CHAPTER 165

Early the next morning, Uchiha Kai rose with the sun.

Ever since awakening in this world, sleeping in had become a thing of the past. After a quick shower, he exchanged a few quiet words with his parents, Uchiha Ryoko and Keisuke, before stepping out into the morning air.

Ryoko and Keisuke were glad to see their son home—even if only briefly—but they understood that his duties in the Konoha Military Police Force left him little time for family. Kai's recent exploits had made waves: his position as vice-captain alone brought prestige, but the rumors of his battlefield feats had made him infamous. While his parents felt pride, they also bore the quiet burden of fear—for their son, and for the future that surrounded him.

When Kai had casually offered his mother a position within his division, Ryoko had politely declined. He had expected as much. Still, he made a mental note to ease her worries through less official channels. Rank had its privileges, after all.

As he walked down Konoha's bustling streets, a thought occurred to him.

"Where the hell does Imai Kenta live?"

Kai came to a stop near a food stand, frowning.

It was annoying. Kenta Imai, their mysterious teammate, didn't come from a clan and had no known residence in any of the main districts. Civilian-born, he was always hard to pin down—by nature or design. If it were Aya Hyuga he was looking for, it would be easy: just head to the Hyuga compound, speak with a branch house member, and she'd appear within minutes.

But Kenta? Kenta could vanish into thin air.

This only deepened Kai's irritation. Of the three of them—Kai, Aya, and Kenta—Kenta had proven to be the most unpredictable, perhaps even the most dangerous. Unlike Aya and himself, bound by clan obligations and political maneuvering, Kenta moved with a freedom that Kai found enviable—and unsettling.

Aya Hyuga, on the other hand, had always been difficult to read. Before he awakened his Sharingan, she was cold and distant, hardly acknowledging his existence. But after he'd unlocked his three tomoe, her attitude had shifted sharply. Kai didn't put much stock in it. He knew what clan-born shinobi were like. Power changed how they saw people. And now she saw him.

Still, he didn't trust her. Not completely. She was clever. Calculating. Dangerous in her own way.

As for the Hyuga clan's archaic rules—especially the division between main and branch families—they were little more than relics from an age of lunar paranoia. The cursed seal, the Bird in the Cage, was nothing short of slavery disguised as tradition. In Kai's eyes, that made branch members the most tragic of all shinobi.

"Tch... Better ask around," Kai muttered to himself, rubbing his chin.

He greeted a few passing shinobi with polite indifference, then began heading toward the home of Fujō Hangbei, another Police Force officer and the older brother of a junior Kai had recently recruited. He hadn't spoken to Hangbei since returning from his last mission, and it might be good to check in.

But halfway there, something—or rather, someone—caught his eye.

A woman stepped into view, making a swift, discrete hand sign.

"Hyuga Aya?" Kai narrowed his eyes. "Of all the people to run into..."

The hand sign was unmistakable: "Follow me."

He hesitated only a moment. Then he followed.

Aya led him through a few side streets and finally into a quiet dango shop. Oddly cautious for someone inviting him for a simple conversation. She slid into a seat and gestured gracefully.

"Please, Kai-kun. Join me. We haven't talked since the mission."

"Appreciate the invitation, Aya-san."

He sat across from her, maintaining a cordial smile. But inside, his instincts were already on high alert.

Without a word, she poured tea into his cup, then into her own. There was a deliberate silence between them—too deliberate. After she finished preparing the tea, she finally spoke again.

"Aren't you going to try it? It's a special blend from the clan. A gift from my fiancé."

Kai's eyes flicked toward her.

"Fiancé, huh? Congratulations. Guess that means no more frontline missions for you."

The words left a bitter taste in his mouth, though he hid it well. She was pulling back from active duty. That meant less risk—but also fewer opportunities for Kai to observe or influence her. She was retreating. Strategically.

"Thank you," Aya said with a polite smile. "His name is Hyuga Teru. A main family member. Kind, they say. Naïve. But good-hearted."

Kai's gaze sharpened.

A naive main family shinobi? Easy for someone like Aya to manipulate. This wasn't about love—it was survival and power consolidation. She was positioning herself, embedding herself deeper into the clan's internal structure.

"So that's your plan," he murmured. "Gain influence from the inside."

"I appreciate your blessing," Aya replied, her smile shifting—slightly mocking now.

"At least now I have some value, right? And I know not to 'talk nonsense' anymore."

"Aya-san, be careful," Kai said quietly, his voice hardening. "You may understand what you're implying, but not everyone here would take it so lightly."

Her smile never faltered, but her voice dipped into a whisper.

"Understood. No more talking. But I didn't ask you here just to show off."

Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Then why?"

"To propose a... partnership."

Before he could reply, Kai noticed her hand shift beneath the table. A kunai, glinting faintly, hidden in her sleeve—pointed not at him, but at herself.

His eyes widened.

"You're threatening yourself?"

Aya's expression didn't change. Her voice was calm, precise.

"Just a gesture. A reminder of how serious I am. You know I'm not suicidal. But this way, you'll listen."

Kai clenched his jaw. The location, the timing, the visibility—Aya had chosen well. Any sudden moves would draw attention. She was playing a dangerous game, but she played it flawlessly.

"Did your clan send you?" he asked darkly. "Or are they aware of what you're doing?"

"Neither," Aya replied. "This is my decision. My life. My offer."

Kai stared at her, his expression unreadable.

"Then speak. I'm listening."