"You… cast your Tsukuyomi… on me?"
Sweat poured down his face as he lifted his head, staring at Kenya in disbelief.
For a moment, Kisame no longer had the intention of fighting Kakashi. With a flicker of the Body Flicker Technique, he appeared at Itachi's side, the Samehada gripped tightly, protecting his comrade.
"There are many Konoha shinobi rushing here. Let's go, both of you."
Kenya calmly slid Kyōka Suigetsu back into its scabbard.
"You're not going to kill us?" Kisame asked, astonished.
Even Itachi, usually calm, was visibly shaken.
To be honest, their relationship with Kenya was difficult to define. Not quite enemies, but certainly not allies.
Itachi thought quietly—someone like Kenya was far too dangerous for both Sasuke and Konoha.
Kisame didn't press further. After hefting Samehada over his shoulder, he prepared to leave.
But Kenya's voice stopped him.
"Hoshigaki Kisame. With your talents, it's a waste to stay in your current organization. If you ever wish to change sides, come find me."
Kisame froze for a moment. He hadn't expected Kenya to suddenly extend an olive branch. With a wry grin, he replied, "That's flattering… but I'm satisfied with my current position. You don't need to concern yourself."
He dared not speak rudely to Kenya. Their brief clash had already proven how terrifying Uchiha Kenya was. If a careless word made Kenya reconsider sparing them, Kisame would have nowhere to hide.
In the next instant, the two vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
[Current Template Character: Lord of Hōgyoku – Aizen Sōsuke. Unlock rate: 47.58%]
"So little progress?" Kenya mused.
He knew why. He hadn't killed them, merely defeated them. That wasn't enough to trigger greater evolution.
A faint sigh escaped him. What a pity… the Hōgyoku failed to evolve. It seems I'll need to move my plans forward.
At that moment, Kakashi climbed out of the river, adjusting his forehead protector to cover his left eye before stepping up beside Kenya.
"Why let them go? Itachi, Kisame… they're both dangerous."
Even now, Kakashi couldn't grasp Kenya's true intentions.
"Itachi still has value. Kisame is also a talent. Even if I can't use him, killing him gains me nothing. So I spared them."
Kenya turned away, not bothering to explain further.
"Mr. Kakashi! What happened here?!"
More Konoha shinobi rushed over, alarmed by the lingering pressure of battle.
Considering Itachi's sensitive status, Kakashi could only wave them off. "It's fine. The matter is resolved. Everyone, return to your posts."
Though the shinobi suspected Kakashi was concealing something, they knew better than to question further. With brief nods, they dispersed.
For the first time in years, Kenya found himself in a rare moment of leisure.
No Kazekage to confront, no endless piles of documents to approve, no armies to secretly marshal for Konoha's collapse plan.
For now, all he had to do was wait—wait for Tsunade's return, and for the final decisions regarding the Land of Wind.
He had even set aside his training for the time being, spending his days idly entangled with Kurenai.
But today, an unexpected visitor came looking for him.
Kurenai's home.
As she set a glass of iced water on the table, she noticed the heavy atmosphere. With an exasperated roll of her eyes, she stood up.
"I'm going shopping for groceries."
Basket in hand, she left the house.
Ever since he moved in, I've felt less like a kunoichi… and more like a housewife, she muttered under her breath as she walked away.
Kenya sat across from a boy whose expression was nothing but resentment, his face twisted as though the world owed him millions. Suppressing his irritation, Kenya spoke flatly:
"Say what you came here to say."
"What happened that night?"
The one sitting before him was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.
One of the last surviving Uchiha in the world—Indra's reincarnation.
Yet Kenya had little interest in him. For now, the Hōgyoku within his body remained silent. That meant Sasuke's soul had yet to fully awaken. Killing him now would yield nothing.
"That night… didn't you already see? Itachi showed you everything with his illusion," Kenya replied indifferently.
"Kakashi's been acting strange lately. I can tell he's hiding something from me," Sasuke said with a deep frown. "So I came here. I thought you might know."
Kenya raised an eyebrow.
He instantly understood—Kakashi was hesitating to reveal the truth about Itachi.
The council had forbidden it, fearing not only unrest in Konoha but also the possibility of Sasuke shifting his hatred from Itachi onto the village itself.
Although the higher-ups didn't care about a boy who had barely reached the level of a Chūnin, they still saw the potential danger of a ticking time bomb.
For Kenya, however, Sasuke wasn't just a key to unlocking his bloodline. He was also a blade—one that could be turned against Konoha's leadership without Kenya ever dirtying his own hands.
"Do you know about the disturbance in the western district two days ago?" Kenya asked suddenly.
Sasuke's eyes widened, and he nodded.
"That was my battle with Rong."
"What?!" Sasuke shot up from his chair, eyes blazing. "He's in the village?!"
Without another word, he turned to dash out the door.
But Kenya raised his right hand, golden light instantly weaving into a long rope that coiled around Sasuke's body.
With a heavy thud, Sasuke crashed to the ground.
"Bakudō No. 4: Restraining Rope."
"What the hell are you doing?!" Sasuke shouted furiously, struggling against the golden binds.
"It's been two days. He's long gone. And even if he wasn't—what could you possibly do with your strength?"
Kenya's voice was laced with mockery, his cold eyes looking down on Sasuke as though he were nothing but a child throwing a tantrum.