Chapter 11: Conflict
The moment Kyosuke finished speaking, several figures appeared behind him in a flash, their own Sharingan activated as they stared down the Hyuga boy.
These were the guards assigned to protect the two little heirs.
This was also the biggest reason for Kyosuke's confidence in confronting the Hyuga. No matter what happened, he knew he wouldn't be the one to lose out, so why should he swallow his pride?
Besides, it was unthinkable for any Uchiha to bow their head to a Hyuga.
With the Senju clan having fallen into decline, the only two great clans left in Konoha were the Hyuga and the Uchiha. As a result, friction between the two was constant. Both coveted the honorary title of "Konoha's Number One Clan."
Kyosuke was certain that no matter how big this incident became, he wouldn't face any punishment back at the clan compound. But if he backed down today... his future would be difficult.
This was crystal clear to him.
Otherwise, why would he fall so easily for such a crude provocation from a little brat?
With the arrival of the Uchiha guards, their side's arrogance swelled. Although they said nothing, their crimson Sharingan were more than enough to intimidate any opponent.
However, the Hyuga boy opposite them only showed a brief moment of panic before regaining his composure.
Kyosuke keenly noted this, and his heart sank.
He had initially thought the boy's provocation was just a reckless act, born from resentment of his reputation as a genius. But now he realized the situation was far more complicated.
Sure enough, a few moments later, several Hyuga ninja arrived on the scene, creating a tense standoff with Kyosuke's group.
He looked at the Hyuga boy, who now wore a smug grin again, and shook his head in resignation.
Just as Kyosuke was about to say something, an unexpected voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere, causing the friction to cool instantly.
"Well, this is lively." The hoarse, yet strangely charismatic voice made Kyosuke's body stiffen involuntarily.
Throughout the entire world of Naruto, only one person could produce such a tone.
It was Konoha's top-tier powerhouse, one of the Legendary Sannin, the cold and calculating Orochimaru.
During the Second Shinobi World War, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya had fought together against Hanzo of the Salamander, a man hailed as a demigod. Although they were ultimately defeated, they earned Hanzo's admiration, and he bestowed upon them the title of "Sannin." From that point on, the three of them officially joined the ranks of the world's most powerful shinobi.
Though, in Kyosuke's opinion, Hanzo's admiration was just an excuse. The Sannin were the Hokage's students, and Tsunade was the princess of the Senju clan. Hanzo wouldn't have dared to kill them, no matter how much courage he had.
The so-called demigod might have acted with impunity in his own village, punishing any ninja who dared to cause trouble, but in reality, he was very measured. He pretended to lead his subordinates against the oppression of the great nations to maintain his status, while carefully avoiding crossing the bottom lines of the major villages. That was the only reason he could continue to rule the Village Hidden by Rain.
Otherwise, with the combined strength of the major ninja villages, while eliminating him would be troublesome, it was by no means impossible.
"Lord Orochimaru." Everyone present, except for the clueless Uchiha Nagisa, bowed respectfully to Orochimaru. Not even the habitually arrogant Uchiha were an exception.
Their respect wasn't for his title as the Hokage's student. It was earned by Orochimaru's distinguished service and incredible achievements during the Second Shinobi World War. The Uchiha, having survived since the Warring States Period, valued military merit above all else.
As far as Kyosuke knew, many within the clan held Orochimaru in the highest esteem.
Thinking of this, a bold idea began to form in Kyosuke's mind, growing stronger with each passing moment.
Orochimaru merely gave a slight nod in acknowledgment of their greetings and paid them no further mind. Instead, he seemed very interested in Kyosuke, his gaze fixed on him as if admiring a work of art.
"Are you afraid of me?" the raspy voice suddenly whispered beside Kyosuke's ear.
Kyosuke knew Orochimaru was asking because his body had trembled involuntarily when he first heard his voice, catching his attention.
Huff... Kyosuke took a shallow breath, then lifted his head to look directly into Orochimaru's eyes. "Not fear. Excitement."
"Excitement?" Orochimaru asked, his interest piqued.
"That's right, excitement," Kyosuke said, shamelessly flattering him. "I grew up hearing tales of your great deeds, Lord Orochimaru. My dream is to become a ninja just like you."
"Oh, is that so?" Orochimaru said with a half-smile, his eyes scanning Kyosuke up and down, lingering for a moment on the top of his head.
Kyosuke keenly noticed this, and his face flushed slightly. Oops, I overdid it. I forgot I'm just a five-year-old kid.
Eww, Kyosuke, you're such a liar, Nagisa, who had been standing quietly to the side, thought to herself, looking at Kyosuke's shameless performance with disdain.
An interesting child, Orochimaru mused to himself. After a quick glance at Kyosuke's eyes, he dismissed him.
"Stand down," Orochimaru said coolly to the Hyuga. Having witnessed the entire event from a distance, he knew the Hyuga had instigated the incident. Growing impatient, he wanted to resolve it quickly.
It had to be said that at this point in time, before he began his research into the Living Corpse Reincarnation, Orochimaru was still a fairly respectable Konoha ninja.
Hearing Orochimaru's command, the Hyuga clan members didn't dare to argue. They turned to leave.
"Wait a minute!" Kyosuke took another deep breath and suddenly called out, stopping them.
Then, meeting everyone's gaze, he said nonchalantly to the Hyuga boy, "You bumped into someone. Are you just going to leave without apologizing?"
The Hyuga, who had already given up on their plan, were stunned for a moment. Then, their eyes lit up with delight, and they began to signal frantically to the boy.
The boy glanced nervously at Orochimaru, who said nothing. He then took a step forward and said haughtily, "You want me to apologize? You'll have to beat me first."
So that was your goal, Kyosuke thought with a small, internal smile. He met the Hyuga boy's gaze and said, "Alright. I accept your challenge."
Who the hell challenged you?! the Hyuga boy screamed in his mind. But having finally achieved his goal, he couldn't be bothered with the details.
Just as he was about to speak again, he heard Kyosuke continue, "Since you issued the challenge, I'll set the time. One month from now. How about it?"
"A month?" The Hyuga boy was hesitant.
"Fine. One month it is," a Hyuga ninja behind him suddenly spoke up, agreeing to the terms.
The Hyuga boy quickly nodded, indicating that the man could speak for him.
After agreeing on the time and place for the duel, the Hyuga group left.
Watching them go, Kyosuke suddenly turned and bowed to Orochimaru. "Thank you for your help, Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru ignored his thanks. Instead, he looked at him with an inscrutable expression and asked in a low voice, "Do you know how strong that boy is?"
Kyosuke shook his head, indicating he didn't.
"If I'm not mistaken, he already has the strength of a Chunin." Orochimaru looked at Kyosuke's unfazed expression, and the strange light in his eyes grew more intense. "Regardless of age, physical strength, chakra, or skill in ninjutsu, he should be superior to you in every way."
"I will win," Kyosuke stated calmly.
"It will be difficult," Orochimaru said.
"Then how about we make a bet?" Kyosuke said, ignoring Nagisa's tugging at his sleeve.
"Oh?" Orochimaru's interest was now fully piqued. He thought to himself, An interesting child. Let's see what your real objective is.
A man as intelligent as Orochimaru could easily see that all of Kyosuke's actions since his arrival had been a setup for this very moment. But given his personality, he wouldn't hold it against Kyosuke. In fact, he would appreciate him even more for it.
This was the source of Kyosuke's confidence in taking such a risk with him. After all, he had the advantage of knowing his opponent.
"If I win," Kyosuke said, looking directly into his eyes, "Lord Orochimaru, please take me as your student."