CHAPTER 169

Uchiha Kai had long considered recruiting Kenta Imai. Whether the man's true surname was Imai or Senju mattered little to him. What Kai truly valued was Kenta's identity as a "common ninja"—a non-clan shinobi with no institutional loyalty to Konoha's higher echelons.

Kenta Imai was not someone loyal to Konoha in the way Hiruzen Sarutobi might have idealized. His actions on the battlefield, his reticence during mission briefings, and his aversion to authority—Kai had noticed it all. It wasn't just indifference; it was dissatisfaction. Discontent with the village's leadership. That was what Kai needed.

If Kenta bore the Senju name, it would make sense. The Senju Clan—once a peer to the Uchiha—had all but vanished from modern Konoha. Aside from Tsunade, their legacy in the manga had largely been reduced to silence. The only glimpses of the Senju in recent history were wartime flashbacks, and a few references to Tobirama's elite guard. There were no surviving clan compounds, no heirs, and no signs of political influence.

Compared to that, the Uchiha were arguably better off—even if their fate was ultimately tragic. At least the Uchiha had retained a visible presence through Fugaku, Itachi, and Sasuke. Kai couldn't help but speculate: was the Senju's erasure natural, or orchestrated?

Could it be that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura had experimented with an early version of the Uchiha Massacre on the Senju first? Perhaps the absence of the Senju was not merely the result of time and policy—but of intent.

Yet Kai believed the greater cause was Tobirama Senju himself. Despite being a Senju, Tobirama had enacted policies to uplift commoners and integrate the clans into village society. He emphasized meritocracy, civilian conscription, and intermarriage. It was a strategy to erode the power of large clans, including his own.

After Tobirama's death, the Third Hokage continued these policies, eventually dissolving the Senju name into the civilian population. Any remaining descendants were scattered and indistinguishable—just names in a census. Even if exceptional shinobi like Kenta Imai arose, they were no longer considered Senju. Their heritage was irrelevant. Their bloodline is unacknowledged.

Still, Kai could see it. Kenta had talent. Too much talent for a civilian-born. It was plausible that one of his parents—or even both—descended from the Senju line. Perhaps that's why the elders invested in him, why he had been trained so intensively. But somewhere along the way, something had gone wrong. His sense of belonging to Konoha—was ambiguous at best.

Uchiha Kai didn't care. Whether Kenta was a civilian or a Senju, what mattered was that they shared a common view: disillusionment with the establishment.

"What do you think?" Kai smiled faintly.

"I don't care who you really are. But I know one thing—you and I aren't so different."

"Me and you?" Kenta raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a common shinobi. You're a clan elite, deputy head of the Konoha Military Police. There's a whole world between us."

"Maybe," Kai replied calmly, his chakra slowly receding as the ethereal ribcage of the Susanoo dissolved into nothing.

"But I'm not talking about birthright. On the battlefield, I saw how you fought—not for the village, but for survival. For people, not systems. That says more than a name."

"You're imagining things, Kai." Kenta shrugged, his tone flat.

But inside, he felt a cold jolt of dread.

Kai had seen through him. Even if Kenta had never spoken it aloud, Kai had read it in his silence—his deflections, his side glances during mission briefings, his disdain for Danzo's envoys. Kenta didn't trust the current regime. He didn't care for the village's ideals. He cared only for the people around him—those he chose to protect.

And that made him dangerous.

"Anyway," Kai said casually, turning from the training ground.

"There's another person who reached out to me today. One of our dear teammates."

"Teammates...?" Kenta blinked. Then frowned.

"Hyuga Aya? Are you insane?"

"Maybe," Kai smirked.

"But she's desperate. And more idealistic than either of us. She's willing to sacrifice far more than we are."

"What kind of arrangement did you make with her?" Kenta asked with suspicion.

"A partnership," Kai said simply. "The same kind I'm offering you. Be at the Security Department tomorrow. That's when we begin."

Kenta watched him leave, his face unreadable. But inside, his thoughts were in chaos.

Kai was forcing him to choose. And if he made the wrong decision... there would be consequences.

Meanwhile…

In the Hyuga compound, deep within Konoha's core district, Aya Hyuga stood before her fiancé, Hyuga Teru, with a graceful smile on her lips.

Teru was kind and soft-spoken, a branch member favored by the clan. He was only a few years older, and their engagement had been arranged when they were still at the Academy.

"Teru," Aya said sweetly, "I want to borrow a few scrolls on medical ninjutsu. Could you help me?"

"Medical ninjutsu?" Teru blinked.

"Wait… are you planning to transfer to the Medical Corps? That's great news!"

"Not quite," Aya replied with a faint smile.

"I'm still active-duty, but I need to be more self-sufficient in battle. Medical ninjutsu might help."

Teru smiled gently. "I see. That's a good idea. I'll speak with my father and see what we can get from the archives. With your talent, I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time."

"Thank you, Teru," Aya said.

Teru beamed, gave a short bow, and turned to leave, excitement evident in his expression.

The moment he was gone, Aya's smile vanished.

She wasn't asking for medical texts to save lives. She was asking so she could stay in the field—so she could escape this house, this fiancé, this future.

So she could fight.

So she could choose.