When the new game *Homeland* took the world by storm and some players were already suffering from the sheer social embarrassment it caused, Uchiha Kei was busy tinkering with his next big project.
This time? Livestreaming.
Yes. Online streaming.
The sheer power of the spiritual network system was far beyond what anyone expected. With the rollout of Level 4 spiritual networks making internet access widespread, features that had already become common on Earth—like livestreaming—were finally possible here too.
As everyone knew, livestreaming technology might be complex, but its development is deeply tied to internet speed. In the slow-bandwidth days, livestreaming was a joke. But once speeds ramped up, all technical hurdles fell away.
Now, the spiritual network had leapfrogged past all those early barriers. In the Hidden Leaf Village, internet speeds started at a staggering 1GB per second—something that would've crushed even hard drives back on Earth in Kei's former world.
With this kind of infrastructure, Kei didn't need to waste time on feasibility studies. He could jump straight into development.
And the first system he wanted to implement? Livestreaming. It had already proven its worth during previous press conferences—an absolute weapon for harvesting emotional energy.
Not only that, it could keep competitive games like *Ultimate Storm* burning hot with popularity for the long haul. More importantly, it offered a way for even the poor civilians in the ninja world—those who couldn't afford to play games—to contribute emotional value too. Make livestreaming free, and even those struggling to make ends meet would appreciate some entertainment during their rest.
But livestreaming came with a hidden superpower. One that, back on Earth, had been weaponized by wicked men and caused untold suffering: media influence and the tyranny of public opinion.
Anyone who'd finished basic schooling and studied media theory understood just how terrifying this force could be. This wasn't just about propaganda—it was the power to topple entire governments.
From the collapse of the Soviet Union to the chaos in nations torn apart by media warfare, the pattern was always the same: propaganda led to division, and division led to ruin.
By developing a livestreaming system, Kei would be putting that power in *his* hands. In the hands of the Uchiha. In the hands of the Hidden Leaf.
Sure, the ninja world already had newspapers, but their influence was barely a blip. True media dominance wouldn't appear until the *Boruto* era.
Kei? He wasn't waiting.
He was jumping ahead. With livestreaming as his weapon.
And Kei didn't pretend to be noble. He wasn't above using that power to reshape the ninja world. But in his mind, it *was* justice. Because he'd bring real progress.
Sure, by Earth's standards, what he called "advanced systems" weren't all that special. But here? It was like bringing down lightning from the heavens.
After all, the ninja world was rotten to the core. Tear it apart and you'd only find more rot. It was a pit of despair.
Of course, building a media empire to rival Earth's superpowers would take time. A lot of time and effort.
But time was one thing Kei had.
The Fourth Great Ninja War was off the table.
Uchiha Madara was now a reclusive old man hooked on Genjutsu games, calling out "senbei" like a retired shut-in. So no real threat there.
Sure, Black Zetsu might still be lurking. Maybe even Isshiki Ōtsutsuki and the Kara organization. But right now, the ninja world was in a rare period of peace. More than enough time for Kei to grow.
In fact, Kei had a theory: this world might not even have the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
At least, not the monsters from *Boruto*.
He had tried to find characters like Uchiha Hikari and the monk Jigen. Nothing. No trace.
Maybe they were hiding, maybe it was too early. But based on what he saw, this world was more like a mash-up of *Shippuden* and its movie spin-offs—not the power-scaled chaos of *Boruto*.
And Kei was just fine with that.
Sure, *Boruto* opened up more possibilities. But the power levels were ridiculous. Even peak-era Madara would get soloed like an NPC.
If he ever *did* reach Six Paths-level power, he hoped to encounter the Ōtsutsuki in another world via the Dragon Vein. Not here. The ninja world was too small to handle such monsters.
While Kei was deep in his streaming project, Uzumaki Kikyo was facing a different kind of dilemma.
A girl's dilemma—about the future, and about happiness.
The cause? Uchiha Kei, of course.
It wasn't because Kei was popular or had countless admirers. Kikyo knew him too well. He looked like a stoic prince, but he was 100% a carnivore. If a girl cleaned herself up and walked into his arms, he wouldn't say no.
The only reason he hadn't made a move… was because Kikyo hadn't been ready.
Ninja society was still fairly conservative. Most things were saved for marriage. And while Kikyo wasn't *strictly* against premarital intimacy, she did want to wait for a special day.
That said, Kei was definitely going to end up with Uchiha naori too. That was inevitable.
But Kikyo wasn't bothered.
She didn't come from the Hidden Leaf. She hadn't grown up under its monogamous ideals passed down from the First Hokage.
She'd suffered in the Land of Grass. Seen filth, cruelty. Had she been older at the time, she'd have probably been a victim.
She understood reality: outstanding men were bound to attract women. It was natural.
That's why, when she first saw naori, her first emotion wasn't jealousy. It was joy.
"Kei's greatness is finally being recognized," she thought. "That's wonderful."
So even if the rumors were true—if Tsunade-sama really did fall for Kei and wanted to marry him—Kikyo wouldn't mind.
No matter what, she would never leave Kei. And he wouldn't let her go either.
But lately… she was troubled.
Why?
Because she and Kei had fewer and fewer things to talk about.
With the Genjutsu games evolving, and the spiritual network growing, Kei had become a total workaholic. His research? Completely beyond her.
They used to talk about ninja stuff, village gossip. Now? Kei was always deep in thought, working. She couldn't relate. Couldn't help. And that made her anxious.
He was still gentle. Still made time to date her.
But the lack of shared topics… made her feel useless.
Kikyo never wanted to be just a pretty face. She wanted to be his ally. Just like when she helped with the Genjutsu scrolls.
Unfortunately, she didn't realize that Kei's progress wasn't normal. He was in cheat-code mode.
Forget Kikyo—even the entire ninja world couldn't keep up with him.
Her worry? Completely unnecessary.
Thankfully, someone did notice.
Uchiha naori.
The usually quiet and dependable older woman saw what Kikyo was going through. That night, she found Kikyo alone on the balcony, staring at the moon.
Then came a girl-to-girl talk.
naori revealed a surprisingly warm and insightful side. Unlike her usual stoicism, she was talkative, sharp, and direct. She quickly pinpointed Kikyo's inner struggle.
Kikyo was embarrassed. Deeply. She wanted to bury herself.
But naori, ever understanding, used gentle words to comfort her—and gradually untied the knot in her heart.
She said:
"Kikyo-san, I know you want to help Kei-dono. And I've never doubted your ability. But Kei-dono is… different. Few can truly aid him directly."
"What we *can* do is support him in other ways. Like me and the guard unit—we protect him from shadows, keep threats at bay."
"Our Uchiha duty is to carry out Kei-dono's will. To handle the things he shouldn't be bothered with."
"You, Kikyo-san, have the Uzumaki clan's sealing talent. That's your gift. Study it. Master it. Only then can you truly help Kei-dono."
"And don't forget—his emotional needs, his heart… that's something only *you* can fulfill. No one else."
"You're more important than you realize."
As she said this, even naori felt a twinge of envy.
She knew she couldn't replace Kikyo in Kei's heart. Even if she bore him Uchiha heirs someday, she'd never mean as much as Kikyo.
Because Kei wasn't the kind to discard people.
Still, it wasn't bitterness. naori understood herself, her role. She didn't want to replace Kikyo—she just admired the bond they shared.
As their talk wrapped up, naori gave Kikyo a suggestion: if she really wanted to help, just *ask* Kei. No need to overthink.
"Kei-dono always has a plan. And if there's a place for you in it, he'll tell you."
That advice hit home.
Kikyo lit up. She thanked naori—and even promised, hilariously, "I'll help raise your kids someday!"
Then she ran off to find Kei.
Half an hour later… Kei learned about her worries.
Stroking his chin, he said, "If you're serious about helping, there *is* something. But it means showing your face to the world pretty often. Are you okay with that?"
Kikyo blinked. "Eh? Show my face? Like, deal with people?"
She hesitated. Her past made her wary of strangers.
Kei nodded. "Kind of. But not the usual way. You might never meet them face-to-face. They'll see you—but you won't see them. Thousands. Maybe tens of thousands."
That got her attention. A new kind of interaction? One-sided? Sounded strange.
So Kei explained livestreaming to her. From top to bottom. No secrets.
He told her about the power behind it. About media. About influence.
And as she listened, Kikyo's eyes lit up. Brighter and brighter.
It really *was* like a whole new world had opened before her.
Because Kei had just brought an invisible power to the ninja world—one far beyond slander or rumors.
One that could change everything.
Poll: What should replace Teaching Kendo in Tokyo 1980 (TKT)?
Hey everyone,
I've decided to put Teaching Kendo in Tokyo 1980 (TKT) on hiatus for now. In the meantime, I thought it'd be fun to run a poll to see what you'd like me to work on next. Can't wait to see what you all pick!
Options:
A brand new fanfic (picked by me)
Continue a recommended fanfic (suggested by Readers and will be voted on Again)
Two chapters a day for Uchiha Kei: Game Dev in the Shinobi World
Two chapters a day for My Game Studio is Full of Valkyries?!
Two chapters a day for Monster Hunter Grand Assembly
📅 Voting will be open on Patreon for one week!
Heres the link to the poll
https://www.patreon.com/posts/poll-on-what-to-137136810?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkpatreon.com/BestElysium