Kei's lecture was profoundly dark, and while Neji couldn't grasp the entirety of the implications, the core tactical lesson resonated perfectly.
"I believe I understand the mechanics of it, Sensei," Neji said slowly, digesting the theory. "You are instructing me to completely bury my hatred, and actively manufacture a facade of absolute loyalty and affection toward the Main House."
"Because only by fawning over them will their paranoia subside. Once they believe I am domesticated, they will grant me greater freedom and resources. I can then utilize those exact resources to accelerate my own growth."
"The ancient proverb you recited signifies that the path to true vengeance is agonizing and paved with humiliation. But as long as I maintain absolute psychological discipline and adhere to the dog's survival mechanics, I will ultimately secure the power to execute them."
As Neji voiced the summary, a profound realization clicked into place. His Sensei had been executing this exact methodology since the day they met.
Kei Hyuga maintained a flawless, perpetually gentle demeanor. He weaponized his own blindness, utilizing his physical disability as the ultimate, disarming disguise.
More importantly, Kei's political standing within the clan had originally been negligible. Yet now, he possessed the absolute, fanatical backing of the Great Elder.
For the expansion of the new sanatorium, the Main House had gleefully bled their own vault to hand Kei eighty million ryo, plus an exorbitant propaganda budget. This level of financial backing transcended mere favoritism; it was total, unquestioning submission to the doctor's demands.
Why does the Great Elder blindly feed him millions of ryo? Neji thought, looking up at the smiling, sightless man. Because Sensei is the absolute master of wagging his tail. He has domesticated his own masters.
"Flawless deduction," Kei praised warmly. "The fact that you extrapolated my operational history from a single lesson confirms you are not an idiot."
Hearing his Sensei casually drop the word 'idiot' again, Neji's curiosity spiked. He desperately wanted to ask who exactly the doctor was comparing him to. But his shinobi instincts kicked in, and he swallowed the question.
He was young, but he wasn't foolish. He understood that prying into a spymaster's secrets was a fatal error. If Sensei wanted him to know the identity of the idiot, he would reveal it when the tactical timing was right.
"Since you possess a firm grasp of the theoretical framework," Kei announced, adjusting his coat, "it is time we proceed to live-fire application. You must achieve total synergy between theory and execution."
Neji's arrival had conveniently reminded Kei of a loose thread he needed to tie up. During his masterclass in manipulation days ago, Taihiro had explicitly promised to grant Kei the classified scroll for the Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven) so he could instruct Neji.
However, days had passed, and the Great Elder had never dispatched a courier to deliver the scroll to the clinic. It wasn't an oversight.
Taihiro had not forgotten. The old paranoid tyrant was deliberately withholding the prize. He was forcing Kei to physically bring the boy before the throne. Taihiro wanted to hand the ultimate secret technique over in person.
The psychological motive was transparent. Granting a monumental favor face-to-face forces the recipient to experience a visceral, immediate sense of overwhelming gratitude and subservience.
It was a classic corporate manipulation tactic Kei had observed frequently in his past life. Bosses would insist on handing out cash bonuses in person rather than using direct deposit, forcing the employee to physically bow and express their undying loyalty to the company.
Since they were marching into the lion's den, bringing the border collie was tactically unsound. They left the dog in the courtyard.
As they walked the manicured path toward the Main House compound, Kei delivered the final briefing.
"Listen closely, Neji. The moment we cross the threshold of the council hall, regardless of the pressure or the tone they use, your primary objective is to offer a deep, profoundly sincere apology directly to Great Elder Taihiro."
"Taihiro will inevitably attempt to play the role of the benevolent patriarch. He will soothe your 'guilt' and then formally grant you access to the clan's highest, classified techniques. When he offers the scroll, you must step forward and accept it instantly. Do not hesitate. Do not display a single fraction of doubt or suspicion."
Neji nodded sharply. He didn't fully comprehend the psychological mechanics of the exchange yet, but he trusted his Sensei's blueprint implicitly.
"When you address the Clan Head," Kei continued, his voice smooth and precise, "do not utilize his formal title. You will break protocol and address him affectionately as 'Uncle Hiashi.' Furthermore, if you refer to his daughters, you will call Hinata and Hanabi your 'little sisters.'"
"Finally, before we break the engagement, you must proactively initiate a request. You will ask the council for permission to regularly visit the Main House to play and train with Hinata."
Kei tilted his head slightly. "If they interrogate your motives for this sudden desire for family bonding, you will state clearly that your Sensei taught you the supreme value of blood ties."
Neji absorbed the complex sequence of behavioral commands. He looked up at the blind doctor, genuine awe warring with deep suspicion. "Sensei... why do I feel as though you have already read the script for a conversation that hasn't happened yet? Do you possess a Kekkei Genkai that sees the future? Or is this simply... psychology?"
"I am entirely incapable of seeing the future, Neji," Kei chuckled softly, the sound dry and amused. "However, applied psychology can effectively simulate precognition. By flawlessly mapping an individual's ego, their fears, and their political desires, you can engineer an environment that forces them to act exactly according to your design."
"It is an incredibly complex science, and absolute success is never mathematically guaranteed. You can only ruthlessly manipulate the variables to ensure the probability of victory is overwhelmingly in your favor."
Kei's pace slowed slightly as the massive, imposing gates of the Main House loomed ahead. "Remember this lesson above all else, Neji. The human heart is the most terrifying weapon in existence. If you master it, it is infinitely more lethal than your fists."
Neji etched the chilling philosophy into his memory. He squared his small shoulders and matched Kei's stride as they crossed the invisible, suffocating boundary separating the Branch from the Main House.
They bypassed the outer courtyards and walked directly into the opulent, silent expanse of the primary council hall.
"Lord Clan Head. Great Elder," Kei announced, offering a flawless, subservient bow.
Neji took a quiet breath, burying his hatred deep beneath his ribs, and executed his first command. "Uncle Hiashi. Great Elder."
Hearing the boy utilize the warm, familial title, Hiashi Hyuga's stoic mask cracked. A vivid flash of genuine surprise and desperate, buried affection lit up his eyes.
Sitting beside him on the elevated dais, Great Elder Taihiro did not react emotionally. He simply narrowed his singular eye, stroking his long white beard as he ruthlessly scrutinized the boy's posture.
The heavy, suffocating silence of the hall stretched on. Neither of the rulers spoke.
Sensing the calculated pressure tactic, Kei subtly nudged Neji's shoulder with the tip of his cane.
Neji immediately stepped forward, dropping into a deep, formal bow of contrition. "I offer my deepest apologies to this council. I was blinded by my own childish arrogance. I have been headstrong, and I recognize that my actions have caused nothing but unwarranted trouble for the family..."
Taihiro's eye gleamed with dark satisfaction. "Rise, Neji," the old man commanded softly. "I am aware that the realities surrounding your father's sacrifice have been a heavy burden for a child to bear. I know you believe the clan wronged you. But you must understand that the Main House is often forced to make agonizing choices for the survival of the whole."
Before Neji could formulate a response, Kei seamlessly interjected, perfectly playing the role of the loyalist mediator.
"Great Elder, Neji's previous transgressions were simply born of youthful ignorance," Kei smiled warmly. "During our clinical sessions, I have thoroughly instructed him that every single member of this bloodline possesses a sacred, unbreakable obligation to serve the Main House. Neji fully embraces this reality now."
Hearing Kei verbally confirm the boy's total subjugation, Taihiro let out a slow, pleased breath. "Your dedication to the clan's psychological stability is unparalleled, Kei. The boy is still young and malleable. I entrust his continued development entirely to your capable hands."
Reaching into the folds of his heavy robes, Taihiro withdrew an ornate, heavily sealed scroll.
"Regardless of the political necessity of the past, the elders acknowledge that the boy has suffered," Taihiro proclaimed, his voice echoing with manufactured benevolence. "Therefore, the Main House cannot simply stand by and offer nothing."
Taihiro extended the scroll forward.
Remembering Kei's absolute directive, Neji stepped up to the dais and accepted the classified technique with both hands. He did not hesitate for a fraction of a second, nor did he allow a single trace of suspicion to cross his face.
Taihiro gave a microscopic nod of approval at the boy's unquestioning obedience.
As Neji tucked the scroll away and remained standing before the throne, Taihiro raised an eyebrow. "Is there another matter you wish to discuss, Neji?"
Executing the final phase of the blueprint, Neji looked up. "I have a humble request. I pray the council will grant it."
"Speak freely, Neji," Hiashi urged, leaning forward eagerly. He was profoundly relieved to hear his nephew speak without the usual venom. Ever since Hizashi's death, the boy had looked at him with pure murder. "The clan will provide anything within reason."
"I would like to request formal permission to regularly visit the Main compound," Neji said softly. "I wish to spend my free time playing and training with my little sisters."
Hiashi's heart leaped. He opened his mouth to instantly grant the request, desperate to bridge the agonizing gap between their families.
However, Taihiro raised a hand, silencing the Clan Head.
"That is a highly unusual request, Neji," Taihiro noted, his singular eye boring into the boy, searching for a hidden plot. "There are dozens of Branch members your own age in the lower courtyards. Why the sudden, intense desire to associate with the heiresses?"
Sensei's psychological modeling is terrifying, Neji thought, a cold shiver running down his spine. The Great Elder reacted exactly as he predicted, down to the exact syllable of suspicion. Masking his internal shock, Neji offered a small, earnest smile. "Sensei Kei has been teaching me the supreme emotional value of protecting one's bloodline. I realize now that family is our greatest strength. I believe his philosophy is flawless."
Hearing Kei's fanatical loyalty cited as the primary catalyst, Taihiro's paranoia instantly evaporated. He leaned back in his chair, satisfied.
"It is a magnificent philosophy, Neji," Hiashi agreed warmly, taking the opening now that Taihiro had dropped his guard. "In truth, I have always prayed that you and Hinata would forge a close bond. You are first cousins; the blood of brothers flows in your veins. Your relationship should never have been allowed to fracture."
The oppressive, lethal tension that had filled the council hall upon their arrival was completely gone. The atmosphere had shifted into a warm, harmonious illusion of family unity.
Even Taihiro lost his severe, tyrannical edge. He stood up from his chair, offering Neji a few rare words of grandfatherly encouragement.
With the boy's political rehabilitation flawlessly executed and the scroll secured, Taihiro finally turned his attention back to the blind doctor.
"You returned to the village quite late last night, Kei, so I refrained from summoning you," Taihiro noted, his tone shifting back to business. "Did your tracker division successfully isolate Shinnō? Does the rogue possess the medical capability to repair your optic nerves?"
Kei let his shoulders slump, his warm smile fading into a mask of bitter, profound disappointment. He let out a heavy, tragic sigh.
"There were... severe, unforeseen complications, Great Elder."