First Battle

Fang Xu remained steady from beginning to end.

He finished reviewing that day's lessons, then went back over several parts he had not fully understood before.

By the time the dismissal bell rang in the afternoon and Fang Xu closed his textbook, he had already reached a clear conclusion.

After his Mental Strength increased, his learning ability had truly undergone a qualitative transformation.

The change was subtle and unremarkable, yet it excited him even more than simply gaining another ninjutsu.

Kurenai Yuhi packed up her bag and looked at him.

"See you tomorrow, Fang Xu."

"See you tomorrow."

Fang Xu slung his bag over his shoulder, said goodbye to Kurenai Yuhi, and left the Ninja Academy.

The streets of Konoha were lively in the evening. Students headed home in twos and threes, the scent of food drifted from roadside stalls, and the occasional ninja dashed across the rooftops.

Fang Xu was in no hurry to go home. He walked at an unhurried pace, crossing two streets as usual.

But not long after leaving the Ninja Academy, he sensed that something was wrong.

There were footsteps behind him—more than one set.

At first, they blended into the crowd of students leaving school and were not obvious.

But when Fang Xu deliberately slowed down, those footsteps slowed as well.

He stopped at a stall and pretended to browse. Those people did not approach, but stopped at the street corner.

When he continued walking, they followed again.

Fang Xu swept his gaze across the windows of the shops lining the street.

Using the reflections in the glass, he vaguely made out three figures.

They were not very old, but each of them was taller than he was.

"Following me?"

Fang Xu's expression did not change, but his heart turned cold.

If they had been ninjas, he might not have noticed them so quickly. But these guys' footsteps were too messy, and their concealment was far too poor.

The original Fang Xu might not have noticed.

But now, with his Mental Strength doubled and the vigilance brought by memories of his past life, Fang Xu could easily spot the abnormality.

"They're after me."

"They didn't make a move at the school gate or on the street. Looks like they want to find somewhere deserted."

Fang Xu did not look back, nor did he shake them off directly.

He turned at an intersection and headed into a secluded alley nearby. Sure enough, the three followed him inside.

There were few pedestrians in the alley. The walls on both sides were weathered, and several old wooden crates were piled on the ground.

Fang Xu stopped midway through the alley and slowly turned around.

Three boys blocked the alley entrance. They looked eight or nine years old, but their bodies were a full size sturdier than Fang Xu's.

The leader had a fleshy face. He grinned smugly. "Fang Xu, you're pretty good at picking places."

Fang Xu said calmly, "You followed me all the way here. Aren't you tired?"

The smile on the lead thug's face froze for a moment, and the other two were stunned as well.

They had assumed Fang Xu had noticed nothing. They had not expected him to know all along.

"So what if you noticed?" The leader quickly sneered again.

"You're just an ordinary civilian student with average grades. What can you possibly do?"

The one on the left shouted, "I heard you were pretty mouthy at school today. You even dared to embarrass Asuma."

Fang Xu looked at them. "Did Asuma send you?"

"Cut the crap!" The leader immediately denied it.

"This has nothing to do with Brother Asuma. We just don't like the look of you!"

His words claimed there was no connection, but the way he addressed Asuma had already given him away.

Fang Xu understood.

Asuma might be impulsive, but he was not stupid enough to hire a few little thugs to break a classmate's leg.

These three had most likely wanted to curry favor with the Third Hokage's son and had come here to cause trouble on their own initiative.

The leader took a step forward and clenched his fists.

"Today, we're teaching you a lesson. We'll break one of your legs, so you'll stay away from people you shouldn't get close to in the future."

The other two closed in as well. The three of them blocked off his retreat, their faces full of the thrill of bullying someone weaker.

In their eyes, Fang Xu was just a good-looking Ninja Academy student with average grades.

He normally kept a low profile. Someone like that would behave after a beating.

Fang Xu stood where he was without retreating. He had not wanted to expose the Rumble-Rumble Fruit in the village.

But they had said they would break one of his legs. If he kept hiding it and let them beat him, that would just be stupid.

No need for a big move, no need for elementalization. The bare minimum of lightning to enhance his body would be enough.

Fine currents of electricity coursed through his body.

They were not released outward as an attack, but rapidly stimulated his muscles and nerves.

His arms, legs, waist, and back—in an instant, Fang Xu felt his body grow lighter.

The movements around him also seemed to slow by a beat.

Lightning Activation!

The lead thug had just raised his fist when his vision suddenly blurred.

Fang Xu moved.

He formed no hand seals and shouted no needless words. With one push of his foot, he shot straight toward the lead thug.

He was too fast.

So fast that before the sneer could leave the thug's face, Fang Xu's fist was already beneath his chin.

Blue-white lightning flashed across his fist.

Bang!

The punch landed solidly.

The lead thug's head snapped back. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and two teeth flew out with it.

Lightning surged from Fang Xu's fist into his body.

His entire body was sent flying off the ground. His back slammed hard into the wall before he crashed onto the ground.

He twitched twice, then passed out on the spot.

The alley fell silent in an instant.

The smug expressions on the remaining two thugs' faces stiffened.

The one on the left stood with his mouth open, unable to close it for a long while.

The one on the right still held the pose of reaching out to grab Fang Xu, but his legs had already begun to weaken.

"H-how is that possible?"

"Aren't your grades average?"

Neither of them had seen how Fang Xu attacked.

The target they had surrounded only moments ago had sent their boss flying with one punch in the next instant.

He was the strongest fighter among the three of them, yet he had not even withstood a single blow.

Fang Xu shook out his hand. Tiny arcs of electricity still danced at his fingertips.

"Still want to fight?"

The two thugs exchanged a glance, their expressions ugly.

They were afraid, but they had already made a move. If they turned and ran now, how would they ever show their faces again?

"Don't be scared! He's alone!"

The thug on the left gritted his teeth and charged forward, swinging a fist at Fang Xu's shoulder. The thug on the right lunged in as well, lifting his leg to kick at Fang Xu's shin.

One attacked high and the other low. Their coordination was nothing remarkable, but it would indeed be troublesome for an ordinary student.

But under Lightning Activation, they were far too slow.

Fang Xu sidestepped the incoming fist and shifted his footing, letting the kick brush past his pant leg.

The next instant, lightning lit up both his fists.

"Lightning Fist: Two-Strike Combo."

The first punch slammed into the left thug's abdomen.

Bang!

His body curled up like a shrimp as he was sent flying backward into the wooden crates, knocking them over in a scattered heap.

He clutched his stomach and tried to cry out, but only managed a series of dry heaves. His body was numb from the electricity, and he could not even crawl away.

The second punch immediately followed, smashing into the right thug's chest.

Lightning burst forth.

It was as though he had been struck by a sweeping staff. Both feet left the ground, and his back hit the wall before he slid down and sat trembling on the ground.

In just a few breaths, all three were down.

Fang Xu stood where he was, his breathing slightly heavier.

Lightning Activation consumed quite a bit of energy, but far less than elementalization or Thunder Bird.

It was just right for dealing with opponents of this level.

The two thugs who had not passed out stared at him, their faces filled with nothing but terror.

"L-Lightning Release?"

"No, you didn't form hand seals!"

"What kind of monster are you?"