Kakashi Sakuya

Konoha Year 73, early summer.

The sunlight had grown scorching, and cicadas buzzed incessantly in the old cherry trees around the training ground. This was the Konoha 73rd Genin Preparatory Class's dedicated training area, where a group of children around nine or ten years old were practicing basic Taijutsu.

The air was filled with the scent of sun-warmed grass, sweat, and youthful vigor. Himawari Uzumaki nimbly dodged her opponent's straight punch, then used his momentum to send him tumbling onto the mat. She reached out to help him up, wearing a warm, apologetic smile. "Sorry, did I hit you a little too hard?"

The boy blushed and shook his head, barely daring to meet her eyes. As the Seventh's daughter, Himawari was naturally the center of attention in class, but she had not the slightest trace of arrogance. Instead, she was like a piece of warm, polished jade, drawing people toward her.

Under the shade of a tree not far away, Shikano Nara—almost a copy of Shikadai, except even lazier around the eyes—watched the scene with half-lidded eyes. He looked as if he were dozing, but in truth, his gaze lazily swept over the whole class, analyzing everyone's movements and weaknesses. Chiba Akimichi, Chocho's younger sister, was quietly complaining to Kazamatsuri Yamanaka, Ino's younger brother, that the heat was ruining her appetite for snacks.

In the middle of the training ground, Jieno Tiehe—Iwabee's younger brother—was pounding away at a wooden post, sweat glistening on his bronze skin. His hair was clipped nearly half an inch short, and his muscles were solid. Every punch and kick whistled through the air, brimming with ferocious power. He was the class's most notorious brawler, a firm believer in the supremacy of Taijutsu. When words failed to make people understand one another, he had no hesitation about throwing a punch.

The atmosphere at the training ground changed abruptly when three people arrived.

Their homeroom teacher, Kakei Sumire, walked at the front. She wore a Chunin uniform, her demeanor gentle yet composed. Her gaze swept over the class with unquestionable authority. Two unfamiliar figures followed behind her.

Every eye was drawn to them at once.

They were two exceptionally striking boys. The one in front was a little taller, with neat, short black hair and a few unruly locks hanging over his forehead. His skin was fair, but his features were sharply defined, as if carved with a knife and chisel. His eyes in particular were an exceedingly rare shade of deep purple, like a storm-filled night sky. His gaze was sharp and cold; a casual glance was enough to make several children avert their eyes. His thin lips were pressed tight, and his jaw was tense. His entire bearing radiated a taut, keep-your-distance chill. His steps were steady, each one seeming precisely measured, with power held in reserve.

The boy half a step behind him had features nearly as exquisite, sharing seven or eight similarities with the first boy. He had the same black hair and purple eyes, but his expression was gentler. His hair was a little longer, falling softly into place. His skin was almost translucent, and his long, thick lashes made his slightly uneasy purple eyes all the more striking. He kept his head lowered a little, seeming somewhat reserved. His delicate beauty was almost dazzling in the sunlight, with an androgynous quality that blurred the line between the sexes.

Both boys wore dark blue short-sleeved training shirts embroidered with the Hatake clan crest on the back.

"Everyone, gather around." Kakei Sumire's voice was not loud, but it carried clearly to every child.

The students quickly gathered, their curious, probing, and assessing gazes seeming to pin the two newcomers in place.

"Today, our class welcomes three new students." Kakei Sumire turned slightly, her manner gentle. "These two are Kakashi Sakuya and Hatake Lian. They're the nephews of Lord Kakashi, the Sixth, and starting today, they'll be studying with all of you."

"Hatake?" "The Sixth's nephews? I've never heard of them!" "They look... pretty amazing," one girl whispered, her gaze lingering more on Lian's delicate, pretty face. "Tch, must be nice to have connections," someone muttered disdainfully from Tiehe's direction. It wasn't loud, but in the sudden quiet, it stood out.

Kakei Sumire glanced at Tiehe, a hint of warning in her eyes, but didn't immediately address it. She continued, "The other new student is an exchange student from Nadeshiko Village, Nadeshiko Haku."

Only then did everyone notice the girl standing a little farther away. She had short silver hair like moonlight and ice-blue eyes. She wore the fitted combat uniform unique to Nadeshiko Village, her posture straight and her demeanor as cold as a snow lotus on a mountain peak. She gave a slight nod in greeting. Her gesture was impeccable, yet she exuded a sense of distance that seemed impossible to cross.

All three newcomers were unusually quiet, their silence at odds with the training ground's usual atmosphere.

After the brief introductions, Kakei Sumire arranged the class into groups for shuriken-throwing practice. She deliberately split up the newcomers: Sakuya was grouped with Tiehe and another civilian student; Lian with Himawari and Shikano; and Nadeshiko Haku with Chiba and Kazamatsuri.

Practice began. Tiehe made little effort to hide his hostility toward Sakuya.

"Hey, you from the 'Hatake' clan," Tiehe said, folding his arms over his bulging muscles. "Did the Sixth teach you how to throw shuriken himself? Don't go blowing us away." His sarcasm was unmistakable.

Sakuya didn't even raise his eyelids, as if he hadn't heard a thing. He walked up to the throwing line and brushed his fingers over the shuriken in his pouch, his movements fluid and precise. He didn't even take deliberate aim; he simply flicked his wrist.

Whoosh! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The three shuriken became streaks of black light, flying at astonishing speed to strike the very center of the target twenty meters away. The second and third shuriken struck the tail of the first perfectly, forming a flawless triangular pattern as all three sank deep into the bullseye.

The whole thing happened in near silence, so quickly that almost no one could follow it.

The training ground fell briefly silent, then a few quiet gasps broke out. Even Shikano opened his eyes a little wider.

Tiehe's face flushed red. He hadn't expected Sakuya to be the real deal, which only made him feel more embarrassed. He snorted and threw his own shuriken. They hit the bullseye with plenty of force, but his throws lacked Sakuya's effortless precision and technique.

"Hmph. Just showing off," Tiehe said stubbornly, but his confidence had clearly wavered.

In the other group, Lian's performance was more or less average. His movements were even a little graceful, and all his shuriken hit the bullseye, but his strength and speed seemed a little lacking compared to his older brother's. Combined with the lingering nervousness on his delicate face, he didn't stand out much.

"Great throws, Hatake," Himawari praised sincerely, her smile warm.

Lian's face turned faintly red. "Th-thank you," he said softly, his voice clear and gentle.

That voice and manner, along with his almost excessively pretty face, gave Tiehe, who had been simmering with anger, a new target.

During a break as the groups rotated, Tiehe deliberately walked past Lian and sneered loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear:

"Hey, are you really a boy? Maybe the Sixth wanted to save face, so he passed off some distant niece of his as a nephew and shoved her in here. You look like a porcelain doll, and you talk like a girl, too. Does your 'Hatake' clan get ahead by looks?"

A few of Tiehe's hangers-on burst into malicious laughter.

Lian's body stiffened. His face turned deathly pale, and he bit down hard on his lower lip. Humiliation and panic welled up in his purple eyes as he instinctively looked toward his older brother.

Sakuya stopped moving.

He slowly turned around. In that instant, the air seemed to grow colder. All the indifference and reserve he had shown before vanished, replaced by a palpable, icy killing intent. The storm raging in his deep purple eyes was no longer hidden.

Kakei Sumire was at the other end of the training ground, instructing Nadeshiko Haku, and hadn't noticed the confrontation in time.

"Tiehe, that's enough!" Himawari stepped forward, frowning as she scolded him.

But Sakuya had already moved.

He was so fast that only a blur remained. Almost no one saw him move; one moment their vision had shifted, and the next he was standing in front of Tiehe.

Tiehe didn't even have time to raise his guard. He saw only a cold hand clamp toward his throat like an iron vise. He tried to block it on instinct, but his arm felt as if it had crashed into steel.

The next instant, the world spun!

Thud!

A heavy, muffled impact!

Jieno Tiehe, the boy who prided himself on his Taijutsu and strength, was slammed brutally into the hard-packed earth of the training ground by a clean, merciless shoulder throw! The force was so great that the ground seemed to tremble.

"Ugh!" Tiehe let out a pained groan. The air was driven from his lungs in an instant, his vision went black, and it felt as if every bone in his body had come apart.

But that was only the beginning.

Sakuya's knee came down on his chest like a warhammer, pinning him in place and leaving him unable to breathe. Then cold fists rained down like a violent storm!

No ninjutsu, no flashy moves. Just the most primitive, brutal, precise Taijutsu strikes!

Each punch avoided vital areas, but landed on the body's most painful spots—his abdomen, below his ribs, and the nerves around his shoulder blades!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A rapid succession of muffled blows rang out, accompanied by Tiehe's pained, incoherent whimpers. He tried to struggle, but Sakuya pressed down on him like a mountain. There was no emotion in those purple eyes, only a cold, despairing darkness. His gaze was utterly icy, and his fists fell like a raging storm, their path almost impossible to follow...

Fast, accurate, ruthless!

It was all over in a flash. By the time the children around them snapped out of their shock and screamed in terror, Tiehe was already sprawled on the ground like a heap of rags, too weak even to groan. Only his body continued to twitch unconsciously.

Sakuya stopped. His breathing had not even quickened. He slowly stood up and looked down at Tiehe, crumpled and battered on the ground. The storm in his eyes gradually subsided, leaving them once more like a deep, unfathomably cold pool.

He shook his hand as if he'd gotten something dirty on it, then spoke in a voice so calm it sent chills down the spine, each word distinct:

"Watch your mouth. If I hear you talk about my little brother again, next time I'll break more than a few ribs."

The entire training ground fell into deathly silence.

Every child had gone pale with fright. Even Shikano's eyes were wide open, filled with horror. Chiba didn't even notice that the snacks in her hand had fallen to the ground.

Himawari covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Only Nadeshiko Haku's ice-blue eyes flickered faintly. Her gaze was fixed on Sakuya, and there was no fear in it, only utter astonishment and... curiosity.

"Stop!"

Only then did Kakei Sumire finally arrive. She looked at Tiehe on the ground and Sakuya's expressionless face, her own expression growing extremely serious.

Sakuya offered no defense. He merely inclined his head slightly toward Kakei Sumire in greeting, then turned and walked over to Lian, who was still pale.

He reached out and brushed off dust that wasn't even there from his little brother's shoulder. The gesture was so natural, almost gentle, a complete contrast to his brutality just moments before.

He lowered his head slightly and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, cold and clear as he warned him:

"Remember who we are. Holding back is a strategy, but there are lines no one can cross. You're my little brother. That's all that matters."

Lian looked at his brother's still-cold profile, then at Tiehe groaning on the ground. Color slowly returned to his pale face. He nodded firmly, the panic in his eyes gradually replaced by something resolute.

Kakashi Sakuya. From that moment on, his name was branded into the minds of every student in the Konoha 73rd Genin Preparatory Class in an overwhelmingly forceful and brutal way.

Kakei Sumire's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly. When she had hurried over, she had clearly seen the killing intent in the little boy's eyes. She was absolutely certain that if Tiehe had said one more word, Sakuya would have killed him without hesitation!

That look made her think, involuntarily, of the long-haired figure in armor, looking like a god of war—

"Do you want to dance, too?"

She fixed Sakuya with a sharp gaze.

"Kakashi Sakuya. Come to my office after class!"