After Shisui and Itachi left, Hyuga Kei turned his full attention to ordering the equipment for his experiments.
The black market truly was a miraculous place. As long as you had the money, there was very little you couldn't obtain.
With the 200,000 ryo sponsored by Hyuga Taihiro, plus his own savings and income from the clinic, Kei finally scraped together enough to purchase the first round of equipment necessary for his work.
Three days after placing the order, a courier delivered the gear, sealed within scrolls.
After much deliberation, Kei decided to set up his first lab inside the clinic itself.
When he first leased the place, he'd noticed a large, unused basement below the clinic, now, it was perfect for repurposing.
Of course, there was one problem: installing a laboratory in the clinic meant his assistant, Hyuga Haru, would inevitably notice something was off.
To cover his tracks, Kei devised a clever ruse. He mixed a few cheap electrotherapy beds in with the other gear, low-cost but highly useful.
To Haru, he gave a straightforward explanation: these were special tools meant to treat patients with especially stubborn psychological conditions.
Sure, the excuse sounded clumsy and not particularly convincing. But after Kei actually used the machines to treat a few particularly disturbed patients, and it worked, Haru went quiet.
Word eventually began to spread. The clinic's reputation took a hit, and the number of patients noticeably dropped.
After all, electrotherapy was an extreme method. The screams from those being "treated" echoed even outside the building, bone-chilling to any passerby.
But Kei couldn't care less.
His goal was already quietly being achieved.
Soon enough, it was time for his scheduled monthly eye examination. Once again, Kei entered the Hyuga clan's formal receiving hall. As expected, the results were the same: no improvement.
This time, Hyuga Hiashi didn't appear in person, it was Taihiro who conducted the examination.
When it ended, Taihiro said gently, "Kei, don't be discouraged. The clan will continue doing everything we can to help you."
"I understand. Thank you for your concern, Elder," Kei replied with calm composure.
"Alright then, go on. I heard your clinic's doing well, I won't delay your business."
But Kei didn't leave. He stood there, his pale grey eyes seemingly staring straight at Taihiro.
Taihiro furrowed his brow. "Is there something else?"
Kei said, "Elder, may I trouble you for some additional funds?"
Taihiro raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I just give you two hundred thousand? You've already used it all?"
"You know, I recently purchased a batch of equipment for the clinic…"
Taihiro had already heard about it from Haru, so after a moment of thought, he said, "Haru, bring thirty thousand."
He had originally planned to reject the request, but Kei's performance during the previous test had been satisfactory enough to earn a reward.
Still, he couldn't allow the boy to become too extravagant. Even Taihiro had his limits.
His expression grew stern. "Kei, money doesn't come easy. You'd best learn to spend it wisely."
"I understand. Thank you again, Elder." Kei bowed with polite gratitude, but in his heart, he was already thinking about what excuse to use next time.
Having achieved his goal, he turned and left without delay.
As Kei's figure disappeared down the corridor, Taihiro looked to Haru and asked, "Has he been acting strangely these days?"
"No, Lord Taihiro," Haru replied with her head bowed. "Hyuga Kei is the same as always. Although ever since his reputation spread, more and more patients have been visiting the clinic."
Taihiro nodded slightly. "Then he must truly be exhausted."
Haru remained respectfully silent, fulfilling her role as a servant to perfection.
In a forest near the Nanhe River.
Kei gripped his cane tightly, his senses spread to their maximum range as he concealed himself at a safe distance. He was waiting, watching, for a performance about to unfold.
It had been a week since he'd "closed" the clinic for rest. During that time, he'd been secretly tailing Shisui.
According to his calculations, Danzo was likely to make a move very soon. The exact timing was uncertain, so he'd chosen the simplest and most primitive method: stalk and wait.
And now, his patience was about to pay off.
In the forest, Shisui was making his way toward a mission site. He looked exhausted, these days had not been kind to him.
Ever since that failed visit to Kei's clinic with Itachi, his heart had felt strangely uneasy. A growing, persistent anxiety gnawed at him with no clear source or solution.
To make matters worse, tensions between the Uchiha clan and the village had escalated even further.
At the most recent clan meeting, several elders openly proposed launching a coup to reclaim the clan's rightful power. Most alarming of all, this time, clan head Fugaku did not object.
The conflict between clan and village was clearly unavoidable. If civil war erupted, Shisui feared outside forces would exploit the chaos.
Whether it led to the Uchiha's destruction or Konoha's collapse, both outcomes were unacceptable to him.
After much deliberation, he made a bold decision: he would use Kotoamatsukami, his Mangekyō Sharingan's ultimate power, to forcibly change his clan's will and prevent the uprising.
He'd already informed the Third Hokage, and gained Sarutobi's approval.
But just as he was preparing to act, he received a sudden order from ANBU, he was to rendezvous with a squad in the forest.
Shisui didn't suspect anything. He came immediately.
Only to be met not with allies, but with poison smoke.
Before he could react, kunai came flying at him from every direction, tight, coordinated, and deadly.
Coughing from the poison, Shisui barely managed to activate his Shunshin to dodge, but the next figure he saw sent dread plunging to the pit of his stomach.
Danzo.
If he were at full strength, he'd have nothing to fear. But poisoned as he was, he could barely stay upright.
"Why?" Shisui glared at Danzo. "Why are you doing this? I could've prevented war!"
Danzo's voice dripped with scorn. "Kotoamatsukami, a genjutsu capable of infiltrating minds and rewriting thoughts… and you'd waste it on stopping a coup?"
"Even if you suppress them for now, the village's distrust of the Uchiha won't disappear. The conflict is inevitable. Better to eliminate the root."
"That's what's best for the village. For the people. Isn't it obvious?"
Shisui's hands trembled as he gripped his short blade. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but now Danzo had confirmed everything.
"So that was your plan all along?" he asked, voice hoarse. "What about your promise, "
"Promise?" Danzo sneered. "Only fools believe in promises."
He waved his hand.
The members of Root attacked as one.
Weakened and gasping, Shisui fought back with all he had. But ultimately, he was overpowered. Danzo tore the Sharingan from his right eye.
The searing pain nearly caused him to black out.
But his will to survive was stronger. In a desperate move, he hurled a smoke bomb to the ground.
As mist covered the forest, his figure vanished.
<150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter>