Chapter 297 – Preparing to Act (Double Length Chapter)
"The great Orochimaru himself—I thought you weren't going to show up tonight."
The moon hung pale and heavy in the misty night sky, casting a gray sheen over the forest.
Standing among the trees, Uchiha Kei gazed calmly at the snake-like man before him.
After exchanging key intelligence with Ayaka Hyūga and Kenta Imai, Kei had ordered them to rest.
What he'd told them hadn't been encouraging—
though he promised this was only "an act," it was clearly one that would require risking their lives.
Still, they had no right to refuse.
After all, it was Ayaka's personal mission—to track down the Kaguya bloodline—that had brought them to the Land of Water in the first place.
They had come together; whatever consequences followed, they would face them together.
If they had anyone to blame, it was those ANBU who'd been killed by Orochimaru.
As Kenta had said bitterly, "those bastards deserved it."
Their deaths had done nothing but complicate everything—especially since their recklessness had exposed Kei's team to the Mist's watchful eyes.
Kei hadn't bothered to explain further.
He'd simply returned to his room, intending to get some rest—
until he noticed a small white serpent coiled on his pillow, its tongue flicking toward him like a summons.
He didn't need to guess who had sent it.
Following the snake through the moonlit forest, he soon found its master waiting for him—
the ever-smiling Orochimaru.
---
"How could I ever ignore you, Kei-kun?" Orochimaru hissed, his long tongue sliding across his lips as he tossed a scroll toward him.
"All the information you wanted is here. Every last detail has been confirmed."
Kei caught the scroll and unrolled it on the spot.
Even for him, the thoroughness was impressive.
The document listed every Konoha intelligence operative stationed in the Land of Water—
ANBU, Root, and independent agents alike.
Names, genders, ranks, allegiances—nothing was missing.
Just possessing this scroll meant one could wipe out all of Konoha's covert infrastructure in the Mist with a single leak.
Kei's eyes flickered faintly, but his tone remained calm.
"As expected of you, Lord Orochimaru. Such meticulous data… it's almost frightening.
I suppose you began turning people to your side back when you were still in Root?"
"There's no need to make it sound so ugly," Orochimaru replied with a soft chuckle.
"I simply… prepared for possibilities. After all, I was once a Hokage candidate. Even if I didn't care for the title, one should always be ready for what might have been."
Kei nodded, closing the scroll.
"So you planted your own agents in ANBU and used your Root connections to gather leverage.
But in the end, the Third Hokage didn't choose you—perhaps he saw the hunger in your eyes?"
"Perhaps," Orochimaru said smoothly, unbothered. "Or perhaps I was simply too difficult to control. The old man preferred obedience over brilliance.
Wouldn't you agree, Kei-kun?"
Kei gave a faint smirk. You're not wrong—but I don't need your validation.
With the scroll now secure, Kei mentally checked one objective off his list.
His "official" mission in the Land of Water was complete.
Now it was time for his personal mission—investigating the small, secluded cabin that housed someone he couldn't afford to overlook.
Kimimaro.
If he was here, Kei wasn't leaving without confirming it.
---
"Two options," Kei said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"First, you wait until the Kaguya clan is on the brink of destruction, then seize their survivors."
"Second… you strike sooner. The Mist will soon face internal turmoil. That's your window."
"Oh?"
Orochimaru's eyes glimmered with intrigue. "The Kaguya clan—destroyed, you say? How very interesting.
What makes you so certain?"
He considered the possibilities.
Could they have discovered something? Were they planning to strike first?
He quickly dismissed that idea.
The Kaguya weren't capable of that kind of foresight—or subtlety.
Their strength was brute force, not intelligence.
So… was it Kei who had pushed them? Manipulated them into rebellion for his own ends?
The thought made Orochimaru's grin widen.
He couldn't be sure, but his instincts told him Kei was quietly steering events toward the Kaguya's downfall.
As for the "changes within the Mist Village," Orochimaru assumed that meant Kei's team had been discovered.
To cover their tracks—and protect the clans they'd contacted—they'd stage an attack, creating chaos that would erase any trace of their involvement.
Naïve on the surface, perhaps. But politically? It was clever.
As long as they provided a plausible reason, the Mist's leadership would look the other way.
Bloodline clans were, after all, the pillars of any shinobi village.
As long as they weren't outright revolting, any "incident" could be conveniently brushed aside.
And Kei had visited more than one clan.
The fact that no one in the Mist was talking yet only meant one thing:
he'd already silenced every potential leak.
The Land of Water was already unstable—isolated, paranoid, its leadership growing more authoritarian by the day.
Adding Kei to that mix could only make things worse.
And Orochimaru loved it.
"I'll take the second option," he said, his serpentine smile widening.
"If you're going to put on a show, Kei-kun, I'd hate to miss it.
I only wonder—how grand will your stage be?"
Kei chuckled. "That depends on how enthusiastically the Mist decides to perform.
Lately, I've noticed quite a few ANBU sniffing around nearby.
So I'd say the stage won't be small."
He wasn't exaggerating.
ANBU had been shadowing them for days.
Though neither Obito nor Black Zetsu would ever expose him, Kei knew better than to underestimate the Mist's intelligence division.
Their combat prowess might be lacking, but in terms of surveillance—they were relentless.
Fortunately, all they had done so far was track him. They hadn't found his exact position.
A testament to how carefully he'd concealed his movements.
---
"Well then," Kei said, turning to leave. "If that's your decision, I'll look forward to seeing what you accomplish, Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru's chuckle slithered through the trees like a cold breeze.
"And I'll look forward to collecting your corpse, should you fail."
Kei paused mid-step, then waved casually over his shoulder.
"If it comes to that, I'll be sure to leave you something worth dissecting."
He didn't take the insult to heart.
If he truly died here, Orochimaru wouldn't fare much better.
After all, Kei had already opened the door to forbidden power for him—
given him access to a Sharingan specimen far ahead of its time.
No way would Orochimaru waste that opportunity.
And if Kei did die, well… Orochimaru did have Edo Tensei.
Maybe he'd bring him back one day.
He smirked at the thought, shaking it off as he made his way back to his quarters.
He didn't believe in such outcomes anyway.
With eyes beyond the Mangekyō and a kunai from Minato himself,
if he couldn't survive a battle of this level…
then he'd have no right to call himself Uchiha Kei.
---
Back in his cabin, Kei sat down and began writing.
Letters—coded ones—to the clans he'd contacted earlier.
If chaos was coming, he needed to make sure the right people knew when to move.
He didn't bother warning everyone—just two clans:
the Kaguya and the Yuki.
The Kaguya needed to stay confident in his "support," unaware they were walking into their own ruin.
The Yuki, on the other hand, represented his official mission.
They were to stay vigilant—and perhaps use the coming chaos to purge their enemies.
The letters were written quickly and efficiently.
Once finished, Kei tied them to messenger hawks and sent them into the misty night sky.
Moments later, as he turned to rest, the air in his room rippled.
A black vortex of swirling space-time opened behind him.
Kei didn't resist.
He was pulled into the void—
and a heartbeat later, found himself standing face to face with a masked man.
Uchiha Obito.
"You've been exposed," Obito said flatly, wasting no time on pleasantries.
"The last time you used messenger hawks, they noticed. They couldn't track it then—but this time, inside the Land of Water?
You've drawn too much attention."
Kei smiled faintly. "I know. I'm ready for it."
He'd been aware of the risk. He simply didn't care.
This mission was nearly done anyway—it was time to wrap things up.
Almost three months had passed since he'd left Konoha.
He had achieved his objectives.
Now it was time to go home.
"You're returning to Konoha, then?" Obito asked quietly.
Kei nodded. "Yes. It's been long enough. I can't leave things unattended forever."
Obito was silent for a moment.
Truth be told, Kei's presence had been both a comfort and a danger.
This was his base of operations—their organization's base.
Every time he met Kei, he risked exposure.
And yet, he couldn't deny it—seeing another Konoha shinobi again,
especially one who still treated him like a comrade,
had reminded him of something he'd long forgotten.
Belonging.
Kei was his superior, technically.
But more than that, he was a connection to the part of himself that still yearned for redemption.
---
"You've done well," Kei said, stepping closer, his tone soft but firm.
"You've become a true shinobi again, Obito. From here on, it's your path to walk."
Obito didn't answer.
Kei smiled faintly. "With your abilities, slipping back into Konoha shouldn't be difficult, right?"
"It's not," Obito admitted quietly. "Don't worry. I'll handle things here."
Kei shook his head. "I'm not worried. You're more capable than you think.
But when the chance comes, return to Konoha—just for a while.
Even if you can't use your real name…
visit as one of its shinobi.
And pay your respects to Rin."
Obito froze.
Behind his mask, his mouth opened slightly—but no words came.
After a long silence, he simply nodded.
His heart was a tangled mess of pain and gratitude.
To return to Konoha—not as an enemy, but as a ninja again.
To stand at Rin's grave, even in disguise—
That was more than he had ever hoped for.
He said nothing more, only bowed his head slightly, the light of the Kamui dimension flickering faintly across his mask.
Kei watched him quietly, his expression unreadable.
He knew what this meant for Obito.
A small act of remembrance…
and perhaps, the first step toward salvation.
The moment Kei's messenger hawks took flight, they were noticed.
Not only by the Mist's ANBU, but also by Black Zetsu himself.
That alone was enough to confirm it—
Uchiha Kei's cover had been blown.
The question now was not if his enemies knew—
but how he would respond…
and what Obito would do in turn.
"What's your plan?" Obito asked sharply, his tone low and tense.
"I've already followed your orders," he continued. "I sent several elite jōnin out of the village under the pretense of coastal reconnaissance.
But I can't overplay it. There are still too many powerful shinobi left in the village—especially in the ANBU."
Kei waved him off, interrupting mid-sentence.
"You don't need to worry about us," he said calmly. "Worry about keeping yourself from being exposed.
Stick to the plan, and do exactly what we agreed on. As for me… you can relax."
He exhaled softly, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"I've tried to keep this stage as small as possible—but it seems the curtains are rising whether I like it or not."
Obito frowned. "The stage… is bigger than you think. And yes—Black Zetsu's already moving."
Kei's brows knitted slightly. "Black Zetsu? So this came from him?"
Obito nodded grimly.
He had done what he could to divert suspicion—issuing careful orders, removing several high-level jōnin from the area under vague pretenses.
But if he pushed any further, Black Zetsu would sense something was off.
Neither of them could afford that.
The moment Zetsu grew suspicious, all their delicate planning would crumble.
So Obito had no choice but to warn Kei:
whatever he was planning—a small, controlled skirmish, a minor distraction—it was too late for that now.
The scale would be much larger.
---
"And one more thing," Obito added. "Genji knows about you."
Kei's eyes narrowed. "The Mizukage's advisor?"
"Yes. Information came from one of his ANBU. They don't know who you are, but they know someone's here. I couldn't interfere—it would've drawn too much attention."
Kei was silent for a long moment.
Then his lips curved into a cold smile.
"So they've noticed me, huh? Fine." His eyes gleamed. "Tell me, Obito—
would you like to use this chance to cut that old fox down to size?"
Obito hesitated. "…You mean—"
"I hadn't planned to go that far," Kei interrupted lightly. "Originally, I just wanted a small distraction before leaving.
But since one of my old enemies is showing his face… perhaps it's time for you to demonstrate that legendary 'wisdom' of yours."
His tone carried the faintest edge of mockery, though the intent was deadly serious.
"Spread the word," Kei continued. "Make sure Genji's faction comes for me.
Then pull the Mizukage's forces back. Let them watch from a distance."
Obito's eyes gleamed beneath the mask. "You're going to attack them yourself?"
Kei smirked. "Not for you, Obito—for the Mizukage.
If he joins the fray personally, it'll give you the perfect excuse to show where your loyalty lies."
Obito chuckled softly. "Interesting."
---
Meanwhile, deep within a dimly lit room in the Hidden Mist,
Kaguya Shigemitsu read a letter by candlelight, his expression twisting into a cruel smile.
The paper burned in the flame, curling to ash as he watched without emotion.
Kei's message was brief—no details, just a warning.
He'd been marked by the ANBU, he said, and would have to "take action" soon to divert their attention.
That action, apparently, included an "attack" on the Kaguya—
one in which he might even "forcibly take" a few of their young.
Shigemitsu's grin widened.
What a cunning brat.
Kei's ploy was obvious—he'd draw the Mist's wrath, give the Kaguya a scapegoat to blame,
and in doing so, secure both their survival and a reward for himself.
Even as he helped them escape scrutiny, he planned to profit from it.
Shigemitsu's mind turned, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
Could it be that this boy's true goal… is our bloodline itself?
The thought passed quickly.
If so, Kei would be disappointed.
The Kaguya clan's Kekkei Genkai was effectively extinct.
That truth was both their tragedy—and Shigemitsu's greatest advantage.
If bloodline power still decided leadership, he'd never have become clan head.
Now, with no one left who could awaken the Shikotsumyaku, his rule was absolute.
And if anyone did awaken it—
Shigemitsu's eyes narrowed coldly.
He would crush them himself.
Even a child.
---
That thought brought another to mind—
the mother and child he'd been keeping imprisoned.
The woman had once been the wife of his rival for clan leadership.
Her son… was three years old now.
Kimimaro.
Shigemitsu had long debated what to do with them.
Killing them would make him look cruel; keeping them alive was a constant irritation.
Either way, they were a lingering stain he wished gone.
"Could that Hyūga girl have found them?" he muttered under his breath.
He knew well the power of the Byakugan—the way it could unearth secrets no one else could see.
The Mist had long coveted that power.
Even after years of effort, only one shinobi in their history had ever successfully stolen a Byakugan.
He exhaled sharply, dismissing the thought.
"Fine," he said coldly. "If they want something… they can come and take it themselves."
A cruel smile crept across his lips.
"It'll save me the trouble of cleaning up the trash."
---
Elsewhere, within the Yuki Clan's compound,
their leader Minato (not the Hokage, but his namesake) sat silently, rereading Kei's letter by the light of a flickering candle.
He could still remember that night—
the sudden arrival of three shadows in his study,
the young man from Konoha who spoke with the authority of someone far beyond his age.
Kei's warning was clear enough:
storms were coming.
Minato wasn't sure whether to believe him.
But neither could he afford to ignore him.
If Kei's words were true, the balance of the Land of Water was about to collapse.
And for the sake of his clan's survival, he would need to prepare.
The candlelight danced in his eyes as he whispered to himself,
"Perhaps… the boy was right."
He dropped the letter into the flame.
It caught quickly, curling into ash.
There was much to think about.
The Yuki Clan would have to choose its side soon—
and for the first time in decades, the future of the Mist
was about to be rewritten by foreign hands.