Chapter 397 – Those Who Stand Outside Konoha
Kei lightly flicked the blood from Kiryoku and looked down at the fallen Kumogakure shinobi. He shook his head faintly.
They truly hadn't posed any threat.
Especially not when he was serious.
Even if their numbers had far exceeded his own, it would have made no difference. They simply lacked the means to endanger him.
With a quiet sigh, Kei sheathed his blade.
By then, Ayaka had led the members of the Police Force down from the surrounding heights.
Most of them still hadn't fully processed what they had just witnessed. Their expressions were dazed, as though they had stepped into an illusion.
Too strong.
Uchiha Kei had been overwhelmingly strong.
One man against thirteen.
Casual. Effortless.
The entire fight hadn't even lasted three minutes.
And within those three minutes, Kei had nearly wiped them all out. Only Dodai remained alive—collapsed pitifully on the ground.
Kei had deliberately spared him.
He was merely trapped inside a genjutsu.
Though the Kumogakure shinobi had spoken in whispers—so quiet Kei couldn't hear them clearly—his Sharingan didn't require sound.
Reading lips was enough.
They had simply been unlucky.
Unlucky enough to encounter Uchiha Kei.
And in a way, the Police Force members were unlucky too.
They had marched for hours expecting battle.
In the end?
They hadn't lifted a finger.
Instead, they had watched a three-minute solo performance by their commander.
Now their job was to clean up the bodies.
---
"So these were the ones planning to infiltrate Konoha and cause chaos?"
Ayaka was the only one who remained calm. She stepped beside Kei and glanced at the corpses scattered across the snow.
"Damn it… are you just too strong, or were they too weak? You make it impossible to judge properly."
Kei smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Is that so? Then I suppose I owe you an apology."
He paused before continuing in an even tone.
"They weren't weak. It's just that I counter them too cleanly. Shinobi who rely primarily on taijutsu are naturally restrained when facing me."
Ayaka didn't look pleased.
But she didn't refute him either.
As irritating as it was, he wasn't wrong.
Back then, even Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi had been subdued by him with shocking ease.
These Kumogakure shinobi had numbers.
But Kei had never feared numbers.
In fact, the more enemies there were, the more fully he could demonstrate his advantage.
"Reluctantly… I have to admit that's true," Ayaka sighed. Then her gaze shifted to Dodai. "What about him? Is he their commander?"
"Most likely. I think I've read a report about him before." Kei rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "His name's Dodai. He holds some status in Kumogakure."
He glanced down at the unconscious man.
"Killing him here wouldn't be a problem. But he's worth more alive. There's no reason to refuse greater benefits, is there?"
At first, Kei hadn't immediately placed him.
But between Orochimaru's earlier description and the strange sphere-like bloodline technique he had used, the memory surfaced.
Dodai.
In another timeline, he had protected Naruto's shadow clone.
He had been close to the Third Raikage—and had even trained both the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
That alone made him valuable.
No—far too valuable to waste.
If Dodai died here, it would indeed strike a blow to Kumogakure's morale.
But morale could recover.
In the hands of capable leaders, his death could even be twisted into fuel for retaliation.
A temporary loss was rarely decisive in war.
Interrogation, however—
Secrets, strategies, internal structures—
Those were lasting advantages.
Better to bring him back to Konoha.
Extract what lay buried in his mind.
Then decide how to leverage him in the conflict between Konoha and Kumogakure.
Perspective changes everything.
If this had been years ago, Kei would have cut off Dodai's head without hesitation—or reduced him to ash with a single blaze.
But now?
Now he stood on a different level.
Not merely as a warrior—
But as someone who operated slightly outside Konoha… and slightly above the battlefield itself.
And that difference changed how he chose to act.
Killing him would certainly save time and effort.
But that was no longer an option.
As someone standing in a position of authority, Kei had to consider every angle.
What he needed now was not merely something that benefited himself—but something that benefited everyone who stood on the same side as him.
Under the Police Force's careful supervision, the eleven corpses were quickly gathered and secured. Afterward, they followed Uchiha Kei back to Konoha.
By the time they arrived, it was already midnight.
Kei gave a brief report, dismissed everyone, and ordered them to rest.
It had been a long day. Even if they hadn't fought, they had traveled for hours. Fatigue was evident on every face.
He instructed them to transport the Kumogakure bodies to the Police Force for examination and emphasized that Dodai must be guarded carefully—no accidents allowed.
Then he left.
---
After a night's rest, Kei went straight to the Hokage's office at dawn.
Minato Namikaze was already there, reviewing documents.
If anyone was exhausted these days, it was him.
"Kei-kun?" Minato looked up in surprise. "You're early. I heard you intercepted the Kumogakure infiltrators yesterday. Any results?"
"Yes. The mission was completed yesterday," Kei replied with a nod. "It was just too late to report."
Then he glanced around the office.
"You didn't stay here overnight, did you? I doubt little Naruto and Kushina-san would be pleased."
Minato laughed and shook his head.
"I used Flying Thunder God to come over. There are seals placed inside the office. Lately, we've received quite a bit of good news."
He placed a document in front of Kei—but kept it covered, smiling.
"Still, tell me your side first. Did you catch them?"
His mood seemed good.
Perhaps something favorable had happened on the frontlines.
Though Minato didn't underestimate Kumogakure, the pressure on him—especially casualty reports—was immense.
"It went well," Kei said with a faint smile. "I received unexpected intelligence yesterday. The source… was Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru?" Minato blinked in surprise before nodding thoughtfully. "No wonder Jiraiya-sensei can't find him. So he's still in the Land of Fire. Are you in contact?"
"Not exactly. I once asked him to look for something on my behalf. In exchange, I occasionally pass along Jiraiya-sama's movements."
Kei adjusted the truth slightly.
"He's rather troubled by Jiraiya-sama's pursuit. I don't think he has any intention of returning to Konoha. But if Hokage-sama wishes me to do something…"
Minato rested his chin on his hand, thinking.
"Let's hear what happened first."
Kei explained everything—from Orochimaru sending a snake to contact him, to the information trade. He didn't hide the details of their exchange.
Minato had already seen Kei's full power. There was no need to conceal anything.
And the transaction fit Orochimaru's personality perfectly.
After listening, Minato sighed in disbelief.
"So the Kumogakure squad, trying to be overly cautious, changed routes—and coincidentally ran into Orochimaru in the Land of Fire?"
"And Orochimaru simply handed you the intelligence?"
"Exactly." Kei shrugged. "Thirteen in total, including the commander. All dealt with. The commander, however, is interesting."
"Oh?" Minato leaned forward. "Who was it? And how did you handle them?"
"The others were eliminated," Kei said calmly. "The commander is alive—currently detained in the Police Force prison."
"He's called Dodai."
Minato's expression shifted immediately.
As Hokage, he knew that name.
Kumogakure had made quite a gamble.
If Dodai had successfully entered Konoha, the consequences would have been severe.
Fortunately—he had been unlucky.
Changing routes to avoid suspicion, only to collide with Orochimaru.
Fate had played its hand.
With a figure like Dodai captured, many matters suddenly became clearer.
Minato was already considering how to extract intelligence from him.
"There's one more thing," Minato said thoughtfully. "I'll have ANBU send him to the interrogation division. Of course, if you wish to question him yourself—"
"No," Kei interrupted with a shake of his head. "The last time I interrogated someone, they died. I'd rather not repeat that."
A faint smile crossed Minato's face.
"Very well."
Then his voice lowered.
"What about Orochimaru? What's your view?"
Kei tilted his head slightly.
"That depends on you, Hokage-sama. But personally… I think it's best to let him remain as he is—outside Konoha."
Minato nodded slowly.
He had been thinking the same.
Orochimaru was dangerous.
Powerful.
And unpredictable.
Minato didn't fear political competition. After two years as Hokage, he knew Orochimaru would never realistically reclaim that position.
What he feared was something else.
The backlash.
The unresolved blood on Orochimaru's hands.
Whatever the circumstances, his experiments had cost innocent lives.
That was not something that could be brushed aside lightly—even with magnanimity.
Yet in his current state—hovering outside Konoha—Orochimaru was useful.
He could do what Konoha officially could not.
He could act where Konoha's hands were tied.
In that sense, he was far more practical than the old Root.
"Then maintain contact with him," Minato said quietly. "But Kei-kun… you have a responsibility."
"I understand," Kei replied with a faint smile. "I'll keep an eye on him. I won't allow him to endanger our people. And if he shows any dangerous intentions…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Minato nodded.
Everything had already been understood.