The moon hung high outside the window, and Kei tossed and turned in bed. Orochimaru's experiment log, though just a few short entries, kept him wide awake all night. He couldn't stop thinking about confirming whether the Caged Bird seal had truly lost effect on him.
But in the end, Kei managed to suppress the impulse.
While his condition gave strong reason to believe the Caged Bird was now ineffective on him, proof would still require an actual test.
He couldn't be sure Orochimaru hadn't tampered with the research logs. For his own safety, the first step would be to test on someone else.
Once the results confirmed that probing the Caged Bird without touching the core wouldn't trigger the defensive mechanism, then, and only then, could he consider experimenting on himself.
He didn't even know when he finally fell asleep. Just as he was still lost in dreams, a loud banging on the door jolted him awake.
The knocking was so aggressive that Kei had no choice but to drag himself out of bed. When he opened the door and hadn't even spoken yet, the visitor shouted out, "Hyūga Kei, the Elder Taihiro wants to see you."
The man's voice carried a note of hostility and jealousy.
This puzzled Kei. He'd never stirred up trouble within the clan, and being blind often earned him sympathy rather than resentment.
So why the animosity?
After a moment's recollection, Kei narrowed it down. "You're Hyūga Saku?"
"Hmph. Since you know who I am, then quit wasting time and come with me!" Saku snapped coldly.
Kei gripped his blind cane calmly. Saku's attitude wasn't surprising, he was notorious within the clan for being thoroughly disliked by the branch family.
In psychology, there's a condition known as Stockholm Syndrome, also called the hostage complex. Victims develop emotional attachments to their captors, often to the point of assisting them.
Saku was a textbook case.
Though a branch member himself, Saku had once been punished by the main house as a child. Later, he became one of Taihiro's personal attendants.
Before that, he had shown no particular loyalty, but once made a servant, he began lording over other branch members, bullying them under the protection of Taihiro.
Due to his backing, few dared speak out.
Meanwhile, Saku bent over backward to curry favor with the main house while oppressing his own peers. It was the perfect picture of someone who had internalized his chains.
Without his usual polite smile, Kei simply said flatly, "Lead the way."
Saku seemed annoyed by Kei's lack of deference. As he walked ahead, he grumbled, "I don't know what Taihiro-sama sees in you. Can't believe he even let Haru follow you around."
"Sounds like you like her," Kei said mildly.
"I'm warning you, stay away from her, or I'll make you regret it!"
Kei could clearly sense Saku's barely contained frustration. Smiling slightly, he replied, "Sorry to disappoint. Haru is my assistant, and she will be for quite a while."
"If you don't like me being around her, you could always ask the Elder to assign me someone else."
"Oh, but that might be tricky, considering your status." Kei tilted his head. "Or… have you forgotten what your status is? Do you need me to remind you?"
Kei had no interest in being polite to someone like Saku, a man who, despite being a victim of oppression, had chosen to stand with the oppressors.
There were three types of people Kei couldn't stand. Saku was the first: the traitor of his own kind. The second: people who always spoke in half-truths.
"Don't think being favored by Taihiro-sama gives you the right to provoke me," Saku growled, forcing down his anger. "You're just a blind cripple. What's so great about you?"
Kei merely shrugged. "Yet you're still the one guiding me, aren't you?"
The remark made Saku's blood boil, but he couldn't retaliate. He could only speed up, grinding his teeth in silence.
Kei said no more. He followed the familiar path to the clan's council hall, and as always, wore his signature gentle smile. "Elder Taihiro, you called for me?"
As for Saku, the moment he stepped into the hall, his demeanor flipped completely. He bowed respectfully, the very picture of a humble servant.
Kei wasn't surprised. People like Saku had knelt so long they forgot how to stand. The clan had more than a few like him, willing watchdogs who eagerly served the main house, sparing them the trouble of lifting a finger.
Taihiro greeted Kei with a warm smile. "Kei, well done. Using a pet to distract Neji was an excellent move."
"I only did what I should have," Kei said modestly. "Wherever the clan needs me, that's where I'll be."
Taihiro looked even more pleased. He patted Kei's shoulder. "If the clan had more young ones like you, my work would be so much easier."
"You're still young yourself, Elder," Kei said with a chuckle. "We're all hoping you'll be with us for many years. I haven't even had a chance to repay your kindness."
"You and your humility," Taihiro laughed. Then his tone shifted slightly. "Still, distraction isn't a long-term solution. Neji will eventually catch on. Do you have anything more permanent in mind? We can't keep handing him new toys forever."
Kei gently tapped his cane, pretending to contemplate.
Taihiro waited patiently.
After about five minutes, Kei hesitantly said, "There is a better way… but…"
"But what?" Taihiro asked. "Speak freely. If it's a good idea, we'll work something out."
Kei shook his head. "It would go against clan rules. I really shouldn't say."
"Go ahead," Taihiro urged. "Rules exist, yes, but they're not unbendable."
Seeing that Taihiro had taken the bait, Kei maintained a calm exterior and showed a conflicted look. "Then I'll just say it casually, if it's out of line, I hope you won't be upset."
"Of course," Taihiro nodded. "Speak freely. Even if you're wrong, I won't hold it against you."
"It's just… Neji's resentment toward the clan stems from what happened back then," Kei said. "So if we want to truly resolve this, he needs closure. Only by letting go completely can we eliminate the root problem. Otherwise, we'll just be distracting him again and again."
Taihiro's expression darkened slightly. "Go on…"
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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