Yin Xiang's Team Leader

"Sharingan!?" Yin Xiang's pupils abruptly contracted. If this was the Sharingan from twelve years ago... then did that mean it was Obito?

"Please, my lord, grant us death!"

"If you want to die, why come to me?" Yin Xiang sat back down cross-legged. Since they no longer meant him any harm, he could relax.

"Without our lord's permission, we dare not take our own lives."

"...Is the Insoro Clan's upbringing really that strict?" Yin Xiang pursed his lips. "You don't have to die. You're free now. Go do whatever you want. From now on, the Insoro Clan will cease to exist."

The four exchanged glances, then looked at Yin Xiang again. "My lord, won't you avenge our clansmen...?"

"Take revenge? That's assuming I even want to." Yin Xiang smiled. "And even if I did, I don't have the strength for it."

"We are willing to serve you and follow your every command. We would die without regret!"

"Serve me? What good would that do? Your enemy controlled you in an instant. I can't even beat you, let alone the person who could control you so easily." Yin Xiang shook his head.

"Since you've been here this whole time, you should have heard what I said. I only want to live a peaceful life. Being able to protect myself is enough. The Insoro Clan can disappear for good." After all, this clan wasn't supposed to exist in ninja history in the first place, Yin Xiang thought.

As for avenging his clansmen, Yin Xiang hadn't even considered it. He wasn't from this world, and even if this body descended from the Insoro Clan, that had nothing to do with him personally.

"Since our lord has granted us freedom, we have the right to take our own lives. We only hope that one day you'll see reason and avenge the Insoro Clan! We shall atone with our deaths!" one of them said. Then all four swiftly drew the blades from their backs and slit their own throats.

Thud...

The four bodies fell before Yin Xiang.

"Th-this..." Yin Xiang stared, stunned. What were they doing? Did they really care so little about their own lives?

Yin Xiang stared blankly at the four bodies before him. The wine in his cup had lost all its appeal.

Gulp.

Yin Xiang swallowed. This was the first time he had truly seen corpses, and he couldn't help feeling a little shaken.

After a long while, Yin Xiang made a Shadow Clone. Together, they buried the four men in the woods, taking a few things from them along the way.

Scrolls, Ninja Blades, Kunai, Shuriken, Explosive Tags, Military Ration Pills, and some money that was useless to Yin Xiang.

"If you were going to die, you could've at least left one person alive to bury you. You're just making trouble for me." After shoveling on the last scoop of dirt, Yin Xiang stuck the shovel into the ground and sighed.

"Just what kind of clan rules did the Insoro Clan have? They didn't even dare kill themselves without an order, and they cared nothing for their own lives. Judging by that, Insoro Hen must have been a cold-blooded, heartless man. He was probably my great-grandfather."

"A transmigrator's descendant giving birth to another transmigrator... That'd be a huge joke if anyone heard it." Yin Xiang muttered to himself. It was getting late. He gathered up the things on the ground, washed up thoroughly, and went to bed. Tomorrow, they'd be assigned to teams at the Ninja Academy.

The four Insoro clansmen's arrival caused no stir in Konoha. They had come without a sound and died just as quietly, as if they had never appeared at all. No one knew they had been there except Yin Xiang.

When he arrived at school the next day, the girls noticed that Yin Xiang wasn't paying attention to them or responding to them. They were disappointed, but none of them tried talking to him again.

"We're being assigned to teams today. I wonder who I'll end up with," Tenten said to Yin Xiang.

"Yin Xiang, who would you like to be on a team with?"

"Me? Anyone's fine, as long as they don't hold me back or cause trouble. I wouldn't want someone like you." Yin Xiang grinned.

"What?! Are you saying I'd hold you back?" Tenten slapped the desk and stood up, shouting. The whole class turned to look at her, and she quickly sat back down.

"See? You just caused me trouble." Yin Xiang shrugged. Tenten glared at him through gritted teeth, then said nothing more.

Soon, teachers began coming in to collect their students. At the very end, a big-eyed boy with thick eyebrows and a watermelon-shaped haircut entered and took Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee away. By then, Yin Xiang was the only one left in the classroom...

Yin Xiang wasn't in a hurry. He couldn't imagine who would come to lead him, and since he seemed to be the only person on this team, the teacher had to be someone special.

After a little while, the classroom door finally opened, and a man with a pineapple-shaped hairstyle walked in.

"What a drag. I can't believe I have to look after a brat like you." Those were the first words he said when he saw Yin Xiang.

"Shikaku Nara..." Yin Xiang furrowed his brow. He hadn't expected this man to be his teacher.

But seeing him made it clear why there was only one person on the team. Shikaku Nara hated trouble, so he'd surely been dead set against leading a team. He'd find even one student a hassle, let alone three.

"I didn't expect Senior Nara to be leading my team. What a pleasant surprise." Yin Xiang stood up from his seat and walked over to Shikaku Nara.

"I didn't want to lead a team, but the Third Hokage insisted that I take you, so I had no choice." Shikaku Nara wasn't doing this just for the Third Hokage. He was also doing it for his old comrade, Minato.

"All right, Teacher Shikaku. I'll be in your care from now on." Yin Xiang bowed slightly to Shikaku. He still had to show his teacher respect.

"The classroom's empty. Let's talk here." Shikaku nodded and sat down in the front row. Yin Xiang sat opposite him, and the two faced each other.

"I know the gist of your situation. Tell me about your dream," Shikaku said with a smile.

"My dream? Just to be an ordinary ninja with enough strength to protect myself, have a sweet wife and an obedient child, and live a peaceful, harmonious life as a family of three. That's about it."

"Oh?" Shikaku paused, then laughed. "Hahaha, that sounds a lot like Shikamaru."

Shikamaru's dream was to be an ordinary ninja and make a little money... Then he'd marry a woman who was neither beautiful nor ugly and have two children: a girl first, then a boy... Once his daughter was married and his son could stand on his own, he'd retire from being a ninja... After that, he'd spend his days living a quiet, leisurely life, playing shogi or Go... And eventually, he'd die of old age before his wife did...