Bluffing

Maybe I was seeing things.

Yuhi Shinku didn't think much of it. He simply reached over and patted his daughter on the head.

Yuhi Kurenai was the one who really acted like a beginner.

Thinking that, he turned his gaze to Yuki Yuichi.

The kid was standing there, staring blankly into space, who knew what he was thinking about.

"Not bad, but don't get cocky. What you did was within the normal range," Yuhi Shinku said with a cough, shamelessly.

"When I first learned ninjutsu, it took me just as long as it took you."

At that, Yuki Yuichi looked at him with disdain.

"Uncle Shinku, I'm not a four- or five-year-old anymore!"

"You can't fool me!"

He was already six!

Yuhi Shinku: "..."

He'd forgotten that this kid knew a lot.

The next day.

Yuki Yuichi was sprawled over his desk, bored out of his mind, while Yuhi Kurenai beside him was engrossed in a book about assassination techniques.

"Kurenai, why are you reading that?" Yuki Yuichi asked lazily, his head resting on the desk.

"Huh?"

Yuhi Kurenai turned to look at him, puzzled. "Aren't ninja supposed to learn this stuff?"

As she spoke, she held the book out in front of Yuki Yuichi and pointed to a theory inside. "Look at this."

"Ninja missions require stealth and secrecy. You use infiltration and all sorts of methods to complete them."

"Things like poisoning, ambushes, sneaking, disguises, and so on."

"You can learn so much from this book!"

At that, Yuki Yuichi looked at the part Yuhi Kurenai was pointing to. It did indeed say that, but he shook his head.

He had his own take on it.

The strong in the Shinobi World were all practically godlike.

They could wipe out an entire country by themselves. Did people like that need poison or sneak attacks?

Yuki Yuichi had never thought that he was any weaker than them, not with his cheat.

He immediately said, with complete conviction, "Why make it so complicated?"

"If nobody sees you carrying out the mission, haven't you infiltrated perfectly?"

Yuhi Kurenai looked confused and asked curiously, "But how do I make sure nobody sees me carrying out the mission?"

"Simple. Kill them."

"Kill everyone protecting the target, and then nobody will see you carry out the mission, right?"

Yuki Yuichi's words were murderous, but in the Shinobi World, people would only think his proposed solution was flawed. They wouldn't think there was anything wrong with him.

Just then, Kakashi Hatake walked up in front of him. He'd heard what Yuichi said and immediately gave a cold laugh.

"That's a brute's way of thinking, not a ninja's!"

"Copy Ninja, don't be so serious." Seeing Kakashi Hatake arrive in the classroom, Yuki Yuichi grinned and slung an arm over his shoulder.

Kakashi Hatake glanced at the hand on his shoulder, then shrugged it off with a twist.

"I don't want to talk to you."

Only Kakashi knew how badly Umino Ikkaku had chewed him out the day before.

He really hadn't expected Yuki Yuichi to set him up.

Hadn't he said Lord Hokage wanted to see him?

Kakashi Hatake's attitude didn't bother Yuki Yuichi.

Kids were like that. He'd tricked him, so it was only natural that he'd hold a grudge.

"Copy Ninja, I was only doing it for your own good!" Yuki Yuichi said, looking deeply pained.

Kakashi Hatake frowned. Was he not wary enough?

As if! He was the son of the White Fang of the Leaf, Kakashi Hatake! He was extremely wary!

Seeing his expression, Yuki Yuichi continued, still looking deeply pained. "You're way too trusting. I managed to fool you into getting yourself killed in front of the teacher."

"If you become a ninja like that, someone's going to sell you off and you'll still be counting the money for them!"

As he spoke, Yuki Yuichi took the book on ninja assassination techniques from the bewildered Yuhi Kurenai beside him and pointed to the passage she'd just shown him.

"Copy Ninja, see this?"

Kakashi Hatake was a little dazed by the barrage of words. He looked at the passage, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Seeing that, Yuki Yuichi relaxed, but kept a straight face as he went on. "Look, it says a ninja must use every means necessary to complete a mission."

"Someone could take advantage of your way of thinking one day and sell you off, and you'd still thank them for it."

"Digging a hole for you now might just get you scolded when you fall in, but someday it could cost you your life! So, wasn't I doing this for your own good?"

Kakashi Hatake nodded instinctively, but then he realized what Yuichi was saying and glared at him angrily.

"So you're the one who dug a hole for me and expected me to thank you?!"

Yuki Yuichi's words had completely thrown him off for a moment, but he was Kakashi, after all. He quickly figured it out.

Seeing that Kakashi had caught on, Yuki Yuichi gave a cough. "It was a coincidence, but tell me, was what I said wrong?"

That left Kakashi Hatake silent.

He didn't want to admit it, but Yuki Yuichi did have a point.

Still, his pride wouldn't let him back down, so he snorted. "I'll let it go this time."

"If you do it again, I'll teach you a lesson!"

At that, Yuki Yuichi gave him a strange look. You can't beat me, little bro.

When Kakashi Hatake sat down, Yuki Yuichi flashed a V sign at Yuhi Kurenai.

Yuhi Kurenai smiled sweetly.

They'd spent so much time together that even though she was still soft-spoken, she could guess what Yuki Yuichi was thinking with uncanny accuracy.

Class hadn't started yet, so Yuki Yuichi sat back down too and poked Kakashi Hatake in the back.

He could even feel Kakashi's spine. So this must be the backbone, he thought.

"What?" Kakashi Hatake turned around impatiently.

"Kakashi, can't you really show me what you look like?"

"Get lost."

Kakashi Hatake turned back around. No matter how much Yuki Yuichi poked him in the back, he didn't budge.

"Kakashi, if you don't turn around, I'm going to poke your backbone!"

As he spoke, Yuki Yuichi poked him right in the spine.

Kakashi Hatake turned around at once. "I'm not showing you!"

"No." Yuki Yuichi shook his head this time. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go train at the training ground again later."

At that, Kakashi Hatake hesitated. He wanted to skip class too, but the teacher had just lectured him the day before.

Seeing that he was tempted, Yuki Yuichi slumped over his desk again. "We already know all this stuff. Sitting through class is just a waste of time. We might as well go train."

This time, Kakashi Hatake nodded in agreement.

"But won't the teacher get angry?" Yuhi Kurenai asked quietly from beside them.

"You two skipped class just yesterday. If you skip again today..."