Bullying Incident

After parting with Might Guy at noon, Naruto went to the place where he usually spent time with Satsuki. Unfortunately, Satsuki did not come today, though that was not unusual. There were always one or two days each week when she did not show up. Left with no choice, Naruto spent the afternoon training in ninjutsu by himself.

After finishing his training, Naruto walked home beneath the setting sun with light steps, a smile unconsciously curling at the corners of his mouth. His encounter with Might Guy had gone even more smoothly than he expected. That man was so fiery and enthusiastic that raising his favorability was unbelievably easy.

After just one meeting, their bond level had shot straight up to level 3, making its growth rate second only to Hizashi and Neji, the father and son who had saved his life.

2,400 points—enough for two ten-pulls.

Thinking of the upcoming draws, Naruto quickened his pace. Anticipation made his steps especially light. After turning several street corners, he entered a rather deserted lane. Though it was still early, this little road was nearly empty before dinnertime.

Then the cheerful atmosphere was abruptly shattered by a burst of harsh noise.

"What is that? Those eyes are so ugly. They're creepy, like some kind of monster!"

"Yeah, yeah! Byakugan monster!"

"Byakugan monster, get lost!"

Naruto stopped short. Not far ahead, three bratty children around his age had formed a circle around a little girl trembling in the middle. Their increasingly vicious insults sounded especially piercing on the empty street.

"Wah... I'm not..."

The little girl's attempt to defend herself was mercilessly drowned out by their laughter. She hugged her knees tightly as tears continuously rolled down her pale cheeks. Her reaction seemed to provoke the bullies even further, and they circled around her, making exaggerated, ridiculous faces.

"Hey, you three annoying little pests up ahead."

The voice suddenly rang out through the deserted street. The three brats spun around like startled rabbits. When they saw that the newcomer was only a blond kid about their age, their tense shoulders immediately relaxed, and those nauseatingly arrogant expressions returned to their faces.

"What? It's just a brat," the leader mocked in an exaggerated tone. "I thought some adults had come. You dare stick your nose into this alone? What an idiot!"

"Idiot! Idiot!" the other two immediately echoed like parrots, even pulling exaggerated faces on purpose.

Yet to their surprise, the blond boy before them showed neither fear nor anger. Instead, he wore a calm smile. That smile was calm in a frightening way. Gradually, the three brats' shouting weakened, and they looked at each other in confusion—this was completely different from the reaction they had expected.

Just as the atmosphere grew strange, Naruto slowly spoke.

"How rare. The difference between people and animals is that animals act on instinct, while people restrain themselves through manners and upbringing. But some people are no different from animals. It really makes one sigh."

The three brats froze, their expressions gradually shifting from confusion to embarrassment and anger. Though they did not fully understand what he meant, they clearly realized one thing—they were being insulted to their faces.

"Y-you idiot!" The leader's face reddened. After struggling for a long while, that was the only pathetic insult he could squeeze out.

Naruto nearly laughed at such an attack. The "purity" of that insult was far too low. If it were posted on an internet forum in his previous life, it would not even count as beginner level.

An adult should not bully children, but he was only a child now too. Besides, Naruto hated bullying more than anything.

"Tell me," Naruto said, sweeping a contemptuous gaze over the three of them, "do people usually not want anything to do with you? So you can only find a sense of existence in front of someone weaker than yourselves?" He shook his head with feigned regret. "But the way you desperately try to draw attention to yourselves is just unbearably ugly."

In this world without the internet, Naruto had not even used a tenth of the skill possessed by the old hands on internet forums. Even so, his words were enough to send the three brats completely over the edge.

"W-what?! Bastard! Teach him a lesson!"

The leading brat flew into a rage, his whole face flushed bright red. He suddenly swung his fist and charged at Naruto without any technique at all, lacking even the most basic stance for exerting force.

Bang.

Still smiling, Naruto caught the punch with one hand. His palm had not even fully opened, but inwardly, Naruto was already ranting wildly.

Isn't this gap in opponents a little too extreme...? Not long ago, I was fighting the Raikage, and today I'm fighting a bunch of little brats?

Naruto naturally understood the importance of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, but that was only if the other party deserved respect. He had not the slightest pity for brats who bullied the weak.

"Waaahhh!"

With a light squeeze from Naruto, the brat whose fist had been caught immediately let out a pig-like squeal. His ugly face twisted instantly, tears and snot flowing together. Naruto released him at the right moment, and the boy staggered backward before squatting on the ground, clutching his wrist and sobbing.

"Enough." Naruto clapped his hands, his voice icy. "Disappear from my sight right now."

However, another brat still seemed unwilling to give up. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Don't be scared! He's alone! There are three of us! There aren't any adults nearby! Get him! Beat up this meddlesome bastard!"

The three brats encouraged each other and charged again with bared teeth and claws. Naruto sighed helplessly. He had not wanted to bully children, but if they were both bullies and utterly unrepentant, that was another matter entirely.

"Waaah... It hurts so much..."

"Mom..."

"Sorry... We won't do it again... Stop hitting us..."

The three brats curled up on the ground, their faces covered in tears and snot, all their earlier arrogance completely gone. They had been the ones to provoke him first, yet now they wore the pitiful expressions of victims. Naruto had only used a little force, but these pampered little kids who had never suffered hardship immediately showed their true colors.

Naruto slowly crouched down, gazed at them calmly, and spoke.

"It seems you've finally learned a little manners."

The three children nodded desperately, flinging tears everywhere.

"That's good. You may leave now. But..."

He placed a hand on the leader's shoulder and tightened his five fingers slightly. The brat who had just shouted about "teaching him a lesson" immediately began trembling as though electrocuted.

"Eek—!"

Naruto leaned down and spoke softly into his ear. "If I see you bullying someone again... next time, maybe one or two hands, or three or four legs... will suffer."

The words were like a basin of icy water dumped over the three children's heads. Their eyes widened in terror as they scrambled to their feet, not even bothering to brush the dust from their clothes.

"I-I understand!!"

Before their tearful replies had even faded, the three figures had already bolted away like startled rabbits. They fled in a stumbling panic, without even the courage to look back, and quickly vanished at the end of the street.

Naruto stood and turned around, his gaze falling on the little girl who had just been bullied. She stood there blankly, her shoulder-length hair slightly disheveled, unshed tears still lingering in her pure white eyes. Naruto recognized who she was.

The daughter of the Hyuga Clan Head, Hyuga Hinata.