Now that Shisui had understood what the optimal solution was, and found a reason to keep living, Kei considered his therapy to be temporarily complete.
Truthfully, in all his years as a psychological specialist, Shisui's mental resilience ranked easily in the top five. It had taken something as extreme as death to finally break through his walls.
For the time being, Kei didn't resume operations at the clinic. He remained on an extended break.
Meanwhile, Shisui's supposed death cast a strange, heavy atmosphere across the village.
The higher-ups maintained absolute silence. They issued no statements, no clarification, as if they weren't even aware anything had happened.
On the Uchiha side, the clan seemed to fall eerily quiet after Shisui's death. The coup was clearly delayed.
One morning, Kei got up early and strolled to the village park, basking in the warmth of the sun and the soft breeze. His mood was unusually good.
Because of the early hour, the park was practically deserted, save for the figure awkwardly hiding in the distance, pretending to be inconspicuous: Hatake Kakashi.
Kei continued to act oblivious to the surveillance. Letting Kakashi gather what little intelligence he could was part of his long-standing plan.
He stifled a yawn and was just about to sit down on a bench when he sensed someone approaching, a figure walking straight toward him and cutting off his path.
The man wore a sour expression and spoke coldly, "Are you Hyuga Kei?"
Kei's fingers lightly tapped his blind cane as he nodded, sighing inwardly. Just great. Another Uchiha.
"I'm Uchiha Tekka," the man said sharply. "I've got questions for you."
Kei tilted his head slightly and replied calmly, "What would you like to know?"
"Our investigation shows that Shisui had a lot of contact with you recently. What was your relationship with him?"
"Patient and doctor," Kei said plainly. "He did come to me, yes. But our conversations weren't exactly friendly. I'd call our relationship...average at best."
Tekka narrowed his eyes, locking his gaze on Kei. "Then how do you explain all the intel on you we found in Shisui's home?"
"That's a question for him," Kei replied, voice cool. "I'm just a blind psychiatrist."
"Don't play games with me." Tekka stepped forward. "You know why I'm here. So talk, before I lose my patience."
"You're here to investigate, right?" Kei asked, tone unbothered. "So go ahead. Ask whatever you want. I can't answer unless you ask."
"Shisui met you so many times. You're telling me he never shared anything important with you?"
Kei shook his head.
"No way!" Tekka shouted. "You're the only outsider he's ever shown this much interest in!"
Kei smiled faintly. "If you've already made up your mind that I had something to do with his death, why bother asking me anything at all?"
"I've already explained myself. If you're not satisfied with the answer, that's your problem."
"What do you want me to do, confess to something I didn't do?"
"I told you not to play games!" Tekka growled. "Looks like I'll have to beat the truth out of you!"
Kei didn't even get a chance to respond.
Tekka had already formed hand seals.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!
Kei's expression turned dark. These types… the ones who throw punches before they finish talking... so damn annoying.
This must be what people meant when they said, "There's no reasoning with a fool in armor."
Kei didn't like fighting. He was, at heart, a pacifist, he always preferred words over violence.
But people like Uchiha Tekka, impulsive and paranoid, didn't respond to logic. They needed a different kind of logic. One backed by pain.
Kei sidestepped smoothly, narrowly avoiding the fireball, and in one fluid motion, advanced with his blind cane aimed directly at Tekka.
Surprised his jutsu missed, Tekka immediately activated his Sharingan and drew a kunai from his belt.
Sure, getting into close-quarters combat with a Hyuga wasn't smart, but according to the files Shisui left behind, Hyuga Kei was just a chunin.
As a jonin, Tekka figured this would be over in seconds.
But the moment they clashed, Tekka's instincts screamed.
Something was wrong.
Hyuga Kei's movements were sharp, refined, every step, every strike perfectly predicted his trajectory. Tekka couldn't even bring out his full strength.
And then-
A chill ran down his spine. His instincts screamed in alarm.
Too fast. Unbelievably fast!
He felt it, the scrape of fabric tearing. The sting of skin sliced.
Kei's cane had already broken through his defenses.
Panicking, Tekka hastily formed seals and triggered a Substitution Jutsu, replacing himself with a wooden log.
As he reappeared at a safe distance, he glanced back.
The wooden log he left behind had been completely pierced by Kei's cane.
That… that was too close. What kind of monster is this guy?
Tekka couldn't comprehend it. A jonin, getting completely suppressed by a blind chunin?
He didn't have time to figure it out.
Kei vanished again.
Pain exploded in Tekka's abdomen.
The next thing he knew, he was flying through the air before slamming hard into a distant tree.
His vision spun, his body screamed, and he couldn't even stand.
Kei approached him slowly, the tip of his cane pointed forward.
Tekka instinctively swallowed.
"What… what are you trying to do?" he stammered.
"You should be grateful," Kei said, his voice low and composed. "That this happened here in the village… and not somewhere less civilized."
He stopped just short of Tekka, his cane aimed precisely at his chest.
"Next time, before you go around throwing accusations, use your brain," Kei said coldly.
"I know you're upset about Shisui. But that's not a reason to treat people like suspects without cause."
"You're part of the police force. You should know how to conduct an investigation. If you act without evidence… how are you any different from a criminal?"
"Or are you saying the entire police force is criminal?"
Tekka's eyes widened. "I'm not a criminal, and neither is the force!"
"Then stop acting like one." Kei's voice sharpened. "You've just humiliated your entire clan and department with your behavior."
Tekka opened his mouth but couldn't find a single word of rebuttal.
Kei's cane hovered less than five centimeters from Tekka's heart.
"Tell me, Uchiha Tekka," Kei asked coldly. "Do you want to stain your clan's name with your own recklessness?"
"Of course not!" Tekka snapped.
"Then why can't you even offer a proper apology after making a mistake? Or do you think you were in the right?"
"I… I'm sorry!" Tekka blurted, almost reflexively.
Clutching his aching stomach, he watched as Kei turned and walked away, leaving him confused and defeated.
Wait… wasn't I the one who came here to interrogate him?
Why does it feel like I got lectured instead?
And why… why did I even apologize?
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters