"The Military Police Force can't do anything about this, but as Kushina's classmate, I can. And besides..." Uchiha Nagi glanced at Kushina, his gaze lingering on her hair for a good while.
"I think Kushina's hair looks pretty nice. I don't think my eyes are wrong, so the only explanation is that you're a little blind. If they're no good, you should donate them."
After he finished speaking, Nagi grumbled to himself, too. Kushina was one of the great beauties of Naruto in his previous life. If this guy couldn't appreciate her, then he was the one with the problem.
Uzumaki Kushina was stunned. She looked at Nagi.
Since coming to Konoha, he was the first person to say her hair looked nice.
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For some inexplicable reason, her mood instantly brightened. So not everyone hated her hair. There were people who... liked it.
Kushina curled her fingers around the ends of her hair, playing with it as her face flushed slightly.
"Brat, don't think I won't beat you up just because you're an Uchiha!" The Genin's face darkened.
"Oh? Really? I don't believe you." Nagi looked at him with a taunting expression, though his gaze was intimidating.
If they knew Kushina's true identity—Tsunade's younger sister and the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...
Suddenly, he paused. It seemed like none of that would help.
Hyuga Hinata was the daughter of the Hyuga Clan's leader. Her Byakugan was obvious enough, right?
And yet, she was still bullied.
So, in general, status couldn't prevent bullying.
The Uchiha were an exception, of course. He only remembered them being politically marginalized; he couldn't recall any Uchiha ever being bullied.
The reason was simple: the people mentioned above had good reputations, while the Uchiha's reputation spoke for itself.
Bully an Uchiha? You'd be grateful if the Uchiha didn't bully you.
A bad reputation had its uses, too.
The Genin's face darkened completely. Overcome with rage, he lost all reason and lunged at Nagi.
Nagi didn't panic. He told Kushina to step back, then moved to meet the attack.
He ducked beneath the punch aimed at his face, shifted his footing, and closed in. His right hand shot out in a swift palm strike toward the Genin's ribs.
"Thud!"
A dull impact rang out.
Nagi's palm had connected, but the Genin only swayed slightly before swinging a powerful elbow at him.
Nagi crossed his arms to block. A tremendous force slammed into him, numbing both arms.
He was sent sliding backward several steps before he could stop himself.
The difference in strength really was huge, Nagi realized at once.
Even after training, the body of a six-year-old child couldn't match the physical strength of a Genin several years older.
Those few probing exchanges had already shown him the gap between them.
"Hmph! So much for an Uchiha brat!"
Having gained the upper hand with one blow, the Genin charged forward again, his fist cutting through the air. He clearly intended to finish off the annoying brat in one go.
But Nagi had already twisted with the momentum. He pushed off the ground with his toes and sprang backward, landing on the thick trunk of a tree behind him.
"Trying to run?"
The Genin roared and leaped after him.
His speed in a straight line was indeed greater than Nagi's, and he closed the distance in an instant.
But Nagi was more agile than he'd expected. On the tree trunk, Nagi moved as if he were on level ground.
Even when the Genin got close, Nagi only had to shift along the trunk to dodge his attacks.
This was the result of chakra control!
His precise control over the instant release and adhesion of chakra let him change direction and push off between the trees as easily as if he were on level ground.
It also let him move through the crisscrossing branches with the effortless agility of a bird in the woods.
The Genin refused to believe it and roared as he continued leaping between the branches in pursuit.
He wasn't slow, but each landing made the leaves rustle violently.
Nagi, meanwhile, had turned the woods into his home turf.
The Genin's punches missed again and again, either striking empty air or merely slicing through a few leaves.
He felt like he was chasing an elusive shadow. Nagi was right in front of him, and even slower than he was, yet he couldn't touch so much as the hem of his clothes!
Sweat began to bead on the Genin's forehead, and his breathing grew ragged.
Compared to Nagi, his strength and speed seemed clumsy and useless.
"Damn it! Can you do anything besides scurry around like a rat, you cowardly Uchiha?"
The Genin cursed furiously, trying to provoke him.
Perched on a treetop branch, Nagi looked down at the panting Genin below.
His breathing remained steady, his expression calm. He had barely used any energy compared to the Genin.
To him, their exchanges had been more like a test of his own abilities.
"You're right. It's time to end this," Nagi said.
The Genin didn't panic at those words. Instead, he grinned. If Nagi dared to face him head-on, he was certain to lose!
"Arrogant brat!"
The Genin roared and poured the rest of his chakra into his legs, surging forward even faster than before.
His fist clenched tight, aimed straight at Nagi's chest.
Facing the fierce attack, Nagi let a trace of chakra flow through his feet and slid half a step to the side at an impossible angle.
The Genin's punch narrowly missed Nagi's clothes and slammed into empty air.
With nowhere to release his tremendous force, the Genin lost his balance from the momentum. His charge carried him too far, leaving his back completely exposed to Nagi.
Now!
A sharp glint flashed in Nagi's eyes. Without hesitation, he had already gathered his strength.
Using the Genin's forward momentum and the force of his own turn, Nagi's right leg lashed out like a whip, striking the center of the Genin's undefended back with pinpoint accuracy!
"Thud!"
A dull impact rang out, followed by the Genin's pained grunt.
The Genin tumbled headfirst toward the ground!
"Crash!"
Dust billowed as the Genin hit the ground, kicking up a cloud.
Nagi landed lightly and stood a few steps away from him.
Just then, Uzumaki Kushina, who had been anxiously watching, saw the Genin's pitiful fall. The image of being tricked earlier flashed through her mind. The Substitution Technique!
Her alarm bells rang at once, and she instinctively screamed at Nagi, "Nagi! Watch out behind you!"
Her voice was filled with panic and urgency.
Almost the instant Kushina shouted, the "Genin" turned into a log!
The real Genin appeared less than two meters behind Nagi, his face twisted with glee and humiliation!
He threw a full-force punch at Nagi.
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