Kei had just stepped out of the Hokage's office when he heard the sharp, rhythmic tap of a cane echoing down the corridor. Even from a distance, he could feel the icy pressure radiating off the approaching figure, as if a door to a freezing cellar had swung open.
Danzo Shimura.
Leaning heavily on his cane, the man stopped just as he passed Kei and asked bluntly, "Boy, you were close with Uchiha Shisui, weren't you?"
Kei raised a brow. So, the old bastard had taken notice.
Danzo wanted Shisui's remaining Mangekyō Sharingan. But with the body missing and no corpse recovered, anyone who'd had recent contact with Shisui, like Kei, was a potential lead.
Given Danzo's infamous motto of "better kill than miss," it was almost certain he was already planning to arrest and interrogate him. Whether Kei explained himself or not wouldn't make much of a difference.
With that in mind, Kei tilted his head and feigned confusion. "And you are?"
"I am the head of Root. Danzo Shimura," the man replied, his voice firm and commanding. "Answer my question. Do not lie."
"Oh, Root? That's under the ANBU, right?" Kei asked, his tone nonchalant.
"What's your point?" Danzo narrowed his eyes.
Kei tapped his own cane lightly, facing the older man with a neutral expression. "If you're part of the ANBU, and you want information from me, shouldn't you request an order from the Third Hokage?"
Danzo's expression darkened. "Are you saying I don't have the authority to question you?"
"I didn't say that," Kei replied calmly. "But if you act under the Hokage's orders, shouldn't you respect the chain of command? If Lord Third believes I should explain something, I will."
Kei then gestured casually toward the nearby office. "He's right inside. Why don't you go ask him for permission first?"
Danzo's face turned a deep shade of iron-gray. His gaze locked on Kei like a hawk about to strike.
How many years had it been since someone in the village dared speak to him like this?
Ever since becoming the head of Root, Danzo was used to being treated with fear and reverence. No one, least of all some blind Hyuga brat, had ever had the gall to mock him to his face.
Go beg the Hokage? Was he being treated like Hiruzen's lapdog now?
His grip tightened around his cane until it creaked under the pressure, the wood threatening to snap.
At any other time, in any other place, Kei wouldn't have walked away intact.
But this was the Hokage's Tower. Just outside the Hokage's office, no less. Danzo knew Hiruzen wouldn't allow any rash moves here.
Even with the old man's naked killing intent pressing down on him, Kei remained unbothered. He knew Danzo wouldn't let him go, not while he was a possible lead on Shisui's eye.
So why bother being polite? If pushing Danzo a little could give the man a heart attack, Kei would count that as a personal contribution to Konoha's wellbeing.
More importantly, Kei had nothing to fear. His earlier display of the Will of Fire had earned Hiruzen's trust. As long as the Hokage still needed him, Danzo wouldn't be able to lay a hand on him.
Grinning slightly, Kei tapped his own cane toward Danzo's creaking one.
"Danzo-sama, if you're having trouble affording a better cane, I can gift you one."
"Don't worry," he added lightly. "I make a decent living as a psychiatrist. Just say the word, and I'll have one delivered."
With that, he tilted his head slightly, his grey, sightless eyes seemingly focused on Danzo, waiting for him to beg.
Danzo's chest heaved with fury. He hadn't felt this enraged in years. He wanted nothing more than to rip that smug brat's mouth right off his face.
But just then, a cough echoed from inside the Hokage's office.
Kei smiled. "If there's nothing else, Danzo-sama, I'll take my leave."
Danzo glared murderously. "Hyuga Kei… you'll regret this!"
He decided then and there: there was no longer any need to play nice. Sooner or later, he'd drag this boy into his interrogation chambers, and see just how long that sharp tongue lasted.
Just the thought of Kei groveling and screaming for mercy soothed Danzo's mood considerably.
But just as he was about to enter the office, Kei's voice rang out from behind him.
"You're not the Hokage, Danzo."
Crack.
The sharp snap of splintering wood echoed through the corridor. Danzo's cane had finally broken.
Satisfied, Hyuga Kei walked away.
Inside the office, the door slammed open.
Danzo stormed in, face twisted in fury and one side still wrapped in bandages.
"Hiruzen! Hand over Hyuga Kei. He had multiple contacts with Shisui before his death. I must interrogate him thoroughly."
Hiruzen didn't even look up from his desk. "Danzo, I know exactly what you're thinking."
"You're a grown man. Stop picking fights with children."
"Kei was simply following protocol. He's done nothing wrong."
"I've already investigated his interactions with Shisui. It was all coincidental. You don't need to concern yourself further."
Danzo remained unfazed, eyes narrowed. "You can't confirm that unless he's questioned by Root."
"That's not happening," Hiruzen said firmly. "I have other plans for Hyuga Kei. You are not to touch him."
Danzo scowled. "What could you possibly need from a blind Hyuga?"
"Kei possesses a Will of Fire no less than Shisui's," Hiruzen answered. "Perhaps even greater."
"The Will of Fire?" Danzo muttered.
As his longtime rival, he immediately understood what Hiruzen was thinking.
"You plan to make him the next Shisui, don't you?"
"Yes," Hiruzen admitted. "I intend to use Kei to observe and stabilize the Hyuga clan from within. They need reassurance."
He exhaled a puff of smoke, gaze distant as it fell upon the massive stone faces of the Hokage Monument outside.
"The village can't afford more instability right now. You know this as well as I do."
Danzo gave a low chuckle. "So that's it. Secure the Hyuga first… clever as always, Hiruzen."
Watching his old comrade's resolute expression, Danzo understood clearly what Hiruzen was planning. Even if the Hokage wouldn't admit it outright, he would eventually give tacit approval.
Fine.
"If that's the case, we'll do things your way… for now," Danzo said. "But Hiruzen, if the day comes when you falter, don't blame me for taking action."
Hiruzen puffed his pipe again, smoke curling between them and masking his gaze.
"Don't twist my words, Danzo. And I won't allow you to do anything reckless."
"Heh," Danzo sneered. "You've always tried to restrain me, haven't you?"
He turned and walked away, his voice echoing as he reached the door.
"You bask in the sunlight, Hiruzen… but I am the root in the darkness."
"If one day you can no longer make the hard calls, then you should step aside, and let someone more capable take your place."
As Danzo's figure disappeared from the office, Hiruzen said nothing.
Only silence remained.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters