The next day, barely at dawn, before the morning light had fully torn through the thin mist shrouding Konoha, Zongyan was already awake.
It was not that he was particularly diligent. His nerves were simply wound too tight.
He had only given instructions about the altar last night, and his body already felt a little different this morning.
He lay there without rushing to get up, carefully sensing what was happening inside him.
A faint warmth flowed slowly through his limbs and bones. Deep within his bloodline, something was gradually growing at an extremely slight but unmistakable rate.
The sensation was hard to describe, like someone had gently poked a switch inside his blood vessels with a fine needle. It tickled.
"...Wasn't Father a little too efficient?"
Zongyan silently gave Fugaku a thumbs-up in his mind.
He had only mentioned it last night, and the altar had been set up overnight.
He walked to the window and glanced toward the depths of the clan grounds.
"Long-term nourishment is a slow, steady process. There's no rushing it."
He clenched his fists. Although there was almost no tangible improvement yet, having this thing on the clan grounds was an enormous benefit to every clan member.
Given enough time, the quality of the entire Uchiha Clan's bloodline could rise a notch.
After a quick wash and the breakfast his mother had prepared, Zongyan picked up his textbooks and headed out.
Uchiha Itachi had a mission today and could not take him, so he could only walk down the streets toward school alone.
Konoha's streets were already quite lively in the early morning. White steam rose from the baskets at breakfast stalls, a woman selling vegetables called out at the top of her lungs, and ninjas hurried back and forth across the rooftops.
Zongyan took in the street scenery off and on as he walked, wondering whether he should ask his father tonight when he could have his awakening.
Then he heard it.
A burst of grating laughter and insults came from the alley beside him. It was not loud, but the malice could practically be smelled from half a street away.
"Demon fox! Stay away from us!"
"Being around him brings bad luck!"
Zongyan paused and glanced into the alley.
At the foot of a wall in the corner, a little boy with messy golden hair and several whisker marks on his face was curled into a ball.
His clothes were filthy, and there were several shallow scrapes on his arms, as though something had been thrown at him.
Three or four children stood around him, clutching pebbles and throwing them at him as they cursed.
The pebbles struck the ground, kicking up dust. Occasionally, one grazed the boy's arm, making him flinch. But he kept biting his lip without a sound, his eyes brimming with tears that he stubbornly refused to let fall.
"I'm not a demon fox!"
His shout was hoarse and stubborn, as though he were proving to the whole world that he could still hold on.
Passersby gave the alley a wide berth. Not one stopped even to look.
Several barely perceptible presences lurked in inconspicuous corners among the shadows at the foot of the walls.
Anbu and Root. A slight sweep of Zongyan's powerful senses was enough to detect them.
They simply watched, without the slightest intention of intervening.
"...These people sure are professionals at watching a show."
Zongyan rolled his eyes inwardly, then withdrew his gaze and stepped into the alley, pretending he had noticed nothing.
The bullies had their backs to him, bending down to pick up stones and laughing so hard they rocked back and forth. They never noticed someone standing behind them.
Zongyan stepped forward and kicked the ringleader squarely in the backside.
Thump.
The boy pitched forward and landed hard on his face, a scream forced straight out of his throat.
The others whipped around and saw a child a little older than them standing behind them. The Uchiha Gunbai clan crest on his chest shone like a signboard in the morning light.
"Who do you think you are?!"
As though possessed by the spirit of Konoha's troublemakers, they dared to charge at him with fists swinging even after seeing that he belonged to the Uchiha Clan.
Zongyan sidestepped the first punch, raised a hand to block the second, and hooked his foot to send the third child stumbling.
Thud, thud, smack, smack!
After several sharp impacts, the three or four children fell to the ground one after another, sending dust flying everywhere.
His movements were clean and crisp, without a single unnecessary flourish. Every strike landed precisely where he wanted.
The brats sprawled on the ground clutched their limbs and howled, each louder than the next.
The ringleader scrambled up, wiped his tears, and glared at him in anger and fear:
"You're picking on us because you're bigger! That's not fair!"
Zongyan stood with his hands at his sides, his gaze sweeping indifferently over them. His voice carried that standard Uchiha coldness of "I can't be bothered wasting words on you":
"The Uchiha Clan oversees Konoha's police force and is responsible for maintaining order in the village. You troublemakers have no respect for village rules. What's wrong with me teaching you some manners on your parents' behalf?"
"But he's the demon fox!"
The ringleader pointed at the blond boy in the corner and shouted defiantly, "We're driving away disaster!"
Zongyan glanced at him. His voice was quiet, but every word was perfectly clear:
"He's a person. Not a disaster."
"If I catch you bullying someone again, I'll visit your parents for a chat and help the village 'educate' them while I'm there."
The corners by the alley entrance instantly fell silent, all stunned by those words.
The children exchanged glances, reading a hint of "he really will do it" in those cold black eyes.
They no longer bothered wailing pitifully. Muttering a few indistinct words, they scrambled up and fled in a pack.
In the corner of the alley, the blond boy was still curled up, but he had stopped shrinking back.
His blue eyes wide, he stared blankly at Zongyan. His lips moved, but no words came out.
Zongyan walked over, crouched down in front of him, and looked him over.
"When people bully you, just putting up with it won't help."
Naruto raised his head, his voice a little muffled. "But... Grandpa Third said people should get along, be patient with each other, and not fight..."
Zongyan shook his head:
"Getting along and being patient are for people who treat you well. With people who don't, the more you give in, the more they push."
"Kindness needs limits, and patience needs principles. If someone gives you an inch of respect, give them a foot in return. If someone steps on you, stomp right back, hard, until they don't dare do it again."
He paused, looking at the dirty little face before him:
"They'll only stop once you've beaten them enough to scare them and make them submit. They might hate you and fear you, but at least they won't bully you anymore."
Naruto stared at him, something slowly lighting up in those blue eyes.
All these years, Grandpa Third, the only person willing to talk to him, had only ever taught him patience and obedience. No one had ever told him he could hit back, that he did not have to keep putting up with it.
"...Hit back?"
He repeated it softly, tightening the fists resting on his knees.
Zongyan stood and brushed the dust from the hem of his clothes:
"Yeah."
With that, he turned to leave.
Naruto immediately grew anxious. He scrambled up, hurried a couple of steps after him, and grabbed the corner of his clothes:
"Um! What's your name? Can I see you again?"
Zongyan looked back at him and thought for a moment. "Uchiha Zongyan. I have to go to school. See you."
He gently pulled his clothes free of that little hand and walked out of the alley without another word.
Behind him, the blond boy stood where he was, watching his retreating back and silently repeating that name over and over.
As Zongyan walked along, however, he began considering the consequences:
"...Well, now I've gotten myself into something. Those Anbu have probably already sent word to the Third's desk."
He sighed, tugging helplessly at the corner of his mouth. "Fine, I'll count it as my good deed for today. I'll explain when Lord Hokage invites me for tea later-anyway, I didn't say anything treasonous, did I?"
At that thought, Zongyan shook his head helplessly.
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