"Quick, Haruto, finish off… that brat!"Hyūga Ame rasped, his voice weak and trembling as he saw the newcomer arrive.
"It's you! Haruto!!"Hinata Haruki clutched his forehead and forced himself to rise, fury burning in his chest. Even the wisest make mistakes, and despite all his careful planning, he had never expected this despicable coward, Haruto, to attack him at such a time.
"Well, well… good afternoon, you useless waste."Haruto looked at Haruki with a face twisted by deep disgust, savoring the pleasure of tormenting him.
"You're tougher than I thought! Still managing to endure the power of the Caged Bird Seal!"He sneered, striding toward Haruki, increasing the intensity of the curse seal's chakra flow.
"Aaah!"Haruki screamed as a searing pain like his skull being torn apart ripped through his head.
Haruto stepped forward and slammed his palm viciously into Haruki's chest. His own skills weren't refined, but with Haruki unable to defend himself with chakra, the strike landed squarely. Haruki spat out a mouthful of blood, his internal organs rattled by the impact, and collapsed backward to the ground.
"Trash will always be trash. You're not even fit to carry my sandals! You're just like your dead father—thinking you can challenge the authority of the main family. Take a look at yourself, you worthless piece of filth! And filth should be disposed of!"Haruto stomped down hard on Haruki's chest and ground his heel cruelly, as if crushing an insect beneath his foot.
"Ugh…"Another mouthful of blood spilled from Haruki's lips as stabbing pain spread from his chest.
"Such a pity… my father specifically sent me to the front lines just to deal with you. After all, I'm the one who can activate the Caged Bird Seal on your forehead."Haruto's voice dripped with arrogance."He even dug up an old clan record. It mentioned this location—something about a path nearby. No ruins, though. So he made some up to trick the clan head and the Third Hokage into approving this scouting mission. Clever, right, Haruki?"
Seeing Haruki's pained expression seemed to delight him further.
"And of course… when you die, Konoha will assume the Suna shinobi killed you. As for those ruins? Just an error in the records—nothing found. Ha ha ha!"Haruto laughed so hard he had to brace himself with one hand on his hip, gasping for breath between fits of mirth.
"Bastard…"Haruki's teeth ground together in pure rage. His lips split from the pressure, blood trickling down, but he didn't notice.
"Go on, savor the taste of the Caged Bird's curse! It was designed specifically to seal away the Byakugan!"Haruto poured even more chakra into the seal.
Haruki's Byakugan flared with sharp, piercing pain, as though countless tiny needles were stabbing his eyes. The agony was relentless.
"Ah! My eyes!"Haruki clutched at his face, his vision blurring as the world around him sank deeper into darkness.
"That's right. Your eyes are finished—destroyed and sealed forever by the Caged Bird! A failure like you doesn't deserve the Byakugan! Ha ha ha!"Haruto's laughter twisted his face into a grotesque mask.
In his heart, jealousy and hatred had been festering for years—at the thought of this "insect" before him becoming a chūnin, becoming the disciple of one of the Legendary Sannin, even earning praise from the clan head. Now, finally, he could savor the satisfaction of grinding Haruki back into the dirt where he belonged.
"…Am I really… going to die here?"Regret gnawed at Haruki's mind. He had fallen right into this viper's trap.
Images flashed before his darkening eyes—his parents from his previous life, his current parents, his sister-like friend Mizuki, his comrades, his teacher Kato Dan, the Third Hokage… one by one, they flickered and faded.
His vision was nearly gone.
"No! I can't give up! There's still one chance… one chance left!"Gritting his teeth until his jaw ached, Haruki forced himself to stay conscious.
"Haruto! Stop this at once!"A furious voice rang out from nearby—Mizuki's.
"Well, if it isn't Cousin Mizuki," Haruto said, glancing back at her with a mocking smile.
"Let him go, Haruto!" Mizuki's voice shook with anger.
Haruto took a few slow steps toward her, looking down from above at the kneeling woman, then back at Haruki.
"Haruki is your younger cousin! How can you do this to him?!" Mizuki's voice trembled with fury.
"Cousin? Ha… to me, he's just a cockroach. I lie awake at night thinking about how I'll crush him bit by bit, listening to his hopeless screams!"Haruto's eyes burned with murderous obsession.
"So this is your choice, Haruto? Is this what the main family stands for—turning on its own kin?"Mizuki closed her eyes in despair.
"Tsk tsk, Cousin Mizuki… that's not very polite. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for protecting this trash. And since you now know too much… you'll have to die as well. But… maybe I could make an exception. My friends in the Land of Fire own a few 'establishments.' If you agree to be the star attraction, I might just let you live… ha ha ha!"
"You shameless beast! You vile, disgusting swine! Kill me—I'd rather die!" Mizuki spat the words like venom.
"Oh? That's a thought! Hey, waste of space—don't you think it would hurt you more if I killed her right in front of you?"Haruto's grin stretched wide, his face twisted with sadistic delight.
"Haruto, kill them! Stop stalling!" Hyūga Ame barked impatiently.
"Fine, fine! They'll die at the hands of the Suna shinobi. Too bad we couldn't save them—this grudge must be avenged!"Haruto drew a kunai, slowly approaching Mizuki to strike first.
"Come at me, you cur! You old Hyūga dog!"Haruki roared, his rage eclipsing even the pain in his eyes and head.
The insult struck Haruto like a slap. He turned to Haruki with a cold, twisted smile."Trash! You dare insult my father?! Fine—then I'll kill you first. Oh, did I forget to tell you? That's exactly how your pathetic father died. We sent him to the front lines… and left him for the enemy to finish off. Trash deserves no better!"
"…Father… I'll kill you for that."Haruki's eyes blazed red with fury, each word trembling with hate.
"Ha ha ha! Die!"Haruto raised the kunai, aiming for Haruki's throat—
"Try it, then."A cold voice spoke right at his ear.
A hand clamped around Haruto's wrist—the one channeling the curse seal. Crack! Two of Haruto's fingers snapped instantly.
The searing pain in Haruki's forehead vanished, replaced by blessed relief. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat.
"Aaaahhh!"Haruto howled like a slaughtered pig, clutching his hand and dropping to his knees.
The one who broke his fingers… was Mizuki.
"Still want to activate the seal?"Without hesitation, she slammed her palm into Haruto's stomach.
"Urgh!"Blood spurted from his mouth as he collapsed, curling on the ground like a beaten dog, unable to gather chakra from the internal injury.
"Haruto!"Hyūga Ame shouted in shock, staring in disbelief at Mizuki—seemingly unharmed.
But Mizuki was already on him. With a swift motion, she drove a kunai into his heart."Die."
"You… you're not—"Ame collapsed, eyes wide, lifeless.
Mizuki looked coldly at the corpse."You're right. I'm not. Just a shadow clone."
Poof!In a burst of white smoke, "Mizuki" vanished—revealing Hinata Haruki.
Haruto stared, frozen in terror at Ame's open, dead eyes. He trembled uncontrollably, forgetting even to flee.
Haruki's shadow clone came to his side, helping the real Haruki up. Though a trace of vision had returned, the world before him was still a blur. Clutching his chest, Haruki staggered step by step toward the kneeling Haruto, murderous intent radiating from him.
A chill ran down Haruto's spine. He dropped to the ground in a kowtow, forehead thudding against the dirt."Haruki, I was wrong! Please, let me live! We're of the same clan, after all…"He groveled shamelessly, his backside sticking up in the air.
Haruki looked at him with pure disgust. His shadow clone stepped forward, pressing several tenketsu in Haruto's body. Haruto collapsed flat, unable to move.
"You… you…"Haruto's voice was a faint rasp, his eyes wide with nothing but fear.
"Haruto… you talk too much."