"Alright, that's it for today—class dismissed!"
Finally, Natsume Yō welcomed the sound of freedom.
"Let's go."
From the moment he had walked into the classroom, he hadn't once let go of Wada Chiba's hand.
But just as he was about to walk her out, two figures blocked the doorway—Hyūga Akikiku and a haughty boy standing beside her.
"So you're the one who beat Uchiha Yūsuke? Fight me! I want to see if you're the real deal, or just full of hot air."
"What does me beating Uchiha Yūsuke have to do with you? Why should I bother? Sounds pointless. I'm not interested."
Yō waved dismissively, his face full of contempt. To him, this self-important "white-eyed brat" wasn't even worth the effort.
"What's wrong? Afraid you'll embarrass yourself in front of Chiba? Honestly, Wada Chiba, your taste must be rotten to be with such a coward!"
"Figures. Losers flock together. You're bottom of the class, and so is she!"
That made Yō stop mid-step. Chiba's face tightened in alarm; she tugged at his sleeve, shaking her head, silently begging him not to get dragged into it.
Seeing him pause, the boy's grin widened—thinking his words had hit home, he pressed harder.
"Beat Uchiha Yūsuke? Don't make me laugh! Like hell someone like you could win against him!"
"At least learn who you're lying about before you brag. With that loser face of yours, I'm surprised people don't die laughing already!"
"If trash like you could beat Yūsuke, then I must already be strong enough to punch down chūnin and kick around jōnin! Am I right, guys?"
The Hyūga boy smirked, his tone dripping with disdain. His hangers-on erupted with mocking laughter.
"Pathetic!""Funniest joke I've heard all year!""Seriously, this clown thinks he's strong?"
Their jeers bounced around the classroom, trying to bury Yō.
But instead of exploding like Chiba expected, Yō remained calm, almost bored.
"Just a bunch of brain-dead kids."
He tossed the words over his shoulder, then started walking out with Chiba.
"You bastard! Who're you calling brain-dead?!"
The Hyūga boy's voice cracked with fury, sharp as a whip.
Yō didn't even bother responding. He just kept walking.
"I told you to stop!"
Whsshh!
A sharp gust of killing intent came flying at them. Chiba gasped, "Watch out!"
But the boy was barely scraping the level of a genin—how could a cheap sneak attack touch Yō? Without breaking stride, Yō pulled Chiba to the side, dodging effortlessly.
"Know when to back off. Some debts, you can't afford to pay."
Yō's eyes narrowed as he cast a cold warning glance at him, the message crystal clear.
Then, still holding Chiba's hand, he turned to leave.
He had no interest in wasting time on gnats. After all, does a dragon bother quarreling with ants?
But in the eyes of the crowd, his calm restraint looked like fear of the Hyūga clan's status. The boy saw it the same way—and with arrogance boiling over, he lunged again.