By applying a light dose of provocation and proving his strength through combat, Kei had temporarily earned a sliver of obedience from Neji. Satisfied for the moment, Kei returned home.
That night, he gave some general thought to how he would structure Neji's next stage of treatment, then promptly went to bed.
In Kei's view, Neji didn't require deep mental simulations or extensive modeling. His issues were painfully clear: the death of his father, and the oppressive Caged Bird Seal, had left him with deep-rooted resentment toward the Main House.
Kei had promised the Main House he would "treat" Neji. But he had never promised to erase Neji's hatred.
What he intended to do was something entirely different, something that would keep Neji's anger hidden from view. What Neji needed to learn was a simple but crucial concept: how to play the game.
Kei awoke early. The recent good weather had lifted his mood, and he got up in particularly high spirits.
After dressing, he stepped into the courtyard and immediately sensed two familiar presences waiting outside, Haru and Neji.
From his sensory scan, Kei could tell Neji wasn't in great shape today, much like Kakashi had been after his first emotional collapse. It seemed Neji hadn't slept last night.
As Kei stepped out, Neji cut straight to the point.
"Where are you taking me? I've got training scheduled this afternoon."
"Training's a fine way to grow stronger," Kei replied calmly, "but your life can't just be about training. Sometimes you need a little spice. Today, I'm taking you to buy a dog."
"…Buy a dog?" Neji blinked, visibly thrown off by the unexpected answer.
Even Haru looked baffled. But having worked under Kei for a while now, she knew his style well, he liked to use small, seemingly unrelated experiences to deliver his biggest lessons.
This was how Kei conducted his therapy.
"That's right. A dog," Kei said with a warm smile. "They say dogs are man's best friend, after all."
"I'm starting to regret coming with you," Neji muttered, shaking his head. "Where do you even plan on getting a ninken? Most of the trained ones belong to the Inuzuka clan. Don't tell me you've got connections there?"
"You're overthinking it. I'm not getting you a ninken. Just a regular pet dog."
Neji was now completely speechless. What use did a pet dog have for a shinobi?
Still, a wager was a wager. And despite his growing doubt, he kept his complaints to himself, for now.
But he made a silent vow: If Kei doesn't give me a proper explanation by the end of this, I'm done. I'm walking away and never dealing with this lunatic therapist again.
Kei, of course, sensed Neji's shifting emotional state. He wasn't bothered. He simply led the two toward the village's commercial district.
Despite being a ninja village, most of Konoha's population wasn't comprised of shinobi, but ordinary citizens. The village's streets were lined not just with weapon shops and tool depots, but also with stores catering to everyday life and leisure, including pet shops.
Cats, dogs… pets were incredibly popular, both with civilians and shinobi alike. The sheer number of D-rank missions involving lost pets was evidence enough.
Soon, they arrived at the village's largest pet shop. Even before stepping inside, they could hear the chaotic chorus of barking and meowing coming from within.
Heading straight for the dog section, Kei gestured toward the rows of kennels and said to Neji:
"See all these dogs? Pick the one you think looks the fiercest."
"…What's the point?" Neji frowned. "A pet dog is still just a pet. No matter how 'fierce' it acts, what use could it possibly be to me?"
Kei shrugged. "Everything in the world has value. The question is whether we can perceive that value."
"So don't think too much for now. Just follow my instructions. In the end, you'll understand why this choice matters."
Neji hesitated. He really didn't want to waste time on something so pointless. But they were already here, and turning back now would feel like admitting defeat.
Besides, after mulling over what Kei had said last night, he did want to understand what this so-called "inner strength" could do for him.
With a sigh, Neji stepped forward to examine the cages.
The dogs had been organized by breed: Huskies, Shepherds, Chihuahuas, Shiba Inus, Samoyeds… it was an overwhelming selection. Neji wasn't particularly knowledgeable about dogs, so he could only rely on instinct.
First, he eliminated the small breeds, he figured no matter how aggressive, they couldn't match a large dog's impact.
Next, he focused on the medium and large breeds, watching their behavior.
Any dog that sat curled up in a corner or looked lazy and uninterested? Eliminated.
Eventually, he narrowed it down to a few larger dogs, ones that barked loudly and paced aggressively in their cages.
"These should be it," Neji concluded. "They look the most threatening, and their barks are the loudest."
"You sure?" Kei smiled. "I'll give you one last chance to change your pick."
Neji hesitated for a beat, then clenched his teeth. "I'm sure."
There was something about that smile… It felt like Kei was trying to trick him into second-guessing himself. No way was he falling for that.
Kei said nothing more. He waved over the shopkeeper.
"Boss, could you take these dogs out of their cages and put them all in one enclosure?"
The shopkeeper's eyes widened. "Ninja-sama, it's not safe to mix those dogs. How about I let them out one by one?"
Kei didn't argue. He pulled out his wallet and slapped down a thick stack of bills.
Instant attitude shift.
The shopkeeper happily opened the cages and herded all the selected dogs into one large pen.
Neji was now more confused than ever. "Are you trying to make them fight? Putting all those aggressive dogs together is asking for chaos."
"Relax. Just wait a bit."
With nothing left to do, Neji stood back and watched.
At first, the chaos unfolded exactly as expected.
The dogs barked wildly. Snarled. Pushed. Circling each other like they were about to tear into a brawl.
But after a minute…
Something shifted.
The barking quieted. Their aggression dulled into low whines. One by one, the dogs staked out their own corners of the enclosure and lay down.
Another few minutes passed.
Now, these "ferocious" dogs were completely silent. One was even wagging its tail.
Neji stared in disbelief.
These were the dogs he had carefully selected, the ones he thought looked the fiercest, most threatening.
And yet…
They were all bluff.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters