Kei Yamanaka carefully memorized every detail of the Land of Iron's map within his Memory Palace. He repeatedly studied several sketches of the mountainous graveyard before placing all documents back into the folder.
After carefully filing the reports away, he bid farewell to Sanshoku, who was still patiently piecing together fragments of information and rewriting intelligence summaries.
Kei retrieved his black umbrella, quelling the unease rising inside him, and said goodbye to the rest of the Intelligence Division before stepping back out into the rain.
Receiving such precise intelligence on Madara Uchiha's hiding place so soon was a welcome stroke of luck.
Still, he had no intention of confronting that man yet.
That was Madara Uchiha!
Both the memories inherited from the original novel and ancient records of the Yamanaka Clan spoke of this man's terrifying might!
Perfected—his ruthless taijutsu; terrifying fire techniques capable of reducing everything to ash; an unmatched Susanoo; and the world-shaking Heavenly Obstacle Quaking Star…
This was a name that sent shivers through the entire ninja world.
Even if Kei had gone mad like Danzo, he wouldn't recklessly charge into confrontation with Madara the moment he got this news.
The fine drizzle continued unabated.
The hazy rain swirled like rising mist, blurring the silhouette of Hokage Rock in the distance.
"Meow~ Meow meow~!"
As Kei drifted deep in thought,
a series of sharp cries from a cat, followed by the sound of objects crashing and splashing footsteps, echoed from the alley to his left.
A lithe calico cat bolted out of the narrow passage, startled and terrified.
With a few quick turns, it leapt into a huge pile of messy junk stacked up against the wall across the street, nearly three meters high.
Right after the calico vanished,
three young genin, barely looking ten despite their youthful faces, chased out from the same alley, soaked to the bone.
"Ugh! There it goes again! That cat's way too clever!"
Obito Uchiha grumbled bitterly, clearly frustrated.
"If someone hadn't insisted on wearing goggles on a rainy day and then screamed they'd fallen for Hiding in Mist Technique right after spotting the target, our mission would've been done already."
Kakashi Hatake mocked Obito mercilessly.
His expressionless, fish-like eyes scanned ceaselessly over every corner of the street,
desperately searching for any clue about where the cat might have fled.
"Tch! If I hadn't spotted the cat first, you wouldn't even know what our mission objective looked like by now!"
Feeling humiliated, Obito immediately turned red with anger.
Just as he was about to ready himself for a real argument with Kakashi,
Rin Nohara stepped forward, standing between the two boys, gently trying to mediate.
"There, there~ It's okay! Let's just try a little harder!"
Obito grumbled unhappily, turning his face away.
Kakashi ignored him completely.
His gaze darted restlessly from alley to stairway, scanning every possible hiding spot where the cat might be concealed.
"Huh?! Senior Yamanaka?!"
As Obito turned his head, he immediately noticed Kei Yamanaka nearby, standing under an umbrella, silently observing the trio.
He had previously visited the Jonin residence where Minato Namikaze now lived, along with Kakashi and Rin Nohara.
While flipping through photo albums, he saw many pictures of Minato and this senior ninja named Kei Yamanaka.
There were photos of them entering the Ninja Academy together, graduating, and returning injured from the Second Great Ninja War...
According to Minato himself:
This person was his dearest friend—one he could trust with his very life!
Thinking about that, Obito Uchiha's face lit up with a bright smile as he eagerly rushed toward Kei.
"Senior Kei! I'm Obito Uchiha, Master Minato's apprentice! Did you happen to see a tricolor cat run past here?"
That junkpile.
Looking at the cheerful kid in front of him wearing a bright smile, Kei's eyes flickered slightly with an almost imperceptible complexity. He raised a finger and pointed toward the pile of junk where the cat had hidden.
...
Name: Obito Uchiha
Occupation: Ninja
[Sincere and Passionate (Blue)], [Kindhearted (Green)], [Friend of the Elderly (White)], [Kenji (Gray)]
...
Nothing like Danzo Shimura, whose malevolent skill listings practically scream "villain."
Nor did he have any flashy prodigy-type skills.
Sincere and Passionate means genuine emotions without pretense, deep feelings, promotes spiritual energy growth, slightly enhances Fire Release power, and enhances outburst potential during crises.
Kindhearted reflects a pure and simple heart, increasing likability and charm.
Friend of the Elderly increases chances of encountering people over fifty years old, raises probability of being late, but dramatically increases favor with elderly people after helping them.
Kenji indicates reduced independent thinking ability, highly prone to making foolish mistakes.
An idiot, kind-hearted, honest, genuine, favored by elders, and bursting with potential in times of crisis...
With those characteristics, isn't he basically the protagonist of a shōnen battle manga?
If he continues growing steadily like this,
Encouraged by his teacher, accompanied by comrades, cared for by those around him,
Even if he never becomes a world-saving hero, shouldn't he still be a character radiating the brilliance of humanity?
Who could ever believe this guy would grow up to become *that* person?
"Kenji huh..."
Kei gazed at the trio not far away, touched by how fate twisted its way through their lives.
Honestly speaking, he indeed considered whether he should just kill Obito Uchiha directly.
Firstly, killing a child who hadn't done anything wrong yet over something that hadn't even happened…
That went somewhat against his own conscience.
Secondly, what Madara Uchiha really wanted wasn't Obito himself,
But a brainwashed tool, conditioned to carry out the Moon's Eye Plan exactly as arranged.
Obito's Sharingan awakening potential might be decent, but it definitely wasn't irreplaceable.
Even if he died, others would rise in time—Water-Dai, Fire-Dai, Thunder-Dai, Sister-Dai...
Still, if no interference occurs at all?
Kei glanced at the [Bro, You Smell So Good] skill listing displayed on the system interface.
In the original storyline, Obito would be fully brainwashed and wholly committed to executing the Moon's Eye Plan. The root cause was witnessing his beloved Rin Nohara having her chest pierced by Kakashi's hand.
But what if...
Obito had feelings for Kakashi instead?
"...Damn this damn moral conscience. Such a golden chance—why can't I just take it?"
Kei Yamanaka kept glancing at the [Bro, You Smell So Good] skill listed under Inactive Skills on his Personal Panel.
He stood rooted in place, torn inside, hesitating for quite a while.
Nearby,
Kakashi summoned three Ninja Hounds using the Summoning Technique, working with Rin to cut off all ground escape routes for the calico cat.
He himself jumped onto the rooftop to prevent the calico from escaping from above.
While arguing with Kakashi, Obito Uchiha began shifting through the pile of rubble, trying to force the calico cat out.
Seeing its hiding spot compromised, the calico leapt directly from the debris pile.
Obito, quick with his hands and sharp-eyed, crouched low and lunged forward, succeeding in wrapping the calico in a tight grip. Before he could even gloat, however, he slammed headfirst into the pile of junk.
Crash!
The unstable pile of rubble came crashing down with a thunderous roar, burying both man and cat beneath it.
Even through the steady rainfall, the large cloud of dust kicked up by the collapse couldn't be masked.
Kei winced, mirroring the pain on his face.
Closing his eyes, he focused his sensor abilities on the wreckage below. He could tell how hard Obito had taken the hit too—but despite everything, Obito still stubbornly curled up, shielding the small kitten tightly in his arms.
Kei let out a quiet, heartfelt sigh.
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