Chapter 109: Confrontation

In a desolate grass field just below the hill where Class E was located—a place so remote that only someone desperate or out of their mind would venture there—a lone silhouette stood atop a large rock.

The figure was none other than Kaede, or as she was now revealed to be, Akari Yukimura.

The night was unusually calm, with a quiet sky stretching above. 

Yet, Kaede's heart was anything but peaceful.

It burned with a potent mix of fury and anticipation.

A gentle breeze swept through, tousling her now-loose hair that she no longer bothered to tie up. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, allowing the cool air to brush against her skin, before opening them again, steely determination reflecting in her gaze.

Then, faint murmurs and the sound of footsteps reached her ears, signaling the approach of those she had been waiting for.

The time had finally come. The moment she would fulfill the vow she had made for her sister.

"Just wait, onee-chan..."

Kaede whispered through gritted teeth as she watched Korosensei and the rest of Class E approach the grass field.

The sight of the detested octopus always dragged her back to that painful night, stirring a relentless urge to destroy everything in her path.

As she leaped down from the rock, landing in the middle of the vast grassland, she prepared to greet her uninvited guests.

"I was just trying to pick up my sister," Kaede thought as memories she could never forget flashed.

It had been a night much like this one when she finally managed to slip away from home, taking a break from her relentless acting schedule. The absence from the public eye had gradually made her less noticeable, allowing her to move around more freely.

She walked through the quiet, dimly lit streets, heading toward the location where her sister was working late.

As a teen actress, her life was a constant juggling act between school and an endless stream of film projects scattered across the country.

Kaede had wanted nothing more than to surprise her.

She hadn't seen her in what felt like ages, and that day had seemed like the perfect opportunity.

In the entertainment industry, she had to be tough—not just with herself but with everyone around her. Yet, deep down, she was still just a girl, barely of age, feeling empty, and completely exhausted.

Her sister, Aguri Yukimura, was the only light in those dark times.

Kaede missed her deeply—the one person she could be vulnerable with, the sister who had always been close to her heart.

She longed to vent her struggles, to let down the walls she'd built up, and just... be herself.

But as she approached the laboratory where Aguri was working alongside her fiancé, her excitement quickly turned to horror.

The night air was shattered by the deafening roar of an explosion. Fear gripped her as she sprinted toward the source, her heart pounding, her legs heavy with dread.

An ominous feeling gnawed at her as she drew nearer.

And then she found her sister's lifeless body.

"Just... wait..."

The memory was seared into her mind, as Kaede's eyes sharpened while glaring at the yellow octopus that now stood before her, having instructed the others to stay back.

Her expression twisted into one of pure hatred as she let out a bitter chuckle, "I'll send the one who killed you to hell, sister..."

"Kayano-san..."

Korosensei gazed at Kaede with a complex expression, the sight of her stirring memories of Aguri Yukimura. The resemblance was faint but unmistakable, tugging at something deep within him.

"So you came..."

Despite the turmoil churning inside her, Kaede's voice was oddly cheerful as she waved her tentacles with practiced ease. The sharp blades sliced through the grass, trimming it down as if she were preparing the field for battle. The air was thick with tension as she fixed her eyes on Korosensei, ignoring the others entirely.

"...Then let's end this."

The students watched with a mix of confusion and sorrow, feeling as if the girl they knew had become a stranger. Her focus on Korosensei was absolute, and it pained them to see her so distant, so consumed by her own emotions.

However...

"Ah... well, could we wait for a bit?"

Korosensei's hesitant voice broke the silence, catching everyone off guard. Kaede's cheerful façade faltered as she frowned, her irritation clear, "What makes you think you get to decide that?"

"Umm, but..."

Seeing Korosensei's hesitated expression made Kaede felt annoyed as she scoffed, "But what?"

"Well, Ito-kun seemed to still be on his way so..."

"Huh? Are you serious?"

Kaede was slightly stunned as to why another hateful teacher that she got to hate in recently get into all of this situation. Looking at the hesitant classmates as they looked for Tsuna's presence anywhere made her realize that Korosensei was being serious which made her felt slightly speechless.

"Hmph, fine!"

Not far from the tense confrontation, two silhouettes were hidden within the shadowy woods, quietly observing the unfolding drama. The figure in white robes, a mask covering his face as he watched with keen interest.

His eyes narrowed as he focused on Kaede, and he murmured to himself, "Oh? Would you look at that?"

He had been taken aback when he first arrived in the classroom and recognized a familiar face.

He'd known she was hiding something, but he never suspected it was these tentacles.

It was, truthfully, a pleasant surprise.

Unlike Itona, who constantly had to maintain them, Kaede didn't.

"She's enduring hellish agony, yet her face betrays nothing... Very impressive," he mused, his voice tinged with genuine admiration.

He knew the cost of wielding such power.

To keep these tentacles in check, he had to suppress their true strength, making the burden somewhat bearable. Not doing so might unlock its full potential without restraint, but it came with a steep price—a price few could afford.

"The last one I did that to my guniea pigs... they lost their mind."

But Kaede was different. She remained in control, her will unbroken.

This intrigued him deeply, igniting a desire to bring her into his lab. He wanted to see just how far she could be pushed before she, too, would crumble under the weight of more of these cursed tentacles.

"..."

The man standing beside the white-robed figure remained silent, his gaze fixed solely on the yellow octopus in the distance. 

"Oh? Look at these two..."

Neither of them noticed the figure that had quietly appeared behind them, blending seamlessly into the shadows.

As the moonlight filtered through the trees, it revealed Tsuna's calm expression. He almost chuckled at the sight of the two clowns, oblivious to his presence.

"Killing them would be nice, but it's not my place to do so," Tsuna thought, his hand moving with lethal precision.

Without making a sound, he delivered sharp, swift blows to the back of their necks, knocking them out cold. All they saw was sudden darkness as their consciousness slipped away.

It was so quick, so unexpected, that they had no time to react.

"Chakra sure is convenient..." Tsuna muttered, glancing down at the two men who had foolishly thought they were in control, "But I can't be seen by you people, so I guess it's time for you both to take a nap..."

With these clowns unconscious, Tsuna made his way toward the grass field. As he approached, he allowed the suppression of his presence to fade, letting everyone feel his arrival.

The atmosphere shifted as all eyes turned to him.

"Tsuna-senpai!"

The students of Class E exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with relief. 

They weren't entirely sure why Korosensei had insisted on bringing Tsuna, but they chose to trust in their teacher's judgment.

"You're late..."

"Sorry, I lost in the path of life..."

"...Right."

Tsuna casually positioned himself beside Korosensei. His gaze then shifted to Kaede, who met his eyes with an irritated expression.

Her annoyance only made him chuckle softly.

"Keke... talking about convenience," he murmured, a playful glint in his eyes, "let's see how much I've grown..."