Hyūga Hizashi noticed the unmistakable disdain in Akira's eyes and merely frowned.
"Hyūga Akira," he said calmly, "I know you harbor resentment toward the main house. But the branch family's duty has always been to protect the main house, while the main house bears the responsibility of leading the Hyūga clan."
Akira nearly rolled his eyes hard enough to manifest a second pair of Byakugan.
He gave Hizashi a full double-eye-roll.
"Why the hell does that concern me?"
The so-called responsibilities of the Hyūga clan had nothing to do with him.
Hizashi ignored the insult and continued in a deep voice, "The main house carries the weight of the entire clan. Can't you show even a little understanding?"
Akira replied with absolute seriousness, "If that's the case, why don't you put that responsibility on me instead? Go tell your brother I'll be the main house—and he can become branch family."
Hizashi's expression darkened. "That joke isn't funny."
Akira sneered. "You're the one who started joking first."
He raised his hand.
A shuriken appeared instantly in his grip and was flung straight at Hizashi.
Hizashi's eyes widened in shock. He halted abruptly and dodged aside.
By the time he steadied himself, Akira had already accelerated forward, pulling ahead of the group.
"F*cking shameless."
Akira caught up to Hyūga Hiashi and cursed openly, without the slightest attempt to hide it.
Hiashi shot him a razor-sharp glare.
Akira met it with a grin—eager, provocative, as if inviting trouble.
Tsunade suddenly stopped atop a tree branch, forcing both of them to halt as well.
Hizashi landed behind Hiashi, his expression ugly.
Tsunade's face was darker still as she stared at Akira. "You attacked a teammate without authorization?"
Akira shrugged casually. "His mouth was filthy. I helped him clear his head."
All three stared at him at once.
From beginning to end, he was the only one who'd actually been swearing.
"I was only trying to make you understand your responsibilities," Hizashi said grimly.
Akira didn't even look at him.
He turned his gaze to Hiashi instead. "You want me to kneel like your brother and be your dog? Keep dreaming."
He knew perfectly well this little heart-to-heart had been Hiashi's idea all along.
Trying to make him voluntarily accept the leash.
What a joke.
Hiashi's face twisted, his hands already beginning to form seals—the starting gesture to activate the Caged Bird Seal.
Akira saw it.
So did Tsunade.
"Enough!!"
Tsunade slammed her fist into the tree beside her.
BOOM!
The trunk exploded from the middle, the upper half crashing heavily to the ground.
She rubbed her temples.
She never should have taken this mission.
Staring at the three men locked in silent confrontation, she said coldly, "I don't care what grudges you have. Until this mission is complete, you are one team. Behave yourselves—"
She slowly rotated her fist.
"—or else."
Under her threat, Hiashi immediately abandoned the hand seal.
Akira snapped to attention and gave Tsunade a crisp salute. "Don't worry, Lady Tsunade. I promise I won't cause trouble in front of you."
Which clearly implied he would elsewhere.
Tsunade shot him a glare but said nothing more, turning and leaping to another tree.
Akira followed, then turned his head and called back cheerfully, "Hurry up. Don't delay the mission."
Delay because of who, exactly?!
Hiashi ground his teeth. This was the first time he'd ever encountered a branch family member who showed him zero respect.
After hesitating briefly, Hizashi spoke quietly. "Brother… it seems Lady Tsunade is deliberately protecting Hyūga Akira."
Though subtle, Hizashi's judgment was unaffected by emotion. Akira had been targeting Hiashi the entire time—if anything, Hizashi was thinking more clearly.
Hiashi stared at him in shock, replaying everything that had happened since they met Tsunade.
"…That can't be."
But thinking carefully—
Both times today, just as he was about to act, Tsunade had stepped in.
"No. Impossible," Hiashi said firmly. "What qualifications does Hyūga Akira have to be connected to her?"
Hizashi sighed softly, seeing that his brother had already made up his mind.
They quickly moved to catch up.
Trees blurred past on both sides.
Tsunade led the way, with Akira close behind.
Suddenly, she ground her teeth. "Brat. Don't push it too far."
Akira laughed lightly. "Of course, Lady Tsunade. I know when to stop. I won't trouble you too much."
She snorted and continued forward.
The four figures became streaks of shadow, darting through the forest.
Their destination wasn't far.
Soon, they arrived above the target location.
The group concealed themselves in the trees, watching a cluster of ragged men guarding the mountain entrance.
"These bandits are ordinary civilians," Tsunade said quickly. "Only their leader and vice leader are rogue ninja. Our task is to drive them away."
She cast a meaningful glance at Hiashi.
"This is your training mission. You handle it yourselves. Unless absolutely necessary, I won't interfere."
It was only a C-rank mission.
Even though Tsunade hadn't yet reached her later legendary peak, she was still a powerful jōnin.
This kind of mission wasn't worth her personal involvement.
Hiashi nodded and took initiative. "Hizashi, circle around and block their escape route. Let the civilians flee. Focus on the two rogue ninja."
"I'll infiltrate with Hyūga Akira and deal with them directly. Akira—any objections?"
He wasn't a dictator. Hizashi would always listen to him.
The only problem was Akira.
No response.
"Hyūga Akira?"
Hiashi turned around.
There was no one there.
Hizashi pointed toward the mountain entrance.
Hiashi's expression changed instantly.
"Hyūga Akira!!?"
Akira was already strolling casually toward the entrance.
The bandits had noticed him.
Tsunade slapped a hand to her forehead.
Did this idiot really qualify as a ninja?
Akira didn't care what they thought.
He was already surrounded.
"Hey, kid, where'd you come from?" a few bandits sneered.
"Those eyes—are you some kind of monster?"
They stared uneasily at his pale pupils.
Akira ignored them completely, searching his memory instead.
"Bandits… what do they drop again? The boss should drop ninja gear."
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" A burly bandit stepped forward and swung a hand toward Akira's face.
Puff!
Smoke exploded.
The slap landed on a spiked club.
"A mace?! Where the hell did that come from—?!"
The spikes pierced straight through his palm.
Before he could even scream, blood sprayed from his throat.
Akira landed lightly atop the corpse, a blood-stained kunai in hand.
"Boss engaged."
He raised his head.
"Byakugan!"