Sasuke stood like a grim statue, his expression unreadable, the crimson Mangekyou in his eyes burning with icy malice. He slowly turned his head toward Principal Yaga, gaze unflinching. "You. There's a bounty on your head that I'll soon personally collect myself. Be prepared…"
His voice was low, almost a whisper, yet it carried an eerie resonance that echoed through the courtyard. It didn't shout, didn't rage, but it made hearts skip, and spines tingle.
"You've already made enemies with Jujutsu High," Yaga responded, voice calm yet laced with tension. "Do you want the entire world to hate you?" He held Sasuke's gaze with quiet defiance, then looked toward Mei, a flicker of exasperation crossing his stern features.
Sasuke tilted his head slightly, mockery dancing in his eyes as if amused by the implication.
He gave a shrug, a dismissive flick of his shoulder, then turned to face Naobito. "Sorry about your guards," he said nonchalantly. "They threatened to use force, so I killed them first." He sheathed the silver-bladed Kusanagi behind his back, as if he hadn't just confessed to murder in front of every clan elder.
Naobito's hands clenched at his sides, his face twitching with restrained fury. "What do you want?" he asked again, his voice low and ragged with anger. But he didn't move. He knew better. After what Sasuke had done to the Zen'in Clan the last time, none of them were foolish enough to act without cause.
Sasuke rolled his shoulders, unbothered. "A little impatient, aren't we?" He pulled a folded letter from his pocket and held it casually between his index and middle fingers. Chakra flared softly from his fingertips, charging the paper, and with a flick, he sent it spinning through the air like a shuriken.
Naobito's eyes narrowed. He raised a hand, reinforcing it with cursed energy, and caught the flying envelope with a grunt. The sheer force sent a jolt through his body and made him take a wary step back. His teeth ground together as he opened it and read.
It only took a moment. His eyes twitched.
"You want… Toji's boy?" he said slowly, as if hoping he'd misread. Gasps rippled through the crowd of elders like crashing waves.
Sasuke gave no answer, simply sat back down atop the large rock he'd claimed earlier, resting his arms on his knees. Mei stood just behind him, stoic, arms crossed, face carved in ice, but the soft look she gave Sasuke revealed something deeper. Something loyal. Something warm.
The courtyard erupted into debate.
"Are you crazy?! We can't just hand the boy over!"
"He bears the Ten Shadows Technique! He's our legacy!"
"After so many years, a true heir appears, and you want to give him up because some lunatic demands it?!"
"The boy leaves this compound over my dead body!"
Their voices rose to a fevered pitch, some so loud and impassioned they didn't even care Sasuke was standing right there. A few went as far as calling him deranged, a rogue shinobi, a demon in human flesh.
But Sasuke remained unmoved.
After nearly two full minutes of bickering, he finally stood. Stretching lazily like a predator preparing to pounce, he gripped the handle of the Kusanagi. A faint pulse of lightning flickered along the blade as he slowly drew it. The temperature dropped. The courtyard fell silent.
"I don't have all day," Sasuke muttered.
The Elders froze. Cold sweat dripped down their backs. Some reached for their weapons, but hesitated.
Naobito's cursed energy flared dangerously.
"Is your decision final?" Sasuke asked one last time.
Then, without warning, he vanished. A blur. A flicker. The next instant, he was among them, Mangekyou spinning with bloodlust, blade humming with a thin veil of lightning.
SLASH!
A sickening crack-thwip echoed through the courtyard as one elder's head was severed cleanly from his shoulders. Blood sprayed into the air like a geyser, painting nearby elders in crimson. The body dropped with a lifeless thud.
Naobito stood frozen, wide-eyed. He hadn't even activated his cursed technique yet. And already, one of their own was gone.
Sasuke appeared behind him a heartbeat later, silent as a shadow, the bloodied Kusanagi still dripping at his side, as they stood back to back.
"Don't blink," he whispered, voice dry and hollow. "I bet I could change your mind if everyone here drops dead in an instant."
The Mangekyou spun. And Naobito's mind snapped.
Blood. Endless rivers of it. The Zen'in estate engulfed in fire. Corpses of elders lined the steps. The screams of children. The sky turned black. Reality vanished, replaced by the horrifying vision of a massacre that had yet to happen.
But Naobito resisted.
He bit into his own tongue, cursed energy exploding from within as he forced himself out of the genjutsu. Panting, drenched in sweat, he looked at Sasuke, his body trembling, his knees weak.
"Enough," he stammered. "You can… have the boy."
Sasuke gave a slow smile. He walked back to his perch and sat again, blade returned to its sheath. Calm. Casual.
Two elders scrambled back toward the compound, presumably to retrieve Megumi.
The Mangekyou faded from Sasuke's eyes. At once, the suffocating pressure lifted, and those present felt like they could breathe again.
Yaga inhaled sharply, clutching his chest. For a moment there, it had felt like he was frozen in time. Paralyzed. Was this what made Sasuke so terrifying? The power to dominate others completely, with a glance?
Still, he looked up. "I know Jujutsu High has failed you. Both of you," he said, eyes shifting between Sasuke and Mei. "And for that, I express my deepest apologies. But we won't let you terrorize the world of modern sorcerers unchecked. We will stop you."
His voice was firm. Resolute. Sasuke flicked his hair back, revealing a flicker of weariness in his gaze. "Stop me? You already tried that once."
Yaga clenched his fists, but he didn't answer.
Just then, the two elders returned, escorting a young boy. Spiky dark hair, stoic expression, and a quiet intensity in his sharp eyes. The resemblance to Toji was uncanny.
Sasuke raised a brow and chuckled. "Yep. That's Toji's boy, alright." The boy stepped forward.
"Who are you? And why are you taking me away?" Megumi asked, gripping the straps of his small backpack.
Sasuke sighed inwardly. This was going to be more of a headache than dealing with Toji himself…
"I'm Sasuke. And I'm taking you because your father asked me to."
Mei facepalmed behind him. Megumi blinked. "Sasuke? The killer?"
He stared for a full minute, unblinking, then shrugged. "Alright. Let's get out of here."
With that, he turned and walked out of the estate, leaving the stunned elders, Yaga, and Naobito behind.
Sasuke arched a brow and glanced back at Mei. She followed silently. The three departed, leaving behind a courtyard heavy with silence and trauma.
They didn't speak for a while. Until Sasuke staggered. He coughed, violently. Blood spilled from his lips. His legs buckled. Mei darted to his side, catching him before he collapsed.
She propped him against a nearby palm tree, gently wiping the blood from his mouth. "You didn't need to keep the act up for that long. They're not smart enough to figure it out."
Sasuke shook his head, breathing heavily. "Naobito and the others, maybe not. But Yaga? He's not dumb. He would've caught on."
His vision blurred. Hia face pale. Trading system points for a one-time chakra boost had worked, but the cost was steep. He was running on fumes now.
"They wouldn't have surrendered the kid without blood. I had to make a statement."
Megumi, silent all this time, watched them curiously. After a moment, he spoke.
"Are we related?"
Sasuke looked at him, a weak smile forming. "Your father is my uncle."
"Oh," Megumi said, blinking. "Okay."
Then "Is it true you and my dad are killers? The worst of the worst?"
Sasuke let out a heavy breath. "You're asking too many questions, kid."
Megumi shrugged, taking off his backpack and sitting next to him. "I heard rumors. That's all."
Sasuke glanced at Mei, then at Megumi, a small grin tugging at his lips. "You're smart, kid. But I need you to understand something."
He leaned in slightly.
"You're part of whatever your dad and I are part of now. No running. No turning back."
Megumi didn't flinch. He just nodded solemnly, tightening his grip on his backpack.
And that was the beginning.
The beginning of something dangerous. The beginning of something unstoppable.
A/N: Whew 😥. Finally done with this arc. Took me a while hour and half to write this chapter and edit. Do well to review, comment and give Powerstones. Also you guys can leave suggestions for what you want to see in terms of the plot for the next arc. Feel free...