Benches and books flew through the classroom. Screams and curses echoed off the walls.
Outnumbered and overwhelmed, the frail Renji was finally pinned to the ground by several boys, struggling helplessly under the weight of their bodies.
School bullying was nothing new. It existed everywhere.
In this brutal ninja world, what was happening now wasn't even that extreme. If someone couldn't handle this… they had no place being a ninja.
People who were too gentle simply didn't survive long.
"Wow, you're really angry over this?" one of the boys sneered. "We're just messing around. No need to throw a fit, right?"
He smirked cruelly as he slapped Renji across the face again and again, his eyes shining with vicious delight.
The younger the child, the easier it was to see raw, unfiltered malice—violence with no disguise.
They could even laugh while doing it, like tearing wings off butterflies.
Just a game to them.
"You've got guts, loser. You should be honored we're even wasting time on you!"
Another light, mocking slap. The surrounding boys roared with laughter.
"Crane tail! Crane tail! Crane tail!" they chanted in unison, voices jeering.
Renji's face flushed red. The humiliation burned deep into his soul.
Tsunade stood with arms crossed, watching from the side.
She didn't particularly hate Renji.
She just couldn't stand people like him.
It was in her nature—if it were her, she'd punch the bullies in the face and shut them up. No whining. No tears.
"If I don't teach you the rules, how will you ever remember them?" the lead bully said with a grin.
The boys exchanged knowing looks, then grabbed Renji roughly and lifted him up like a sack.
One of them cracked his knuckles in front of Renji's face.
He was going to use him as a human punching bag.
Everyone watched.
The spotlight only made the bully puff up more with pride. He felt invincible.
Renji trembled, helpless.
Maki stayed seated.
This wasn't her problem.
But even she had limits.
This is going too far.
"Stop!"
A sharp voice rang out.
A white-haired boy charged in, grabbing the bully's raised fist.
It was Jiraiya.
Two pairs of young eyes locked—one surprised and annoyed, the other burning with anger.
"Jiraiya, you picking a fight with us now?" the bully barked.
"So what if I am?" Jiraiya answered coldly.
Since the start of school, Jiraiya had kept his distance from the bullying. He was cheerful and playful, known for causing trouble and cracking jokes. Teachers might have called him an idiot, but no one ever dared mess with him.
Everyone knew Jiraiya wasn't someone you could push around.
"You're seriously standing up for this loser?"
Renji looked up at Jiraiya, eyes wide with disbelief—and gratitude.
"Let him go," Jiraiya ordered.
The bully scoffed. "Make me."
Jiraiya did exactly that.
With a clean punch to the face, he sent the boy sprawling.
Renji dropped to the floor, free at last.
The rest of the boys erupted in chaos, some charging at Jiraiya with fists raised.
The classroom exploded into a wild brawl.
"This is insane!" one of Jiraiya's friends shouted. "Hold on, I'm coming!"
Several boys who usually joked around with Jiraiya jumped in to back him up.
On the sidelines, some girls raised their voices in support.
"See?" Naori said with a smile. "Jiraiya-kun has his cool moments."
"I never thought he was ugly," Maki muttered. "Just... a little dumb."
Tsunade stood at the side, arms crossed, watching the boys brawl. Her expression wavered slightly—torn, perhaps, but she hadn't decided which side, if any, she should take.
Meanwhile, the person at the center of it all—Renji—had been completely forgotten. He stood alone, a little dazed, helpless. Whatever courage he'd summoned earlier had been spent resisting the first attack. Now, he just stood there quietly, ignored by everyone.
Maki glanced at Renji, her nose twitching slightly as she picked up scents in the air.
The body doesn't lie...
She narrowed her eyes.
Fear. Nervousness. Relief. Gratitude. Joy... and—jealousy?
Jealousy? Of what?
Of Jiraiya, perhaps—of how he stole the spotlight?
So... he wants to be noticed, she mused. Interesting.
Maki decided to watch a little longer.
Some of the students had taken Jiraiya's side, while others had joined the opposing group. As the fight escalated, chaos quickly spun out of control.
"Looks like Jiraiya's really angry now," Naori said with a laugh. "Boys are so dramatic."
"Energetic and stupid," Maki replied flatly. "Let's end this farce."
Before Naori could react, a wave of black insects burst forth from Maki's sleeves. A swarm of parasites flooded the classroom, dark and writhing like a living storm cloud beneath the ceiling.
Silence spread like a plague.
The students froze one by one as they noticed the chittering mass above their heads.
At the center of the fight, Jiraiya—nose bloodied, face swollen—saw the swarm closing in. He gulped nervously.
The only sound now was the dry flutter of countless insect wings.
Maki tapped her fingers lightly on her desk. Everyone turned toward her.
"I'm the boss of this class now," she said calmly. "Anyone opposed?"
No one answered.
"Good. Then let's establish some rules. Follow them."
"Rule one: Stay quiet when I'm here."
"Rule two: No fighting or chasing in the classroom."
"Rule three: If you have a problem with someone, settle it during combat training. Don't disturb others in public spaces."
"Rule four: If I catch anyone bullying the weak… I will bully you. Understand?"
Her voice was soft but cold—almost too quiet, yet somehow impossible to ignore.
Still, no one answered.
"Are you all deaf? Or just mute? Want me to feed you to my bugs!?"
"I understand!" the boys shouted in unison, voices loud and full of panic.
That's more like it, Maki thought, nodding in satisfaction.
The swarm retreated as quickly as it had appeared.
But the classroom remained eerily silent.
Even Tsunade, who was the most likely to resist, held back. She clenched her fists tightly but didn't speak. She didn't want to challenge Maki—at least, not today.
She gritted her teeth, frustrated.
"So scary, Maki. So, so scary," Naori whispered into Maki's ear with a crooked smile.
Maki ignored her.
Naori wasn't being serious.
Jiraiya quietly shuffled back to his seat, rubbing his bruised face. He didn't say a word.
In that moment, young Jiraiya learned a valuable lesson:
Justice must be carried out within your means.
Otherwise, it's not justice—it's just getting beat up.
Across the room, the troublemaking boy sat in silence, clenching and unclenching his fists. His face was unreadable—but the fight had left its mark on him too.
When Instructor Ogawa finally entered the room, he was shocked by what he saw.
Silence.
Absolute, eerie silence.
Strange, he thought. Not a single one of those little brats is causing trouble today…
CRACK!
The sudden, familiar sound of a chair leg snapping made a vein pop on Ogawa's forehead.
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