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"Ginyin, don't worry about me! Deal with her!" Hinata Rin yelled, seeing Hinata Ginyin start to run toward him.
On the sidelines, Sato Kageki's eyes flashed as he watched the battle, a silent sigh echoing in his heart. So Hetsu has already developed his Ice Release to this extent. A true genius.
Hinata Ginyin had to abandon her rescue attempt. She turned back to Hetsu, determination blazing in her eyes.
She would defeat him.
Her fighting spirit was impossible to miss.
Hetsu pitied her for about a second.
Rule one: don't fight a cheater. Especially not the biggest cheater here.
Through relentless effort, he had achieved a preliminary grasp of his Frozen Time Capsule technique. It wasn't perfect, but it was more than enough to handle these little radishes.
Cold air gathered in his palm, and a sky full of ice blades shot toward Hinata Ginyin.
For academy students who had just learned to throw shuriken, such a dense, large-scale attack was overwhelmingly intimidating.
At least, it was for Hinata Ginyin. She stood frozen, her newfound battle spirit shattered by the single move.
Is Tsukimi Hetsu really the same age as us?
This was just a spar; Sato Kageki couldn't let her get hurt. As the ice blades rained down, he snatched Hinata Ginyin out of the way.
"Unfortunately, Hinata Ginyin, you're disqualified," Sato Kageki announced with a sigh. Anyone he had to save was automatically out.
Hetsu retreated to his trio.
"Hetsu is amazing!" Sarutobi Aoki cheered from the opposing camp.
Nara SĆsai just stared. "âŠ"
Damn. This was worse than he'd imagined. Hetsu's strength was unfathomable. The Hinata siblings were eliminated without even forcing him to get serious.
Seeing the power Hetsu displayed, the other kids who had been hesitant about an alliance instantly cast their doubts aside, joining Nara SĆsai's united front without a second thought.
Now, it was the entire class against Hetsu's team of three.
"Now this is interesting!" Uchiha Juri's eyes sparkled with excitement as he faced the imposing crowd.
The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder, drawing strength from each other. Their opponents had numbers, but they had comrades they could rely on.
A thrill shot through Hetsu. "We won't lose!"
Shisui blinked, then his gaze firmed. "Right! We won't lose!"
Sato Kageki watched them, a smile touching his eyes. They were the first to truly demonstrate the power of teamwork. At the same time, a faint worry pricked at him. The numbers were just too stacked against them. The odds were slim. He sighed softly.
"Go!"
The entire class surged forward. A palpable wave of fighting spirit erupted from the trio.
Dozens of figures swarmed them, unleashing a flurry of attacks.
Hetsu pivoted on the ball of his foot, his heel digging in. An instant later, he appeared before an attacker. Cold air surged from his palm, freezing the boy's hand solid on contact.
Elsewhere, Shisui darted through the crowd, leaving a trail of pained yelps in his wake.
Uchiha Juri's expression was cold, his fist cutting through the air as he mercilessly struck an opponent's face.
The three handled themselves with ease.
But soon, the fallen classmates were back on their feet, launching wave after wave of relentless assaults.
A bead of sweat trickled down Uchiha Juri's temple. He gritted his teeth, his trembling hands struggling to keep up. His speed and power were noticeably dropping.
The attackers seized the opening, pressing their advantage with renewed ferocity.
The trio drew close together again. Juri's breathing grew heavy.
Hetsu's remained steady. He raised his hand, only to find his movement locked in place.
His gaze dropped. A black shadow connected him to Nara SĆsai in the crowd.
"Now!" Nara SĆsai roared, veins bulging on his forehead. He couldn't hold on for long. The power gap between them was too vast.
"Get him!"
The others charged, frenzied. Yet their fists never landed. It was as if an invisible barrier protected Hetsu. A boy throwing a punch felt a strange resistance against his knuckles, his eyes widening in shock. Before he could react, Hetsu's fist sent him flying.
Nara SĆsai gasped for breath, the shadow at his feet receding, useless.
Ice blades formed once more, shooting toward everyone. As the crowd scrambled to dodge, Hetsu seized the chance to unleash his Frozen Time Capsule.
In a flash, before anyone could react, they all met the same fate as Hinata Rin.
Their feet were encased in ice, leaving them completely immobile.
An eerie silence fell over the training ground.
Staring at his frozen lower half, Nara SĆsai broke into a cold sweat. "So strong," he muttered, dazed. He was on a completely different level from a normal academy student.
Shisui stared at Hetsu in shock, his eyes shining. "He used his Ice Release three times in a row⊠Hetsu's chakra reserves are incredible!"
Uchiha Juri was also stunned. "That's⊠abnormally strong!"
A kid who'd only been in the academy for half a semester using three Ice Release jutsu? It was unbelievable.
Sato Kageki watched Hetsu in silence. After a long moment, he shook his head with a wry smile and announced, "The final victors are Team Hetsu, Shisui, and Juri!"
Shisui and Juri broke into identical grins.
Hetsu, meanwhile, went around shattering the ice that trapped his classmates.
"Anyone hurt?" he asked with concern.
The students, who had been sulking over their swift defeat, quickly forgot their frustration.
"N-no!" The little radish in front of him blushed and shook his head. This was the first time he'd ever been this close to Hetsu. He's actually really cute!
Sato Kageki led the class back inside to analyze the match.
"Even though you lost, you understood the need to unite against the strongest enemy. That's praiseworthy!" Sato Kageki's gaze swept over the children. His eyes settled on Sarutobi Aoki. "Aoki, you were too reckless. And Hinata Ginyin, Hinata Rinâyou two were overconfident!"
Sarutobi Aoki hung his head, frustrated with his own performance. Hinata Ginyin and Hinata Rin also lowered their heads in shame. As proud members of their clan, having their flaws pointed out so bluntly stung.
"Of course," Sato Kageki continued, his smile returning as he pulled three coupons from his flak jacket, "the ones who deserve the most praise are Hetsu, Shisui, and Juri! You performed excellently! These are for a yakiniku restaurant. Consider them your reward!"
Hetsu's eyes lit up as he took a coupon. "Thank you, Sensei!" Ever since Juri had treated him to yakiniku, he hadn't been able to forget the taste.
The setting sun streamed through the large classroom windows, bathing the children's faces in golden light. The final bell rang, and everyone began packing their bags.
"Let's go, Hetsu! Yakiniku time!" Uchiha Juri slung his backpack over one shoulder, standing with Shisui by Hetsu's desk.
"Alright." Hetsu nodded. His hand, reaching into his desk for his bag, paused.
"What's wrong?" Shisui asked, noticing the hesitation. His gaze drifted to Hetsu's desk.
Two fluffy, snow-white rabbit ears dangled from inside. Shisui's eyes widened. "Hetsu, you got a rabbit?"
"âŠ" Hetsu awkwardly pulled out the rabbit-shaped backpack, revealing it in its full glory.
"Pfftâ" Uchiha Juri couldn't hold back a laugh.
Feeling Hetsu's death glare, he immediately straightened his face. "I don't normally laugh. Unless I can't help it."
Shisui, sensing Hetsu's embarrassment, softened his expression. "It's fine, Hetsu. The little rabbit is cute."
"You really think so?"
"Mhm!" Shisui nodded firmly, then nudged Juri with his elbow. "Don't you think it's cute, Juri?"
Juri got the hint and cleared his throat. "It is cute." On anyone else, it might look childish, but on someone as good-looking as Hetsu, it just worked. Juri's ears turned slightly pink as he averted his gaze.
"Well, since you both think the little rabbit is so cuteâŠ" Hetsu's eyes curved into crescents. "How about we trade?"
"!"
"!"
Shisui and Juri took a simultaneous step back.
In the end, Shisui walked out of the school gate wearing the adorable rabbit backpack. He moved with the stiff gait of a poorly oiled machine as passersby shot him strange looks.
"Isn't that Shisui of the Uchiha clan?"
"Yeah."
"Why's he carrying such a childish bag?"
"Who knows?"
"Maybe he's into that?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
"He's an Uchiha!"
"It's fine, Shisui's a nice guy!"
Shisui maintained an icy expression the entire way, his features twitching. Juri subtly shifted closer to Hetsu, putting some distance between himself and their mortified friend.
"Hetsu, tomorrow's a day off. Why don't you and Shisui come to my place to train?" Juri suggested over yakiniku. "The three of us are pretty evenly matched, so we can spar!"
He was practically buzzing with excitement. The mere mention of combat or training always got him fired up.
Hetsu politely remained silent. Who gave Juri the illusion that we were 'evenly matched'?
"I can do that," Shisui said, then looked at Hetsu, clearly hoping he would agree.
Having never been to the Uchiha compound, Hetsu readily nodded. "Alright!" It was time to give Juri a proper lesson on the meaning of 'evenly matched.' A sinister smile played on his lips.
"He⊠Hetsu?" Shisui asked hesitantly. That smile was kind of terrifying.
"Hmm? What is it?" Hetsu's face bloomed into a sunny smile.
"Nothing!" Shisui lowered his head and took a sip of orange juice. It must have been my imagination. There's no way Hetsu would make such a scheming face.
Full and satisfied, the three headed home.
Under the cloak of night, Hetsu opened his front door whenâplopâsomething cold and smooth slapped onto his face.
"âŠ" With a deadpan expression, Hetsu pulled the little green snake off. No matter how long they'd lived together, he'd never get used to Little Green's intimate greetings.
"Hisssss!" The snake flicked its tongue, coiling around Hetsu's wrist.
Takenouchi emerged from his bedroom, smiling. "I didn't realize you and Little Green had gotten so close! It's late. You should get some rest." He was glad his daughter was getting along with his pet and didn't ask why Hetsu was back late. His daughter was her own person, with her own life.
"Okay."
The snake refused to leave, so Hetsu had no choice but to take it with him to the bathroom. While brushing his teeth, he felt something was off. He looked down. The little green snake was trying to slither up his skirt.
A vein throbbed on Hetsu's temple.
Thwack!
The snake was flung against the mirror. Its pink tongue stuck to the glass as it slid down, looking half-dead.
Hetsu felt no pity. He left the bathroom, lay down in bed, and closed his eyes. Not long after, a soft, small snake slithered back under his covers.
Dawn light filtered through the curtains. Cool morning air and the sound of birds drifted in through an open window.
Hetsu sprang out of bed, full of energy, and sat down without lookingâright on top of Little Green.
"Sorry." Hetsu patted the snake's cool body.
After washing up and eating breakfast, he told Takenouchi his plans for the day and set off for the Uchiha district.
At this time, the Uchiha clan hadn't yet been relocated from the village center, but Hetsu could still feel the separation. The center of Konoha should have been bustling, but the moment he stepped into the area marked with the Uchiha crest, the noise seemed to vanish. The crowds thinned, and nearly everyone on the streets wore Uchiha clothing. Hetsu, a non-Uchiha, stood out like a sore thumb.
"My, what a lovely little girl!" a middle-aged woman at a takoyaki stall called out, her eyes sparkling.
The girl wore a pale blue, floral-print cheongsam. Her silver-white hair was done in two meticulous braids, and her eyes were a clear azure, unlike the dark eyes of the Uchiha. She was like a finely carved jade doll. I wonder which Uchiha boy managed to charm such a pretty girl into coming home with him.
The woman held out a box of takoyaki, waving Hetsu over. "Little girl, tell this auntie who your little boyfriend is, and I'll give you this box for free, okay?" she asked with a kind smile.
Hetsu deadpanned. Little boyfriend? My gender is male, and my preference is female!
"Hetsu." Shisui walked over with a smile, having come to meet him.
"Oh!" the woman exclaimed in surprise. "So it's little Shisui! Looks like you're not just talented in ninjutsu. Your romance skills are top-notch, too!"
"Wh-what?" Shisui looked utterly bewildered.
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