Chapter 440 — Battle (Part 1)
"You bastard…"
Ayaka quickly caught up to Kei, her expression clearly displeased—though that was as far as it went.
Somewhere deep down, she had already begun to accept… even grow accustomed to his behavior.
Habit was a terrifying thing.
It quietly reshaped what a person could tolerate—
and where their limits lay.
Like a domesticated cat—
though this one, clearly, still had claws.
"Relax," Kei said with a casual smile. "I'm not about to expose myself over something as trivial as pride."
"And besides… when I fought him before, I relied entirely on dōjutsu. My fighting style was completely different."
"Even if he's sharp, he won't notice anything."
He did appreciate her concern.
But he truly wasn't worried.
Even if the Fourth Raikage intended to test him through combat—
it wouldn't matter.
Back then, Kei had used his dōjutsu to completely suppress him.
It had been the most efficient choice under pressure, especially without prior intelligence.
But now—
things were different.
He knew the Raikage.
His speed was absurd—
but not beyond perception.
Kei might not match it physically—
but he could see it.
And that was enough.
Defense, timing, counterplay—
all within reach.
More importantly—
he had read the medical reports.
The Raikage's injuries were severe.
If not for his monstrous physique—
he would have died long ago.
Just look at Hiruzen—
still unconscious, reliant on oxygen.
Even if the Raikage recovered to eighty percent of his strength—
that would already be impressive.
But a full recovery?
Impossible.
And even if he somehow did—
this was Konoha.
Would he really dare go all out here?
Taking everything into account—
Kei had no reason to fear him.
And without relying on dōjutsu—
did that really mean he couldn't win?
---
After about an hour of walking and idle conversation, the two arrived at a forest on the outskirts of Konoha.
The area was dense with strange sealing markings.
The moment they stepped in—
they felt it.
Eyes.
Watching them.
But as soon as their identities were confirmed—
the presence vanished.
A masked ANBU appeared before them in an instant.
"Lord Kei," the shinobi knelt on one knee. "The Hokage has been waiting inside."
"I see."
Kei nodded, then gave the man a brief, curious glance.
"You're from the Uchiha clan, aren't you?"
"Yes, Lord Kei!" The ANBU's voice carried a trace of excitement.
"No wonder…" Kei nodded, patting his shoulder lightly. "Keep it up."
Without another word, he continued forward.
Since Minato had taken control of ANBU, some loyal Uchiha members had been integrated into its ranks.
Years had passed.
Most of them had performed well—
though a few had died in action, their Sharingan never recovered.
Fugaku had made no complaint.
Those who joined ANBU—
accepted the risks.
Still…
the fervor in this shinobi's reaction was unmistakable.
ANBU answered directly to the Hokage.
They weren't supposed to show such overt loyalty.
But Uchiha—
were different.
To them—
Kei had become something else entirely.
At this point, within the clan—
his authority rivaled even Fugaku's.
---
Deeper into the forest—
a wooden cabin came into view.
Unremarkable.
Almost rustic.
And yet—
it was heavily guarded.
Visible sentries.
Hidden watchers.
Even members of the Police Force were stationed nearby.
Barrier techniques layered the area.
For such a modest structure—
the security was overwhelming.
But once you knew who was inside—
it made perfect sense.
The Fourth Raikage.
And the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
Both held here.
A prison.
Or—
a hospital.
Depending on how you chose to see it.
The Raikage had been awake for over half a month.
But Killer B—
was still unconscious.
After all, he had faced the full force of a fourth-stage Susanoo.
And he had taken the worst of it.
His condition—
was far from stable.
---
"Hokage-sama."
Stepping inside, Kei glanced at the equipment filling the room before looking at Minato, who stood quietly nearby.
"Ah, Head Kei. You're here." Minato nodded. "You've been busy. Sorry to trouble you with this as well."
Kei was about to respond—
when a deep, rough voice cut him off.
"So… you're Uchiha Kei?"
The Fourth Raikage.
His gaze was sharp.
"And you're the one that mysterious bastard claimed was worth fighting?"
"…You just look like a kid to me."
Kei didn't even blink.
"Yeah. Just a kid."
He smiled faintly.
"But unlike you—"
"I didn't end up like that after fighting him."
The Raikage's expression darkened.
"Brat… are you provoking me?"
Kei tilted his head slightly.
"Why waste time pretending?"
"You're suspicious of me, aren't you?"
"Trying to test me?"
"Or what—are you actually that stupid for a Raikage?"
Silence.
The Raikage didn't deny it.
Because it was true.
He had heard the rumors—
that Kei possessed a black Susanoo identical to that mysterious Uchiha.
And that his taijutsu was terrifying.
Sure, Konoha spread explanations—
that Susanoo could share colors.
But to him—
that sounded like a cover-up.
Even if Kei wanted to avoid suspicion—
as Head of the Police Force, with the Hokage's backing, he didn't need to go that far.
Which made it even more suspicious.
From the Raikage's perspective—
everything pointed to one possibility:
Uchiha Kei—
was that masked Uchiha.
And he intended to prove it.
If he was wrong—
nothing lost.
He was already a prisoner.
But if he was right—
then this could become a powerful bargaining chip.
After all—
Konoha had suffered immensely from that mysterious attacker.
The Nine-Tails incident.
The devastation.
Even Kushina, the Jinchūriki, had nearly died.
With such hatred—
would Konoha really protect Kei?
The Raikage…
didn't believe it.
The Fourth Raikage was no fool.
At the very least, during the war—
when Kumogakure had faced that mysterious Uchiha—
Konoha had intervened without hesitation.
Yes, they had their own motives—
but their hostility toward that man had been unmistakable.
"Hmph. Nonsense!"
Though that was exactly what he suspected, the Raikage still needed to maintain his pride.
"I'm just curious what kind of power could make that bastard interested in a fight."
"And I want to see for myself—how you would face him."
The moment he finished speaking, he tried to act—
only to find his chakra completely suppressed.
His expression darkened instantly.
He shot Minato a glare—
then turned his frustration toward Kei.
Kei almost laughed.
He knew it was an act—
but it was a convincing one.
Anyone else might have fallen for it.
Shaking his head slightly, Kei glanced at Minato—
who met his gaze and gave a faint nod.
Minato didn't hesitate.
"Release his seal," he said calmly. "It's fine. He won't cause trouble in Konoha."
His tone was firm.
Confident.
The Raikage's expression shifted subtly.
His left hand clenched tightly—
anger flickering across his face.
Meanwhile, the Konoha shinobi inside the cabin reacted very differently.
Excitement.
Relief.
They had understood exactly what the Raikage was trying to do—
to sow discord.
Between the Fourth Hokage and Head Kei.
Between Kei—
and Konoha itself.
It infuriated them.
But they also knew—
this was not a conversation they could interfere in.
Now, however—
Minato's response made everything clear.
He hadn't believed a word of it.
And Kei—
hadn't even bothered to take the provocation seriously.
In fact—
he had accepted the challenge outright.
Yes.
Everyone present could see it.
The Raikage wanted a fight.
Whether it was to test Kei—
or simply to regain some control—
his intent was obvious.
And yet—
neither Kei nor Minato seemed concerned.
It made sense.
Their relationship went far beyond this moment.
Back when Kei was still just a chūnin—
he had already worked alongside Minato.
Together—
they had completed a mission that ended the war.
That bond—
wasn't something a few words from a defeated Raikage could shake.
And Minato's blunt dismissal?
That was its own form of retaliation.
A clear signal—
that he had no patience for such manipulation.
As for whether Kei could defeat the Raikage…
there was some hesitation.
But in the end—
they trusted him.
After all—
this was the man who had helped seal the Nine-Tails using shadow clones alongside the Hokage.
The man who had faced—and defeated—a mysterious Uchiha alone.
Even if there were rumors of multiple Uchiha within that shadowy group—
Kei remained the only one known to have beaten them.
Against the Raikage—
he would surely have confidence.
---
Before long, the seal was removed.
The Raikage clenched his left fist—
feeling chakra surge back through his body.
Only then did he feel truly alive again.
For a shinobi—
losing chakra was crippling.
No matter how strong their body or instincts—
the loss was devastating.
Especially for someone like him—
whose entire combat style relied on overwhelming chakra and lightning-enhanced taijutsu.
Without it—
his strength plummeted.
Now, restored—
he lifted his head.
His gaze briefly passed over Minato—
before locking onto Kei.
Kei didn't respond.
He simply turned—
and walked out.
For him—
this fight had always been inevitable.
Words were unnecessary.
---
Outside, in the clearing near the cabin—
Kei stopped and waited.
The surrounding Konoha shinobi quickly caught on.
They gathered—
drawn by anticipation.
ANBU operatives moved swiftly, setting up barrier techniques around the area.
A fight like this—
without containment—
could spiral out of control.
Of course—
whether the barrier would actually hold…
was another question entirely.