Chapter 41: The Bullying Incident
After saying goodbye to Might Guy at noon, Naruto went to his usual meeting place with Satsuki as always. Unfortunately, she didn't come today—not unusual, as there were always one or two days each week like this. With no other choice, Naruto spent the afternoon training ninjutsu by himself.
After his ninjutsu practice, Naruto walked home under the setting sun with light steps, his mouth unconsciously curving upward. Today's encounter with Might Guy had gone even more smoothly than he'd expected. That passionately enthusiastic man's favorability was incredibly easy to raise.
Just one meeting and their bond level had skyrocketed directly to Level 3—upgrade speed second only to Hizashi and Neji, whom he'd saved from death.
2400 points. Enough for two ten-pulls.
Thinking of the upcoming lottery, Naruto couldn't help but quicken his pace. Anticipation made his steps particularly light. After turning several street corners, he entered a rather deserted street. Though the sky was still bright, this small path before dinnertime was rarely traveled.
However, his cheerful mood was suddenly shattered by a harsh commotion.
"What is this? Such ugly eyes, all creepy like some kind of monster!"
"Yeah, yeah! White-eyed freak!"
"White-eyed freak, get lost!"
Naruto's steps came to an abrupt halt. Not far ahead, three kids about his age had formed a circle around a small girl who was crouched and trembling in the center. Their increasingly vicious verbal abuse was particularly grating in the empty street.
"Sniff... I'm not..."
The little girl's attempt at defense was ruthlessly drowned in laughter. She hugged her knees tightly as tears continuously streamed down her pale face. This reaction seemed to further provoke the bullies, who circled around her even more viciously, exaggeratedly mimicking ridiculous gestures.
"Hey, you three annoying brats up there."
The voice suddenly rang out on the quiet street. The three bullies spun around like startled rabbits. When they saw the newcomer was just a blonde kid about their same age, their tense shoulders immediately relaxed, and that nauseating arrogant expression returned to their faces.
"What, it's just another little brat," the ringleader mocked in an exaggerated tone. "I thought some adults were coming. Coming over to meddle by yourself—what an idiot!"
"Idiot! Idiot!" The other two kids immediately echoed like parrots, deliberately making exaggerated faces.
However, contrary to their expectations, the blonde boy before them showed no fear or anger, instead wearing a calm smile. That smile was terrifyingly peaceful. Gradually, the three bullies' shouting weakened as they looked at each other in confusion—this was completely different from the reaction they'd expected.
Just as the atmosphere grew eerie, Naruto slowly spoke.
"How curious. The difference between humans and animals is that animals act on instinct, while humans restrain themselves through upbringing. But some people are no different from animals—truly something to lament."
The three bullies froze, their expressions gradually shifting from confusion to embarrassed anger. Though they couldn't fully understand the meaning of these words, they clearly realized they were being insulted to their faces.
"You, you idiot!" The ringleader's face flushed red, and after struggling for a while, he could only squeeze out this pathetic insult.
Faced with such a low-level attack, Naruto almost laughed aloud. This level of verbal combat was far too weak—if this were an internet forum from his previous life, it wouldn't even qualify as beginner level.
Though as an adult he shouldn't bully children, he was currently just a child himself. And Naruto absolutely despised bullying.
"Tell me," Naruto's gaze swept contemptuously over the three, "do people usually ignore you completely? So you can only find a sense of existence by picking on those weaker than yourselves?" He shook his head with feigned regret. "But this pathetic way of forcing a sense of existence is truly disgusting to watch."
In this world without the internet, Naruto hadn't even used one-tenth of his previous life's online rhetoric skills. Yet even so, these words were enough to make the three bullies completely "triggered."
"Wh-what?! Bastard! Let's show him what for!"
The lead bully flew into an embarrassed rage, his whole face turning bright red. He swung his fist wildly at Naruto with no technique whatsoever, not even basic striking posture.
Thud.
With a light sound, Naruto caught the punch with one hand while smiling, not even fully opening his palm. Internally, he was already complaining wildly.
This combat gap is way too extreme... not long ago I was fighting the Raikage, and today I have to fight these little brats?
Naruto naturally understood the principle of respecting elders and caring for the young, but the premise was that the other party deserved respect. For bullies like these who picked on the weak, he felt not even a shred of mercy.
"WAAAAHHH!"
With Naruto applying just a little pressure, the bully whose fist was caught immediately let out pig-like screams. His ugly face instantly contorted as tears and snot flowed together. Naruto released his grip at the right moment, and the boy immediately staggered backward, crouching on the ground clutching his wrist and sobbing.
"Enough." Naruto clapped his hands, his voice cold. "Now disappear from my sight immediately."
However, another bully still seemed unwilling to give up. He shouted through gritted teeth, "Don't be scared! He's just one person! There are three of us! And there are no adults around! Let's all attack together! Beat up this meddling bastard!"
The three bullies encouraged each other and charged forward again with bared fangs and claws. Naruto sighed helplessly—he hadn't wanted to bully children, but if they were both bullies and stubbornly unrepentant, that was another matter entirely.
---
"Waahhh... it hurts so much..."
"Mommy..."
"Sorry... we'll never do it again... please stop hitting us..."
The three bullies curled up on the ground, their faces covered in snot and tears, their previous arrogance completely gone. Though they had been the ones to start the fight and provoke him, they now put on the pitiful appearance of victims. Naruto had only used a little force, but these spoiled brats who had never suffered hardship immediately showed their true colors.
Naruto slowly crouched down, calmly observing them as he spoke.
"It seems you've finally learned some manners."
The three children nodded frantically, tears flying everywhere.
"Good, you can go now. However..."
He placed his hand on the lead child's shoulder, his fingers slightly tightening. The bully who had just been shouting about "showing him what for" immediately trembled like he'd been electrocuted.
"Eek—!"
Naruto leaned down, whispering softly in his ear. "If I see you bullying people again... next time, there might be one or two hands, or three or four legs... that get hurt."
These words hit the three children like a bucket of ice water. They stared in terror with wide eyes, scrambling to their feet without even bothering to dust off the dirt.
"I-I understand!!"
Before their tearful responses had even finished echoing, the three figures had already bolted like startled rabbits. They fled stumbling and tumbling, without even the courage to look back, quickly disappearing at the end of the street.
Naruto stood up and turned around, his gaze falling on the little girl who had just been bullied. She stood there in a daze, her shoulder-length hair slightly disheveled, pure white eyes still holding unshed tears. Naruto recognized who this was.
The Hyuga clan head's daughter—Hyuga Hinata.
***
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