Kei was just about to speak, lightly stroking the blind cane in his hand, when Haru rushed into the room with a scroll in hand.
"Clan Head, Elder Taihiro, this just came in from the ANBU…" she announced, handing the document first to Hiashi before stepping beside Taihiro. Her eyes flicked toward Kei for a moment, a complicated look surfacing in her gaze.
Hiashi quickly skimmed the contents. When he passed the scroll to Taihiro, both men fell into a heavy silence.
Clearly, the contents of this message had upended their earlier plans. It had come too quickly, before they could prepare.
After a long pause, Taihiro turned to Kei, frowning. "What's going on? The Hokage himself issued this mission to you?"
Sensing their shift in tone, Kei smiled faintly and offered an explanation. "Actually, I was planning to report this to the clan. Earlier this morning, the Third Hokage summoned me. He said there's a critical mission he needs my help with."
"I thought the orders would take a few days to come through… but I suppose it's more urgent than expected."
Turning his head toward where Haru stood, he added, "Please don't worry. Since the clan feels it's safer for me to remain at home, I'll go and politely decline Lord Hokage's command."
"I'm sure the Third will understand your concerns. He wouldn't blame you."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Caught off guard, Taihiro choked on his own saliva. After a few strained coughs, he urgently interjected, "Kei, this is the Hokage's direct order. You can't just refuse it!"
He shot a glance toward Hiashi, signaling him to step in.
What kind of joke was this? A handwritten order from the Hokage himself, and now they were going to disrespect him by refusing?
The last time Kumo tried something, the village sent a clear message to the Hyuga. If they pulled a stunt like this again, this time even more blatant, Taihiro didn't dare imagine the consequences.
Hiashi understood the stakes too. "Orders from the Hokage must be carried out," he echoed quickly.
Kei stood firm. "Clan Head, Elder Taihiro… since the clan has needs, I should listen to you above all. That's the clan's rule, isn't it? How could I defy it?"
"I'll explain everything to the Third myself. I'm sure he'll understand your difficult position. I'll make sure the clan isn't dragged into it."
Bullshit!
Taihiro very nearly snapped, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down.
"Kei," he said, his tone as gentle as he could manage, "you must listen to me and the Clan Head this time."
"But what about the rules of the clan?" Kei asked calmly.
"Rules are dead. People are alive," Hiashi responded. "When we act, we must be flexible. You can't be too rigid."
Kei stroked his chin thoughtfully, as if pondering the words. "Alright then. I suppose I'll go report to the Hokage?"
"Yes, yes, don't keep Lord Hokage waiting," Taihiro said, waving his hand with a forced smile. "Be respectful when you see him, understand?"
"Understood," Kei replied simply, turning toward the exit.
Hiashi and Taihiro both let out a sigh of relief, finally, the kid was going to comply.
But just as they began to relax, Kei's figure reappeared in the doorway.
Taihiro clenched his fist, forcing another smile. "Something else?"
"Well…" Kei said, rubbing his fingers together meaningfully, "I was just thinking. I might need some funds for the mission. You know, just in case something unexpected comes up…"
Taihiro's brow twitched. "Didn't we just give you three hundred thousand? You already spent it?"
"Not yet," Kei said innocently, shaking his head. "But I figured, if I'm heading out on a task, I should be prepared. What if an emergency comes up?"
"Maybe I should stay home instead. I wouldn't want to trouble the clan…"
Seeing that he was again threatening to refuse the mission, Hiashi cut in firmly.
"Kei, don't overthink it. Doing this mission for the Hokage is the same as doing it for the clan. Of course we'll support you."
He turned to Haru. "Take him to the treasury. In my name, withdraw fifty, no, eighty thousand."
"Clan Head, that's too much," Kei protested with an almost shy look.
"It's just money," Hiashi said. "What matters is that the Hokage's mission is completed. If the task fails, the clan's reputation will suffer."
"So don't let it weigh on your heart. If you run short, come to me or the Elder again."
Kei nodded as if deeply moved. "Understood. Please rest assured, I'll never allow our clan's honor to be tarnished."
Without pushing further, he followed Haru out of the council chamber.
As they stepped onto the walkway leading to the treasury, Kei felt the air suddenly grow fresh and light. The sunlight on his face was warm and comforting.
Beside him, Haru kept glancing in his direction. Several times, she opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing in the end.
She had thought for sure that Kei would be grounded this time, locked up under house arrest.
Yet everything had flipped the moment a handwritten order from the Hokage arrived.
The clan, once obsessed with enforcing the rules, suddenly didn't care about them at all. Kei had even insisted on following the rules, and they refused to let him.
Was it possible that… in the face of true power, the clan's so-called rules meant absolutely nothing?
A dangerous thought surfaced in Haru's mind, one she didn't dare fully explore. She shook her head quickly, trying to dispel it.
But what she didn't know… was that her emotional shift had already been fully perceived by Kei.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters