Chapter 218 – Almost Guessed Right
The list Uchiha Kei handed to Imai Kenta wasn't much.
It only recorded the materials Orochimaru required for his experiments, along with the number of participants involved.
No names.
Neither the subjects nor the assistants were identified.
Even the notes were neatly printed, leaving behind nothing of real value.
Orochimaru was simply too decisive—so much so that the corner of Kei's lips twitched in frustration.
If it were his laboratory, Kei would never have destroyed it so completely.
But Orochimaru did, and he did it so casually, as if none of it mattered to him at all.
And truthfully, he wasn't wrong to erase everything.
If these kinds of experiments were exposed, the entire Sandaime faction's rule would face a serious crisis.
Kei exhaled heavily. In the end, this mission had been nearly fruitless.
It's not like they could have the Yamanaka clan pry into his mind for scraps of memory.
Even Namikaze Minato wouldn't approve of something like that—after all, their cooperation was never meant to see the light of day.
"Forget it. This operation was meant to be a catalyst anyway, laying groundwork for the future."
With that thought, Kei silently headed toward the forest's edge. Soon, he sensed Uchiha Fugaku and the others ahead, though he paid them little attention.
"And then there's Imai Kenta… let's see if this time he'll admit what he is. The Senju clan…"
To Uchiha Kei, the Senju were little more than legend.
Perhaps he had simply arrived in this world too late—he had never once met anyone bearing the Senju name.
Not even Tsunade. Their positions were worlds apart, and there was no chance to cross paths.
Besides, for reasons perhaps tied to war or certain policies, the Senju had all but vanished from history.
"Still, this guy… he's nothing like Senju Hashirama. If anything, he's more like that bastard Tobirama."
The thought lingered as Kei approached Fugaku's group.
Indeed, Imai Kenta bore little resemblance to Hashirama.
True, he had considerable chakra reserves, and his taijutsu and ninjutsu were excellent.
But his speed, his combat style, his temperament—he was practically a toned-down version of Tobirama.
If he ever learned the Flying Thunder God, Kei wouldn't dare underestimate him in the slightest.
Of course, even now, Kei didn't underestimate him. If anything, he valued him even more.
"How did it go?"
When Kei reached Fugaku's side, the clan head spoke first.
"Earlier, I sensed a powerful chakra. Did you fight Orochimaru?"
"No. It was Imai Kenta who crossed blades with him."
Kei answered evenly, then sighed.
"Orochimaru was too decisive. I did uncover evidence, but he sank the entire lab—me included."
"I see… that man truly is cautious." Fugaku's sigh carried a trace of disappointment.
As for Kei himself, Fugaku didn't ask.
He trusted the young Uchiha would not be harmed by something so trivial.
A fight that hadn't pushed him to the brink wouldn't even force him to use his Mangekyō.
And if he had used it, Orochimaru would never have escaped so easily.
Uchiha Fugaku didn't fully understand just how cautious Orochimaru could be when it came to preserving his own life—otherwise, he would never have entertained such naïve thoughts.
"But it doesn't matter. What he's researching… it's connected to the First Hokage."
Uchiha Kei sneered, his tone laced with disdain.
"Something like that wouldn't be possible without the approval of certain people."
"The First Hokage's research?" Fugaku froze, then his face darkened with a sinister edge—followed quickly by a flash of excitement.
What else could Orochimaru be researching that required human experimentation?
The answer was obvious.
Wood Release—the terrifying kekkei genkai that had once shaken the shinobi world.
From the perspective of Konoha's leadership, pursuing such research made perfect sense.
The very name of Mokuton still echoed in their minds, a reminder of Hashirama's unmatched power.
If they could recreate a bloodline that had already vanished, who wouldn't consider it worth doing?
Of course, those in power always had the luxury of staying above the mess.
It was their subordinates—disciples, operatives—who bore the responsibility when things went wrong.
Kei remembered something from Kakashi's flashback in the original story.
The Third Hokage once handed Kakashi a file on Hashirama's research, claiming he had terminated the project, and that it had been Danzo pulling the strings.
A classic move to deflect blame.
Would Danzo really have dared to exhume Hashirama's corpse and experiment on it without Hiruzen's consent?
From the perspective of bloodline clans, though, this was nothing short of sacrilege.
If today they desecrated the First Hokage's remains to harvest his cells for Mokuton…
Then tomorrow, when they desired another kekkei genkai, what was stopping them from seizing living clan members for research?
That very thought darkened Fugaku's expression.
The Sharingan, after all, had once stood shoulder to shoulder with Mokuton in reputation.
Yes, Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was in a different league from ordinary eyes—but it was still Uchiha. Still theirs.
The realization left him seething. The Hokage and his advisors had crossed a line.
If they could tamper with the First's remains today, then someday they might dare to take Uchiha lives as well.
And if that happened, why should the clan continue submitting to Konoha's rule?
"Don't let that expression show," Kei cut in sharply, his eyes narrowing at Fugaku.
"The evidence is gone. Unless you want me to ask the Yamanaka clan for help? Do you really want our dealings with the Fourth to be exposed?"
"Of course not. I'm not that foolish—or that shortsighted," Fugaku replied firmly, shaking his head.
"If we did that, your Mangekyō would be revealed too. That's not part of the plan. But… Orochimaru doesn't necessarily know we won't risk approaching the Yamanaka."
"Maybe he knows, maybe he doesn't," Kei said quietly, eyeing Fugaku.
At least their thoughts were aligned.
They couldn't strike Hiruzen directly through this incident.
But they could pressure Orochimaru into rash moves—and that would wound the Third's faction severely.
After all, Orochimaru was Hiruzen's favorite disciple, his closest confidant.
In the original timeline, had Namikaze Minato survived the Nine-Tails attack, the fallout from Orochimaru's eventual exposure might have allowed him to seize even greater power from Hiruzen.
But after Minato's death, the Third exploited the scandal himself.
To stabilize his reign, he sacrificed Orochimaru—painting himself as impartial, fair, and just.
At the same time, he showed a veneer of sentimentality, giving Orochimaru ample time to escape.
Clearly, he feared what might happen if his former student were captured and interrogated.
If Orochimaru spoke, if his secrets spilled—Hiruzen's entire career could collapse.
So, he played his role perfectly: a nostalgic, upright Hokage who appeared beyond reproach.
No clan could object to such a performance.
It was only years later, when Danzo began brazenly demanding bloodline heirs from the clans—and after the Uchiha massacre—that the allied families realized they had been deceived by Hiruzen's hypocrisy.
And so, when Orochimaru finally attacked during the Chūnin Exams and faced Hiruzen one-on-one, not a single clan raised a hand to intervene.
"This matter still needs careful handling. Find time to meet with the Fourth Hokage," Kei murmured, shaking his head.
"I suspect he'll be far more interested in this than we are. By the way—how is the clan reform progressing?"
"You really don't care about clan affairs, do you?" Fugaku sighed.
"Thanks to your reforms in the Police Force, people are starting to notice change.
I've also begun opening the Uchiha compound, allowing outsiders in, encouraging interaction with others."
"Good," Kei nodded approvingly.
"Sealing yourselves off only breeds narrow-mindedness. Hiruzen's faction thrives on identity politics—they lock everyone into rigid roles, while quietly profiting from behind the scenes. He's far shrewder than you, Clan Head."
"That's why he can sit as Hokage and govern an entire village… while I remain just the head of one clan," Fugaku replied without resentment.
Admitting his shortcomings was the only way forward. To improve, one first had to acknowledge one's flaws.
Still, it was Kei who commanded his respect.
So young, yet already seeing through layers of political deceit with clarity beyond his years.
At times, Fugaku wondered if Kei's soul had been tampered with by some forbidden jutsu—if he was, in truth, a seasoned politician in disguise.
But such thoughts were quickly dismissed. Kei's upbringing had been perfectly ordinary.
Most importantly, he still carried traces of genuine humanity—something long lost in true politicians, for whom only power and profit mattered.
Unbeknownst to Kei, it was precisely this instinctive humanity, shaped by his previous life's education, that had become his strongest shield.
And Fugaku—despite himself—had nearly guessed the truth.