No matter what world it was, everyone went through the same strange phase.
When you were a kid, time crawled. A day felt like a week. Waiting for a holiday felt like waiting for a lifetime.
But once you grew up, time sprinted. You blinked and the day was gone. You blinked again and a year had already turned into a memory.
Yami, whose soul had never been a child to begin with, had always belonged to the second group.
The baby stage where he had consciousness from birth, the toddler stage where he refined chakra at three, the academy stage where he awakened his cheat ability at six. All of it felt like yesterday.
A new calendar now hung on the wall. A new year had arrived quietly.
And without him noticing, his age had returned to double digits.
Konoha Year 34, January 7.
The first day of the third semester at the Ninja Academy.
Yami had already dressed neatly and stood in front of a full length mirror, silently observing the boy reflected inside it.
Under ten, no matter how tall you were, you were still a child.
At ten, you became a young adolescent.
But Yami's adolescent phase was, as always, abnormal.
In the original timeline, Jiraiya's height was over 190 centimeters, a true giant even by shinobi standards. Yet when Jiraiya graduated at twelve, he still looked roughly similar to his peers.
Yami was not even ten yet. He still had a few months to go.
And his height had already reached 162 centimeters.
This winter break, he had grown another two centimeters.
The loose clothes he had bought last year were already on the verge of becoming too small again.
In his previous life, that height at this age would not have been shocking in many places.
Even in this world, there were countries where it was not unheard of.
But in Konoha, where children his age averaged around 130 to 140 centimeters, it was ridiculous.
No wonder his "school tyrant" persona had intimidated the entire academy.
A whole head taller than the people around you was a cheat code.
Just standing in front of those kids who were shorter by a head made them feel something primal.
Pressure.
The kind of pressure that came from being overwhelmingly stronger, even before you moved.
Even Yami could tell.
In this life, he would definitely grow past 180.
He might even push 190.
He looked at his reflection and let a lazy thought surface.
"Same surname, similar face… maybe even similar height. Am I seriously going to turn into 'Two Point Five Yami' in the future?"
He joked about it, but he did not actually care.
His model might resemble a certain white haired monster, but Yami's ability set was far closer to something else entirely.
With spacetime power in his hands, there would only ever be people he cut in half.
There would never be someone who cut him in half.
Yes.
That was how it had to be.
He adjusted his collar one last time, shoved his hands into his pockets out of habit, and stepped onto the balcony.
Then he jumped down casually.
Outside, someone had already been waiting.
Kushina, bundled up against winter, looked up and immediately snapped with her usual sharp tongue.
"You're always trying to look cool. If you trip and fall one day, I'll laugh at you for the rest of my life."
She said it like she meant it, yet her eyes still flickered with a tiny flash of admiration.
Even she could not deny it.
Two blue eyed handsome boys existed in their year, yet their styles sat on opposite ends of the world.
Minato was gentle, warm, the kind of boy people called a little sun. Even his clothes matched that image.
Yami was cold, sharp, the kind of boy everyone called the Demon King. His clothes matched that image too.
Today, he wore a white open front coat over a black shirt. Black pants, black shoes, clean lines, minimal color.
On someone else, it would look strange. Too dark. Too deliberate.
On a boy with white hair, white lashes, and eyes like frozen crystal, it looked perfect.
Especially when he did not smile.
His gaze naturally carried a feeling of looking down from above, like the world was something he tolerated rather than belonged to.
For girls who liked that kind of aura, one glance could make their heartbeat accelerate.
For girls who liked it too much, it could ruin their life.
Some people could become extreme, irrational, self destructive. They could abandon friendships, family, pride, even their future. They could be insulted, hurt, nearly killed, and still crawl back.
They could be rejected and still smile.
They could watch the person they loved choose someone else, then spend the rest of their life alone while pretending it was noble.
Fortunately for Yami, this generation had not yet produced anyone that ridiculous.
Kushina, who had been around him for months, knew the truth anyway.
This was not some heartless ice prince.
This was a weird, awkward boy who was annoyingly gentle in his own way.
A "trying to look cool" boy.
A boy who would help you, then insult you for needing help.
And right on cue, Yami opened his mouth.
"If you're still half asleep, go take a nap in the classroom. I'm honestly worried your brain is still lying on your pillow at home. Come talk to me about falling after your Body Flicker is good enough to catch my shadow. Tomato Kushina."
Kushina's eye twitched.
"Trashmouth Yami, what did you just say? Say it again if you have the guts!"
"If your hearing is bad, go to the hospital and get your ears checked. I only specialize in treating brains. Want me to punch you? Guaranteed instant results."
"I'll punch you first!"
Kushina once again performed her signature move.
Too weak, too bold, too eager to play, and the moment she lost, she would explode.
She bared her teeth and charged.
Yami tilted his head slightly, still hands in pockets, and sidestepped like he had done this a thousand times.
And he had.
They bickered.
They shoved.
They threw light punches that were half real and half joke.
They walked toward the Ninja Academy while acting like they were about to kill each other.
To anyone watching, it looked like a daily routine carved into their bones.
And it was.
Ever since Yami had taught Kushina the Rasengan, she had become even more clingy.
Kushina's personality was basically the female version of Naruto.
Optimistic, loud, stubborn, prideful, quick to anger, quick to forgive, reckless, fearless, affectionate in the bluntest way possible. A girl who would shout her feelings before she even realized she had them.
She was not a jinchūriki yet, but the "strategy" for winning her over was the same strategy as winning over Naruto.
Acknowledge her.
Care about her.
Stand on her side when the room turns against her.
And the bond would form instantly.
Yami had done exactly that.
When the whole class mocked her on her first day, he had acted first, before Minato could.
He had thrown his presence over her like a shadow.
He had made the classroom go quiet.
He had given her a seat beside him.
He had offered her his notes without any softness in his voice, which somehow made it feel even more real.
Then he had fought her in taijutsu without holding back.
He had bruised her.
He had mocked her.
And then he had healed her.
A perfect hook.
Cruelty, then warmth.
Pain, then comfort.
A bridge built out of contradiction.
And after that, he had delivered the final strike.
The Rasengan.
A technique so rare and precious that simply offering it was enough to set a heart on fire.
From that day on, Kushina's visits to his house became routine.
Sometimes it was training, sometimes it was Rasengan practice, sometimes it was dragging him outside for errands that were clearly excuses to spend time together.
Now, at the start of a new semester, she had even come to pick him up so they could walk to school together.
In a world where kids learned about romance absurdly early, Kushina's feelings were not subtle at all.
They were loud.
They were obvious.
They were practically written on her face every time she looked at him.
And somewhere along the way, the blond "loser dog" who used to hide in the shadows and watch silently had finally given up.
The bull headed warrior had once again achieved a glorious victory.
(End of Chapter)
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