Uchiha Kei had left.
In the end, he hadn't accepted Fugaku Uchiha's offer.
But...
He hadn't rejected it either—he simply left it hanging.
After all, some things, even if you don't use them, are better to have. It wasn't just about benefits; it was a symbol of power.
Right now, Uchiha Kei needed that—he needed the Uchiha clan's backing.
"Phew\... Guess I can't be a runner anymore. Once you gain something like this, it means you've chosen a side."
Muttering to himself, Uchiha Kei returned home. After resting for a while, he headed straight for Minato Namikaze's place.
It was 5:30 PM.
Just two minutes later, he arrived at Minato's apartment. Like him, Minato lived in a small apartment complex—the very same one he would later live in with Kushina Uzumaki after marriage, at least according to the manga.
Fortunately, this area was far enough from the village center to escape the destruction of the Nine-Tails' rampage.
Knock knock. The door opened.
A beautiful girl, about fifteen or sixteen, appeared. She had long red hair tied into a ponytail and rare silver-gray eyes. In the sunset, her gaze reflected Uchiha Kei's silhouette, her pupils shining with joy and excitement.
Her delicate face broke into a bright, heartfelt smile.
Although dressed a bit tomboyishly in a black jacket and trousers, the outfit suited her, highlighting her excellent figure.
On her forehead was the unmistakable forehead protector of the Hidden Leaf—marking her as a shinobi of the village.
Any die-hard Naruto fan from Kei's previous life would've screamed, "Wait, is that Kushina Uzumaki? How is she this cute?!"
But in truth...
"Kei-nii!"
The girl beamed and called out a name that was uniquely his.
Uchiha Kei smiled too and patted her head. "Good evening, Kikyo."
Her hair was soft and smooth to the touch, and Kei couldn't help but think how comforting it felt—just patting her head put him at ease.
The girl puffed her cheeks in mock displeasure. "Geez... I'm not a kid anymore. Don't just go patting my head..."
Even so, she didn't brush his hand away. She seemed used to it—and maybe, just maybe, she secretly liked it.
Just then, a cheerful woman's voice rang out. "Kei-kun, you're here too? Kikyo, hurry up and let your Kei-nii in."
Along with those words, a striking young woman emerged from the kitchen. She looked a bit like the red-haired girl—same crimson hair, but styled loosely. She wore a green dress, hands on her hips and smiling with easygoing charm.
She wasn't exactly "cute," but she radiated a bold and warm personality. She looked about eighteen or nineteen.
This was none other than Minato Namikaze's current girlfriend, the Hidden Leaf's Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails—Kushina Uzumaki!
The girl named Kikyo quickly replied with a couple of cheerful "yes yes!" and fetched a pair of slippers—Uchiha Kei's designated guest pair—and placed them in front of him. Her practiced ease made it clear she'd done this many times and genuinely enjoyed doing it.
Kei, used to this hospitality, took the slippers and entered the Namikaze home.
But when he happened to glance at Kikyo's smiling face—and her completely unhidden admiration—it left him scratching his head.
The trope of a girl falling in love with her childhood savior was a bit too on the nose.
Yes, the girl named Kikyo was someone Uchiha Kei had saved. Her full name: Kikyo Uzumaki. She belonged to the Uzumaki clan and never appeared in the original story. She was a product of Kei's butterfly effect.
After graduating from the Academy, Kei didn't join the Konoha Military Police Force right away. Following protocol, he was assigned to a regular genin team and completed missions with others.
Back then, he and Minato were teammates. With Minato around, their team's success rate was sky-high—they practically coasted through everything.
At fourteen, Kei was sent to the Land of Grass for a mission. There, they encountered hostile ninja—and also a stray Uzumaki girl: Kikyo.
At just twelve, Kikyo had been captured because of her clan's rare vitality. Grass ninja planned to use her as a "living medicine."
Some Uzumaki had bodies so resilient, others could recover from injuries by absorbing their vitality through biting. Kikyo had this exact ability.
Naturally, Minato wanted to help. And Kei—supporting him—took the risk and rescued her himself.
They brought Kikyo back to the Hidden Leaf. Thanks to Lord Third's tough but effective negotiations, she was officially granted asylum and settled in the village—living with Kushina, her fellow clanswoman.
For a clan that had lost their homeland and kin, finding a relative in a foreign land was a rare comfort in a sea of tragedy.
Both Kikyo and Kushina were overjoyed—touched, even.
It must be said—back then, Hiruzen Sarutobi truly lived up to the title of Hokage. His methods weren't always subtle, but they worked when it mattered most.
That was how Kikyo came to the village. And thanks to Minato, she and Kei had kept in touch over the years.
After years together—and a life-saving bond—Kikyo now saw Kei as her hero. In her eyes, he was her one true light.
No wonder she'd fallen for him.
Honestly, for a passionate clan like the Uzumaki, falling for your savior was almost inevitable—unless the guy was horrifically ugly.
Even the Akimichi, known for their chubbiness, could be seen as charming in such situations.
And Uchiha Kei was anything but unattractive. Sure, he lacked ninja talent, but he was still an Uchiha—and that clan didn't make ugly people. They were all stunning.
Even Obito Uchiha—famously said to "bring down the clan's average look"—was actually very handsome when cleaned up.
So it was only natural that a girl two years his junior would fall for Kei.
And Kei—well, when a beautiful, sweet, and proactive girl liked you, why say no?
He wasn't some super straight-laced ascetic immune to charm.
But even so, he couldn't shake a strange concern deep in his heart...
An important character from the original story—one of Sasuke Uchiha's future allies—Karin Uzumaki, might never be born.
Because Kikyo Uzumaki...
Might actually be Karin's long-dead mother!