At noon, after bidding farewell to Might Guy, Naruto went to his usual meeting spot with Satsuki, but unfortunately, Satsuki wasn't there today. This wasn't unusual, as she missed one or two days every week. With no other option, Naruto spent the entire afternoon practicing Ninjutsu by himself.
After finishing his Ninjutsu practice, as the sun set, Naruto walked home with a light step, a smile unconsciously curving his lips. His encounter with Might Guy today went even smoother than he expected; that passionate man's favorability was incredibly easy to gain.
With just one meeting, their bond level directly soared to Level 3, a speed second only to Hizashi and Neji, who had saved his life.
2400 points, enough for two ten-pulls.
Thinking of the upcoming draws, Naruto couldn't help but quicken his pace. The anticipation made his steps exceptionally light. After turning a few street corners, he entered a relatively quiet street. It was still early, and this small path, before dinner time, rarely saw anyone.
However, the cheerful atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a harsh clamor.
"What is that? Such ugly eyes, so eerie, just like a monster!"
"Exactly! A Byakugan monster!"
"Byakugan monster, get lost!"
Naruto's steps halted abruptly. Not far ahead, three mischievous children, about his age, were circled around a trembling little girl who was squatting in the middle. Their escalating insults were particularly grating in the empty street.
"W-woo... I'm not..."
The little girl's attempt to explain was mercilessly drowned out by laughter. She hugged her knees tightly, tears continuously streaming down her pale face. This reaction seemed to further provoke the bullies, who circled her with exaggerated, comical imitations.
"Hey, you three annoying guys up front."
A voice suddenly rang out in the quiet street. The three mischievous children spun around like startled rabbits. When they saw that the newcomer was just a blond kid about their age, their tense shoulders immediately relaxed, and that nauseatingly arrogant expression reappeared on their faces.
"What, it's just a brat," the leading boy mocked with an exaggerated tone, "I thought it was the adults. Coming to meddle alone, what an idiot!"
"Idiot! Idiot!" The other two children immediately echoed him like sycophants, even making exaggerated grotesque faces.
However, to their surprise, the blond boy in front of them showed no fear or anger; instead, he wore a calm smile. That smile was eerily calm, and gradually, the three mischievous children's shouts died down. They looked at each other in confusion—this was completely different from the reaction they expected.
Just as the atmosphere turned strange, Naruto slowly spoke.
"How peculiar. The difference between humans and animals is that animals act on instinct, while humans restrain themselves with upbringing. But some people are no different from animals, which is truly regrettable."
The three mischievous children froze, their expressions gradually changing from confusion to shame and anger. Although they didn't fully understand the meaning of his words, they clearly realized that they were being openly humiliated.
"You, you idiot!" The leading boy's face turned red, and after a long struggle, he could only squeeze out this meager insult.
Faced with this level of attack, Naruto almost burst out laughing. The "purity" of this insult was too low; if it were on a forum in his previous life, it wouldn't even count as entry-level.
Although as an adult, he shouldn't bully children, he was just a child himself now. Moreover, Naruto hated bullying the most.
"I say," Naruto's gaze swept over the three with contempt, "does no one usually want to bother with you? So you can only find a sense of presence in front of those weaker than yourselves?" He shook his head with feigned regret, "But this forced way of seeking attention is truly pathetic."
In this world without the internet, Naruto hadn't even used one-tenth of a forum user's skill. But even so, these remarks were enough to make the three mischievous children completely "red-hot."
"Wh-what?! You bastard! Let's show him!"
The leading mischievous child was furious with shame, his entire face flushed red. He suddenly swung his fist and charged at Naruto without any method, not even a basic stance for exerting force.
"Bang."
With a soft sound, Naruto, with a smile, caught the punch with one hand. His palm wasn't even fully open, but internally, Naruto was already complaining wildly.
This combat span is too extreme... Not long ago, he was fighting a Raikage, and today he has to fight these little brats?
Naruto, of course, understood the principle of respecting the old and loving the young, but the premise was that the other party deserved respect. For these bullying, mischievous children, he had not an ounce of pity.
"Waaahhh!"
As Naruto exerted a slight force, the mischievous child whose fist was caught immediately let out a pig-like shriek. His ugly face instantly twisted, and tears and snot flowed together. Naruto released his grip at the right moment, and the boy immediately stumbled backward, clutching his wrist and sobbing on the ground.
"Alright," Naruto clapped his hands, his voice cold. "Now disappear from my sight immediately."
However, another mischievous child seemed unwilling to give up. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Don't be scared! He's just one person! There are three of us! No adults nearby! Let's all go! Beat up this busybody!"
The three mischievous children emboldened each other and rushed forward again, baring their fangs and claws. Naruto sighed helplessly. He didn't want to bully children, but if the other party was a bully and unrepentant, that was another matter.
— — — — — —
"Waaahhh... it hurts so much..."
"Mommy..."
"I'm sorry... We won't dare again... Stop hitting us..."
The three mischievous children huddled on the ground, snot and tears smearing their faces, their earlier arrogance completely gone. Although they had initiated the provocation, they now put on a pitiful act of victims. Naruto had only used a little force, and these spoiled brats, who had never experienced hardship, immediately showed their true colors.
Naruto slowly squatted down, looking at them calmly, and spoke.
"It seems you've finally learned a little manners."
The three children nodded desperately, flinging tears everywhere.
"That's good, you can go. But..."
He reached out and placed his hand on the leading child's shoulder, his five fingers slightly tightening. The mischievous child, who had just been yelling to "show him a lesson," immediately trembled as if electrocuted.
"Eek—!"
Naruto leaned in and whispered in his ear. "If I see you bullying people again... next time, one or two hands, or three or four legs... might suffer."
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over the three children's heads. They widened their eyes in terror, scrambling to their feet, not even bothering to brush off the dust from their clothes.
"I, I understand!!!"
Before their tearful response had even faded, the three figures had scurried away like startled rabbits. They stumbled and ran, not even daring to look back, and soon disappeared at the end of the street.
Naruto stood up and turned around, his gaze falling on the little girl who had just been bullied. She stood there in a daze, her shoulder-length hair slightly disheveled, and her pure white eyes still held unshed tears. Naruto recognized the person in front of him.
The daughter of the Hyuga clan head, Hyuga Hinata.