"The demon fox shows his true colors! He wants to eat us!"
After the leader was knocked to the ground, the remaining two boys lost whatever courage they had left. Trembling, one stammered:
"It's his idea to deal with you… you just take revenge on him alone… don't come bully us too!"
"Bully you?" Naruto snorted softly, stepped forward, and gave both of them a light smack, leaving a few bright red palm prints across their faces.
The boys winced in pain, tears already rolling down.
Meanwhile, the boy who had been knocked down first got to his feet, covering a bleeding nose. "Xiaohu, we admit defeat this time. Next time, we'll bring more people to chase you off."
Naruto shook his head, amused. "Looks like you still don't get it. I don't stop until people beg for mercy. And you? You're still children."
By the end, both boys were nursing bruised noses and swollen faces, sitting in the snow, sniffling, ashamed of their earlier arrogance.
"Boss Naruto… we were wrong. We shouldn't have provoked you. We won't do it again!"
"Yes! From now on, you're our boss!"
Naruto sighed, waving them off. "Alright, alright. Go on your way. Remember to behave next time, and don't provoke me again."
The boys glanced at each other as they left, whispering about how they might one day get revenge on the demon fox.
Naruto suddenly appeared behind them, resting his hands on their shoulders.
"I said—don't pretend to beg for mercy while thinking about revenge, huh?"
The boys trembled. "Naruto… we… we'd never call you a demon fox again…"
Naruto shook his head, a sinister smile creeping across his face:
"Don't hide behind your words and call me Yaohu. I don't hate it. I am a Yaohu… and Uzumaki Naruto at the same time. But remember—if you provoke me in the future, you will face the consequences."
Cold sweat formed on their foreheads. They didn't dare plot revenge again, bolting from the park as fast as their legs could carry them.
With the immediate threat gone, Naruto turned to Hinata, who was still kneeling in the snow, gazing at him with wide, adoring eyes.
Lifting her gently, Naruto asked, "Why didn't you resist just now?"
Truthfully, he didn't care much about the bullying itself. Hinata could be targeted simply because of her personality. The boys were no match for her strength, and in terms of family background, she could easily put them in their place. But it was her timid temperament and cautious gaze that made her a prime target.
Yet she was the only one who had come to him for help—a little reflection of his own past.
Hinata faltered under his gaze. "Father taught me not to attack ordinary people… I practiced soft fist, and I might hurt them accidentally…"
"So… you'd rather get hurt yourself than hurt someone else?"
"Yes… they'll get bored soon anyway. They won't waste too much time on me."
Naruto couldn't help chuckling. "Do you know what that does? It makes them bully you even more. If you resist, at least they won't dare mess with you."
"But…" she began, only for Naruto to cut her off. "Have you ever thought… if I had endured just now, would I have been humiliated too? But now, they ran off in despair."
Hinata hesitated, whispering, "If it were you, I… I'd go against my father's teachings…"
Her small face flushed, almost unbearably cute.
Not far away, two boys—one fat, one thin—watched the whole scene from across the road.
"Shikamaru, looks like we don't need to do anything. He handled it and saved the Hyuga girl," said the fat one, Choji Akimichi, munching the last of his potato chips.
Shikamaru yawned lazily. "Yeah… surprising, I guess. But I still want a nap. Too sleepy for this."
"You sleep every day! Haven't you had enough?" Choji grumbled.
"Should we still approach him? That demon fox… he seems different from what everyone says. He resists bullies and protects the weak," Choji continued.
Shikamaru lazily opened one eye. "Let's wait for another chance. Right now, we're just following our parents' instructions."
Choji sighed, pulling out another bag of chips. "Fine, fine. We'll come back later."
Of course, none of this escaped Kyuubi's attention. The Nine-Tails had recorded every aura, every movement, and now, his focus rested on the flustered Naruto and shy Hinata.
Kyuubi's grin was wicked. He intended to remember Hinata's expressions and motions—just to torment Naruto later. One of his few guilty pleasures.
After Hinata was escorted back to the Hyuga clan, the guards, familiar with the girl's frequent misadventures, even thanked Naruto.
As Naruto walked down the street, he heard Kyuubi's voice. Frowning, he noticed something odd—the Nine-Tails' Yin-Yang energy had surged unnaturally. Almost like a Yin-Yang fox had awakened… considering he only had the Yang half, this was unusual.
Naruto just smiled brightly. "What are you thinking, little ghost? The old man thinks something's wrong with you."
Kyuubi, sensing Naruto's playful energy, only replied, "Little ghost… something feels off about you."
Naruto tilted his head. "Nothing… I just think your tail is cute. I want to use it as a quilt."
"Little ghost, absolutely impossible! This old man will never allow it!" Kyuubi crossed his arms, fur bristling.
Naruto grinned casually. "I lied."
Kyuubi growled.
Then, in his ears, Naruto heard Kyuubi's inner commentary:
"Hinata… her affection for you has reached a level of trust. You've gained 'soft fist training experience'—the result of her practicing soft boxing."
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