"Hey, red-haired freak, get out of our class!"
"Exactly! You're ugly as hell. Your hair looks like it's on fire. It's disgusting!"
"Monster, go back to where you came from!"
Several children surrounded Uzumaki Kushina, pelted her with harsh ridicule and malicious nicknames.
Having just arrived in Konoha not long ago, Kushina appeared terrified and helpless in the face of her malicious classmates, a layer of mist already clouding her large eyes.
She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly and tried to argue loudly.
"It's not like that! Red hair is normal. Many of my family and clansmen have red hair..."
However, the bullies didn't care about the truth at all; they simply enjoyed the pleasure of bullying the weak and turned a deaf ear to her explanation.
Not far away, Minato Namikaze frowned as he watched this scene unfold.
He stepped forward and dissuaded them in a gentle but firm tone: "Everyone, don't be like this. We're classmates; we shouldn't say such hurtful things."
He even pointed to his own bright blonde hair, attempting to diffuse the conflict.
"See? My hair is golden too. It's rare in the Village, but that doesn't mean it's weird. Instead, it's quite special, isn't it?"
The bullying children glanced at Minato but looked away one after another, pretending not to hear.
Minato Namikaze had excellent grades, and his practical combat ability was top-tier in the class. He had just taken first place in a drill and was currently very popular; they didn't want to provoke him easily.
In contrast, Kushina—who was all alone and seemed somewhat cowardly—became a soft persimmon in their eyes that they could squeeze at will.
Seeing that his dissuasion had little effect, a trace of helplessness appeared on Minato Namikaze's handsome face.
He did not approve of bullying, but faced with this kind of collective exclusion, he didn't know how to effectively stop it for a moment, appearing somewhat at a loss.
Just then, a lazy voice with a presence that couldn't be ignored rang out:
"Hey, hey, hey. I'm saying, you guys are making such a racket—are you even going to let a person digest their food properly?"
A massive shadow loomed over like a small mountain, completely covering the bullies.
They turned back trembling and saw the face that, in their eyes at this moment, was more terrifying than a demon's.
"Aki... Akimichi Ryoko!"
The bullies' faces turned pale instantly, as if a freezing spell had been cast on them. Their previous arrogance vanished without a trace, leaving only hearts full of fear.
Most of them bullied the weak but feared the strong. Facing this ruthless person who had even beaten Uchiha and Hyuga geniuses, their legs were shaking.
A few of them had even been taught a lesson after previously provoking Ryoko; at this moment, they were scared out of their wits and only wanted to flee immediately.
"Ryoko-kun..."
Seeing Akimichi Ryoko step forward, a smile of relief immediately appeared on Minato Namikaze's face.
He hadn't expected this classmate, who usually seemed interested only in food, to stand up for someone, and with such immense deterrent power. It put him at ease quite a bit.
"Hey, Minato," Ryoko shook his fist, which was as big as a sandbag, gesturing toward the shivering fellows. "Reasoning with these guys is useless. They only understand this."
The sound of the wind whipped up by the fist made the bullies' faces turn ashen.
They had no doubt that if they took even one hit, they would definitely be lying down for half a day.
One bully forced himself to be brave and tried to use the rules as a deterrent: "Akimichi Ryoko, fi... fighting is wrong! I'm going to tell the teacher!"
Hearing this, Ryoko let out a strange laugh and said righteously, "Ha? You guys were bullying a classmate first. I'm acting out of justice—helping the weak and striking down evil. I'm a partner of justice! If the teacher finds out, they'll definitely praise me and criticize you!"
These words hit the bullies' weakness. They naturally knew their behavior was wrong; they were just habitually picking on a soft target.
When they themselves might become the objects of bullying, that pitiful bit of courage evaporated instantly.
Just as Ryoko made a move as if to throw a punch to give them a memorable warning, a quick-witted bully had a sudden flash of inspiration and shouted with a sob:
"Wai... wait, Big Brother Ryoko! I know I was wrong. I won't dare do it again. I'm willing to bring you lunch for a week! Please let me off this time!"
Upon hearing these words, the fist that was about to fall instantly stopped in mid-air.
Ryoko's chubby face leaned in close. The ferocious expression on his face melted away like snow, switching instantly to a kind smile that said 'a child worth teaching':
"Hmm? Not bad, not bad. To err is human, but to correct it is divine. I see you're very sincere. I believe you've truly realized your mistake!"
After saying that, he turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the other pale-faced bullies. He shook his fist again and asked in a 'gentle' tone:
"So, what about you guys? Have you realized your mistakes? Do you need me to help you realize them 'profoundly'?"
Watching that sandbag-sized fist waving in front of them, the other bullies groaned inwardly, but they were too afraid to speak out.
Between 'physical persuasion' and 'paying to avoid disaster,' they could only sullenly choose the latter, their heads nodding like chickens pecking at rice.
"We... we get it! We were wrong!"
"We'll give it! We're also willing to give a week's worth of lunches."
Although it was painful to give away their own lunches, it was better than being targeted by this monster-like guy and getting a fat beating.
Seeing them all yield, Ryoko was elated, feeling as if he were a great hero maintaining the peace of the class.
With a grand wave of his hand, he said quite impressively, "Very good. It seems you're all still salvageable. Scram now! Remember, starting from tomorrow, I want to see your lunches full of sincerity."
The group fled back to their seats as if granted a general amnesty, scrambling and scurrying away, not daring to cast another glance toward the corner.
This scene fell into the eyes of Uzumaki Kushina and Minato Namikaze, but they felt very differently.
Kushina looked up at Ryoko's tall and sturdy back, her large eyes sparkling with the light of admiration.
This new classmate was too amazing.
Those guys who bullied her all day and made her feel helpless didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of him; they were brought into submission with just a few words.
However, her simple admiration hadn't lasted more than a few seconds before being doused with a bucket of cold reality.
Ryoko turned around, his chubby face leaning toward her with a 'you know what I mean' expression, and rubbed his fingers together.
"Hey, Kushina-san. See, I solved such a big problem for you. Shouldn't you... also show some appreciation and thank me?"
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)