Years to Build, A Moment To Destroy.
(December 31 - New Year, Konoha.)
The expansion was going smoothly in Konoha, but it would be a lengthy project. Kei was unsure if it would even be finished within the time that remained before the final war began… but he needed to keep the image, the illusion that everything was and is going to continue to be fine. Keep that illusion going… until the moment came that he starts to tear down everything himself.
Looking out of the window in his office, Kei continued to look at the village, a smile on his face that betrayed nothing of his image.
Looking at the lit-up village, with countless people celebrating and laughing, Kei felt melancholy hit him, countless memories, from countless lives, emerging to display their happiest moments in this world. It was euphoric… and dangerous, knowing that if he so wished he could simply choose to live in endless euphoria, recreating these feelings forever, locking himself to an eternity of happiness.
Having experienced a glimpse of it, he could really… appreciate it, the world that Madara was trying to create. A world only of happiness until the moment you drew your last breath. Before he only thought it was a sensible and attractive option for humans who had a limited lifespan, even more so considering the conditions of the world they lived in.
Turning away from the window, Kei moved towards his desk, closing an open document, picking it up, opening the drawer, and placing it inside.
'In the end, if I was human, I would likely love to spend all of my life inside an illusion, wasting away in happiness… but I have privileges that allow me to go much further than them. Circumstances deem that I do not let emotions such as sadness, anger, or loss dictate my actions… meaning I do actively search for happiness and comfort.'
Moving outside of his office, Kei immediately caught sight of Shikaku, caught up in a conversation with an anbu commander, disappointment flashing in Kei's eyes before he turned to leave the building, flickering out of sight before anybody knew he was standing there.
'What the circumstances allow me, is the lack of a challenge, lack of any real obstacle so far, and so I passively seek it. My goals do not allow room for a decisive defeat on my end, so I do not actively seek a challenge, rather I act with extreme prejudice on any actual danger to me beforehand. I must walk the fine line of facing a challenge that isn't lethal to me, but also not harmless.' - Kei thought to himself as he made his way towards the Uchiha compound.
'It is the reason I didn't personally face the cultivator until the very end… the reason I sent Manda to the remaining ones… the reason I set my eyes on Iwa, on the Tsuchikage so soon. Because… in the end… it is not the one with god-like gifts or talents that is victorious… it is the one that manages to survive. Your talent and advantages become moot in front of the great equalizer, as it doesn't care for what you have been blessed with in life.'
It only took a few moments for him to find himself staring at the door of his house, pushing it aside as he made his way inside, his Hokage garment washing away as it changed into a more comfortable attire… though it was only an aesthetic change.
With his hands in his pockets, Kei slowly made his way towards the backyard, needing only a few strides to arrive in front of the door leading to it. A small smile made its way into his face as Kei pushed the door wide open, staring straight at the figure standing in the courtyard before taking a step forward.
'But even then, even when I strive with all I've got to ensure that I am that last survivor… it's moments like these, moments when I am faced with another individual, that I truly appreciate. It does not matter whether they are the smartest or the dumbest I have come across, it does not matter whether I am right or wrong, whether I win or lose an argument… because each and every one of them is at the very least, slightly different.'
"Hello, Hinata… Happy New Year." – Kei congratulated as he gazed smilingly at Hinata.
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(Hinata POV)
He was… normal. Like nothing had happened, though I guess it wasn't the first time.
Once I started to peek around that mask he kept showing to everyone… I understood the hidden part of Kei far eclipsed what the mask portrayed.
"Hello, Hinata… Happy New Year." – He congratulated me with his usual smile, betraying nothing of the image he kept as the beloved Godaime Hokage.
Shining like the sun in power, calm, kind, and focused in attitude. It was what drew me to him at first… and yet, when I thought about what I had witnessed, the research carried out deep inside the caves, civilians, shinobi, and… even children. Turned into what could only be described as monsters, warped abominations, and horrors that cared only to tear up any living creature near them.
'Once I knew the location, I couldn't resist my urge to glance towards it. A place of horrors that never slept, where people never stopped dying and monsters were born. It was one of the times I so wished I didn't have these eyes of mine, that I wished I could simply forget what I had seen.'
Now, after a month of having to simply stay back, as even I could see the consequences of blindly charging in such a place, I finally came for answers, hoping that Kei could somehow justify himself. Because, after a month, Tsunade had the proof she needed, and she wanted to hear from Kei before they both went to her father, who would merely need an hour to authenticate it with his Byakugan, given the distance of the base.
Her father was one of the main pillars behind Kei's political power, one who convinced most of the other clans to support Kei, and with him turning against Kei, most of the others wouldn't be far behind, because no benefits Kei could provide would sway clans to his side once this base was out in the open, and public opinion would plummet overnight. Kei Uchiha's reputation, which he had built slowly over the years, would be buried before the first day of the new year was over.
"…Something wrong?" – A rhetorical question, a formality at best, a demand at worst. The likes of which she had seen him use to play around with the old puppets at the council. It was something Kei Uchiha excelled at, playing people like puppets with but a few words. And now she was at the end of it.
'I was never much of a liar to begin with, it would be useless to start now, especially in front of someone who has dealt with the best of them for years. If I try, he'll just toy with me. Tsunade advised me to act as if nothing had happened… but that's not who I am, I can't deceive people… so, before everything ends, I'll at least get an answer… for myself at least.' – Taking a breath, I looked Kei in the eyes, red orbs looking at me unbothered as my words left my mouth.
"Why?" – It was vague, but he knew exactly what I was asking about.
(A.N: Well I was stuck on this part for days, but finally got it done. Hope you enjoyed it.)