests.
Unfortunately for them, their tactics had been clumsy, and they'd been promptly caught by the ANBU.
Still, no matter what the future held, at this moment, Kei could finally allow himself to breathe.
He'd already known the outcome, but hearing Minato say it out loud still hit different.
No one enjoys war — not even Uchiha Kei.
Both Imai Kenta and Ayaka Hyuga were momentarily stunned as well.
Like Kei, they found it hard to believe, yet they couldn't hide their joy.
They too were victims of the war — and war had a way of driving people mad.
In wartime, wasn't everyone just a little insane?
With Minato and Kakashi now joining them, the once-silent group of three finally began to open up a little.
Whether it was genuine or just polite, at least they were talking again.
Before long, the five of them reached Konoha's gates.
They hadn't been far when they summoned Minato, so the rest of the journey was quick.
"Look, they're back!"
"The heroes have returned!"
"It's Lord Minato!"
"And there's Uchiha Kei, Hatake Kakashi, Hyuga Ayaka, and Imai Kenta!"
Cheers erupted like a tidal wave the moment they came into view.
The area around Konoha's main gate was packed — a true sea of people.
Not only were civilians and regular shinobi present, but even the Third Hokage and other high-ranking village leaders had come to greet them.
Kei spotted one man completely wrapped in bandages — that had to be Danzo.
Beside him stood an elderly woman and a bespectacled old man — Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
Though Kei had long heard of these three, this was his first time seeing them in person.
After all, his past status in Konoha hadn't afforded him access to such figures.
Among the so-called "Four Elders of Konoha," only the Third Hokage made public appearances.
The other three were rarely seen.
Especially Danzo — as the head of ROOT, he almost never showed his face in public.
Kei glanced at the man, and for a moment, it felt like he was staring into darkness itself.
That oppressive, menacing aura he gave off — it was genuinely chilling.
Kei couldn't help but think:
What a shame this guy wasn't born an Uchiha…
With that kind of darkness, he might've become an absolute monster.
"Maybe it's because of this twisted nature that he's so obsessed with Uchiha power," Kei thought, a touch of malice in his heart.
Following Minato's lead, the group walked slowly through the crowd and into Konoha.
Looking around at the decorations — grand, tasteful, and meticulously arranged — it was clear that every safety precaution had been considered.
After all, with all four of Konoha's powerhouses present, none of these cautious old men would allow any surprises.
Although not a single member of the Anbu could be seen on the surface, Uchiha Kei was absolutely certain that countless of them were hidden in the most inconspicuous corners all around.
Besides being cautious with their lives, the village would never allow anyone to ruin this carefully staged "performance."
If anyone dared to cause trouble at a time like this, they would be torn apart by the united will of the Konoha shinobi.
The village desperately needed a ceremony like this to boost morale and rebuild confidence.
Although peace talks had been successfully concluded, only the highest-ranking officials truly knew the price Konoha had paid for it.
Had it not been for Uchiha Kei's behind-the-scenes operations that gave Konoha overwhelming leverage…
And had they not obtained the highly critical intelligence on Iwa during the mission investigating the Mist…
Then the cost of peace might've been far more devastating—perhaps even unbearable.
But now, with Kei's accomplishments as the foundation, Minato's diplomatic efforts had achieved far more than most could imagine.
"Welcome back, Minato. Thank you for everything you've done."
As Minato led the group through Konoha's gates, the Third Hokage stepped forward with a warm smile, addressing him directly.
"And thank you as well—Kakashi, Kenta, Kei, and Ayaka—for your efforts. Let us also not forget Rin's sacrifice. Thank you, all of you."
"This is simply our duty," Minato responded immediately, bowing respectfully.
Uchiha Kei and the others followed his lead, bowing deeply to show their respect.
Still, Kei couldn't help but notice the interesting order in which the Hokage had listed their names.
Everyone knew that in Minato's reports, Uchiha Kei's importance had been emphasized again and again.
And yet, the Third deliberately placed Kei third in the list—an intentional sequence meant to subtly guide public perception, and perhaps a glimpse into the Hokage's true thoughts.
While Minato, the returning hero, remained the center of attention, the rest of the team was also greeted enthusiastically.
But due to the Third Hokage's subtle wording, the crowd's interest skewed more toward Kakashi and Imai Kenta.
That left Uchiha Kei and Hyūga Aya—both from prestigious clans—looking slightly out of place.
Not that either of them seemed to mind.
Kei didn't care at all, and Ayaka had been unusually quiet this entire time. Whatever was going through her mind, it clearly had nothing to do with him.
Their relationship was currently in a bad place, and Kei couldn't even be bothered to pretend otherwise. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
His sharp eyes had already spotted Uchiha Fugaku standing nearby, accompanied by Uchiha Itachi and a group of clan members, waiting to greet him.
With the clan head personally welcoming him back, Kei certainly couldn't pretend not to notice. He made his way straight toward them.
"Clan Head," Kei greeted with a small nod, showing due respect.
"Welcome back, Kei," Fugaku replied kindly. "I've read the reports. Well done. You've lived up to the name of our clan's genius."
Fugaku's unusually warm demeanor caused various reactions among the Uchiha who had come with him.
Especially since Fugaku was usually known for his cold, emotionless bearing.
The hawks of the clan viewed this as a strong signal that Fugaku was leaning toward the doves—a confirmation, in their eyes, that Kei was firmly aligned with the moderate faction.
After all, Kei had constantly worked against their agendas. And ever since Uchiha Yuu went missing and Kei took over as one of the three captains of the Konoha Police Force, even being promoted to vice commander, his position had become increasingly influential.
On the other hand, the doves were ecstatic. Even though Kei had never openly supported them or promised anything, his actions had consistently spoken louder than words. Everything he did pointed to alignment with their ideals.
Kei glanced at the crowd and could more or less guess what they were all thinking. It amused him.
The relationship between him and Fugaku wasn't nearly as harmonious as these people assumed.
In truth, Fugaku had no choice but to compromise—Kei possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan. That alone gave him bargaining power.
From Kei's perspective, both factions were already on his mental list for future "reckoning."
He simply couldn't act too boldly yet. But once his plan neared completion… it would be time to settle the score with all of them.