--
He couldn't believe it—someone his age possessing chakra that far exceeded his own? It was absurd.
Even though that weirdo hadn't fully mastered something as basic as the Transformation Jutsu, the scale of what he had managed was terrifying. Sasuke couldn't replicate that kind of transformation even if he tried. Not yet.
Recalling his brother Itachi's words, Sasuke began to reconsider his earlier judgments. Maybe that guy—Ye Dou—really was stronger than him… for now.
"Didn't you say you were going to stay low-key? What was that just now?" the mongoose muttered as Ye Dou returned to his seat.
Though the transformation hadn't been complete—he'd purposely held back on fully forming the Nine-Tails—the sheer chakra he released was enough to leave the room shaken.
"You underestimate Konoha," Ye Dou replied quietly, eyes flicking to Iruka, who had resumed teaching like nothing had happened. "To people here, chakra of that level is only enough to raise eyebrows. It's not enough to alarm the village."
He opened his textbook and feigned focus. What he'd done might draw a little attention, but as long as he kept things quiet afterward, no one would look too closely.
After all, in a village like Konoha, a student with no bloodline limit, no ninjutsu aptitude, and only taijutsu to rely on—even if freakishly talented—wasn't worth investigating.
"Even so…"
"Umino Iruka is biased against me," Ye Dou interrupted flatly, like it was just another fact. "Showing a little attitude now and then gives him an outlet. If it stops him from picking on me later, it's worth it."
True arrogance wasn't about causing a scene. It was about forming unnecessary bonds. That's where real danger lay.
Uzumaki Naruto feared loneliness, so he courted chaos. He drew people in by forcing interactions, creating tension—hatred, annoyance, sympathy—anything to forge a connection. And over time, those connections changed. They grew into bonds that couldn't be ignored.
Ye Dou didn't want that. He'd cut all ties before they formed. No cause. No effect. No entanglement.
"Then what about Hanabi?" the mongoose asked suddenly.
Snap!
The pencil in Ye Dou's hand snapped clean in two. His heart stirred, but his face remained blank. "…She's my demon," he murmured. "One day, I'll sever her."
A silence stretched. He reached for another pencil, memories flashing through his mind—the night a year ago, when he hesitated. If he hadn't stopped, hadn't gone soft...
"Ye Dou, want to eat lunch together today?" Hyuga Hanabi's voice broke his thoughts. "I brought your favorite—rabbit rice balls!"
Snap!
The pencil broke again. Twitching slightly, Ye Dou turned to her with a cold stare. "I'm not eating with you. I don't even like rabbits. Stop bothering me."
"But bunnies are cute. How can you not like them?"
Hanabi seemed immune to rejection, her voice light and curious as she leaned closer, shielding her face from the teacher's view with a propped-up book.
She gazed at him, puzzled. If you think rabbits are cute, why would you eat them?
Ye Dou nearly lost it. This damn girl…
His expression darkened, and he turned away, ignoring her completely.
The mongoose stifled laughter beside him, covering its snout with both paws. Hanabi's antics were endlessly amusing.
From across the room, Hinata Hyuga observed them quietly. The class weirdo no longer seemed so strange to her. Her eyes sparkled, flitting between Ye Dou, Hanabi… and occasionally, Uzumaki Naruto.
---
Noon.
After reluctantly eating with the Hyuga sisters, Ye Dou spent the rest of the afternoon in silence. As soon as the final bell rang, he left the academy without looking back. Today had been a mess.
Back at his training ground, he skipped warm-ups. His fist lashed out at the wooden post.
He had to vent the irritation. He needed to restore control.
"Ye Dou—"
"Leave me alone."
"Just listen—"
"I said shut up."
"Someone's coming."
Ye Dou stopped instantly, deactivating the gravity seal on his body. He frowned. Who would come here now?
Hanabi was out—she got picked up by the Hyuga clan every day. Guy-sensei was on a mission outside the village and wouldn't return for a while.
Then who…?
"You really are here!"
Sasuke Uchiha?
He still had his schoolbag slung over his shoulder—he hadn't even gone home. He'd come straight here.
Ye Dou narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"
"I came to challenge you."
Sasuke stepped forward, fire in his voice.
As the reincarnation of Indra's chakra, Sasuke Uchiha's potential was exceptional. His Sharingan would one day evolve into the Mangekyō, and then into the Rinnegan. His left eye would hold Amaterasu, the black flames that burned anything. His right would gain Kagutsuchi, to control them.
Even Uchiha Madara—another reincarnation of Indra—had praised the symmetry of Sasuke's ocular powers.
But unlike Madara and Indra, Sasuke was still grounded. Still human. Still—normal.
For now.
---