"Damn it, hold still."
Youyu grumbled, grabbing his left hand with his right, trying to bring the wine bottle in front of his eyes.
"Uh…" Tanaka Hideichi, the instructor, watched with a face full of exasperation. From his perspective, it looked like Youyu was struggling with his own hand, too drunk to see the bottle clearly.
"Um, Youyu-kun, I… I have a bottle of wine here."
A cute girl with curly hair and red eyes quietly tugged on Youyu's sleeve. Blushing, she shyly offered him a bottle of wine.
Seeing the bottle, Youyu's blurred eyes sparkled, and he took it with a grin.
"Huh? Such a cute lady. How about drinking with me?" Youyu turned to her, grinning as he pulled her close, making Kurenai let out a small gasp.
"Y-Yes, Youyu-kun…" Kurenai's cheeks flushed as she gazed at Youyu's face. She inhaled deeply, taking in his scent, her red eyes a little dazed.
"Youyu! Not only are you drinking in class, but now you're flirting too? I can't stand this anymore!" A boy nearby jumped up, slamming his hands on the desk in anger.
It was Sarutobi Asuma, the son of the Third Hokage.
"Huh? Who are you?" Youyu squinted, looking at Asuma with mild annoyance. "Can't you see I'm drinking with this lovely lady? Unless you want to be chopped down, scram."
Asuma's face turned red with anger, and he clenched his fists. "You're dead!"
Asuma's outburst sent a ripple through the classroom.
"Asuma!"
"Asuma's gone crazy! He's actually trying to fight Youyu!"
"He's definitely going to get himself killed!"
As Asuma rushed at Youyu, the entire class broke into an uproar. Who was Youyu? This was the guy who'd put their last teacher in the hospital with a single slash.
Even Kakashi Hatake, son of the famed "White Fang" and hailed as a genius, had lost to Youyu.
Although Asuma was the Hokage's son, his strength was nowhere near enough to challenge Youyu.
"Uh-oh…" Tanaka thought, feeling a surge of panic. If Youyu cut down the Hokage's son, how would he explain it to the Third Hokage?
"Hm?" Youyu narrowed his eyes, releasing his grip on Kurenai and reaching to draw a blade from his side.
The weapon was a standard Japanese sword—about 80 cm long and 1.6 cm wide.
Whoosh
"Is that…?"
Tanaka froze mid-step, his expression shifting as he felt the change in Youyu's aura. Just moments ago, Youyu had been a carefree drunk. Now, he radiated the presence of a terrifying spirit.
Asuma, who had been charging forward, came to a sudden halt. The playful look in Youyu's eyes was gone, replaced by a gaze that made Asuma feel like prey.
Swish!
"No! Youyu, don't!"
Tanaka's voice filled with dread as Youyu gripped the hilt of his blade and slashed toward Asuma.
It's over.
Asuma's eyes widened in fear, and a cold sweat broke out across his body. Regret filled him—why had he been so impulsive, charging at Youyu over a simple moment with Kurenai?
He knew, deep down, that Youyu was a terrifying monster.
"Am I… going to die?"
Asuma shut his eyes, bracing himself for the end, and felt a flash of pain.
Splat!
In the stunned silence of the classroom, Asuma was split in two, blood spraying everywhere.
"Ahhh!!"
"Asuma?!"