Chapter 80: Might Guy
After the clan meeting ended, Uchiha Kei lived a rather quiet life for a while.
Without sufficient intel, Kei wasn't about to make any reckless moves. If he got exposed, the consequences would be disastrous.
So, Kei continued with his usual "busy" routine — either recording notes, reading, or sparring intensely with Kakashi.
Kakashi's rapid improvement left even Kei a little stunned. It was as if, after finding the path that suited him best, Kakashi's progress was advancing at lightning speed.
In Kei's opinion, the current Kakashi could probably defeat his former battlefield self within just a few breaths.
Is this what true genius looks like?
Kei scratched his head, wondering: if the Hatake clan were somehow descendants of the Otsutsuki, could Kakashi have reached the level of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha? Maybe even surpass them and make them irrelevant?
Of course, it was just a passing thought. In the world of Naruto, bloodline meant everything. If you were born into an Otsutsuki-descended clan, you started leagues ahead of everyone else.
Think about Toneri Otsutsuki — the guy had almost no real combat experience, yet with his bloodline and the Tenseigan, he managed to push Naruto into a nearly even fight.
As Kei put it: "Even a pig with that kind of power could manage something like that."
Kei already had a strong bloodline as his foundation. Even if his raw talent was poor, he had something others lacked — information. And that was the true reason Kei believed he could shape his future.
"But that's all for the future. Without putting in the work now, there is no future. Besides, I've got more than enough on my plate."
And indeed, Kei had a lot to handle. His top priority right now was to figure out Uchiha Yuu's movements and gather detailed intel on his strength.
At times like this, he couldn't help but miss Ayaka Hyuga a little. With her around, many intelligence-gathering tasks wouldn't require him to get involved personally.
But Kei absolutely wouldn't seek her out again. Working with her in a situation like this would basically be handing her ammunition against him.
He had already been considering cutting ties with that woman — she was a loose end he needed to resolve eventually. No way was he about to entrust her with sensitive matters now.
If Ayaka realized the situation, she'd probably sell Kei out at the first opportunity, if only to protect herself. After all, she had crossed Kei in plenty of ways already — she was far from feeling secure.
As he strolled slowly down a main street in Konoha, Kei contemplated his next step: should he investigate Yuu's movements first, or his combat abilities?
Lost in thought, he suddenly caught sight of a green blur — someone moving upside down, dashing past him at a speed far beyond any normal person.
Kei froze for a moment, then chuckled.
If he wasn't mistaken, that should be Might Guy.
Sure enough, as Kei laughed silently to himself, the upside-down green figure actually reversed course, stopping neatly beside him.
"Kei?" Might Guy called out, still balancing perfectly on his hands, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.
"Yeah... long time no see, Guy," Kei said, his mouth twitching slightly. He nodded. "You're as energetic as ever."
"Of course!"
Pushing off the ground with both hands, Guy landed firmly on his feet, giving Kei a massive grin and a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming white.
Cheerfully, he added, "That's right — this is my youth in action! And it's been so long, Kei! Ever since you became a big hero, it's rare to see you — Kakashi too!"
"Big hero, huh? Come on, I was just doing what I had to do," Kei said, instinctively taking a small step back. Guy was absolutely drenched in sweat, and Kei really didn't want to get splattered.
As Guy enthusiastically gave another thumbs-up, droplets of sweat visibly flung off into the air, sparkling under the sunlight. Kei desperately kept his distance.
Kei was never cold to people with "simple" mindsets like Guy's, at least not when there was no life-or-death reason to be. Plus, Kei's broader plans called for making more connections — not acting cold and aloof like a poker-faced loner to everyone he met.
"No, Kei — you are a hero!" Guy said seriously. "If it weren't for you, the outcome of the war wouldn't have turned out so well!"
"Alright, alright, enough of that," Kei quickly waved him off. "Hero or not, I still got kicked by you back in school, remember? Doesn't seem like it changed much."
"That's totally different!" Guy laughed, scratching the back of his head as he remembered the old days. "Anyway! Since you're out and about, why don't we have a friendly spar?"
"Maybe next time," Kei immediately shook his head. "I'm heading to the mission hall. Not planning to pick up a mission, just want to check out the situation."
Kei hadn't made up his mind earlier, but now he had a plan — go see what missions were posted.
While the missions assigned to the Konoha Police Department and the regular mission hall were two separate systems, the mission hall still had heavy traffic. Maybe he'd pick up some useful intel.
Information gathering was always about digging through countless tiny details, and the mission hall was prime real estate for loose chatter and rumors.
Enemy spies lurking around Konoha often tried to pick up intel through indirect sources like that. Even if he didn't find anything critical there, it wouldn't be a loss — after all, not everyone was a protagonist who stumbled upon exactly what they needed every time.
Worst case, he could drop by the Police Department and poke around. As a member of the Uchiha clan, he had a legitimate excuse to visit, especially since the current head was Fugaku Uchiha.
There'd be nothing suspicious about a clan member visiting the chief.
Of course, due to his rank and status, Kei wouldn't have access to confidential files like patrol logs. But a casual visit was perfectly doable.
And if by some chance he managed to get his hands on information like Uchiha Yuu's patrol routes? Then all Kei would need was to study Yuu's capabilities and set up an ambush along the way.
"I see!" Guy gave another big thumbs-up. "Then good luck, Kei! I'll keep working hard too!"
"Uh... thanks," Kei said, taking another discreet step back to avoid the flying sweat, then nodded politely. "Let's both do our best."