— Who do you think she is? I heard he had an older brother, but I never knew anything about a sister. Maybe it's his mom, but she looks way too young and beautiful.
With a deadpan expression, Yashin did his best to ignore Sakura's incessant chatter as she carried him on her back.
It wasn't until Sasuke's mother entered the classroom alongside the vengeful emo and Iruka that Sakura's voice finally quieted down.
— Instead of wondering who that woman was, you should be worried about that brat's mental state. After all, not only was he humiliated in battle, but now he's going to get scolded for what he did.
"Ah! What are you talking about? The only one who was humiliated was you; he did great. Besides, why would he get scolded after fighting so well?"
Yashin could only sigh at how superficial his sister was.
With a mindset like that, it was no surprise she ended up with the guy who always ignored her and tried to kill her on several occasions.
Someday he should do something to set his sister straight.
Being related to an idiot on top of Kizashi was too much even for him.
Not wanting to waste any more time on pointless arguments, Yashin began nudging his sister in the back to get her to move forward, all the while glancing back at the silent Shino not far from them.
Aburame got the message much faster than his own sister, so by the time they reached the door, the boy was already walking alongside the twins.
Even so, as was her habit, Sakura didn't notice him until her brother started talking to him.
"When you get to my house, make sure to hide your presence even more so Mebuki doesn't notice you. That woman becomes a real nuisance when she sees you."
"You shouldn't talk about your mother like that. Besides, how am I supposed to make myself even less noticeable?"
Sakura's legs felt a little weak when she heard the unexpected response to her brother's annoying voice.
— Don't speak and don't breathe. That should be enough. And instead of arguing with me, you should be grateful that I'm defending you. That woman, just because you come from a noble clan, thinks she can turn you into her golden goose.
— Even if you say it as if you're protecting me, it's useless when you invite me to your house to extort me.
— Don't talk as if you're the victim. You get some modified bugs, and I get a couple of million. It's a good deal for both of us.
Before Aburame could expose his friend's ridiculous words and his disproportionate sense of money, Sakura finally snapped.
— You two, if you want to talk so badly, do it when I'm not around.
— Hey, kid, show some respect when men are talking, will you?
— You, you damn chauvinist. Do you want me to throw you in the ditch?
— Go ahead and try.
Not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, Shino clamped his mouth shut, held his breath, and slowed his pace.
The brothers locked eyes in a staring contest, yet neither made a move, and they continued walking in silence.
It wasn't until the sound of thuds and laughter coming from the nearby alley caught their attention that they finally looked away from each other to focus on something else.
— You're too slow.
"I told you. The Akimichi clan is full of fat idiots. There's no point in playing with them."
"Well, at least because he's so fat, it's easy to aim at his body."
"Yeah, with a body like that, he'll never be able to become a ninja."
To prove his point, the boy swung his arm to throw the wooden shuriken he was holding.
Chōji, crouched on the ground, flinched when he felt the object hit his side, yet he did nothing to defend himself.
That was the sight that greeted Shino, Sakura, and Yashin when they poked their heads out to see what all the commotion was about.
Hidden behind his coat and glasses, it was hard to tell what Shino was thinking; however, the twins' reactions couldn't have been more obvious.
"Those… they're all from our class, right? How dare they bully their own classmates like that?"
"This place stinks like shit. Let's get out of here before the smell rubs off on us."
— You… How can you be so heartless? Can't you see they're picking on one of our friends?
— What are you talking about? Why would I care what happens to those brats?
— You… I can't believe it.
Sakura's pained and disappointed gaze caused a slight discomfort in Yashin's chest; however, that sensation was replaced by a curious growl from his stomach as soon as he heard the sarcastic comment from the voice inside his head.
…
"What do you think the Akimichis taste like? Since they're so well-fed, their flavor must be something special, don't you think?"
…
Because of their not-so-subtle argument, the kids in the alley turned their attention to the pair of siblings.
— Are those… the Harunos from our class?
— Look at their foreheads and the color of their hair—of course they're the Harunos.
— Hey, we should get out of here. I've heard both of those siblings are crazy.
— Nonsense. What if they tell Iruka-sensei we were bullying the fat kid? Besides, that guy, Yashin, once stole my money. I've always wanted to settle the score.
Just like the looks on the faces of the brats surrounding the Akimichi, Sakura's eyes also turned dangerous.
— You… Why is it that whenever you're mentioned, it's because you've caused some kind of trouble?
Yashin didn't answer; he simply slicked his hair back as his apathetic expression twisted into a smile full of pride.
Sakura felt like throwing him into the mob that was starting to close in on them, but somehow she managed to hold back.
— Anyway, if you're not going to do anything, then get off.
— You really want to help that useless fatso?
— You're the last person who should be calling others useless.
Before Yashin could respond to Sakura's comment, the kids who had already surrounded them interrupted their exchange.
— Yashin Haruno. I challenge you. If you don't want your sister to end up like that fatso, come and face me.
…
"What the hell? Where did all these clowns come from? I swear, if this isn't the last time this kind of trash stands in front of us, I'll start fighting you to take control and slaughter them all."
…
— What the hell do you mean by that? Shānnarō, and what makes you think that weaklings like you can threaten me?
— You… you're just a screaming little girl with a big forehead. Or have you already forgotten how you used to cry all the time for your brother at the start of school? If it weren't for that guy on your back, we wouldn't even be paying attention to you right now.
— You… you were those annoying kids who…
Irritated by the commotion, Yashin mobilized what little of his chakra he had restored to awaken the dozens of solifuges dozing among Shino's loose-fitting clothes.
The latter, horrified by the sudden commotion among his clothes, tried to stop the camel spiders from escaping; however, his efforts were in vain.
For the children, the scene was even more terrifying. Dozens of giant light-brown arthropods appeared practically out of nowhere, before starting to run toward them.
The screams were immediate, but their short legs weren't fast enough to escape the arthropods' disproportionately long legs.
The screams only grew more frantic as the spiders began climbing up their bodies.
Although none of the solifuges sank their mandibles into the children's flesh, the children fell to the ground and began writhing, desperate to shake them off.
Yashin was tempted to make the spiders start biting; after all, it wasn't just the voice in his head that was starting to get fed up; however, doing so would mean condemning all those brats to death and throwing all the supposed restraint he was cultivating out the window.
But before he could make a decision, Shino managed to regain control of her animals and make them return to her body.
With panic visible even through her glasses, she watched the children flee in terror, making sure there were no visible wounds on their bodies before turning to look at Yashin with obvious distrust.
Sakura, who had shut her eyes tightly the moment she saw the first spider appear, only dared to open them—with extreme caution—once the screams had faded away.
The silence lasted only a fraction of a second before the redhead exploded.
"You… are you out of your mind?!"
Despite the shrill scream right next to his ear, Yashin didn't even flinch.
For a few seconds, the twins' expressions couldn't have been more different.
However, Sakura's fiery temper was soon dampened by her younger brother's icy indifference.
"I can't believe it."
After that murmur, the eldest Haruno began to step forward to check on the Akimichi, who was still lying at the back of the alley.
Chōji was stunned by everything that had happened.
However, for some reason, he didn't want anyone else to see him in such a pathetic state; so before the twins reached him, he used his trembling legs to pull himself up.
— You… are Chōji, right? Are you okay?
He didn't know why, but the words wouldn't come out.
— The fat guy was just being picked on by a few brats. Why are you asking him like something serious happened?
Before the Akimichi could answer, Yashin's venomous remark made him clench his teeth.
Normally, he would have lowered his head and remained silent; however, the frivolous face of the once-genius, as he was carried on his sister's back, awakened something inside him.
— You're being bullied too.
Although his voice was low, everyone could hear him.
Realizing what he'd done, Chōji immediately covered his mouth, but no matter how hard he pressed his hand against it, he knew full well that the damage was already done.
Seeing Sakura barely holding back her laughter and Yashin's grim expression only confirmed that fact.
— I… I didn't mean that.
— Damn fatso. How dare you say that this great self has been bullied? Do you want me to…?
Before he could continue his tirade, Sakura reached out to pinch the surly redhead, all the while giving the Akimichi a reassuring look.
Suddenly, Chōji's world took on a new color.
A vibrant pink, just like spring.
Almost at the same time, his tongue seemed to take on a will of its own.
"Don't call me fat—I'm just a little chubby."
This time even Sakura was surprised by the Akimichi's sudden boldness; after all, her brother, though crippled, still had that terrifying aura that unsettled even her.
However, seeing Chōji's subsequent panic, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
For his part, Yashin also replaced his cold expression with a crooked smile.
— You didn't have the guts to stand up to those brats, but you dare talk back to me. Besides being fat, it seems you don't have a survival instinct either.
This time, Chōji had enough control over his tongue, so he said no more. Even so, his furrowed brow was enough to convey his thoughts.
Not wanting to waste any more time on the brat, Yashin motioned to his sister to start walking out of the alley while opening his mouth to make one last comment.
"Listen, fatso. If you don't like me calling you that, then work out, find some damn diet, or get out of my sight."
"You… Why can't you talk like a normal person?"
The only response Sakura's sarcastic remark got was a sullen snort.
— … I don't want to be like this either, but I have no choice.
Just as the eldest Haruno turned to leave, the Akimichi's pathetic muttering made her turn back to look at him with a mix of pity and curiosity.
— Excuses like those are why you're still fat. If you don't like the side effects of your clan's techniques, then work hard to change them. And if you can't do it on your own, then seek help from someone who can. For example, me. If you pay me enough, I wouldn't mind helping you stop being a useless fatso.
Leaving that last comment behind, Yashin and Sakura left the alley.
At the entrance, the twins ran into Shikamaru and his distinctive pineapple-shaped hair, but although they all exchanged glances, no words were spoken.
However, once they had walked a few meters away from that gloomy place, it was time for Sakura to let all her complaints out.
— You… How can you treat others like that? Besides, why are you giving me orders as if I'm obligated to take you everywhere whenever you feel like it?
— Ugh… Don't yell. Don't yell.
"You're the worst. And so is your friend. As soon as we were surrounded by those guys, that coward ran off somewhere."
The stunned Shino, a couple of steps behind the siblings, didn't know what to say in the face of the pink-haired older sister's slander. Worse yet, seeing that his so-called friend had no intention of defending him, he had no choice but to open his mouth to make himself heard.
— I… never went anywhere.
— Aaa…!
Yashin, already prepared for his sister's inevitable screaming, covered his ears in advance; on the other hand, Shino… even the bugs inside his body froze for a moment.
— You, don't ever do that again.
— …I didn't do anything.
— You two really… you're both the worst. I don't understand how a couple of such opposite weirdos ended up together.
— That's because your brother tried to extort me during the first week of school, but when he saw I didn't have any money, he decided to take my kikaichū. After that…
While Shino was enthusiastically recounting her amazing story, Yashin turned his head to meet the gaze of the girl with blonde pigtails who had been watching everything as if it were a street performance.