Yuki stepped through the iron gates of the main compound of the Shikabane clan, the heavy scent of incense clinging to the air. The estate was silent, save for the distant rumble of ninjutsu. Her older brother, without a doubt.
The walls were adorned with the clan's crest, a coiled serpent swallowing its own tail. Purity through sacrifice, the motto read. She knew the cost of that purity all too well.
The hallway leading to the family quarters was lined with portraits of past patriarchs, their stern gazes following her like accusers. She passed the memorial hall, where the names of the unworthy were carved into the stone—nine names, including her mother's. Died in childbirth. Weak seed. Did not inherit the kekkei gekkai.
Children were put under tremendous pressure and were selected before they even matured. This was the reason why the main family line was stronger than the branch line. Inbreeding, seed selection...This was true essence of the Shikabane clan. Everyone reeked of evil.
The inscription was a lie though. Her mother had been strong. But the clan demanded perfection, and perfection had a price.
"Yuki"
The voice was sharp, dripping with disdain. Her older sister, Mei, stood at the end of the corridor, arms crossed. The chunin's flak jacket bore the clan's insignia, not the standard-issue of the General Corps.
"You're late," Mei said, her lips curling. "Then again, what else can one expect from someone who wastes her time with General Corps trash?"
Yuki didn't slow her pace. "I was deployed on a mission."
Mei scoffed. "With that fatty and the civilian filth? Pathetic. You belong in the clan forces, not rubbing shoulders with commoners. Father would be ashamed"
Yuki's fingers twitched. She remembered the years of torment. Mei's "lessons," the bruises hidden beneath her sleeves, the way her sister would pin her down and whisper, "You're the reason Mother died".
Back then, Yuki had been small, weak. But that was before she graduated the academy. As much as she looked down on her teammates, they had grown stronger under Seok's unconventional training methods. His sand sticking technique was especially helpful in improving her control of the Blood Manipulation Kekkei Gekkai, and by extension, her stamina during fights.
Mei lunged.
It happened in a blur. One moment, Mei's hand was raised to strike; the next, Yuki's blood moved. It surged from her veins, thick and crimson, coiling around Mei's throat like a living rope. The pressure was immense, enough to crush windpipes, to snap necks. Mei's eyes bulged, her face flushing purple as she clawed at the invisible force.
Yuki tilted her head, studying her sister's struggling form.
"You were always better at talking than fighting"
Mei's lips moved, but no sound came out.
A crack echoed through the hallway.
Pain exploded across Yuki's cheek. She staggered, her concentration breaking. Mei gasped, collapsing to her knees, rubbing her throat. Standing between them was Toyo, the eldest brother, his expression unreadable. His hand still tingled from the slap.
"Enough", he said, voice calm, "This is not the place for sibling squabbles."
Yuki touched her cheek, her blood simmering beneath the skin. She could have killed Mei. She should have. But the clan's rules were clear: no heir could kill another without the patriarch's decree.
Toyo's gaze was cold. "Mei, you know better than to provoke her. And you", he turned to Yuki, "attacking family is beneath you. We are assets. Father's investments. Act like it."
Yuki lowered her hand. Assets. That's all they were to him. To the clan. Tools to be sharpened, used, discarded.
Toyo exhaled, adjusting his gloves. "Grandfather wants to see you. All of you."
His eyes flicked to Mei, still coughing. "And try not to embarrass the family name before then."
As he walked away, Yuki stared at her sister, who glared back with pure hatred. The message was clear. Yuki flexed her fingers, feeling the power thrumming in her veins. She was the youngest. But she no longer was the weakest.