Chapter 144: Gratitude
"You're back, Kei?"
Under the blazing noon sun hanging high in the sky, Uchiha Kei's figure finally appeared at the Konoha outpost. He looked slightly worn out, but his expression was calm and composed—if anything, his spirit seemed unusually high.
News of his return reached Namikaze Minato almost instantly, and before long, he arrived with Kakashi, Imai Kenta, and Hyūga Ayaka in tow.
From the looks of it, Minato was genuinely pleased. Kakashi and Ayaka remained mostly silent, while Kenta maintained his usual harmless, cheerful demeanor.
"Yeah, I'm back," Kei nodded. "Ran into a bit of trouble, but I did manage to sort out a few things."
"I heard the details of the mission from Kakashi…" Minato sighed. "It's a shame things turned out this way. I—"
"It's alright, Captain Minato."
Uchiha Kei knew exactly what Minato was about to say, and he cut him off before he could continue.
"Rin's death was both a tragedy and an accident. But your mission was just as critical. If blame must be placed, it should fall on me as the squad leader for reacting too slowly."
His voice was unnervingly calm. Though Kei wasn't someone who liked shouldering responsibility, he also understood the strategic value of occasionally taking it on.
And in this case, if it could ease Kakashi's overwhelming guilt—or keep Minato from blaming himself—then taking the fall was worth it.
It wouldn't cost him anything, after all. Death on the battlefield was an inevitable reality for shinobi. You couldn't open an inquest every time someone died on a mission.
More importantly, Kei had completed the objective well. They now had a clearer idea of the Mist's intentions for being here.
With those gains alone, even if the entire team had been wiped out and only Kei returned, he could still be credited with a massive contribution to the war effort.
Thankfully, things hadn't gotten that bad. And with his mission now complete, Kei could finally shift focus.
"…Thanks, Kei." Minato gave a helpless smile before quickly changing the subject. "So, you went after the Mist-nin at the end. Did you manage to uncover anything?"
"A bit," Kei replied with a nod. "The Mist forces aren't exactly united. There are two factions—one intent on disrupting the peace talks between Konoha and Iwagakure. They're dissatisfied with how the war ended and are plotting something."
"Using the Three-Tails to create chaos in Konoha?" Minato speculated.
"Most likely," Kei affirmed. "The other faction is from the Hidden Mist's elder council—led by Genji. Ayaka and Kenta should be able to confirm that part."
Kei wasn't sure how thoroughly the two had reported the situation in his absence, so he chose to speak carefully.
"The ANBU I tracked down belonged to the Fourth Mizukage. After some… interrogation, I confirmed their identities. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring back the bodies—they were all burned."
Minato nodded. Kei's explanation aligned perfectly with what Hyūga Ayaka and Imai Kenta had already reported.
Still, he couldn't help but think that Kei had taken a huge risk by acting alone.
But then again, recalling what Kakashi described—charred corpses littering the battlefield—Minato could only smile wryly.
Kei was undeniably powerful and calculating. It was hard to believe that someone with his talent was considered a fringe member of the Uchiha clan.
Or perhaps… was the Sharingan just that overwhelmingly powerful?
"Well, looks like the mission is complete," Minato said, smiling again. He straightened his posture and looked at the group. "Take the rest of the day to rest. Tomorrow, we return to the village."
"Back to the village?" Kei blinked, then chuckled. "So I take it your negotiations are already finished, Captain? How did it go?"
He was genuinely curious about the outcome. After all, his interference and the intelligence he had obtained from Kitsuchi should have significantly altered the course of events.
Surely, with such valuable intel at hand, the negotiations wouldn't have ended the same way they did in the original timeline, with a humiliating peace treaty.
Minato smiled faintly, his gaze softening as he looked at Kei with a hint of gratitude.
"Yes, quite smoothly, actually. Thanks to the information you provided, Ikeda Takeshi was forced to sign the agreement. Now we just need the Third Tsuchikage's approval."
"Sounds like Ikeda's had a rough time," Kei smirked.
Intelligence, huh…?
Ayaka and Kenta exchanged confused glances. What kind of intel had Kei given that could cause the talks to wrap up so quickly?
Of course, Kei wasn't about to spill the details. He simply looked at Minato with a knowing grin.
He didn't know exactly what Minato had said during the negotiations, but he was certain the man had used the information to strike a severe blow to Iwa's morale.
And that was just what Kei wanted.
When it came to using Konoha's own shinobi to eliminate those who violently opposed the peace talks, Minato would definitely hint at it in a veiled but deliberate way.
One could easily imagine the uproar such a revelation would cause among the Iwa-nin—it would be an utter psychological blow.
After all, they were already like ghosts without a home, clinging to the remnants of pride and reason. Their nerves couldn't possibly withstand another mental assault like this.
Even someone like Ikeda Takeshi—a name Uchiha Kei had never even heard before—no matter how skilled or politically savvy, would be hard-pressed under this level of pressure. He was bound to suffer.
Minato was known for his kindness and warmth—but that extended only to those from the Land of Fire and the citizens of Konoha.
Would he also reveal the secret orders given by the Third Tsuchikage?
If so, then Ikeda Takeshi's fate was sealed. Unless he managed to resolve the internal schism within Iwagakure, there was a very real chance he wouldn't leave this place alive.
One should never underestimate a shinobi—especially in wartime. Their methods toward enemies were often terrifyingly brutal.
Even someone as noble and gentlemanly as Namikaze Minato had a kill count high enough to be feared throughout enemy ranks.
Otherwise, why would he be featured in Iwagakure's Shinobi Survival Guide, under the label: "Abort mission upon contact."
Even the Kakashi of the original timeline—often played for laughs—was once known in the ANBU as "Cold-Blooded Kakashi."
"…I wonder what title I'll have in the future?" Uchiha Kei suddenly found himself wondering. "The Gentle and Wise Shinobi, Uchiha Kei?"
He shook his head almost immediately.
Forget "wise"—in his previous life, that word had long become synonymous with sarcasm and mockery. As for "gentle"… that had absolutely nothing to do with him.
If anything, the word most commonly associated with Uchiha Kei would likely be "sinister."
Cold, ruthless, and utterly pragmatic—a shinobi who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. That was how Obito, Hyūga Ayaka, and Imai Kenta had all described him.
Even Kitsuchi had called him "despicable to the extreme."
"…Yeah, I don't envy him," Minato nodded in agreement. "But the harder things are for him, the easier they are for us. Get some rest—tomorrow, we return to the village."
"Yes, Captain Minato," Kei and the others immediately turned to leave.
"Dismissed," Minato waved them off. But just before Kei left, he called out, "Kei, hang back for a moment. Sorry to take up your rest time, but there's something I'd like to talk to you about."
"Yes, Captain." Kei had just turned around to leave but stopped at Minato's words. He wasn't surprised.
So much had happened—of course Minato would want to have a private word. Accepting this without protest, Kei followed him out of the camp.
Only once they were far from prying ears did Minato stop and turn to face him.
"Thank you, Kei," Minato said with a broad, sincere smile. "If it weren't for your help, these negotiations wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly."
"Didn't you already say that, Captain?" Kei looked at him, puzzled.
"Think of that as my official thanks," Minato chuckled. "This one's… personal. And it's not just about the peace talks. I also want to thank you for Kakashi—for what you said to him. That child…"
"Captain Minato, don't forget—we're partners," Kei interrupted gently. Then, with a resigned sigh, he added, "Of course, that's speaking from a clan perspective. But from a personal one—Kakashi is my friend. So was Rin. I'm sorry I didn't do a better job watching over them, and that things ended the way they did."
Shifting between identities—official and personal—was a subtle but interesting game.
Kei represented the Uchiha clan. Minato represented Konoha. In their public roles, they stood on different sides of many issues.
But in private, this conversation was Minato's way of expressing goodwill. Kei saw that clearly—and responded in kind.
Outwardly, they were captain and subordinate. Or even village and clan. But behind closed doors… they could also be friends.
"…Rin really caught me off guard. That child was too impulsive," Minato murmured, a trace of regret in his voice. "She could've come to me. Or even gone back to Konoha and found Kushina. But she was too afraid, too anxious. And that's what pushed Kakashi…"
"It's true," Kei nodded. "But her devotion to Konoha… left a deep impression on all of us."
Only he knew the truth—Rin probably couldn't have crossed the border of the Grass Country so easily.
Because in the end, Madara's plan was designed to be unbreakable. He needed to shape Obito into the perfect pawn.