Mamoru casually tossed the 'holy sword' onto the desk.
Shikamaru, who was eating his bento, glanced at it and couldn't help asking, "What is this?"
Mamoru replied solemnly, "A holy sword, it's yours."
"Huh?"
Shikamaru's face was written with "Are you kidding me?" as he said, "Keep it for yourself to play with."
Mamoru ignored him. With one hand holding the bottle and the other unscrewing the small porcelain bottle Hinata had given him, a clear medicinal fragrance rushed into his nostrils as the cap opened.
"It should be medicine for external injuries." He muttered to himself, leaning in to sniff it.
This was likely a special medicine from the Hyuga clan. For the Hyuga clan, who practiced the Gentle Fist year-round and inevitably suffered bumps and bruises, it was perfectly normal to carry specialized medicine.
"Did that girl from just now give this to you?" Shikamaru asked after catching the scent of the medicine.
"You're mistaken."
"I'm not blind."
"You're blind with your eyes wide open."
While bickering with Shikamaru, Mamoru dipped a bit of ointment with his finger and applied it to his swollen cheek. The stinging sensation as the ointment touched his skin made him involuntarily draw in a cold breath, his lipa twitching as he made a "hiss—" sound.
"Mamoru, why are you making such a weird face?" Naruto, who happened to be passing by, saw his look and leaned in curiously to ask.
"Shut up, come over here and let me punch you."
"Hey! Why should I take a punch from you for nothing?" Naruto immediately assumed a defensive stance, his face full of vigilance.
"Just one punch, and I guarantee you'll immediately understand why I have this expression."
Mamoru continued to bluff, shaking the medicine bottle in his hand, "See this? Special medicine from the Hyuga clan. Apply it after a punch, and it works instantly—the results are top-notch."
"Hmm... is it really that miraculous?" Naruto seemed genuinely tempted, a skeptical yet interested look appearing on his face.
"Is he an idiot? This guy..." Shikamaru grumbled quietly.
Just as Naruto was debating whether to try it, a group of girls suddenly swarmed into the classroom, heading straight for Mamoru's seat. Naruto, standing in the aisle, was caught off guard and knocked sideways by them.
"Mamoru, you're injured. Use my medicine."
"Use mine. This bottle of medicine represents my comfort for your pain."
"You must use mine. This was specially prepared by a famous doctor from the Land of Fire at my father's request."
...
In no time, over a dozen bottles of various medicines were piled on Mamoru's desk like offerings. This display not only left Shikamaru speechless but even Mamoru himself got goosebumps from those mushy words. Only Naruto, standing by, watched with a face full of envy and jealousy.
Time passed quietly, and it was soon time for school to end.
The golden sunset filtered through the windows, dyeing the hallway a warm orange. Students left in groups of two or three.
Shikamaru and Naruto were still discussing those girls from earlier. They really couldn't understand what was so good about the Uchiha brothers or why they were so popular.
Walking side-by-side, Mamoru grumbled in his heart, 'Kids, you're still too young. Judging by looks is a very realistic thing in any world.'
As soon as they stepped out of the school gate, they were blocked by a crowd. The leaders were none other than the "Suicide Trio" from this morning. The bruises on their faces hadn't faded, and their black eyes were particularly prominent. This time they had learned their lesson. Knowing they were no match, they had called over a large group of helpers.
There were many familiar faces in this crowd, even a few of Mamoru's classmates who had clearly been taught a lesson by him before and were here for revenge. There were also a few taller, unfamiliar faces who looked like upperclassmen. This group gathered together, looking every bit like school bullies.
"Mamoru! If you don't give us an explanation today, don't even think about leaving!" The leader of the trio yelled arrogantly.
With a missing front tooth, his speech whistled, making him look quite comical. The other two stood on his left and right, glaring fiercely at Mamoru as if they wanted to swallow him whole.
"Right! You beat us up like this, it can't just end like this!"
"Today we'll definitely show you what's what, let's see if you still dare to be so arrogant!"
...
The surrounding helpers also started shouting, their emotions running high.
Shikamaru lowered his voice. "This is bad, there are too many of them. Should we find a chance to run?"
Choji asked worriedly, 'What if I can't run fast?"
"I-it's okay, I-I'll hold them back!"
Although Naruto's voice trembled with fear, he still loyally offered to cover the rear.
"Hold this for me." Mamoru, however, just casually tossed his backpack to Choji, who was closest to him.
The corners of Mamoru's lips curled into an excited arc, and he actually took the initiative to charge toward the crowd. The scene of being outnumbered didn't scare him. Instead, it ignited his fighting spirit.
Seeing him charge, the trio reflexively shrank back, but then realized they had the numbers. They quickly stopped and shouted to bolster their courage, "Don't be afraid! Everyone, attack together!"
However, reality gave them a solid slap in the face. It proved that the numerical advantage of a ragtag bunch was vulnerable in the face of true strength.
"Yahoo—"
Mamoru let out an excited shout, like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep, instantly tearing a hole in their ranks.
Before the student in front could react, he took a kick. The moment he landed, Mamoru hit another person's chin with a punch, followed by a backhand punch to a third person's face...
His figure moved nimbly through the crowd, his fists swinging cleanly and efficiently, every dodge and counter-attack precise and effective.
This skill, far exceeding that of his peers, left all the onlookers in shock.
Mamoru grabbed the collar of the leader of the trio, a hearty smile on his face. "I love bullying self-righteous weaklings like you the most."
"Spare... spare me..."
The leader of the trio now deeply regretted asking for trouble with Mamoru, he could only plead in a trembling voice.
The commotion at the school gate quickly drew the teachers.
The students lying all over the ground almost cried—their saviors had finally arrived.
Afterward, Mamoru was once again invited into the Teachers' Staff Room, while most of the students involved in the blockade were sent to the hospital. After understanding the sequence of events, the teachers present all showed strange expressions, finding the situation quite thorny.
From the cause, it was the trio gathering delinquent students with the intent to bully, making Mamoru the victim but the result was Mamoru's unilateral 'violence,' resulting in many injuries.
The school informed Mamoru that they would investigate further before deciding how to handle it.
Mamoru didn't care much about the school's handling of the matter. At least he felt great today, and his heroic feat would surely be recorded in the history of the Ninja Academy.
When he finally walked out of the staff room, it was already near dusk. To his surprise, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Choji were actually still waiting at the school gate. He smiled and walked toward those three small figures.