Chapter 291 – A Pleasant Collaboration
"He… he's in Kirigakure?"
Uchiha Obito froze. Then, his expression twisted—darkness clouding his features until his face looked almost feral.
It wasn't an act. He was genuinely baffled.
Why on earth would Uchiha Kei come to the Land of Water of all places?
Didn't that man understand what was happening here?
Had Obito's carefully written report meant nothing to him?
But Obito quickly calmed himself down.
Someone like Uchiha Kei—especially with his position in Konoha—wouldn't come here without a reason.
Obito's feelings toward Kei were… complicated.
He didn't know whether to hate him, despise him, or—somewhere deep down—admire and even care about him.
Once upon a time, there would've been no question.
To Obito, Kei had always been the embodiment of cold calculation—a cunning, manipulative, deceitful snake.
Cruel. Cold. Detached.
But after learning the truth of what really happened—after Kei had forced him to see the reality he'd been avoiding—Obito's perception had begun to shift.
He still remembered Kakashi, kneeling at the graves of himself and Rin, whispering quietly under his breath.
And in those whispers, Kei's name was always there.
Kakashi had told him how much Kei had helped him, how Rin had thought of Kei as a kind and gentle person.
And now, no matter how Obito tried to suppress it, the memory of those illusions still haunted him—
that warm afternoon sunlight,
that gentle girl holding the hand of a clumsy boy,
that fleeting moment of innocence and peace.
If Kei could create something that pure… perhaps he really was gentle, somewhere beneath all the cruelty.
The contradiction tore at Obito.
How could one person switch faces so completely—so effortlessly?
Maybe that was the real Uchiha Kei:
a man utterly ruthless to his enemies, yet quietly human to those he protected.
---
"Yes. He's in Kirigakure."
Black Zetsu, noticing Obito's turmoil, spoke up, trying to sound reassuring.
"There's no need to be angry. That venomous serpent hides himself too well. But don't worry—we're closing in on him.
"And this time, he only brought two subordinates. Three people in total. It'll be easy to make sure they never leave this place alive."
"Really?" Obito's voice dropped, calm but chilling. "You said before that his eyes were weakening. Yet I nearly died to him. How do you explain that?"
Black Zetsu faltered. He had no good answer.
That damned Uchiha Kei was a mystery wrapped in contradictions.
He had no brother—no reason to possess an Eternal Mangekyō—and yet his ocular power was monstrously stable.
During the last battle with Obito, Kei had voluntarily dismissed his Susanoo.
To Zetsu, that had seemed like a clear sign of exhaustion—his eyes failing.
But then, Kei unleashed something entirely different.
A shift in his chakra flow, a surge in speed and precision…
It was as though he had another ocular ability—one that strengthened his control and reflexes beyond comprehension.
Zetsu had watched closely. That acceleration didn't strain Kei's body at all.
No backlash, no physical damage—nothing.
If it was a dōjutsu, how could he use it so freely?
"…Could he have obtained Hashirama's cells?" Black Zetsu muttered internally.
He couldn't make sense of it, but he was convinced Kei had gained something extraordinary—
something that restored and even enhanced his ocular power, just like Obito had with White Zetsu's body and Hashirama's DNA.
And given that Kei had once raided Orochimaru's old base, it was possible—perhaps even likely—that he'd taken something from there.
"It was just an accident," Black Zetsu said firmly, trying to sound confident. "Even if he's gotten stronger, what can he really do? He can't fight the entire Hidden Mist.
"Remember—you're the real Mizukage now."
"…True."
Obito nodded slowly, then gave a faint, almost mocking smile.
"Who are his teammates?"
"Hyūga Ayaka and Senju Kenta," replied Zetsu.
"Well—'Senju' might surprise you. That's Imai Kenta's real surname. My clones didn't get too close; both have high sensory perception."
"Interesting."
Obito fell silent, torn. He had no desire to fight Kei—not now.
After a long pause, he said quietly, "Don't alarm them. Watch and see what they're doing. Recall your clones. If they're trying to infiltrate the village, let the ANBU handle it."
"That's fine," Zetsu chuckled. "If the ANBU confront them, it'll look like a conflict between Konoha and the Mist—not us."
Obito's lips curved slightly. "Yes… I'm curious. How long can that man endure before striking back? After all, he is the head of Konoha's Military Police."
The tone was sarcastic, but inwardly, Obito was already thinking about how to warn Kei—
that the Mist was watching him.
---
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kei was completely unaware that he had already been discovered.
He didn't even know that it was Konoha's own undercover ANBU who had exposed his presence.
Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
In fact, he might have wanted Black Zetsu to deliver that message straight to Obito.
After all, Black Zetsu would never suspect that Madara's hand-picked successor—
the man he'd raised and molded—was already a double agent of the highest order.
Obito Uchiha, curse-sealed heart and all, was unknowingly serving as both weapon and shield for Kei's larger plan.
And if those seals could ever be neutralized—well, there was one person in Konoha capable of such a feat.
Uzumaki Kushina.
The heir of the Uzumaki sealing arts, wife to the Fourth Hokage, and arguably the strongest fūinjutsu master alive.
If Kei could obtain the exact pattern of the curse seal embedded in Obito's heart, Kushina could likely dismantle it.
But that would have to wait.
For now, neither Obito nor Kushina could know.
---
Kei shook off the thought and focused.
He had more pressing matters.
---
"Just the three of you?"
Kei stood before three masked figures—Konoha ANBU operatives hidden in the Mist.
Hyūga Ayaka and Imai Kenta flanked him, alert but silent.
Kei's Sharingan spun slowly, the three tomoe rotating like red blades.
He didn't trust them. Not yet.
If things went wrong, he'd be ready to strike first.
"Lord Kei," the lead ANBU rasped, bowing slightly with one hand resting on his weapon.
"Forgive our caution, but… may we confirm your identity first?"
"Of course," Kei said coolly. "But you'd better not try anything foolish. We're all in a bad spot, and I'd rather not make it worse."
He produced a scroll. The ANBU did the same.
They exchanged them wordlessly and took a step back, channeling chakra into the seals.
Three seconds later, both sides closed their scrolls.
The ANBU nodded and signaled his companions. They removed their masks.
"My apologies, Lord Kei," said the lead agent—a nondescript middle-aged man with forgettable features.
"As you said, we have to be careful these days."
"I understand," Kei replied, removing his own mask in turn.
Ayaka and Kenta followed his lead.
They knew the risk—if these agents were captured, their faces could be exposed—but mutual trust had to start somewhere.
Besides, inside Kirigakure, masks wouldn't last long anyway.
"You intend to enter the village?" the lead ANBU asked quietly.
"Of course. If the Mist hadn't gone insane, I wouldn't be here," Kei said flatly. "We have a mission—an important one. And we'll need your help."
"We understand."
The ANBU exchanged glances before the leader spoke again.
"We can prepare suitable identities for you. What kind of cover do you require?"
Kei blinked—then smirked.
He had to admit, these men had good instincts.
That question wasn't about logistics—it was a subtle probe to learn who he intended to approach inside Kirigakure.
"Wrong question," Kei said, eyes flashing crimson again.
"You should've asked what else I needed. A veteran operative like you should know better.
"Tell me… who ordered you to phrase it that way?"
---
Moments later, in a hidden underground chamber, Kei stood face to face with a pale-skinned man with long, dark hair.
"Orochimaru," Kei said quietly.
---
He had imagined many possibilities: that the ANBU had been captured, that they'd turned traitor, or that they were under the influence of Danzo's Root faction.
But this?
He hadn't expected Orochimaru to be behind them.
It made a strange kind of sense.
Root had always specialized in deep infiltration, embedding operatives within foreign villages.
And Orochimaru, once a key member of Root himself, had likely retained—or even stolen—some of those assets.
Perhaps Danzo had caught on, and those agents were quietly reassigned to the Mist as part of a cover-up.
Typical of Orochimaru. His manipulation could rival any curse seal.
---
"Still as perceptive as ever, Kei-kun," Orochimaru hissed, that serpentine tongue flicking across his lips.
"I must admit, I didn't expect one sentence to draw your suspicion so quickly."
"So they slipped up," Kei said dryly. "What I want to know is—why you're here. Surely you've noticed how unstable Kirigakure has become?"
"I have," Orochimaru chuckled. "That's precisely why I'm here.
Surely, someone as sharp as you has realized that this land's peace is… temporary."
"You're after the bloodline clans, aren't you?" Kei said, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Typical of the man who almost became Hokage."
Orochimaru's grin widened. "Then I assume, from that tone, our goals are the same. Not exactly encouraging, is it?"
"Indeed, not," Kei replied, eyes narrowing.
But Orochimaru quickly relaxed.
Their purposes might align—but their scales were different.
Kei sought to manipulate the balance of nations.
Orochimaru merely wanted subjects—a few bloodline holders to dissect and study.
And perhaps, he thought, they could be useful to each other.
Orochimaru bore no grudge toward Kei for his exile.
Leaving Konoha had always been inevitable. Whether by Jiraiya's hand or Kei's, he would have escaped regardless.
The village had become a cage—one he had long since outgrown.
He would not be bound. Not by laws, not by sentiment, not by anyone.
---
"So," Orochimaru said with a grin, "does Kei-kun have any interest in… collaboration?"
"Collaboration?" Kei raised a brow, amused.
He hadn't expected that invitation—but it intrigued him.
He thought for only a second before smiling faintly. "Interesting. Yes, working together might be far more efficient than working alone.
"But tell me, Orochimaru—who's your target?"
"Not yet decided," Orochimaru admitted with a sinister lick of his tongue. "There are many bloodline clans here—the Yuki and the Kaguya are of particular interest to me."
"Then you can have one," Kei said evenly. "I'll take the rest.
"If I fail, they're yours. If I succeed and you still lack a viable subject, I'll deliver ten of them to you myself—though how you keep them is your problem."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
The deal was fair.
Efficient. Ruthless.
Perfect.
Kei's last remark wasn't just idle talk — it was a subtle warning.
He was cutting off any potential afterthoughts Orochimaru might have entertained.
Cooperation was cooperation; certain boundaries needed to be made clear right from the start.
Kei had no intention of wasting time indulging Orochimaru's endless curiosity.
If the Snake Sannin wanted test subjects, Kei would provide them — nothing more, nothing less.
Let Orochimaru find his own way to awaken bloodline powers. Kei wasn't about to get his hands dirty with those experiments.
As for Kimimaro…
Kei couldn't care less about his feelings or fate.
Orochimaru's talent for brainwashing might be impressive, but Kei had little reason to fear it.
Even if he eventually decided to make use of Kimimaro, the boy's future seemed obvious — most likely, Hyūga Ayaka would drain him dry in the name of medical "research."
"Kei-kun, you're quite the greedy one," Orochimaru hissed, tongue flicking with a grin.
"From what I've gathered, the Kaguya clan no longer has anyone capable of awakening their kekkei genkai. You're guarding against that possibility, aren't you?"
"Of course," Kei said without hesitation.
"You can act recklessly all you want — I can't.
"I'm already taking a risk by sharing resources and even offering you test subjects. In that sense, I'm being rather generous.
"Cooperation is meant to be mutually beneficial, wouldn't you agree… Orochimaru?"
"Of course," Orochimaru replied smoothly, his smile growing wider. "Tedious as it may sound… I find it rather enjoyable. Understanding the world's secrets — that is the truest pleasure.
"I accept your terms, Kei-kun."
"Excellent." Kei smiled back faintly. "As expected of you, Orochimaru. Your… composure is admirable."
And it was. Kei had to admit, he did respect Orochimaru in some ways — not just for his brilliance, but for his unwavering passion to uncover the unknown.
Kei himself had no such patience.
He wasn't the kind of man to bury himself in research or experimentation.
He preferred results — the finished, perfected products of other people's work.
That wasn't laziness; it was pragmatism.
He knew his strengths. He was a strategist, a manipulator, a fighter — not a scientist.
As the saying went, "Each art has its master."
---
"Well then," Kei said, folding his arms. "To ensure our cooperation goes smoothly, there are a few matters I'll need you to handle personally, Orochimaru."
The overall terms were set — now came the details.
Small matters, perhaps, but ones that required perfect understanding to make their plan work seamlessly.
Orochimaru's thin lips curved into another smile.
He glanced at Kei, then past him, at the two operatives standing silently behind him.
After that, his eyes flicked to the three masked ANBU still kneeling nearby.
Those three had been captured by Kei earlier, subdued instantly under the power of his Sharingan.
Had Orochimaru not intervened, they would already be dead.
Now, however…
A sudden chorus of screams broke the silence.
The three ANBU clutched their throats, faces turning ghostly pale as black veins crept under their skin. Their eyes bulged in horror, their bodies trembling violently.
Their agony was short-lived, but the sight was grotesque — the very air seemed to twist around them.
Orochimaru, unfazed, chuckled softly.
"Ah, so the esteemed Kei-kun wishes to determine the precise loyalties of the ANBU still stationed here in the Land of Water, yes?"
He spoke casually, and as he did, three small white snakes slithered lazily up his arm and around his shoulders.
"I can provide that information. It's a simple matter," he continued.
"However… as for the task of visiting and negotiating with the heads of the local clans—"
"Naturally, that will be my responsibility," Kei interrupted with a nod. "My position makes that unavoidable. Otherwise…"
He smiled faintly, letting the unspoken implication hang in the air.
Orochimaru's grin widened. "Then it's settled. A pleasure doing business with you, Kei-kun."
"Likewise," Kei replied, matching his smile with one of his own — cold, composed, and dangerous.
The two men's laughter mingled for a brief moment, echoing through the dimly lit chamber.
The alliance had been forged — one born not of trust, but of calculation.
Both understood perfectly well: they were partners only as long as their interests aligned.
And when those interests diverged…
only one of them would walk away smiling.
---