Conflict

"Haha, don't mention it. You helped me too, didn't you?"

Uzumaki Kushina waved her hand. Although he hadn't stepped in, she felt that simply speaking up at that moment had been enough.

Uchiha Nagi glanced at Uzumaki Kushina, then at Namikaze Minato. He had a vague feeling that things were heading in a strange direction.

Still, he didn't pay it much mind. He'd just let things take their course.

Just then, Uzumaki Kushina sneaked another glance at Uchiha Nagi, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Since I'm still awake, just ask me whatever you want. There's no need to be so secretive." Uchiha Nagi glanced at Uzumaki Kushina, who'd been peeking at him.

"Then I'll ask." Uzumaki Kushina was an easygoing sort, so she spoke up without hesitation.

"Doesn't it bother you when people call you Sleepyhead?"

"Why should I care what other people think?" Uchiha Nagi looked at Uzumaki Kushina, baffled.

"But doesn't it make you uncomfortable?"

"I'd rather spend that time sleeping."

Uzumaki Kushina burst out laughing. "You're really something. I don't think I could be like you. If anyone dared call me that, I'd make them regret it!"

As she spoke, she clenched her fist and gave it a little swing in front of her.

Uchiha Nagi fell silent for a while, sizing her up.

"What are you looking at?" Uzumaki Kushina felt his stare was a little rude and glared at him.

"Isn't Blood Red Pepper-sama the one who calls me Sleepyhead the most?" Uchiha Nagi retorted.

"Uh..."

Uzumaki Kushina immediately grew awkward. Her gaze wandered, then her eyes lit up as if she'd thought of something.

"Other people do it out of malice. I don't!"

"Sure." Uchiha Nagi glanced at her, but didn't give it much thought.

Just then, the group that usually followed Uchiha Enichi came walking over, wearing malicious smiles.

"Well, if it isn't our Sleepyhead! Still awake, are you?" the male student leading them called out.

The group immediately burst into laughter.

"What do you want?" Uzumaki Kushina stepped in front of Uchiha Nagi.

As far as she was concerned, Uchiha Nagi was unwell and definitely needed help.

"Hmph, Sleepyhead. Can you only hide behind a woman?" The leader's neck instinctively shrank when he saw Uzumaki Kushina. She'd beaten them up once before, but he still spoke defiantly.

"So who gave you the nerve to come looking for trouble with me?" Uchiha Nagi pulled Uzumaki Kushina behind him.

She could help him with this, but she couldn't solve the root of the problem. Even if he got through this with Uzumaki Kushina's help, there would be another time sooner or later.

"Hmph! Sleepyhead, don't think anyone's going to help you this time!" the boy sneered. Before, Uchiha Nagi could use Uchiha Enichi's name to scare them off, but now...

They'd come at Uchiha Enichi's instruction!

Uchiha Nagi glanced at them, then looked over at Uchiha Enichi, who was watching from the side.

Thinking of Uchiha Enichi's personality and how he was always going on about the glory of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Nagi roughly understood why he'd gotten on his bad side again.

He couldn't help feeling a little exasperated. He didn't want this, but he couldn't help it.

"Then you'd better get ready," Uchiha Nagi said suddenly.

"What?" The male student was taken aback, confused by the sudden remark.

"Get ready to take a beating!"

Before Uchiha Nagi had even finished speaking, he darted forward like a ghost.

The boy leading them saw a blur, and then Uchiha Nagi's slightly impatient face was right in front of him.

He hadn't even seen how Uchiha Nagi moved. All he felt was a powerful grip yanking at the arm he'd reached out to shove him, followed by a dizzying spin.

"Ugh!"

A short cry of pain rang out.

Uchiha Nagi simply used the boy's forward momentum to execute a clean shoulder throw!

The boy slammed onto his back, his head spinning as he groaned in pain.

The sudden turn of events left the other two henchmen completely dumbfounded. The sneers on their faces froze.

Instinctively, they lunged at Uchiha Nagi from either side, their movements clumsy and uncoordinated.

As the one on the left lunged at him, Uchiha Nagi turned slightly and slipped nimbly aside, evading the grab.

The boy's momentum carried him forward, throwing him off balance. Uchiha Nagi lightly hooked his foot around the boy's ankle and gave him a measured push between the shoulder blades.

"Thud!"

The boy went sprawling face-first into the floor in a perfect face-plant, howling in pain.

At almost the same moment, the attack from the right arrived.

The boy's punch swung harmlessly toward the side of Uchiha Nagi's face.

Without even turning his head, Uchiha Nagi ducked aside, and the punch swept past his hair.

From his crouch, he swept his right leg back like a whip, striking the boy's unsteady lower leg with pinpoint accuracy.

"Ow!"

The last boy felt a tremendous force sweep his legs out from under him. He went airborne, lost his balance, and pitched forward.

He landed right on top of his companion.

"Ugh!"

"Ah!"

The three boys piled up like a stack of logs, groaning in pain. Their earlier arrogance was nowhere to be seen.

The classroom fell completely silent. Everyone stared at the scene, dumbfounded.

From the moment Uchiha Nagi said, "Get ready to take a beating," to the three of them piling up and crying out in pain, the whole thing had taken just two or three seconds!

His movements had been so fluid and effortless that even his lazy expression had barely changed.

When he was done, Uchiha Nagi dusted off his hands as if he'd gotten something dirty on them.

"I warned you. Is that really all you've got?" Uchiha Nagi sneered. "And you still dared come looking for trouble with me?"

All he wanted was a peaceful life, but that didn't mean he'd let other people bully him.

In a situation like this, he believed in one thing: "A single punch can keep a hundred more at bay!"

A while later, the three of them finally got back to their feet, but none dared approach Uchiha Nagi again. They simply pointed at him, as if they still wanted to threaten him.

But when Uchiha Nagi took one more step forward, their eyes widened, and they scattered in a panic.

After that, Uchiha Nagi simply yawned, feeling a little bored.

Even if he wasn't a member of the Uchiha Clan and didn't use a single ninjutsu, the training he'd done over the past few days was more than these people could ever match.