Deep within the Hyuga compound, the atmosphere in the council chamber was heavy. Hiashi and Taihiro sat in their high-backed chairs as Haru presented yet another letter, hastily penned on the back of a patient case file.
The moment Taihiro recognized the familiar, disrespectful stationery, his brow furrowed into a deep scowl. His previously calm demeanor vanished. Kei Hyuga, the elder thought bitterly. Every single time that boy sends a letter...
The two clan leaders finished reading the beautifully written, utterly shameless extortion note. While the polite phrasing had been altered, the core message remained exactly the same: Send more money.
Taihiro looked down at Haru. "Is the doctor's claim accurate? Is the Sanatorium truly running out of funds due to a surge in admissions?"
He hadn't expected Kei to burn through the vault in a mere three months. The council had just handed the boy eighty million ryo. Even with the massive construction costs and the exorbitant price of the new medical machinery, the remaining gold should have easily sustained the facility for at least a year or two.
The sheer speed at which the money was vanishing made Taihiro deeply uneasy. Beside him, Hiashi frowned, clearly unsettled by the relentless demands.
Haru bowed her head slightly, keeping her expression perfectly neutral. "The patient volume has increased drastically, Great Elder. Furthermore, Kei-sama charges the civilian population practically nothing for their care, which creates a massive financial deficit."
"However," she added smoothly, "it is precisely because of his charity that the common villagers are singing the praises of the Hyuga clan."
Haru kept her eyes on the floor. "Kei-sama has stated he cares nothing for his own reputation. He simply wishes to cultivate a sterling public image for the Main House. He also mentioned that Lord Hokage is paying very close attention to our generosity."
Taihiro stroked his white beard, his paranoid mind weighing the heavy cost against the brilliant public relations victory. He exchanged a heavy look with Hiashi. The Clan Head gave a slow, reluctant nod.
"Tell Kei that the council will cover the current shortfall," Taihiro finally declared. "However, we cannot act as his bottomless purse forever. The Sanatorium must eventually become self-sustaining. Going forward, the Main House will provide a single, annual stipend. If he exhausts that gold early, he will simply have to find the remaining coin himself."
Hiashi leaned forward, adopting a slightly more diplomatic tone. "Haru, ensure Kei understands that we are not abandoning him. But the clan's daily expenses are vast. We cannot constantly hemorrhage our liquid wealth into his clinic. He needs to figure out a way to turn a profit."
Haru simply nodded in submission. She knew her only job was to perfectly deliver Kei's message and let the elders' own political greed do the rest of the work.
"Excuse me? You want my money?"
Sitting in the breakroom of the Sanatorium, wearing a crisp, white staff uniform, Kakashi stared across the table at the blind doctor. "I thought your elders just handed you a mountain of gold. Did you burn through all of it already?"
After formally stepping down from his active ANBU command, Kakashi had found himself drifting in a dangerous, quiet void. Kei had swooped in and offered him a job at the clinic, claiming that idle hands were bad for a recovering mind. Kakashi highly suspected the doctor just wanted free, elite security labor. But since he was already formally inducted into Kei's dark alliance, he had agreed to help.
What he absolutely hadn't expected was for the doctor to casually ask him to empty his life savings.
"Kakashi, you are aware that this clinic operates at a massive financial deficit," Kei said, adopting a wounded, innocent tone. "We send a generous stipend to the orphanage every month. I provide entirely free care to the civilian population. And then there are the hidden costs of outfitting our new alliance. Even shadow syndicates require a budget."
"I am broke," Kakashi lied flatly, giving the smiling doctor a withering glare. "And do not think for a second that I don't know exactly what you are secretly blowing that money on, you absolute snake."
Seeing the immovable wall of Kakashi's wallet, Kei let out a dramatic sigh and gave up. In truth, he knew he was pushing his luck. Forcing Konoha's deadliest assassin to mop the clinic floors for free was one thing; extorting him to fund illegal human experimentation was probably crossing a line.
But it was always worth a try. If Kakashi had been feeling particularly guilty, he might have actually handed over his bank scroll. The Hyuga elders were the designated fools anyway; if things got truly desperate, Kei would just have to pay another visit to the Hokage's Tower.
Kei waved a hand, dismissing the captain, but before Kakashi could stand, the breakroom door was thrown open.
A blur of green spandex rushed inside, throwing a heavy arm around Kakashi's neck. "Kakashi! My eternal rival! So this is where you have been hiding! You cannot escape me today; come, let us have a fiery, youthful challenge!"
Even without his eyes, Kei instantly recognized the blinding, overwhelming aura of sheer passion flooding the room. It could only be Might Guy.
Kakashi struggled uselessly against the suffocating headlock. "Guy," Kakashi groaned, his visible eye dropping in utter defeat. "As much as I would love to beat you into the dirt... I am currently on the clock."
Guy's radiant, confident smile instantly crumbled into a mask of profound, comedic despair.
Kei turned his bandaged face toward the loud shinobi, a genuine, interested smile spreading across his face. "Guy-san. If Kakashi is tied up with his chores, how about a friendly match with me?"
Guy blinked, releasing his rival to look at the blind man. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Kakashi mentioned you recently... what was your name again?"
"Kei Hyuga. You can simply call me Kei," he offered warmly. "I am Kakashi's friend, and you are Kakashi's best friend. Therefore, we should absolutely be friends as well."
"Ah, I remember now!" Guy boomed, pointing a finger. Then, completely lacking any filter, he glanced down at Kakashi. "Kakashi explicitly warned me never to get involved with you!"
The corner of Kei's mouth twitched. He turned his sightless gaze directly toward Kakashi, who immediately looked out the window, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.
"A simple spar hardly counts as getting dangerously involved," Kei chuckled smoothly. "If you are willing, please wait for me in the training courtyard out back. I will change into more suitable clothing and join you shortly."
Brimming with explosive vitality, Guy threw a brilliant, white-toothed grin and flashed a dramatic thumbs-up. "Do you see this, Kakashi?! Now that is the springtime of youth!"
With a triumphant shout, Guy marched out to the courtyard.
The moment the door swung shut, Kakashi's exhausted demeanor vanished. His expression hardened into lethal, unyielding stone. "I am warning you right now, Kei. Do not even think about dragging him into our darkness."
"Why would I ever do such a thing?" Kei placed a hand over his heart, feigning innocent offense. "I genuinely just want to test my fists against his."
Kakashi didn't believe a single word. He knew the doctor's manipulation tactics intimately. "Do not try to play me," Kakashi growled. "I will be standing right there, watching your every move."
"By all means, keep a close eye on me," Kei smiled, standing up from his chair. He paused near the doorway. "By the way, Kakashi... may I ask you a quick question?"
Kakashi's chest tightened. He hated the doctor's questions. "What is it?"
Kei tilted his head, the warm smile completely fading from his lips. "Do you still remember the exact circumstances of how Might Guy's father died?"