Dawn had only just begun to lighten the sky when Kei forced himself out of his warm bed. The moment he stepped outside, his senses told him that Haru had already been waiting at the door.
Before he could speak, she handed him a paper bag.
"This is from Lord Taihiro," she said evenly. "Remember, this is the benevolence of both him and the clan."
"Of course. I'm very grateful."
Kei smiled faintly without warmth, and accepted the bag. He weighed it lightly in his hand before slipping it close against his body.
"Though I cannot serve the Great Elder as faithfully as you do," he added, "I will never forget this kindness."
"You'd better not."
Her tone cooled ever so slightly.
Most people might not have noticed, but Kei, trained to read even the smallest emotional shifts, caught it immediately.
He did not push further.
Too much pressure would backfire.
He had a detailed and carefully structured plan for Haru. There was no need to rush.
With the bulging bag secured inside his robes, he walked with her to the clinic.
Business had only just begun when Kei sensed a familiar chakra signature approaching.
Shisui.
So much for quiet days.
Truthfully, tranquility had already been shattered the moment Shisui first stepped through his door, and not just once.
Shisui was thoroughly indoctrinated by the Third Hokage's Will of Fire. Kei even suspected he had already revealed the secret of his Mangekyō to the village leadership.
In Shisui's mind, transparency meant trust.
He had yet to realize that a power like Kotoamatsukami made trust impossible.
His fate in the original timeline had proven that clearly.
Now that Kei had been drawn into this vortex, monitored by the clan while entangled in village politics, there was no such thing as peaceful neutrality anymore.
If survival was the goal, then passivity had to end.
When danger appears, opportunity hides within it.
Kei turned toward the clinic entrance.
"Watching alone won't give you answers."
Understanding the remark was directed at him, Shisui felt a subtle jolt in his chest. Something about Kei's tone had shifted, just slightly.
He disliked that feeling.
Being analyzed.
But there were questions he needed answered, and if Kei's stance had changed, perhaps this was the moment to seize.
He stepped inside and took a seat across from Kei, glancing briefly at Haru standing behind him.
"Your business seems to be thriving."
"It always has," Kei replied calmly. "What have you observed these past few days?"
Tilting his head slightly, he added over his shoulder, "Haru, please prepare two cups of tea."
Haru stopped.
She had once nearly objected, she was an assistant, not a servant. But remembering the Great Elder's instructions, she moved silently to comply.
Kei's lips curved faintly.
A small concession.
But psychologically, small concessions laid foundations.
Once someone compromises once, they are more likely to compromise again. And eventually, it becomes habit.
He accepted the steaming tea and took a sip. The warmth cleared the last remnants of sleep from his mind.
Shisui, however, did not drink.
"I went to the places you mentioned," he said directly.
"And?" Kei asked.
"There are indeed people and corners of the village that are easily overlooked. But I believe that under the Third Hokage's leadership, those issues will eventually be resolved."
Kei's hand trembled slightly, nearly spilling the tea.
"That's it?" he asked slowly. "You didn't consider anything deeper?"
Shisui fell silent.
"Is it that you didn't think further," Kei continued, "or that you refuse to?"
He leaned back slightly.
"If it's the former, then you're foolish. If it's the latter… then you're even more foolish."
"No one can account for everything," Shisui replied evenly. "It's normal for a village to have blind spots. I don't agree with your conclusions."
"If you don't agree," Kei asked lightly, "then why keep coming to me for explanations?"
"That's a separate matter."
"If you insist on separating them," Kei said with a shrug, "then I suppose there's nothing more to say."
Shisui's stubbornness exceeded expectations.
Silence lingered between them before Shisui spoke again.
"I'm not here to debate the village. I want to know why you're so certain destruction is inevitable."
"I already answered that," Kei said. "When someone only listens to others, their ability to think independently deteriorates. And once that happens, seeing the truth becomes difficult."
He raised a finger and pointed toward the direction of the slum alleys outside.
Shisui followed the gesture, lips pressed thin.
"I admit," he said slowly, "some things are neglected. But I had my reasons for being there."
Before Kei could respond, Shisui continued.
"What I really want to know is why you were there that night."
Kei tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"If you were returning home from your shop, there are broader, safer streets you could take. Why choose the narrow, remote alleys?"
Kei's smile widened slightly.
So that's it.
"This is what you truly came for, isn't it?" he said. "I was wondering why you kept showing up."
His clinic stood only a few alleys away from the slum district. His route home required passing through them.
The alleys themselves were unremarkable, just vagrants and beggars drifting about.
But connect the dots:
Homeless men.
Drag marks.
Orochimaru.
The pattern became obvious.
"What did you realize?" Shisui asked sharply.
Kei's expression had shifted just enough for him to notice.
Kei shook his head.
"Nothing."
"You think evasion hides the truth?" Shisui stood, his voice hardening. "You'd better have nothing to do with this. Even if you're a Hyūga, I won't spare you."
Kei's tone remained calm.
"I look forward to seeing what truth you uncover."
Shisui studied him for a long moment.
If Kei would not speak, then investigation would continue independently.
Kei sighed softly and turned slightly.
"Haru," he said mildly, "please escort our guest out. I have nothing further to discuss with this fool."
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