Answering Violence with Violence

Let's turn back time a little.

Naruto stood timidly at the street corner, the wounds from his beating already mostly gone.

The growling of his stomach kept reminding him that it was time to eat.

Every time he was beaten, his wounds healed by the next day, but he would become especially hungry.

Naruto clenched the thousand-yen bill in his hand, unsure whether it would be enough to fill his stomach.

He looked around and hesitated for a long time.

He did not dare go to the bright places where adults stood in line, instead choosing the inconspicuous little stalls by the roadside.

"Ma'am, ten rice balls, please."

Naruto's voice was quiet, and there was a hint of fear on his face.

The elderly woman selling rice balls glanced at him. Her expression was complicated, shifting from anger to helplessness as she tossed him a bag.

Then she nudged the basket in front of her, signaling for him to pack them himself.

The basket was filled with wrapped rice balls.

Naruto was overjoyed. He carefully picked up the bag and put ten rice balls inside.

He placed the money to the side, turned around, and ran.

The old woman pinched the thousand-yen bill between her fingers, memories of her son who had died five years ago surfacing in her mind once more. Her eyes were full of grief.

Naruto clutched the rice balls tightly to his chest and hurried home.

But a powerful force suddenly slammed into him from behind.

"Ah—!"

Naruto was knocked face-first onto the ground, and the rice balls in his bag spilled out, rolling everywhere.

"Are you blind? How do you even walk!?"

A middle-aged man stood behind Naruto, his face full of flesh and his gaze vicious.

It was clearly him who had shoved Naruto from behind, yet he was the first to accuse him.

"...Ah, s-sorry..."

Naruto did not argue. He merely apologized out of habit and frantically tried to pick up the rice balls on the ground. They were his food for the next few days.

"You think sorry is enough? Do you know how much these clothes cost?"

The man grabbed Naruto by the collar and lifted him up.

"It's that Demon Fox again! Just looking at you brings bad luck!"

The man seemed to have only just gotten a clear look at Naruto's face. His expression was full of anger and disgust.

Naruto flailed his little hands and struggled desperately, his small face turning red.

"I... I didn't mean to! I'm not a monster!"

"You didn't mean to? I think you did it on purpose!" The man raised his hand and slapped Naruto across the face.

The crisp slap echoed through the street.

Everyone nearby turned their attention toward them.

Blood seeped from the corner of Naruto's mouth, and tears instantly welled up in his eyes.

"Look, it's that monster! It got so many people killed!"

"And it still has the nerve to show its face on the street!"

The middle-aged man shouted loudly. A circle of people soon gathered around them, some villagers being whipped into a frenzy, others not.

There were men and women, young and old, every one of them wearing a vicious expression as they cursed loudly.

"Damn Demon Fox! My father died because of you!"

"Die, monster! I'll make you die!"

"Get out of Konoha!"

Some spat at Naruto, while others threw whatever they had in their hands at him.

Some even raised their fists and punched him.

One man kicked Naruto to the ground, then lifted his foot and stomped down.

All kinds of kicks and blows followed in quick succession.

Naruto curled up, covering his head with both hands. Tears and blood mixed together as muffled sobs escaped his mouth.

He did not dare cry out loud. If he did, they would beat him even harder.

At a street corner not far away stood two figures, one tall and one short.

Their similar faces and the fan crest on their clothes identified them as Sasuke and Itachi.

Sasuke stood there with his little fists clenched tightly, his face red as he stepped forward, intending to rush over.

"Don't go!"

Itachi pressed a hand onto his shoulder, his voice low.

"But, Brother, Naruto's being beaten..."

Sasuke did not understand. His eyes had turned red with anxiety.

"There are already Police Force members there."

Itachi lifted his chin.

Sasuke followed his gaze. On the other end of the street, three people wearing Police Force uniforms stood there.

Two were observing their surroundings, while the other had a hand pressed to his forehead, seemingly using some kind of secret technique.

Yet none of them stepped forward to stop it.

Sasuke was frantic. "Why... why aren't they helping him!?"

Itachi did not answer Sasuke. Naruto's identity was too sensitive. Acting rashly could easily bring enormous trouble to the clan.

He had already begun to learn to consider the clan's interests.

Naruto closed his eyes and buried his face deeply in his arms.

Waaah... why? Why do I have to be bullied like this?

Fists and feet kept raining down on him. His stomach hurt, his arms hurt, and his back hurt too.

But he no longer wanted to struggle.

After all, no one would come.

Just then!

Clang!

The sound of a blade being drawn exploded through the air.

Splat!

"Ah! Ah!... My hand!"

As the scream rang out, the beating stopped.

The man who had beaten Naruto most viciously had his right hand severed. He lay on the ground, wailing nonstop.

Everyone else had been frightened pale.

Whoosh.

Zhengye crooked a finger with one hand.

The nearby Police Force members hurried over to Zhengye and bowed to receive his orders. "Lord Zhengye!"

Zhengye pointed at the circle of people around Naruto.

"Break all their arms and legs, then take them away!"

"Yes!"

This Police Force squad was made up of members from the Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Uchiha clans.

The Akimichi clansman was called Shanluan. He stood a full two meters tall, burly as a mountain.

Upon hearing the order, he wielded his weapon—a massive ironwood club as thick as a bowl—and swept it out with a howling gust of wind.

Crack—

Crack—

The sickening sounds of bones breaking rang out. The middle-aged man who had just kicked and beaten Naruto had both legs bent to the side, collapsing to the ground like a dead dog.

"What gives you the right!? We're civilians! The Police Force can't beat civilians!"

A woman screamed, baring her teeth and clawing at the Police Force as she shoved toward them!

The Uchiha clansman was called Soji. He kicked her in the knee, abruptly cutting off her scream before it turned into a miserable wail.

The others backed away in terror. Watching the approaching Police Force, they shouted fiercely despite their fear.

"We're righteous! What's wrong with beating a Demon Fox!?"

"The Police Force is beating people! The Police Force is beating people!"

Soji, who had been arresting people, frowned and was just about to explain.

Splat!

A flash of white blade light vanished in an instant!

Zhengye swept his blade horizontally. A savage wound appeared across the neck of the person who had shouted the loudest.

Blood sprayed like a fountain, splashing three meters away.

The person fell stiffly to the ground, twitched twice, and stopped moving.

"Aahhh!" The surrounding civilians staggered back in terror!

Zhengye swept his gaze over them. "Shut up, all of you!"

They all clamped their hands over their mouths, staring at him in terror, afraid that he would give them a slash as well.

Zhengye flicked the blood from his blade, circled his left hand, then clenched it into a fist and squeezed hard.

"If you encounter something like this again at any time, there's no need to ask me. Arrest them directly."

"Anyone who dares resist or flee, execute them on the spot!"

Witnessing all this, Uchiha Soji's face flushed red with excitement.

No explanations! No backing down! Just arrest them!

Compared to their old methods of enforcement, this was far too satisfying!

This is the true leader of the Uchiha!