Chapter 220 – A Plea for Help
The moonlight was dazzling as Uchiha Kei and Uchiha Fugaku stood side by side.
Not far in front of them, a single kunai was embedded in the ground.
After receiving Minato's message, Kei had immediately sought Fugaku out—pulling him away from his after-dinner reading.
Mikoto had grumbled, wondering aloud if whatever business they had couldn't wait until morning. Fugaku, helpless, had explained a few words, his tone revealing just how much he doted on his wife.
Once that was settled, he finally asked what this was about.
Kei's explanation had been enough. Fugaku quickly understood.
The Fourth Hokage had been in office for just over a month. While some things took time, it was long enough for him to start seeing the truth behind the village's politics.
This meeting could only mean one thing: Minato wanted to consult them.
It was, in all likelihood, the first clear sign of a deeper rift forming between the Fourth and the Third.
As they waited, Kei and Fugaku quietly discussed how best to handle the coming conversation. Kei already had a plan in mind—he shared the outline, and Fugaku, after some thought, agreed.
This was an opportunity: to show their value, and in turn, to demand greater returns from Minato.
They waited patiently until, at around ten o'clock, Minato appeared beside the kunai.
Raising his head, he gave the two Uchiha an apologetic look. He knew he had come late.
But there was no helping it—his wife Kushina was pregnant, and as Hokage, he rarely had time to be with her. Even as a puppet, his role kept him occupied.
"Forgive me, I'm late," Minato said with some embarrassment. "Something unexpected came up."
"It's fine, Fourth. We only just arrived," Fugaku replied evenly. "What was it you wished to discuss?"
Of course, Fugaku already knew. But it had to be voiced by Minato himself.
This wasn't them asking Minato for favors—it was Minato seeking their aid.
They were partners, equals, not subordinates.
Kei stood quietly, waiting as well.
"…It's a little embarrassing to admit," Minato sighed, turning his gaze toward Kei.
"Kei-kun, do you remember a few months ago in the Land of Grass, when you and I spoke of… certain forbidden topics? What you said back then has proven true."
"So it really came to this." Kei nodded slightly, unsurprised.
"It's a shame, but I knew my assessment would turn out correct."
"It seems you're not happy in that seat either," Fugaku added, letting out a sigh.
"It's no surprise. You're too young, without governing experience. Even with ideals and ambition, the Third and his circle were never going to give you room. To them, you're just the man at the front. They pull the strings—you only act on their will."
Fugaku's resentment toward the Third Hokage and his advisors was clear. He wasn't about to miss this chance to voice it. And he wasn't wrong—Minato's recent experience had been exactly that.
Though Fugaku's words carried bitterness, Minato was in no state of mind to notice. The frustration weighing on him made the words ring true.
"I want your advice," Minato said at last. "What should we do in this situation?
I submitted a reform proposal for the Uchiha clan, but it was directly rejected. I don't think the Third even looked at it. Too many of my proposals have been dismissed outright."
"No surprise," Kei interjected, cutting him off. "As the clan head said, you're the public face. The real power lies with the Third and his old teammates. Tell me, does ANBU answer to you?"
"…Not really," Minato admitted after a pause. "Aside from Kakashi, most of ANBU barely obeys my orders."
"And it's not just ANBU," he continued grimly. "There's another organization in Konoha—similar to ANBU but separate. They call themselves Root, led by Danzō.
Lately, their activity has grown. Bold, aggressive."
Minato had revealed something he shouldn't have, something secret.
Kei raised an eyebrow. That was a sign of complete trust.
And it made sense. Given Minato's current position—and Kei's careful misdirection—his distrust of the Third had only deepened. Hiruzen's actions had chilled him, and now, Minato saw Kei and Fugaku as his true allies… not the man who was treating him as a puppet.
As for Danzō, Kei understood perfectly. Thanks to Ayaka Hyūga, he already knew about the reckless moves Danzō had been making recently.
He hadn't just dragged Konoha into trouble with a future "flying warrior" who might one day scream nonsense like "A bag of rice carried up how many floors?" while laying waste to villages—
he had also exhausted his very best subordinates until nothing was left.
In Uchiha Kei's eyes, Root was the lynchpin that still connected the remnants of their old interest groups, keeping them moving in lockstep.
With Danzō suffering such heavy losses, it was only natural that Root needed to be rebuilt.
This, Kei suspected, was also one of the main reasons the Third Hokage clung so tightly to the ANBU—unwilling to loosen his grip.
Of course, that was only speculation. In the end, it all depended on how far the Third's ambitions truly reached.
Who could say? Perhaps Hiruzen had never once intended to return the ANBU—a force that belonged to the Hokage—into anyone else's hands.
"Looks like Captain Minato's situation really isn't easy right now." Kei shook his head, then smiled faintly. "But don't worry—we've made preparations too."
"Kakashi, you mean?" Namikaze Minato sighed. "I knew it. Back when you urged me to place him in ANBU, there was a hidden reason behind it. I just didn't expect your foresight to stretch so far."
"Better to prepare early than be caught off guard. Honestly, when I first had the idea, it wasn't all that well thought out—Kakashi wasn't in good shape back then."
Kei didn't bother denying it. "But now he's recovered. That means he's ready to move forward."
"A squad captain, then?" Minato considered it, but in the end shook his head.
"A captain I can arrange, but he won't have enough manpower. And with only one squad captain, there's little he can actually do."
That much was true. In Minato's current circumstances, the most he could safely offer Kakashi without sparking resistance was a captain's post.
Any higher than that, and the next step would be commander of the entire ANBU.
Minato would love to see Kakashi reach that level and had even made some tentative plans—but the truth was, he simply didn't have the personnel left to support him.
"Captain Minato is underestimating my intentions." Kei smiled lightly. "At this stage, what can a mere squad captain accomplish? I imagine you've made some arrangements of your own, haven't you?"
"Yes," Minato admitted. "I've tasked Kakashi with identifying which members are truly loyal to the Third Hokage, and which ones answer to me as the current Hokage."
His words carried the polite phrasing of honorifics, but no real respect.
The Third's way of doing things had left Minato bitterly disappointed.
Too many secrets lay buried in Konoha—secrets Minato himself was not permitted to touch.
He wanted to uncover them, but he couldn't; everything was locked away in Root.
According to Hiruzen, Minato simply wasn't "ready" yet.
Only once he had "matured" enough would those truths be revealed to him.
How was he supposed to respect such a man? A leader who wore the mask of kindness and spoke of peace, while keeping his successor in the dark?
"We've already prepared the manpower for you," Uchiha Fugaku spoke up at last.
"Kei foresaw long ago that you would face such difficulties.
That's why we've readied a group in advance—Uchiha clan members, all elites, all bearing the Sharingan.
They won't pry into ANBU's secrets, nor meddle in affairs they shouldn't. They'll take orders from you alone, and follow only your commands."
"Uchiha members?" Minato blinked in surprise, glancing over at Kei.
"Yes. They are the clan head's most trusted men—the ones who embody the truest spirit of the shinobi."
Kei smiled faintly. "Pure tools. You can use them without hesitation.
And once they complete their missions, they will withdraw from ANBU.
After all, raising and training them has always been a taxing, arduous process."
Minato understood instantly. These so-called "Uchiha members" were no ordinary ninja—
they were shadows, death-sworn retainers loyal only to the clan head.
Every great clan had such men.
They were raised from childhood together, gifted and well-trained.
But their humanity was stripped away, replaced with ruthless conditioning and terrible techniques.
In the end, only one truth remained etched into them: obey the clan leader's will.
"You want them to enter ANBU?" Minato hesitated, unease flickering across his face. He truly worried they might do things that shouldn't be done.
"Just place them under Kakashi's command," Kei said calmly.
"Promote Kakashi to captain. Assign these men to his squad. When there are missions, they'll be at his side. When there aren't, they'll return to the Uchiha compound. Treat them as you would hired mercenaries, nothing more."
"…I see." Minato thought it over carefully, then finally nodded.
"I understand. I trust both Kei and Fugaku are wise men. Some actions would only destroy our cooperation and friendship—neither of you would cross that line.
So be it. They will enter ANBU under Kakashi's lead. And when all of this is over…"
Minato drew in a deep breath, his tone firm.
"…then ANBU's gates will stand open to the Uchiha clan as well."