The rustling of leaves filled the forest as Inuzuka Tsu, Hyuga Naoki, and Abura Daisuke sprinted through the dense vegetation of the Forest of Death.
"I'm so done with this stupid sticker!" Tsu growled, scratching at the bright red flower plastered on her forehead.
"You've been complaining about it since we put them on," Naoki muttered, rubbing his temples. "If you haven't noticed, we have bigger problems."
Tsu shot him an irritated glare. "Bigger problems? Naoki, do you realize how humiliating this is?! I'm an Inuzuka, not so academy student running around with a damn reward sticker!"
Naoki sighed, but deep down, he felt the exact sa way. Having a bright red flower stuck between his Byakugan was the most humiliating thing he had ever experienced.
The Hyuga Clan was built on dignity. This was a disgrace.
anwhile, Daisuke, quiet as ever, adjusted his sunglasses and kept moving, seemingly unaffected by their predicant.
"Tsu, just let it go already," Naoki muttered, trying to ignore her tantrum.
Tsu turned to snap back at him, but the mont her sharp eyes t Naoki's ridiculous "decorated" forehead, she burst into laughter.
"Pfft—Hahahaha! Naoki, you—You look like a damn joke!"
"Shut up, Tsu!" Naoki's face burned red.
Before he could retaliate, crackling electricity suddenly filled the air.
"Lightning Release—Thunder Fang!"
A surge of lightning arced through the trees, streaking toward them like a blazing whip.
"Move!" Daisuke was the first to react, yanking both of them down as the attack blasted past them.
BOOM!
The ground where they had just been standing erupted in a burst of electricity, scorching the surrounding trees.
Tsu groaned, bruised and covered in dirt from the rough landing. "Damn it! Who the hell—"
A trio of Kumogakure genin erged from the shadows, smirking at them.
"Well, well," one of them sneered, eyeing the stickers on their foreheads. "Konoha's little flowers finally blood."
His teammate chuckled. "Are you sure you're here for the Chunin Exams? Thought this was a beauty contest."
Tsu bared her fangs. "You bastards—!"
"Careful, little puppy," the third Kumo-nin taunted, twirling a kunai in his fingers. "Get too worked up, and you might ss up your cute little flower."
Naoki clenched his fists. He couldn't deny it—they looked ridiculous.
But there was one major problem.
They had been so distracted by the humiliation of these stickers that none of them had been keeping watch.
Now, they were in a terrible position—and they had only themselves to bla.
"Tsu," Naoki muttered under his breath. "Don't—"
But it was too late.
Tsu was already charging.
"Akira! Fang Over Fang!"
With a bark, her ninken, Akira, leaped forward, spiraling into a blindingly fast rotation.
"Shit—" One of the Kumo-nin barely had ti to react before Tsu and Akira's drill-like attack slamd toward him.
But just before impact—
CRACK!
A blade of pure lightning sliced through the air, intercepting them mid-attack.
Sparks flew as Tsu and Akira were violently repelled, tumbling through the dirt before coming to a stop.
"Tch. Stupid mutt." One of the Kumo-nin scoffed, his katana crackling with blue electricity.
"Lightning Release—Thunder Blade."
His two teammates smirked, drawing their own weapons, each blade pulsing with deadly currents of lightning.
"Well, Konoha?" Their leader grinned. "Let's see how well you handle this."
"Cough! Cough!"
Naoki gritted his teeth, pain shooting through his ribs. Tsu lay beside him, dirt-covered and panting.
Daisuke's breathing was heavy, his swarm of insects severely weakened from the electrical attacks.
They had lost.
The Kumo-nin were stronger than expected.
No—they had been careless.
Naoki forced himself up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His Byakugan flared to life, but he already knew—
They were completely outmatched.
"Haha, not bad," one of the Kumo-nin chuckled. "But this is what happens when you let a bunch of weaklings enter the exams."
His teammate smirked. "The Hyuga Clan, huh? I was expecting more."
Naoki gritted his teeth, fists clenched.
They were playing with them.
They could have ended this already.
They were humiliating them on purpose.
"And you," the leader sneered at Tsu. "I thought Inuzuka were supposed to be feral beasts. You fight more like a house pet."
Tsu growled, but she could barely stand.
Daisuke remained silent, but even with his sunglasses, it was clear he was calculating their odds of survival.
Then—
Rustling.
From the shadows of the forest, a lone figure stumbled onto the scene.
"...Huh?"
Naoki turned. Tsu's bloodied face twisted in confusion.
Even the Kumo-nin hesitated.
A man with disheveled hair and a katana resting lazily on his shoulder stood before them.
A bottle of sake dangled from his fingertips, half-empty.
"Who the hell—"
Tsu's eyes widened.
"You've gotta be kidding ..."
Naoki exhaled sharply.
It was him.
The monster Konoha had forced them to wear these stickers for.
Youyu.
"Hic." Youyu took another lazy sip of his sake, his eyes still half-closed.
The three Kumo-nin stared at him, clearly unimpressed.
"...Hey, who's this drunk idiot?"
One of them took a step forward, brandishing his electrified blade.
"You lost, old man?"
"You," Youyu muttered, staring at the Kumo-nin with half-lidded eyes.
"...You guys don't have flowers on your heads."
The Kumo-nin blinked. "Huh?"
"That ans..."
A sharp grin spread across Youyu's face.
"I can cut you down."
Before anyone could react—
FLASH!
The sheer pressure in the air shifted.
Naoki's Byakugan flared in alarm.
The Kumo-nin's bodies locked up.
An overwhelming killing intent filled the space—suffocating, absolute.
The Kumo-nin leader stumbled back, sweating.
"W-What the hell is this feeling—"
Youyu took one slow step forward, lifting his sword.
"Alright," he sighed. "Guess I'll sober up with so exercise."
He cracked his neck, stretching lazily.
"Let's get this over with."
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