Chapter 51: Father and Mother
"He's already returned?"
In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage set down the document in his hand, took a deep drag from his pipe, and closed his eyes in thought. After a moment of silent contemplation, he exhaled a stream of smoke and slowly opened his eyes.
To be frank, the Third Hokage was truly shocked. He never expected that an Uchiha kid who had seemed so ordinary would shine this brilliantly.
Had he not trusted Konoha's mission assessment and intelligence systems—and more importantly, had the report not come directly from someone he deeply trusted—he would've thought the information was fake.
Kakashi Hatake was without a doubt a prodigy-full of surprises. Yet now, compared to this young Uchiha, even Kakashi seemed… ordinary.
What was most astonishing was that this boy awakened the Sharingan directly at the three tomoe stage. Such a case wasn't just unheard of in the Uchiha clan—it was beyond anything even the Hokage himself, who had witnessed the growth of Konoha from its early days, had ever seen.
As for how far this kid could go, the Third Hokage didn't know. But he had other things to worry about—namely, Kakashi.
The Uchiha clan truly were... intense. Not only did Uchiha Kei awaken his Sharingan, but another kid did as well—Kakashi's teammate, Uchiha Obito.
And then the kid died right after awakening it. For the Third Hokage, that was a kind of… unspeakable "relief."
Yes, during wartime, such dangerous thoughts shouldn't exist. Every ninja is a vital force in defending Konoha. But there are always hidden truths beneath the surface.
Still—if you die, then you die. Why give your eye to Kakashi?
As a gift for him becoming a jōnin?
Then what—should every Leaf ninja who becomes a jōnin expect to receive a Sharingan from the Uchiha?
Even Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya's prized student, silently allowed it. That part made the Hokage's head hurt the most. He did think it was handled well, but the Uchiha wouldn't take this lightly.
All these headaches were piling up, and it was driving the Third Hokage to frustration. Otherwise, he wouldn't have so quickly arranged for Jiraiya to head to the Iwagakure front lines in the Land of Grass. That once foolhardy student had now grown into someone truly capable.
"I just hope the Uchiha don't cause more trouble right now," muttered the Third Hokage, biting his pipe as he pulled his hat lower over his brow. "The war is nearly over… Jiraiya and Minato should handle the negotiations with the Iwa-nin just fine. But Orochimaru…"
Already in a sour mood, the Hokage became even more agitated at the thought of his other disciple. Not even the recent victory reports from the frontlines could lift his spirits.
Lately, Orochimaru had been anything but well-behaved. And with all the rumors swirling, the Third Hokage felt the pressure closing in. His student truly seemed to have changed.
Changed so much that even he couldn't fully understand him anymore. So much that even the Hokage had to be cautious around him. A tragedy, really.
"Is this Danzō's doing? Or someone else's? I just hope no one stirs up trouble too early…"
While the Third Hokage was buried in these frustrations, Uchiha Kei had already returned to the Uchiha compound. Along the way, Uchiha Jun had been talking nonstop, while Kei responded just enough to keep the conversation going.
Kei understood his place, after all. And to be honest, he did need the clan's resources. Though he looked down on the people walking beside him, he still forced himself to be polite.
Once they reached the Uchiha district, the welcoming party excused themselves—clearly, they had a report to make.
"Trying to test me, huh?" Kei muttered, shaking his head after watching them leave. He couldn't be bothered to deal with them.
Their questions were mostly meaningless. But from the way they asked, Kei could piece together what they were really getting at—hints about internal clan matters, and promises of certain… benefits.
He simply nodded to show he understood, but made no commitments. That was to be expected.
Kei needed to show a bit of resentment and arrogance—only then would they feel at ease. As for which side he would ultimately choose? That didn't matter right now.
He had just returned from a brutal battlefield and completed a high-risk mission. If he didn't show some bitterness, it would raise suspicion.
And having reached the level of three-tomoe Sharingan at such a young age, if he didn't have a trace of arrogance, that would be strange.
Uchiha Kei disliked superficial and insincere conversations, but without a clear plan for his future, this was the only way he could navigate the present.
The clan was another battlefield—no less dangerous than the front lines. How many renowned warriors had fallen not to enemy blades, but to the internal strife of their own clans and countries?
Walking alone along the familiar path, Kei followed the memories of this body back to what was now his home.
His house wasn't large, but not too small either—a modest place for a family of three. As he pushed open the door, the sight that greeted him was of his parents from this life.
Kei hadn't arrived in this world as one of those so-called protagonists whose parents were sacrificed for power. Instead, his relationship with his current parents was... flat. He found it impossible to cultivate any deep emotional bond with them.
"You're back, Kei-kun?" his mother, Uchiha Ryoko, stood up with a warm smile the moment she saw him.
"Yeah, I'm back," Kei nodded, his gaze briefly passing over the joyful woman and the man sitting quietly in the living room, trying to suppress the emotion at the corners of his eyes.
His father, Uchiha Keisuke, was once a chunin. But an injury during the Second Great Ninja War had abruptly ended his career as a shinobi. Technically, Keisuke was no longer a ninja—these days, he relied on clan resources and connections to run a small business that supported the household.
Keisuke was a quiet, reserved man—perhaps a result of his unfulfilled ambitions and the bitterness of a cut-short career. Still, he had treated Kei well. The foundation of Kei's training had been built by his father, limited though it was by his rank and vision as a former chunin.
But Kei was still grateful. Those early lessons and battle instincts had helped him survive his first missions, even giving him the edge to stand tall today.
As for his mother, Ryoko, she worked a clerical job with the Konoha Military Police—her strength barely at genin level. Her days were spent recording petty disputes and minor incidents. She was, essentially, a background character with no upward mobility.
"You're still as cold as ever. That temper of yours really needs work," Ryoko said casually, clearly unfazed by Kei's aloofness. "I heard you got injured. Are you okay? Should we take you to the hospital?"
"I'm fine. Just need some rest," Kei replied with a small shake of his head.
Ah, the universal truth of parental love... Kei mused. Perhaps his parents were the only people in the Uchiha clan who cared more about his health than his Sharingan.
And yet, Kei found it difficult to fully accept them as "his" parents. From birth until now…
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