…
"The Hyuga, Uchiha, and Uzumaki clans gathered in such a convenient spot.
Who would've thought Christmas came early this year."
…
With that voice echoing in his head, Shouen's laughter and shout in the background, Yashin also leaped into the courtyard.
Neither Tenma nor the other Hyugas were particularly surprised by his appearance.
So, when Shouen was about to land on one of the family branch members, the latter immediately spun around and used his Jūken to knock the unwanted child aside.
A strike aimed at his shoulder, with enough force to seal a chakra point and render the arm useless.
However, just as it was about to make contact, Yashin's smile widened until his gums were exposed, while his fingers tensed—and with them, the threads of chakra he had tied to Shouen's body, which hadn't even registered in the privileged eyes of the proud Hyuga.
A slight movement caused the family branch member's precise Jūken to miss Shouen's shoulder and land on his neck.
The crack was as clear as it was repulsive.
Everyone froze.
The sudden chill down their spines had petrified them.
They simply watched the body of the, just a moment ago, screaming Shouen fall lifeless to the ground, just like a carelessly tossed trash bag.
Meanwhile, Yashin's laughter continued to echo.
It wasn't until his feet touched the ground that it finally began to fade.
— A Hyuga slave from the family branch murdered an academy student…
Even so, his smile remained just as twisted.
— I wonder what the village will say about this. After all, since the dog's master was here, the animal can't take all the blame. So, who will be held responsible?
Although Yashin knew he was talking nonsense, the growing pallor on Tenma's face told him his words were not in vain.
— Y-you… Who are you? Why did you kill a student and throw him here? You must be a traitor or a spy, right?
The Hyuga's desperate tirade only made the grimace on the pink-haired's face twist even further.
— Is that your plan to wash your hands of this? Unfortunately for you, the only witnesses on your side are just your clan's slaves. On the other hand, I'm sure the nearsighted Uchiha, the lonely blonde, and the Aburame heir will be more than willing to back up my version of the truth.
After winking at the pair of shocked girls, Yashin began to walk slowly toward Tenma.
— Y-you… why are you coming closer?
Even though Yashin was nothing more than a small child compared to the unmarked-forehead Hyuga, his expression and words had already terrified him to the point where he couldn't bear the thought of being near him.
— Since you've committed a crime, it's my duty as a resident of Konoha to stop you. Although, come to think of it, since you murdered a fellow villager, your punishment, according to the village's rules, should be death. It's a shame that a member of the Hyuga main branch has to die. Still, it's something that must be done.
— You… do you dare? You lot, arrest this traitor!
Despite Tenma's hysterical scream, only one member of the family branch stood in front of Yashin. Both Neji and the boy who had delivered the blow that ended Shouen's life were still frozen in place.
Seeing the boy's trembling hands in front of him, Yashin let out a chuckle before mobilizing his chakra.
Immediately, one of the invisible ants he had scattered landed and bit the Hyuga's leg.
The faint electric buzz and the shrill scream were simultaneous.
— Well, who would have thought that even the prestigious Hyuga with their Byakugan could suffer from tunnel vision when they're terrified. That dojutsu is wasted in their hands. Since that's the case, there shouldn't be any problem if I take a couple of their corpses. I'm sure they'll be of greater use to me.
As he finished speaking, Yashin raised his foot to crush the face of the noisy family branch member lying on the ground.
The silence that followed the excessive stomp didn't last long before it was broken by Sarada's shrill voice.
— Yashin Haruno! What do you think you're doing?
Shino, who had been watching the scene from near the two girls, immediately backed away, as if afraid Haruno might think he was on their side.
Yashin, for his part, barely glanced sideways at the Uchiha.
— On top of the fact that I just helped you, you dare to question me. Even though I already knew that the members of your clan were irrational, this is on another level.
The coldness in Yashin's gaze made Sarada instinctively step back.
Natsuki at her side also tugged at the Uchiha's qipao, eager to stop her.
Yashin Haruno knew no bounds.
Staying out of his sight was best for everyone.
However, while the blonde fully understood that fact, Sarada wasn't quite so perceptive.
— Do you realize what you're doing? Stop this right now.
The coldness in Yashin's gaze only intensified with every word.
Even so, Natsuki could sense it; the malice directed at Sarada wasn't nearly as thick as the one Tenma or anyone else present was receiving.
In the end, the pink-haired boy's smile softened slightly.
— I guess stupidity runs in your blood. But considering who your parents are, I can't blame you.
— What? Parents? You, what are you…?
— I should discipline you, but I don't have time right now, so you'd better shut up and go to sleep.
Even though her lips were parted, Sarada couldn't utter another word before a pair of stings in her ankles paralyzed her and then caused her vision to go dark.
Stunned, Natsuki could only watch as the Uchiha collapsed in front of her, but she barely had time to identify the tiny culprits behind her partner's collapse before a couple of pricks on her exposed skin also caused her to fall.
Despite her complaints about how unfair Haruno was for attacking her too, even though she hadn't said or done anything, Natsuki likewise lost consciousness.
After dealing with the nuisance and ensuring that the ants not only poisoned them but also secured a bit of their blood, Yashin refocused on Tenma and the new Hyuga from the branch family standing a step behind him.
— Your guard dog? You lot, the main family, are real cowards.
— Shut up. A traitor like you has no right to speak in my presence.
Following Tenma's words, the middle-aged man behind him began advancing toward the pink-haired.
His brow furrowed, veins bulging around his eyes, a weight behind every step.
The violence in Yashin's smile, which had barely subsided, resurfaced.
— What is this I'm feeling? Do you want to kill me?
Yashin's fingers tensed as his stagnant chakra began to boil.
The bodyguard of a member of the main family, likely a chunin or a jonin; however, whether it was his rank or their age difference, he couldn't care less.
Shino, a couple of steps behind the pink-haired, also began to mobilize his chakra, putting all his insects on alert, but as soon as he did, the Hyuga's hostility fell upon him.
His vibrant chakra turned to stagnant water, and even his insects shrank back.
However, before he could lose himself in the full force of that murderous intent, Yashin's words unleashed an even more nauseating and oppressive wave.
— Do you dare to let your attention wander? Your arrogance could cost you your life, slave.
The branch member, as his primary target, paled immediately.
What stood before him was no longer a wicked brat; it was a demon standing atop a pile of countless corpses, its eyes fixed in his direction.
Although his paralysis lasted only an instant, that was enough for Yashin's index and ring fingers to extend forward.
The greatest virtue of the Byakugan is perhaps its unique ability to observe an opponent's chakra system; however, for the branch member, at that moment, his greatest ability only served to plunge him even deeper into despair.
Almost all of the enemy's chakra surged uncontrollably toward a single tenketsu on his hand, before compressing and shaping itself into a line that was barely visible to his eyes.
It was ridiculous.
Such control… not to mention seeing it in a child—it was something the Hyuga couldn't even imagine was humanly possible.
He could already picture himself being sliced apart by that concentrated mass of chakra. However, the attack never materialized.
Two masked figures dressed in black appeared not far from the pink-haired, forcing him to reconsider his actions.
The surprise of their sudden appearance was nowhere near the relief the Hyuga felt at being spared the edge of death.
After all, the presence of those Shinobi, though camouflaged, had always been in plain sight.
— Yashin Haruno. We'll take care of things from here. You can leave with peace of mind.
The robotic voice and the cold aura surrounding them.
Yashin didn't even have to think about who those dogs belonged to.
The chakra gathered in his fingers felt like a burning knife; it was ready to explode, but he couldn't do it—not anymore.
Although he didn't understand Danzo's dogs' intentions in intervening at that moment, he knew that if he unleashed his attack, he wouldn't have enough chakra to deal with them, let alone do anything else.
If that were to spell his end, it would be far too simple and pathetic.
He wasn't willing to go out on such a pathetic note.
Even so, he also found it hard to suppress his urge to kill the slave standing before him.
For a moment, he considered telling Shino to take care of entertaining the ROOT members, but setting aside his limited ability, he couldn't even order something like that of the Aburame.
Although they could be considered good comrades, what he wanted him to do was going too far.
Not having anyone to deal with the nuisances around him began to feel even more frustrating.
In the end, Yashin simply lowered his hand and, with an expressionless face, began to walk away.
His eyes fell on the pair of collapsed girls, on the shaken Neji, and finally on the inscrutable Aburame.
A few ideas crossed his mind, but after the laughter of his inner voice, they soon faded into the background.
…
"Even with all the crap you said before waking up, you seem to be the most eager to send it all to hell. What happened to those somewhat interesting things that motivated you to stay alive and keep acting like a bitch? Why are they suddenly so insignificant that they can be cast aside as soon as something less than a dog dares to bare its teeth at you?"
…
Yashin didn't answer, didn't clench his teeth—he simply kept walking.
He understood his own contradictions better than anyone.
He didn't know what he wanted; he didn't understand what his priorities should be. Still, he had already stopped beating himself up over it.
Just going with the flow and doing things his own way was enough—at least for now.
He turned his gaze toward the silent but restless Shino, who was always a step behind him, before opening his mouth.
— So, are you still interested in ants?
Neither his unnecessary attempt to stand up for him against the Hyuga's aggression, nor his calm act of accompanying him, even after orchestrating the death of a classmate; though Yashin hadn't mentioned anything about what had happened, it was still something he'd seen and kept in mind.
— ...Yes. Though I'm sure my father will be more interested in obtaining the method you use to make your modifications.
Instead of answering, the pink-haired let out a short laugh that soon gave way to a heavy silence.
That response came as no surprise to the Aburame.
It wasn't nearly the first time he'd asked about that; however, the possibility of an affirmative answer was so tempting and important to his clan that it was always a good time to bring it up.
But since he had no luck this time either, all he could do was bring up a new topic of conversation.
— So, were you really planning to kill the Hyuga from the main house?
However, as soon as he opened his mouth, he realized how stupid his words were.
Although he was far less important than a member of the main branch, his carefree companion had just orchestrated the death of another academy student.
In the Aburame's eyes, there was nothing such a person wouldn't dare to do.
— Why not?
And his answer didn't disappoint him.
— Although their pride is almost as excessive as the Uchiha's, the Hyuga are a clan in decline. Nothing but soft-hearted bitches. Even if that waste of space had lost his mind, nothing much would've happened to us. Since your clan and old man Shimura get along so well, if you'd offered him that guy's Byakugan, I'm sure the old man would've dragged his decrepit ass out of bed to clean up the mess.
Shino didn't know how to respond.
Not to mention understanding his clan's relationship with the Shadow Hokage, the only thing he knew about the old man was that he ran a mysterious organization, one that had taken his cousin away.
— Anyway. I still have things to do. If you want to buy the method for my modifications, tell your father I might have a suitable offer. The problem is whether he'll be willing to pay for it. If he wants to hear it, he knows how to contact me. For now…
Without saying anything more, Yashin extended his index and ring fingers before waving them and leaving the school.
Shino could only watch his back recede, while he himself was unable to move, petrified by the unexpected offer.