Haru's decision had been inevitable, a quiet culmination of long, subtle psychological therapy. It also signaled a turning point: from this moment on, the power dynamics between Kei and the Hyūga Main House had begun to shift.
He told Haru to go home and rest. Then, humming softly, Kei headed down into the basement in unusually good spirits.
Inside, Shisui was engaged in basic rehabilitation exercises. When he saw Kei enter, he didn't stop his movements.
Kei scanned his condition briefly and said, "Not bad. Seems you'll be back to at least half your strength soon."
"But without the Mangekyō, the best I can manage is a Jōnin's level," Shisui said quietly. "That's nowhere near enough to save the clan."
"I can't help you with the Mangekyō just yet," Kei tilted his head, "but if you want eyes, that part's not so hard. You know me, I'm pretty handy."
Shisui froze mid-motion.
That nightmare, the one after he leapt into the river, flashed through his mind. The electroshock treatment from that dream still haunted him.
He exhaled deeply. "Forget it. Ordinary eyes won't help me much. I may not have your level of sensory perception, but I can get by just fine without sight."
"Ordinary eyes are useless, huh?" Kei muttered. "Then what if- "
"I'm warning you, don't even think about laying a hand on my clansmen. If you do, I'll never forgive you."
Kei wasn't fazed. "Relax. I never said anything about your clan. But just because I won't touch them… doesn't mean others won't."
Shisui went silent. Because Kei was right.
"Anyway, just focus on recovering. However far you can go, push it."
Kei tapped his chin thoughtfully and glanced over at the nearby equipment. "I'll see if I can come up with another method to restore a bit more of your strength."
"What are you planning now?" Shisui asked warily.
"Don't look so nervous. You owe me so many favors, I'd hardly sabotage you."
With that, Kei turned and left the basement. Shisui's recovery was proceeding well enough; there was nothing more to do for now.
Still, watching Kei's retreating back, Shisui couldn't shake his unease. He had the distinct feeling this wasn't over. If possible, he wanted to refuse… but he knew he couldn't. The Uchiha still had hope. And he had to seize it, no matter the cost.
Kei exited the basement, locked up the clinic, and began weaving through the alleys of the slums on his way home.
Since Orochimaru's defection, the disappearances in the slums had stopped. But the place remained as filthy and chaotic as ever. The people here had no intention of leaving, and outsiders had no desire to come in.
Just as Kei emerged from a narrow alley, he heard the faintest rustle. He stopped in his tracks.
A small white snake with golden, slit-pupiled eyes appeared at the mouth of the alley. Its tongue flicked as it stared directly at him. Then, it turned and slithered into the shadows.
Kei hesitated for a moment, then followed.
Deep within the alley, the white snake came to a stop.
"Long time no see, Orochimaru-sensei," Kei said calmly.
The snake's mouth moved, and that familiar hoarse voice replied, "Kei-kun… you don't seem surprised that I've come looking for you."
"Isn't it natural," Kei said, "for a teacher to visit his student?"
The golden eyes narrowed, and an eerily humanoid smile formed on the snake's cold face. "I still think you'd be better off following me."
"I'm just a bird locked in a cage," Kei replied, shaking his head. "But let's not waste time, Sensei, what did you come here for?"
"You'd really still work for me?" the white snake asked, voice low and amused. "You do realize I'm a missing-nin now."
"If it's within my ability," Kei said simply, not offering full commitment.
The snake nodded and hissed, "You've been quite the rising star lately, haven't you? Even the old man has taken a liking to you. I imagine it won't be long before you're put to important use."
Kei's expression barely changed, but inside, his heart tensed.
"That's only because my psychology skills happened to be useful," he said flatly. "Still, your intelligence network is impressive, Sensei. That incident only just happened."
The commendation he'd received from the Third Hokage was completely private, not even publicly acknowledged. Yet Orochimaru, far outside the village, already knew.
Which could only mean one thing:
Orochimaru's agents within Konoha hadn't been fully purged after his defection. Some were still active, and likely in influential positions.
It wasn't unexpected. Orochimaru had operated in Konoha for many years. It would've been foolish if he hadn't left anything behind.
The snake hissed again and slithered to Kei's feet. "That's not your concern. I've heard you've been in contact with Uchiha Shisui recently."
"I have," Kei said, stepping back slightly. "But he's dead now. If you're hoping I have some leftover intel about him, you'll be disappointed."
"I know. He's not my true target."
"Then who is?"
The snake raised its upper body, golden eyes glowing. "Uchiha Itachi. I want you to collect intel on him."
Kei frowned. "Given the state of relations between the Uchiha and the village, getting close to Itachi won't be easy."
"I can wait," the snake replied.
"You know how swamped I am with clinic work. My time is limited- "
The snake stopped, sensing the implication. A moment later, Orochimaru's voice asked with quiet amusement, "What do you want?"
"Sensei," Kei asked in return, "have you ever studied the Hyūga?"
The snake went completely still.
After a moment, Orochimaru replied, "So that's what you want. Unfortunately, I haven't cracked the Caged Bird Seal."
"In fact, many before me have tried to undo it. All failed. And I was no exception."
Kei's brow creased. "Can I know why they failed?"
Orochimaru's voice came low and slow. "After extensive experimentation, I confirmed one thing, the Caged Bird Seal is not just carved into your brain or your Byakugan. It's etched into your very soul."
"Unless someone can erase the curse mark at the soul level, or swap your soul entirely… there's no removing it."
"And the former, even I can't do it. As for the latter, swapping your soul means you'd die."
Kei's heart pounded. He forced his tone to remain calm.
"Then, Sensei," he said, "I want the full records of your experiments on the Caged Bird Seal."
"And what use would they be to you?" the snake replied coldly. "They won't help. You'd be better off asking for something else."
Kei shook his head. "To a bird in a cage… what else could possibly matter more than freedom?"
There was a moment of silence.
Then, the white snake opened its mouth and spit out a scroll.
"It's all in there," Orochimaru said. "But don't get your hopes up."
Kei reached out and took the scroll.
No one else in the world could understand just how much this scroll meant to him.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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