Chapter 157: Sharp Eyes
The ninja blade was slowly drawn from Uchiha Chisai's body, and blood immediately began to stream down his figure.
The once crackling lightning chakra that had wrapped around the blade now gradually faded to a calm and serene azure blue as the blood evaporated off its edge.
Uchiha Kei stood silently, gazing at Chisai sprawled on the ground and Uchiha Tsubasa, whose chest had been sliced open by the same sword.
Their faces—twisted in anger and disbelief—only made Kei's movements more composed as he calmly slid the blade back into its sheath.
They were probably cursing Kei's shamelessness and blaming their own carelessness, weren't they?
Feigning the effects of a genjutsu to lower their guard, Kei had ambushed Tsubasa at the opportune moment.
At the same time, he used an illusion technique to control Chisai, then ruthlessly plunged his blade into the latter's shoulder.
It had all happened so quickly that, even with their Sharingan active, none of the surrounding Uchiha ninja could follow what exactly had just transpired.
But they all understood one thing: both Uchiha Tsubasa and Uchiha Chisai—squad leaders of the Guard Division—had been thoroughly defeated by Uchiha Kei!
For a moment, silence blanketed the area. The oppressive tension was so thick that even Uchiha Asahi and his son, who had previously been beaming with satisfaction, didn't dare make a sound.
"Looks like I won't be needing to meet with your so-called Elder after all."
Kei's crimson eyes swept coldly across the two fallen men before landing on their subordinates.
Immediately, every Uchiha from the two squads averted their gaze or lowered their heads, not daring to meet Kei's eyes.
They simply couldn't. The indifferent, dead-eyed stare he gave them, and his terrifying display of strength, had left a deep psychological scar.
"Now then," Kei said, his voice suddenly soft, almost casual, as though speaking to old friends. "I have just one question for everyone here."
He looked around slowly.
"Regarding the decision I've made—who agrees? And who opposes?"
Not a sound was heard.
It was as if every ninja present had forgotten how to speak—or lost the courage to do so altogether.
Kei's question may have sounded gentle, but it struck at the very core of their will.
And yet, not one of them had the courage to challenge him.
To challenge someone who looked barely fourteen years old—but held terrifying power in his hands.
"Very good."
Kei nodded, then turned slightly to glance at the two downed squad leaders. "Take these two for treatment. As for the others—throw them into Konoha's prison. Charge them with disobeying orders from a superior."
A few scattered "Yes, sir" replies were muttered instinctively.
Kei didn't move. Still standing with his back to them, his voice remained low—but it suddenly carried a chilling edge.
"I said… did you hear my order?"
Like a blade of cold wind slicing through the air, his words made everyone's spine tingle with fear. They immediately understood what was expected of them.
"YES, Vice Commander!"
This time, their response was loud and clear. It wasn't quite a roar, but it was enough to satisfy Kei.
Without looking back, Kei turned and strode deeper into the Guard Division headquarters.
He knew none of them would dare defy him—not now. Because the consequences… would be unimaginable.
Kei was well aware that his actions today were ruthless, even excessive. And Uchiha Fugaku's continued absence? Likely because he was off sipping tea with some clan elder.
But to Kei, this was the only approach that made sense.
Until others knew the true nature of his relationship with Fugaku, he needed to break the current power structure. He needed to make sure that everyone—now and in the future—who served under him in the Guard Division, listened.
The Uchiha clan was… unique.
He recalled how, in the future, even when Naruto tried talking to Sasuke, Sasuke wouldn't even bother listening.
But the moment Naruto gave him a solid beating, Sasuke suddenly became a lot more cooperative.
Was it any different from how Madara and Hashirama had forged their bond? That alliance had also started with fists.
The harsh truth was this: among the Uchiha, with their proud and stubborn bloodline, the only ones they respected were the strong.
And the only way they acknowledged strength—was through battle.
Once a Uchiha acknowledges someone through battle—recognizes that person as someone who can speak to them as an equal, or even command their attention—they'll quiet down.
"Truly a bunch of lunatics," Uchiha Kei muttered silently as he walked back toward his office.
He quickly returned to his seat, flopped into his chair, and stretched lazily.
The fight just now wasn't even a proper warm-up. Of course, if the battle had dragged on against Uchiha Tsubasa and Uchiha Chisai, he likely would've been the one at a disadvantage.
Kei knew his own limits. His age was a huge bottleneck on his chakra reserves.
He wasn't from the Senju or Uzumaki clans—at his age, he barely had the "Chak" in "Chakra."
"Kei-sama."
Uchiha Asahi and his son, Uchiha Kawa, entered the office, with Fukuhiko Kouta following behind.
This time, Asahi addressed Kei with the same respectful tone as his son.
Fukuhiko, however, still seemed stunned. Like the other Uchiha present during the battle, he hadn't expected things to escalate to this degree—and even less that someone about his own age could wield such terrifying power.
"No need to be so formal," Kei waved casually. Then he turned to Kawa. "Kawa-kun, how many of the Uchiha who went to war with us do you know?"
"The ones who went to war?" Kawa paused, then seemed to realize something. "Kei-sama… you mean those who were… like us?"
"Exactly. Like us," Kei corrected gently. "I haven't forgotten who I am."
"Yes, Kei-sama." Kawa seemed genuinely moved by those words, and also encouraged. "Quite a few, actually. Aside from those who died in battle, we should be able to gather enough for at least one full squad."
The clan wasn't lacking in ninja—especially those from peripheral families. Many were essentially treated as expendables during wartime.
For the clan, war was both a test and a way to curry favor with Konoha's leadership.
If any of them showed real promise, it was a win for the clan—nothing to lose, everything to gain.
"Good," Kei nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you. Do your best to bring them over to our side. My squad is empty now—we need people to rebuild. Preferably, those with decent character."
Loyalty could be nurtured with rewards. But character—that was innate.
Kei didn't want to recruit a bunch of problematic cases, the kind who lacked even the most basic decency or gratitude.
Such people could go rot in the trash heap of history.
There were still plenty of decent individuals out there. Kei didn't expect them all to be like Obito before his fall, but if at least half were at that level, that would be more than enough.
"Yes, Kei-sama!" Kawa responded with enthusiasm—he was clearly pleased.
"Good. You and your father will handle this for now. Screen them carefully, and send me a list of suitable candidates."
Kei smiled, then turned his gaze toward Fukuhiko Kouta.
"As for the other half, Kouta… I'm afraid that's your responsibility."
"Me?"
Kouta still hadn't fully recovered from the shock, but when the realization hit, his expression grew increasingly odd.
"You're the deputy captain. And you're planning to add half your squad from civilian-born ninja? That's…"
"You want to say, 'Is that even possible?' right?"
Kei shifted in his chair to get more comfortable, folding his hands on the desk.
"My answer: it's possible. Kouta, all you need to do is act. I'll handle the rest. Didn't we already solve one big problem today?"
Is this how you solve problems?
Kouta didn't know what to say. In fact, he realized he didn't even have the power to refuse.
Sighing, he nodded slowly. Deep down, he probably didn't want to say no anyway.
And he genuinely wanted to believe in Kei—to help him change the Guard Division.
---
"Sharp eyes. Truly… sharp eyes, Clan Head."
At the Uchiha Clan Elder's residence, the elder looked calmly at Uchiha Fugaku after hearing the report—but inside, he was anything but calm.
He couldn't believe what he had just heard.
That brat Kei—he had injured every member of Uchiha Yuu's former squad and thrown them all into prison!
He even defeated both Uchiha Tsubasa and Uchiha Chisai.
In short, Kei had single-handedly turned the entire Guard Division upside down!
"You flatter me, Elder," Fugaku replied calmly. He didn't know the full details, but from what he had just heard, it seemed clear Kei had won.
"In that case, I should go handle a few things. Please excuse me."
"Of course," the elder nodded, his voice now carrying a cold edge.
"Fugaku, he's just a brat. Even if he's strong, he has no foundation. After this fiasco, do you really think anyone will still follow him? His actions were immature—and you're no better."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Elder," Fugaku said with composure. "I'll take my leave now."
With that, he turned and bowed respectfully, ignoring the elder's accusations, and exited the small house.
Outside, the sun was still shining bright—and Fugaku's mood lifted as he basked in the light.
As he walked away, a female ninja suddenly appeared beside him—it was Uchiha Jun.
"Kei-sama has seriously injured every member of his former squad and imprisoned them all for insubordination."
Jun kept her voice low, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I see," Fugaku nodded. "That's not all, is it?"
"No," Jun replied with a subtle smile. "He also put Uchiha Tsubasa and Uchiha Chisai in the hospital. Neither of them will be showing their faces anytime soon."
"..."
Fugaku froze for a long moment, then finally let out a smile.
"As expected of Kei-kun. Fascinating. Truly fascinating."
"Clan Head, this kind of talent—you need to secure him."
"I know," Fugaku said, the smile lingering on his face. "Of course I know."