Chapter 150: A Grand Gift
How long the celebrations continued, Uchiha Kei didn't know—he had already returned to the clan compound with Uchiha Fugaku and the others.
This moment belonged to Minato Namikaze. Even though Kei had played a critical role in the events leading up to this victory, he had no desire to take part in the festivities.
Being too low-key isn't good—it makes people ignore your views and makes it harder to get things done.
But being too high-profile? Also unwise. "The tall tree catches the wind." Kei understood that all too well.
He needed to strike the right balance.
Upon returning to the Uchiha compound with Fugaku, he found that his arrival hadn't caused much of a stir. The entire clan seemed… calm.
That didn't surprise him. Kei knew exactly how he was perceived within the clan.
Aside from a few low-ranking members who genuinely admired him, most of the powerful elite held no particular fondness for him.
The so-called dove faction was slightly better. The hawk faction, on the other hand, outright hated him.
People were inherently selfish. Kei had disrupted far too many personal interests when he rose to prominence so suddenly.
Even though Kei's political stance appeared to lean toward the dovish side, his attitude toward them remained cold and distant—just as cold as he was toward the hawks.
Despite seeming like an ally, Kei had never clearly taken a side. And that ambiguity left many dissatisfied.
As for the hawks? If it weren't for how widely the Orochimaru incident had spread, it's likely they'd be trying to link Uchiha Yuu's mysterious disappearance directly to Kei.
But even if some of them suspected the truth, they probably didn't really believe it. After all, could a mere thirteen-year-old—fourteen at best—really take down a highly experienced, powerful adult shinobi?
Even if Kei had performed brilliantly on the battlefield, and even if he had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan… so had Yuu.
"Arrogance really is human nature," Kei mused.
As for the clan's lower ranks—they were the most pitiful of all.
They wanted to celebrate, but had to constantly worry about offending those above them. Without a voice of their own, they were constantly trampled upon—just like Kei once was.
After bidding Fugaku farewell and agreeing to meet the next day, Kei headed home.
He didn't bother acknowledging the other Uchiha shinobi on his way out, even as their expressions turned sour or indignant. He ignored them all.
"I'm home," Kei said softly, sliding open the door.
Returning to his house immediately put him at ease. Uchiha Ryoko and Uchiha Keisuke were both overjoyed to see him.
Though they were incredibly proud of his accomplishments, what they cared about most was whether he'd been injured. Once Kei assured them he was safe and unharmed, they both breathed a visible sigh of relief.
And then something amusing happened during dinner.
Keisuke pulled out a bottle of sake and asked Kei if he wanted a drink.
That almost triggered a thunderstorm—Ryoko practically exploded in fury. Kei was only thirteen, nearly fourteen. Far too young to drink.
Still, being around them was relaxing. Kei didn't have to watch his back or play mind games—just being with them allowed him to breathe.
He enjoyed political maneuvering and strategizing, sure. But the constant mental strain and pressure wore on him.
Sometimes, it felt like walking a tightrope. One wrong step and he'd fall into a pit he couldn't climb out of.
These peaceful, quiet moments? He cherished them.
That said, he also understood he couldn't relax forever—at least, not yet.
After a good night's sleep, Kei headed to Fugaku's house early the next morning, as they'd agreed.
Walking up to the Uchiha patriarch's home was now second nature to him.
Just as he approached the entrance, he ran into Uchiha Mikoto, who was leaving with little Itachi in tow.
Both mother and son paused when they saw him.
"Good morning, Kei-kun," Mikoto greeted warmly with a smile. "Itachi, greet your teacher."
"Good morning, Kei-sensei," Itachi said politely, bowing.
"Morning," Kei nodded, though the corner of his mouth twitched when he heard the word sensei.
Fugaku had once hoped Kei would take Itachi on as his student. Kei had always deflected the topic.
After showing Fugaku his Mangekyō Sharingan, the elder Uchiha had wisely stopped pressing the matter.
But now the idea had resurfaced—and that made things awkward.
Still, Kei realized something important in that moment:
Fugaku had never mentioned his Mangekyō to his family.
Whatever his reasons, Kei was grateful. The fewer people who knew, the better.
After exchanging a few casual words with Mikoto, Kei politely excused himself.
Mikoto had to take Itachi to the academy and had no time to chat further anyway.
This mother loved her child deeply. Even though Uchiha Itachi had already stained his hands with blood, in her eyes, he was still just a child.
Watching their figures disappear down the path, Uchiha Kei couldn't understand—what on earth had driven Itachi to make such a decision?
Even though he later regretted it after being brought back by Edo Tensei, regrets mean nothing once the deed is done.
Kei simply couldn't comprehend Itachi's choice—and so he chose not to dwell on it. If he didn't want to acknowledge Itachi, he simply wouldn't.
"You're here?"
When Kei stepped into the Uchiha compound's backyard, he found Uchiha Fugaku already waiting, tea prepared and steaming.
"Come, have a seat," Fugaku gestured. "It's just the two of us—no need for formalities."
"Mm."
Kei nodded and respectfully sat opposite Fugaku. While he agreed there was no need to stand on ceremony, he still showed the proper decorum.
He didn't speak right away, instead waiting for Fugaku to begin. Having been away for some time, Kei wasn't up to date on internal clan matters—but he trusted Fugaku would bring up anything important.
After taking a sip of tea, Fugaku sighed. "The item you requested… I managed to get it."
"The life-support system?" Kei asked curiously.
Fugaku nodded. "Yes. You really handed me a tough task. The village is on high alert right now, and getting this kind of equipment under the radar wasn't easy. Fortunately, everything went smoothly. It's already stashed in the Police Force's storage—no one knows."
Kei gave him a grateful look. The situation really wasn't ideal—especially when acquiring something so sensitive.
The Orochimaru incident had given Kei a convenient smokescreen, but it also made it harder for him to make any suspicious moves. A life-support device? If discovered, people would start asking dangerous questions.
Who's to say the Uchiha clan wasn't secretly working with Orochimaru?
Such a rumor would be disastrous. With the clan's reputation already in shambles, and Konoha's leadership inherently biased against them, the consequences would be severe.
First, the Hokage's council would come down hard. Then the public would turn against the Uchiha, manipulated by rumors and fear. The clan would be painted as traitors again—and this time, there might be no way out.
That's why Kei was genuinely thankful for Fugaku's help—whether it was out of loyalty to the clan or to Kei personally, it didn't matter.
"Thank you," Kei said sincerely. "By the way, what's going on with Uchiha Yuu?"
"There's been a slight issue with him," Fugaku replied calmly, as if talking about a stranger.
"His constitution is impressive. He's been slowly recovering with the help of nutrient fluid and his own chakra reserves. He's patient, too—looks like he's waiting for the right opportunity."
"He's recovering?" Kei blinked, momentarily stunned.
These ninja really are like cockroaches, he thought. I already shattered all his limbs… and he's still coming back?
And what's worse, judging from Fugaku's tone, the guy might actually be planning revenge.
You had to hand it to Yuu—his tenacity and survival instinct were downright frightening. Almost on Kei's level.
"So, what happened next?" Kei asked. "He didn't cause any trouble, did he?"
"No," Fugaku said, taking another sip of tea. "I disguised myself as you, broke his limbs again, and tortured him thoroughly. Whatever hope he had left—gone."
Kei blinked again.
Was this really the same hesitant Fugaku he remembered? That level of ruthlessness and decisiveness was rare—almost scary.
If he'd had that kind of resolve in the original timeline, maybe his ending wouldn't have been so tragic.
Kei sighed lightly, brushing the thought aside. What mattered now was whether Fugaku had been found out.
After all, Kei had carefully crafted this "package" for Yuu—a path toward total, crushing despair.
True despair doesn't come from pain alone—it comes from having every last sliver of hope torn away, body and soul.
"You weren't discovered, were you?" Kei asked with a frown. "He's got the Sharingan, after all."
"His hatred blinded him. And I never gave him the chance to use his Sharingan," Fugaku replied coldly. "Don't worry—no one knows."
"Good." Kei smiled faintly. "If all goes well, maybe I'll even throw in one more surprise for him."