This Uchiha is way too Cautious

Chapter 94: The Watchful Gaze in the Shadows

Q

Uchiha Yuu's disappearance cast a shadow over the Uchiha clan, and at this time, the majority of the Uchiha were forbidden from leaving the village alone.

This was an order from Uchiha Fugaku. Uchiha Kei couldn't do much about it, but he wasn't exactly the type to follow orders without question.

Though Uchiha Fugaku had issued this order, Uchiha Kei would still find opportunities to sneak out whenever possible.

If he didn't leave, Uchiha Yuu would likely die in his secret training room.

That was something Uchiha Kei certainly didn't want to happen. A dead Uchiha Yuu would be of no use to him; if someone had to die, it should be after Kei's business was finished!

"It seems I really need to find some help."

As Uchiha Kei replaced Uchiha Yuu's bandages, while Yuu's weak yet hateful gaze bore into him, Kei forcefully shoved some food into his mouth.

This feeling made Uchiha Kei extremely uncomfortable. He was itching to start his experiments, but for now, he had no chance to do so.

Uchiha Yuu's disappearance had made the Uchiha clan uneasy, and it had also caused some concern within Konoha. Konoha feared any misunderstandings might lead to internal strife.

Kei had learned many things on the battlefield, and when retreating, he had left no trace. At least, no one had found anything suspicious so far.

There was also one thing Kei had to thank Danzo for. It seemed that Danzo had done so many shady things that the Third Hokage was at least vaguely aware of some of his actions.

Because of this, the Hyuga clan had not been sent out, otherwise, Uchiha Kei would have had no choice but to pack up and flee under the cover of night.

Even though he had not been discovered, Uchiha Yuu's presence was still causing him considerable trouble.

Aside from feeding him and changing his bandages, the mess in terms of hygiene was becoming unbearable.

It was hard to tell if Uchiha Yuu was doing it intentionally, but now the secret training room was filled with a foul stench.

Uchiha Kei had no choice but to pinch his nose and clean up the mess. If the Inuzuka clan discovered it, there would be a real problem.

Damn that guy. He used so many drugs to mask his scent when he left, Uchiha Kei grumbled to himself. "But this stench will eventually be discovered. Even though I've set up a lot of things nearby, it's still easy to get exposed."

Indeed, capturing someone was no easy task. If Kei had a choice, he wouldn't have acted so recklessly within Konoha.

The village's reconnaissance forces were strong, and Uchiha Kei couldn't be perfect in covering his tracks. He feared that despite being careful, one small oversight might expose everything.

Fortunately, he had managed to avoid detection so far. He believed that after a little more time, news of the end of the ongoing war would overshadow this incident.

His guess was right. After spending some time training relatively openly with Kakashi and the others at the public training ground, the village's reconnaissance efforts began to weaken.

This was normal. After all, anyone who had been missing for so many days could easily be assumed dead or taken away from the village.

Though the Uchiha clan hadn't given up, they had limited options. Their control over the clan members seemed to have loosened significantly.

This made Uchiha Kei quite happy. Who knew what he had been through during this time!

The lifting of the Uchiha clan's restrictions allowed Uchiha Kei to no longer sneak around playing the "caregiver" role. It also made him realize that he would likely be sent out on another mission soon.

The village had already started to mobilize. Asashi and the others had already left, and Ayaka's injuries had mostly healed. Given this, it seemed that Uchiha Kei wouldn't be far behind.

"So, I guess I should take advantage of this final period of rest and get everything I need to do out of the way," Uchiha Kei thought to himself. "And I've had enough of this guy."

"What are you thinking about, Kei?" Just as Uchiha Kei was lost in thought, Uchiha Ryoko suddenly spoke up. "Hurry up and eat. Don't just sit there zoning out."

"Yeah, I know," Uchiha Kei responded, snapping back to the moment and nodding.

"Don't think about other things at home," Uchiha Ryoko muttered under her breath. "The war is almost over. I believe you won't—"

"Ryoko," Uchiha Keisuke interrupted, cutting her off. "Let's eat. We can't do anything about the village affairs, and Kei has already made his decisions. He's far surpassed us."

Uchiha Keisuke's words left Uchiha Ryoko at a loss for words. Indeed, Uchiha Kei had truly surpassed both of them.

Whether it was his strength, his position within the Uchiha clan, or his rank among the ninjas in the village, Uchiha Kei was far ahead.

He was their pride, and because of his status, their own positions in the clan and village had subtly improved. But neither of them cared much for that. They just hoped that their child would be safe.

"Don't worry, I know what to do. I've been on the battlefield for so many years, haven't I survived?" Uchiha Kei said calmly. He then set his bowl down. "I'm full. Take your time."

"Kei, why are you eating so little?" Uchiha Ryoko frowned. "Even if you're troubled, you should eat everything. Understand?"

"I'm really full," Uchiha Kei explained with a helpless look. "My appetite has always been normal. I've gotten used to it on the battlefield. No matter how the food tastes, I'll eat enough, or I won't have the energy to fight."

"Are you saying you don't like the food I made?" Uchiha Ryoko raised an eyebrow, looking a bit angry.

Uchiha Kei was even more helpless. He knew that Uchiha Ryoko wasn't actually angry. This was just one of her little tricks to strengthen their bond.

The truth was, Uchiha Kei felt genuinely grateful to them and would do anything for them. But after activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, he felt like he had become closer to a normal person, yet there were still many things he couldn't do for them.

He acknowledged his mistake and quietly retreated to his room, where he pulled out a book and began reading.

It wasn't until nearly 9:30 or 10 PM, when Uchiha Ryoko came in to turn off the lights and remind him to get some rest, that Uchiha Kei finally put the book down.

Once the whole house was dark, Uchiha Kei silently activated a Shadow Clone technique. After changing into a black combat outfit, he quietly left his room, avoided the patrols, and headed toward the forest where he trained.

However, Uchiha Kei didn't realize that while he was moving, a shadowy figure had been silently watching him.