Naruto uzumaki : The Will To Rise

"The demon fox is showing his true colors! He wants to eat us!"

After the leader was knocked to the ground, the remaining two boys began trembling in fear. One stammered, "It was his idea to pick a fight with you. Just take your revenge on him. Don't hurt us!"

"Bullying you?" Naruto sneered, stepping forward. He grabbed the two boys and slapped each one, leaving bright red handprints on their faces.

Tears welled up in their eyes as they rubbed their cheeks, looking hurt and aggrieved.

The leader, who was now nursing a bloody nose, stood up shakily. "Fine, we admit defeat this time," he said defiantly. "But next time, you won't get so lucky. We'll bring more people to deal with you!"

Naruto's expression darkened. "You still don't understand your mistake, do you?"

He wasted no time dealing with their arrogance. Soon, the boys were sitting in the snow with bruised faces, sobbing and wiping their noses. Their earlier defiance melted away, replaced by regret and fear.

"Boss Naruto," one of them whimpered, "we were wrong. We shouldn't have provoked you. We won't do it again."

"Yeah," another added, sniffling. "From now on, you're our boss. We'll listen to whatever you say!"

Naruto sighed, waving them off. "Just go. Be honest next time and don't provoke me again."

The boys nodded hurriedly and scurried away, but Naruto's sharp eyes caught their furtive glances and hushed whispers as they left.

"You're already thinking about revenge, aren't you?" Naruto suddenly appeared behind them, his hands landing heavily on their shoulders.

The boys jumped, their faces pale with fear. "N-No! We wouldn't dare call you a demon fox again!"

Naruto smirked darkly. "You don't need to hide it. I don't mind being called a demon fox. In fact, I am a demon fox and Uzumaki Naruto. Just remember this: if you ever try to provoke me again, think about the consequences first."

The boys nodded frantically, broke free of his grip, and fled the park in a panic.

Naruto turned back to Hinata, who was still sitting in the snow, staring at him with wide, admiring eyes. She had been so overwhelmed that she hadn't even stood up.

With a sigh, Naruto helped her to her feet and looked her in the eyes. "Why didn't you fight back?"

Hinata hesitated, her voice soft and hesitant. "Father taught me not to attack ordinary people. I've been trained in the Gentle Fist, and I might accidentally hurt them…"

"So, you'd rather let yourself get hurt than risk hurting others?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Hinata nodded. "They would leave eventually once they got bored. It wouldn't last long."

Naruto let out a short laugh. "That kind of thinking is exactly why they keep bullying you. If you resist, they'll think twice before messing with you again."

"But…" Hinata tried to explain, only for Naruto to cut her off.

"Think about it. If I had tolerated them earlier, I'd have been humiliated too. But because I stood up to them, they ran away with their tails between their legs."

Hinata's face turned red, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "If it were you… I would disobey Father's teachings."

Not far away, two boys observed the scene from a distance. One was short and round, munching on a bag of chips, while the other was tall and lanky, yawning lazily.

"Well, Shikamaru," said the round boy, Choji Akimichi, as he crumpled the empty bag, "looks like we didn't need to step in. That fox kid handled everything and even saved the Hyuga girl."

Shikamaru Nara stretched and yawned again. "Yeah, kind of surprising. But now I'm even sleepier. Let's head back."

"You're always sleepy," Choji grumbled, opening another bag of chips. "So, should we approach him? He doesn't seem like the monster everyone says he is. He fights back against bullies and protects people."

Shikamaru thought for a moment. "Nah, it'd seem too obvious right now. Let's wait for another opportunity. This is, after all, a mission from our parents."

Choji nodded, stuffing his face. "You're the smart one. We'll come back next time."

As the two walked away, Kyuubi's voice echoed in Naruto's mind. It had sensed the boys' presence but chose to focus on something else.

"Look at you, little brat. Flustering the Hyuga girl like that. Her face was as red as a tomato," Kyuubi teased, grinning wickedly. "I'll have to save this moment for later to torment you with."

Naruto rolled his eyes and escorted Hinata back to the Hyuga Clan compound. The guards were unsurprised to see her return in his company, even thanking him politely. Apparently, Hinata getting lost was a common occurrence.

Walking back through the village streets, Naruto felt Kyuubi's mischievous energy growing.

"What are you scheming, fox?" he asked warily.

"Nothing much," Kyuubi replied, its tone dripping with amusement. "But your thoughts just now were suspicious. Don't tell me you're planning something."

Naruto flashed a bright smile. "Oh, nothing. I just thought your tails would make a nice blanket."

Kyuubi bristled, its fur standing on end. "Absolutely not! Don't even think about it!"

Naruto chuckled. "Relax, I was just messing with you."

Just then, a pleasant chime sounded in his ears:

"Hinata Hyuga's trust in you has increased. You've gained 'Gentle Fist training experience' from her diligent practice."