Ruthless

Watching that thin metal chopstick descend, Aoki's pupils constricted. He struggled violently, his left hand lashing out like a whip toward Kanna's neck, desperate to force him to let go!

However, when this whip-like strike landed on Kanna's neck, the skin suddenly bulged, revealing several distinct protrusions that shimmered with a pale, bone-like hue beneath the delicate flesh.

Bang! The blow landed, and Kanna's head snapped back, only to twist right back into place, his eyes fixed on Aoki with a playful, mocking glint.

In that split second, Kanna had activated the power of the Shikotsumyaku, forcing his throat bones to proliferate rapidly and coat his neck, cushioning the skin from beneath to withstand the strike!

At this moment, Takeshita Izumi, who was standing nearby, let out a loud shout.

"Stop!"

Takeshita Izumi lunged forward, covering the distance to the table in a single stride. He clamped his hand onto Kanna's wrist, gripping it with all his might before pulling and yanking hard!

Kanna's body sank as he lowered his center of gravity to stabilize himself, but his upper body was dragged forward, slamming into the table. His palm was pulled directly over Aoki's, meaning if the chopstick were to pierce down now, it would strike his own hand first!

Frowning slightly, Kanna flexed the muscles in his right arm, halting the chopstick just before it could pierce his own palm.

"You're too arrogant, brat!" Takeshita Izumi growled, still pinning Kanna's wrist. "Now, apologize! Then come back with us quietly to face an investigation!"

"That's right!" Aoki, still shaken, chimed in. "Don't think that just because you're the child of a Mizukage Aide, you can act so recklessly!"

"Hehehe, is that so?" Kanna raised the chopstick again, his eyes growing brighter, a hint of madness creeping onto his face. "Since you're so insistent, I'd like to see what happens if I actually do something to you!"

With that, Kanna slammed his left hand onto the edge of the table. With a loud creak, the table's frame snapped, and the screws anchoring it to the floor popped out.

Takeshita Izumi let out a startled cry, reaching out to steady the careening table. Before he could speak, Kanna's right arm folded, his elbow striking the crook of Takeshita's arm, followed by a sharp press and drag!

Overcome by pain, Takeshita Izumi's arm trembled as if struck by electricity, and he involuntarily released his grip.

Freed, Kanna let out a laugh and brought his right hand down without a moment's hesitation.

"No!"

Pfft! The chopstick drove down, pinning both Kanna's and Aoki's palms together before burying itself deep into the surface of the table.

Drip. Blood pooled where their hands overlapped, and everyone fell into a stunned silence.

It wasn't just Takeshita Izumi; even the onlookers were frozen in shock.

"Hiss! What a ruthless brat! He even stabbed himself?"

"A madman..."

"Impressive!"

Kanna remained expressionless, as if he couldn't feel the pain at all. Conversely, Aoki's face had turned beet red, the veins on his temples bulging, and he looked on the verge of screaming.

In truth, Kanna felt very little pain. Before the chopstick struck, he had shifted the bones in his palm and moved the vast majority of his flesh and blood vessels aside, so it had essentially only pierced through two layers of skin.

This was the level of control the Shikotsumyaku granted over the body. Without this power, how could the Kaguya Clan warriors fight? They would have bled to death long ago.

"Ahhh!"

Finally, Aoki could no longer bear the agony and began to howl.

"What are you screaming for!"

Kanna sneered, reached out with his left hand, and slammed his palm onto Aoki's face with a heavy thud!

Bang! Aoki's head hit the table, his eyes rolled back, and his body went limp—he had passed out.

"This... this..."

Takeshita Izumi retreated a few steps, cradling his numb arm, horrified. "You actually dared... you actually dared..."

"Get lost!" Kanna yanked the chopstick out with a wet thwack, tossed Aoki aside, and began to walk slowly toward Takeshita Izumi.

As he lowered his hand, Kanna secretly channeled the power of the Shikotsumyaku. The wound on the back of his hand closed instantly, the bones and vessels knitting back together as if snakes were slithering beneath his skin.

Takeshita Izumi shuddered and scrambled backward. He was genuinely terrified by Kanna's ruthlessness; he had never seen anyone willing to stab both themselves and their enemy at the same time. It was too savage.

"Just you wait! I'm reporting this to the higher-ups! You're finished!"

"What a joke!" Kanna laughed dismissively. "It's just a fight between kids. What, is there a rule that says if a kid hits an adult, the punishment is heavier? Isn't it just juvenile detention? Come on, I'll wait right here for the people from the Juvenile Correction Center to come and get me! Hmph! Ignorant fool! Don't let me see you in the village again! Otherwise..."

Kanna narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

Takeshita Izumi's heart skipped a beat. Gritting his teeth, he didn't bother with any more threats and scrambled away, not even daring to help his unconscious companion.

Ignoring the whispers of the crowd, Kanna sat down calmly and called out to the owner.

"Bring me another serving, the same as before!"

The owner looked at Kanna in astonishment but didn't refuse. He gave the order, and ten minutes later, he brought the food out himself.

"You're quite something, kid!" the owner remarked with a click of his tongue.

"Thanks, it's nothing," Kanna smiled faintly. "I'll take responsibility for today. My name is Kanna, a Genin of Kirigakure. I will definitely compensate you for the damages. Of course, I'll probably be taken away soon, so please, come to my home to collect the payment."

"Is that so? I understand," the owner replied after a moment of hesitation. "I heard what those two from the Security Force said—the child of a Mizukage Aide, right? I'll go."

Kanna had just finished his second fish when another group from the Security Force arrived. The man leading them was none other than Aoki.

"Fast!" Kanna's expression darkened. As the department responsible for daily security and mediating civilian disputes, their personnel were spread everywhere, making it much easier for them to mobilize than the Juvenile Correction Center.

"Take him!" As soon as they arrived, the cold-faced leader waved his hand, not bothering to ask questions, and ordered Kanna to be detained.

Several men stepped out of the crowd, first hoisting the unconscious Aoki up before moving toward Kanna.

Yet he was cold, and Kanna was even more unreasonable. He stood up right then and there, shouting, "Who are you! Don't block my view of the sun! Get lost, all of you!"

The cold man replied indifferently, "Watch your tone! I am Kika, captain of the Third Division of the Security Force."

"Oh," Kanna feigned a look of sudden realization, then shifted his tone, saying, "Then where is the proof? Show it to me!"

Kika seemed to have heard from Takeshita Izumi that Kanna was difficult to deal with, so he did not get angry. After all, they mediated so many civil disputes that if they had poor temperaments, they would have been angered to death by troublemakers long ago.

Tilting his head slightly, Kika signaled, and a long-haired youth walked over, pulled out a stack of documents, and shoved them right under Kanna's nose.

"Here! The things you wanted to see." The long-haired youth sneered, "Also, let me tell you, brat, according to village regulations, this kind of fighting and causing trouble falls under the jurisdiction of our Security Force. Before the people from the Juvenile Correction Center arrive, you had better come with us to headquarters to make a report. Don't rely on being a child to stir up trouble everywhere! Do you think you can be arrogant just because you aren't thirteen yet!"

"Aha? Are you trying to scare me?" Kanna waved his hand casually, and whether intentional or not, he knocked the stack of documents flying.

Papers fluttered down everywhere, and the long-haired youth's expression darkened instantly.

Kanna let out a "ha" and said, "Sorry, I ate too much, my body is a bit unsteady. You won't blame me, will you?"

Standing up, Kanna straightened his clothes and began to undo his buttons.

"Speaking of which, my body has always been in very poor health."

As Kanna spoke, he stripped off his jacket in a few quick motions, revealing a sturdy set of muscles, and then poked his own chest lightly with a finger.

"Oops!" Kanna let out a sharp cry, drawing everyone's attention, and pointed to his chest: "Look, everyone! Just one light poke, and it's already swelling up."

On the spot where Kanna had poked his finger, a distinct red mark appeared, slowly turning black, with a tendency to swell up as if it were suffering from congestion and necrosis.

"Sorry, sorry, I can't help it with this kind of body." Kanna smiled as he met Kika's gaze, adding, "If something were to happen to me by accident inside the Security Force, Captain Kika, you'll have to be careful to 'protect' me!"

Kika's face turned black. Everyone knew that if Kanna entered their headquarters, he would be at their mercy; after all, they had plenty of ways to beat someone without leaving visible injuries. But now that Kanna had stripped in front of everyone, first proving he had no injuries, and then using some method he didn't understand to make his body show signs of swelling, he could very well be framed by him.

Kika could already imagine the scene: once he brought him into headquarters, as long as some guy touched him lightly, he would fall to the ground and manifest all sorts of inexplicable injuries. If the Mizukage Aide reacted and intervened to send people to investigate, they would definitely not come out of it well!

Kika estimated the time; the people from the Juvenile Correction Center should be arriving soon, so he gave Kanna a deep look and waved his hand.

"Very well! Kanna, I'll remember you. Let's go!"

The members of the Security Force looked at each other, but they followed the order, and soon they were out of sight.

"Hmph!" Kanna snorted coldly, and with a twitch of his pectoral muscles, the red mark vanished instantly.

Once I find out who is behind this scheme to set me up, I'll remember them too! Just you wait and see!

A fierce glint flashed through Kanna's eyes as he thought silently.

"Kanna, is it?" Beside him, a bespectacled ninja suddenly walked over, smiling as he said, "Since the Security Force people have left, it's time for you to come with us. I am the one sent by the Juvenile Correction Center to 'escort' you."

"Oh? You enjoyed watching from the sidelines, didn't you?" Kanna was still fuming, so he immediately retorted with sarcasm.

The bespectacled ninja gave a bitter smile, said nothing, and gestured for him to follow.

Having seen Kanna's confrontation with the Security Force, he knew that he probably couldn't beat this kid, so he chose to be polite instead.

"Juvenile Correction Center, is it? No problem! Let's go!"