Seeking people they could borrow money from had become another new problem for the group. The classmates they had borrowed from before certainly wouldn't lend them any more, and the students they hadn't asked knew them well enough to realize that lending them money was no different from throwing it away.
Just as the group decided to try their luck elsewhere and approach some strangers their own age, Naruto came swaggering down the other side of the street, looking like a handsome young man off a magazine cover.
He toyed with eight or nine pebbles in his hand, chin held high as he scanned everything around him with a look of utter conceit. It was hard to imagine that a child of only eight or nine could be such a show-off.
Xiongtai, who had been looking this way, pointed at Naruto and said to his good buddies,
"Look over there. What do you think of that kid? That face and that arrogant attitude of his are annoying no matter how you look at him."
The other five glanced at Naruto, then nodded in agreement with Xiongtai.
As they eyed the kid with ill intentions, they suddenly realized Naruto had been watching them, too.
Though they found it a little strange, they were already calculating how much they stood to gain—or, rather, how much money they could borrow.
"Hey! You guys are certainly ugly enough, just like the big black dog I keep at home. But that only makes me look even more handsome. I'll give you a chance: become my lackeys."
Naruto repeated the lines Isho had given him, word for word.
"Bastard! Are you asking for a beating?! What idiot are you, calling yourself 'boss' in front of us?"
"Don't think we won't beat you up just because you're handsome. We'll knock all your teeth out and see if you're still so cocky!"
The six of them shouted at him one after another, closing in on Naruto with menacing looks.
Naruto, seven meters away, stretched out his arm and suddenly hurled the pebbles in his hand. Then he spun around and took off at a full sprint.
With a series of thuds, the six pursuers, packed too closely together, couldn't all dodge in time. Several were struck by the pebbles, and cries of "Ow!" rang out.
The three unlucky ones who got hit charged after him in a fury, quickly covering half the distance between themselves and Naruto.
"Naruto may not look like he has much going on upstairs, but his ability to learn is better than mine. And this... his acting is so convincing, you'd think he was playing himself.
What's that saying again?"
"Big brother, if we don't hurry, they'll be out of sight! If Naruto gets caught, he might not be able to handle things."
Seeing Isho still deep in thought, Sasuke hurriedly reminded him. He often competed with Naruto, but after spending so much time together, the two had become closer than any of their other friends.
Though neither of them seemed to have many friends...
"Oh, right... yes, 'great wisdom may appear foolish.' I almost forgot that idiom."
Isho nodded in sudden understanding and prepared to give chase.
"Let's go, Sasuke. No need to rush. Naruto hasn't led them to the destination yet."
The dense woods formed a green wall, blocking prying eyes from every direction. They were the perfect place for many a secret operation.
Few people ever came here. Even if someone shouted until they lost their voice, it wouldn't do them any good if something happened. It was a good place to get things done.
At least, that was what Isho thought—and he acted accordingly.
*What a shame I don't know Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique. Otherwise, I could bury those guys for a few hours.
They'd surely see the error of their ways and mend them from then on. That would be a great deed, a boundless merit.*
As he thought this, Isho's face suddenly took on the kind, benevolent expression of a monk.
"Amitabha. How virtuous, how virtuous. Since that's the case, if I don't go to hell, who will? This old monk can only teach them earnestly with a few fists and kicks, and help them return to the right path."
Noticing Isho's monk-like manner and strange words, Sasuke couldn't help feeling a little confused, even though he was used to it by now. Did Divine Art have side effects this often?
"Bastard! Why'd you stop running? Hahaha! This place is perfect. I can teach you a lesson without anyone finding out and show you what happens when you run your mouth."
"Lingdou, why are you wasting your breath on him? Keep an eye on him and don't let him slip away again. We can't let that arrogant bastard laugh at us another time."
The six boys had blocked every escape route, forming a loose circle around Naruto and gradually closing in.
When he saw Isho and Sasuke appear on the path behind them, Naruto dropped the act. His mission had been a complete success anyway.
"Heh. The six of you think you can take me on? I'll show you what I can do. Multi-Shadow Clone Technique!"
In an instant, nearly a thousand Shadow Clones of Naruto burst into existence with a series of thuds. Compared to the six boys, the circle they formed was overwhelmingly massive.
"Wait. Don't rush into anything. Let me talk to them first and see if they regret what they've done. If they refuse to change, then the three of us will have no choice but to reform them with our fists and feet."
"Uchiha Isho, what are you doing here...? Did you have this senior lure us here?"
As the Shadow Clones parted to make way for Isho, Lingdou Yiyou stammered in surprise.
Under the gaze of a thousand eyes, he felt as though they could strike him down at any moment. He couldn't help feeling afraid. Remembering the conflict between them, he quickly pieced together what had happened.
Senior... He actually called Naruto senior. He must have figured that someone capable of using a ninjutsu this powerful couldn't be a kid our age, and that a powerful ninja was disguised as one.
Then again, Naruto could beat an ordinary Genin now.
"You're used to throwing your weight around and bullying others. Now that you've fallen into my hands, should I let you see what it's like to be bullied?"
Before the boys could answer, Isho activated his Sharingan and stared at them.
"This is just a warning! Remember, just one!
I already know exactly where you all live. If you go home and keep doing bad things, the three of us won't hesitate to pay a visit to any of you who do it again."
The boys, who were used to throwing their weight around, didn't dare say a word. Under Isho's impassive gaze and icy stare, they could only suppress their fear and hurry home.
After sprinting all the way to a busy street, most of their fear finally faded. Lingdou Yiyou let out a long breath and said,
"Uchiha Isho really did awaken the Sharingan. Those bloody Tomoe eyes, said to be an ill omen... I guess I really wasn't mistaken last time.
We'd better do as he says and stay out of trouble. Who knows what that crazy look in his eyes might drive him to do?"
After his last clash with Isho, those eyes had seemed burned into Lingdou Yiyou's mind. He had carefully gone to ask the teacher who taught cultural history about the Sharingan's origins and abilities; until then, he had only ever heard of it.
The teacher's answer had not disappointed him. It had also taught him one thing beyond doubt: unless you had overwhelming strength, you must never provoke a Uchiha who had awakened the Sharingan.
Before you continue