After Kei greeted Shisui, the older shinobi gestured toward his companions. "Kei, this is Uchiha Itachi—and this is his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke."
Kei nodded politely to both. "Katsumi Kei. It's good to meet you."
The introductions were brief, but the air held a strange tension.
Itachi's expression was composed, but his eyes lingered on Kei for a moment longer than necessary. There was no hostility—just quiet scrutiny.
Internally, Itachi was struck. He already knew of Kei. Shisui had told him, had even shown him classified notes. But seeing Kei in person was different.
'So much chakra… and that posture… breathing patterns, muscular coordination… this boy isn't normal. At his age… I wasn't this strong.'
It wasn't jealousy he felt—but a chill of realization.
Kei returned Itachi's gaze with calm interest, already guessing that Shisui had spoken about him. What surprised him more was the small figure beside Itachi.
Sasuke.
The boy clung possessively to his older brother's sleeve and looked up at Kei with barely concealed hostility. A miniature glare. A territorial pup.
Kei blinked slowly.
'Ah. So that's what this is.'
Kei had seen this dynamic before in the anime; silent older brother, fiery younger sibling.
But he knew, this wasn't just family devotion. Sasuke's stare carried weight disproportionate to the situation, a kind of fierce pride and posessiveness that didn't yet understand the world.
'He's already drawing lines. Brother, outsider. Threat.'
Kei didn't feel threatened. But he noted it. The Uchiha were dangerous not just for their Sharingan, but for the way that Sharingan bred obsession.
Itachi, in contrast, radiated quiet guilt. And burden. Not the kind you teach. The kind you're born into.
Shisui broke the moment. "Since we've run into each other, why don't we talk? I've got something worth sharing."
Kei nodded. "Sure."
Before they could head off, Itachi crouched beside Sasuke.
"Sasuke. Sorry, I have something to take care of. I'll take you home first."
Sasuke's eyes widened. "But—"
Without letting him protest, Itachi gently scooped Sasuke up and disappeared with a flicker of movement.
Kei exhaled through his nose. 'That kid's going to remember me for a long time.'
Shisui chuckled. "Let's head back to the forest. Same spot as last time."
Kei nodded. And in the next moment, they vanished in a blur of motion, shadows flitting through the trees.
...…
...
About ten minutes later, Kei and Shisui arrived at a secluded grove where a small wooden house sat nestled among the trees.
The house was small, just a single-room shelter made of faded wood and chakra-sealed planks.
Vines clung gently to its sides, and wind stirred the leaves above like whispers. A weathered bench sat under an awning, worn smooth by years of quiet visits.
A place to think freely.
Shisui had built it himself—a quiet retreat, a place of reflection. A "secret base," as he once called it, shared only with Itachi.
Before Kei stepped inside, another presence approached swiftly through the trees.
Itachi.
Fast. Almost as fast as Shisui.
Kei stepped lightly, sensing the care that had gone into its creation. This wasn't just a hideout—it was a sanctuary.
A space apart from clan politics, expectations, and pressure.
The three of them took seats around an old garden table behind the house.
"In fact, with your insight, Kei," Shisui began, "you've probably noticed problems within the Uchiha clan."
"I've seen hints," Kei replied calmly.
At that, Itachi and Shisui exchanged a glance.
Shisui continued. "It's worse than it looks. The desire among some to seize power over Konoha… it's growing louder."
"If they rebel, the damage would be catastrophic," Itachi added softly. "The clan is walking toward ruin."
Kei nodded slowly. He'd expected as much.
"We want to save them," Shisui said. "And after our last conversation, Itachi and I talked—really talked. We think there's a way."
Shisui's voice dropped.
"If we can move a group of children—quietly—away from the pressure and doctrine of the main family… raise them in neutral space… there's a chance they'll grow into something different. Freer. Kinder."
"A future for Uchiha that isn't bound by the past," Itachi added.
Kei remained silent, but his fingers tapped gently on the table. Thinking.
It was bold.
And it just might work.