Whether the fake "Will of Fire" he put on display during the trial had truly earned Hiruzen Sarutobi's trust, Kei wasn't entirely sure.
Hiruzen was, after all, a man who had led Konoha for many years. Even Kei, sharp as he was, found it difficult to sense the man's true emotions.
Though the Third Hokage had expressed great appreciation toward him and even hinted at entrusting him with significant tasks, Kei knew better than to let his guard down.
Just like with the Hyuga Main House.
He'd assumed the clan's head, barely touched upon in the original story, would pose no great threat, but he had clearly miscalculated. Not only had Hyuga Taihiro sent Haru to monitor him, he had even dispatched Hyuga Mei to test him, and there was a chance this wasn't the end of it.
That close call had taught Kei a vital lesson: never underestimate others just because you know what's coming. Arrogance born from foresight was the surest path to failure.
After leaving the Hokage Tower, Kei returned home. Just as he was considering how to spend his afternoon, Haru arrived.
"The Clan Head and the Elder want to see you," she said.
"Alright, I'll head over now," Kei replied.
Walking side by side with Haru, Kei's mind raced to predict the reason for this sudden summons.
It was likely due to his morning clash with Uchiha Tekka.
Distracted by his thoughts, Kei's pace slowed. Haru didn't urge him to hurry, but as they neared the Main House, she suddenly asked, "You've already reached jōnin level, haven't you?"
That confirmed it.
Kei nodded. "I think so. Though I'm not entirely sure myself."
She went quiet for a moment, eyes fixed forward. Then, quickening her pace to walk slightly ahead of him, she said, "Tell the truth. Don't try to hide it."
With that, she picked up speed again, widening the distance between them.
"Thanks, Haru," Kei said with a warm smile.
"Don't misunderstand. If you ever do anything that harms the clan, I won't help you," she replied seriously. She wasn't joking.
Kei quickened his pace and caught up, walking shoulder to shoulder once more.
"You know me, I'm just a regular psychiatrist. Why would I do anything like that?"
People often said distance created fondness, but in psychology, closing physical distance fostered emotional closeness, at least, when the other party didn't dislike you. Otherwise, it backfired.
Haru clearly wanted to pull away again, but upon seeing Kei's warm smile, she hesitated, then chose to stay beside him.
Together, they reached the Main House. Haru remained outside, and Kei stepped into the council room alone.
He sensed Hyuga Hiashi and Taihiro seated inside. With a smile, he greeted them, "Clan Head, Elder. You asked to see me?"
Hiashi nodded. "How have you been? Are your eyes still hurting?"
"Much better, thanks to the clan's care."
Taihiro, however, didn't look pleased. "I heard you got yourself into trouble. A fight, with an Uchiha, no less!"
Hiashi stepped in to mediate. "Don't blame him, Elder. Young men can be hot-headed. That's only natural."
He turned to Kei with a kind expression. "Kei, just clear up the misunderstanding with the Elder. He's only concerned about you juniors."
As the two men performed their little act, Kei maintained a respectful expression, but inwardly found it rather amusing.
It was obvious.
Hiashi and Taihiro were employing a classic psychological tactic: the "Good Cop, Bad Cop" effect.
In management psychology, this phenomenon, where praise and criticism produce contrasting psychological reactions, is often called the "white face, red face" technique.
The "white face" symbolizes criticism, used to suppress undesirable behavior, while the "red face" symbolizes praise, used to encourage and reinforce positive actions.
By alternating between harshness and kindness, they could easily lower a person's guard and coax cooperation.
"I'm sorry for troubling the clan," Kei said with a remorseful expression aimed at Taihiro. "It started when Uchiha Tekka accused me of being involved in Shisui's death…"
He recounted the events plainly, leaving out no details. There was no need to hide anything. He accepted blame without hesitation.
"I see. In that case, perhaps it wasn't entirely your fault," Taihiro said, his expression easing slightly.
"But how did you manage to suppress Tekka? He's a jōnin, isn't he? And unless I'm mistaken, you're still a chūnin."
Hiashi said nothing. Kei answered calmly, "Partly because he underestimated me. Once we were in close quarters, I had the upper hand. Also… my strength has improved."
Hiashi feigned surprise. "If you've reached jōnin level, that's important news. Why didn't you say something? The Elder was worried you'd get hurt."
"I apologize for making the clan worry." Kei lowered his head slightly. "But I wasn't sure myself. Without the Byakugan, my capabilities are hard to assess."
He gestured toward his dull grey-black eyes, letting a trace of sorrow slip into his voice.
"A shinobi from the Hyuga Clan without a Byakugan… even if my strength has grown, it might be meaningless."
With a sigh, he painted the image of a disabled prodigy, a gifted yet blind Hyuga, no threat to anyone.
"Looks like I misjudged you," Taihiro said at last, his stern demeanor softening. "Don't lose hope. There will be a solution for your eyes."
"I understand. Thank you both for your concern." Kei gave a sincere nod.
He knew from Taihiro's tone that the matter was over.
Sure, playing the pitiful cripple might seem shameless at his age, but there was no denying the psychological impact. Sympathy could be just as powerful as logic.
As he'd said, he was now a blind jōnin. A Hyuga without a Byakugan posed no real threat to the Main House.
"Well, it's good that the misunderstanding is cleared up," Hiashi said, standing and walking over to him. "To avoid further trouble with the Uchiha, I want you to stay home for the time being. Don't go out."
"But I have other matters to attend to. If I stay indoors, " Kei trailed off with a troubled expression.
Before he could finish, Taihiro interrupted, voice firm and commanding. "No refusals. The Clan Head is only thinking of your well-being. Whatever it is can wait."
Listening to that excuse, Kei couldn't help but wonder at their audacity. Only someone truly shameless could spin this kind of power grab into something so noble.
They were clearly planning to tighten control over him under the guise of concern.
But Kei didn't panic.
Had this been before today, he might've had no way to resist such restrictions.
But now… things had changed.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters