Just as Haku was about to step forward with a smile to teach these brats the seriousness of their actions, an authoritative voice rang out, freezing the expression on his face.
"You're not going either!"
The sudden command left Haku momentarily stunned, and he turned his gaze toward Kakuzu in disbelief.
"Sensei, if none of us step in, are we supposed to just watch Hinata get bullied?" Suigetsu protested.
Kakuzu shot him a sharp sidelong glance, his eyes radiating a chilling aura that made Suigetsu stiffen instantly. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips, and he wisely decided not to argue any further.
Kakuzu shifted his gaze back to the scene in front of them.
...
"Sob... sob..."
Hinata continued to cry, but her tears elicited no sympathy from the group of children surrounding her. Instead, they seemed to grow even more excited, their amusement only increasing.
"Come on, pull her hands apart! I want to see her crying face."
"I refuse to believe a little girl has that much strength!"
"Yeah, put more effort into it!"
The children worked together, forcefully prying Hinata's hands away. But at that moment, an invisible force surged from Hinata's eyes.
When the brats finally got a good look at her face, their laughter froze.
"Wh-what's wrong with her eyes?"
"Why... why does this feel so terrifying?"
"W-we're just making her mad, that's all! Nothing to be scared of!"
...
Ignoring their trembling voices, Hinata slowly lifted her head. Twin streams of blue-tinged tears streaked down her cheeks, and the veins at the corners of her eyes bulged prominently. In that moment, the chakra flowing within each of these brats' bodies was laid bare before her Byakugan.
Hinata had never wanted to cause trouble, but these bullies had pushed her too far. A power deep within her had begun to stir. Her mind went blank.
She focused on the largest of the boys—the one who had started it all, mocking her from the very beginning.
"Y-you... what are you trying to do?!"
The boy gulped, his voice rising in volume as if trying to reassure himself.
Hinata didn't answer. Her Byakugan remained locked onto him as she slowly raised her hand, her expression firming into a rare moment of determination.
"Gentle Fist!"
Like an arrow released from a bowstring, Hinata shot forward, striking the boy square in the stomach with a heavy punch.
In an instant, his eyes bulged, his body spasmed, and he was sent flying like a kite with a snapped string. He crashed to the ground, motionless.
The other children stood frozen, staring in stunned silence.
They simply couldn't process what had just happened.
How could a delicate, weak girl like Hinata send someone flying like that?
Before they could react, a pained groan filled the air.
The fallen boy trembled as he raised a shaky hand.
"T-tell the teacher..."
His voice was weak, punctuated by gasping sobs, as if he were uttering his dying words.
Panic overtook the other children.
"Aaaaaahhh! Someone's dead!"
"Get the teacher! He's in danger!"
"Y-yeah, she's terrifying!"
The brats' frantic screams seemed to snap Hinata out of her daze. The bulging veins around her eyes quickly faded, and she blinked in confusion, looking around at the terrified faces surrounding her.
Then, her gaze fell upon the boy she had struck—now collapsed on the ground, frothing at the mouth.
Her breath hitched. Fear gripped her heart.
She stared down at her own hands, trembling. She didn't understand what had come over her in that moment, nor why she had suddenly resorted to such violence.
She had hurt a classmate.
A crushing wave of guilt and fear overwhelmed her young heart.
Tears welled up again, but before she could break down completely, a large figure appeared before her.
Hinata trembled as she slowly lifted her head. She had expected to see an angry teacher or a furious parent ready to scold her.
Instead, she found herself looking up at Kakuzu's face.
That was all it took.
The dam broke, and she threw herself into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Oto-san...!"
Kakuzu gently stroked her short hair, his expression surprisingly soft with a hint of tenderness.
"Don't cry, Hinata. You did the right thing."
Hinata blinked up at him, her tears still fresh.
"B-but... I hurt my classmate... I..."
Seeing how she was still blaming herself, Kakuzu shook his head slightly. He reached out and wiped away the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes.
"Hinata, we are well-mannered people. We don't attack others without reason, but that doesn't mean we allow others to attack us. When faced with injustice, the only proper response is to fight back with full force. Even if you are small and weak now, even if your strength is not enough yet, it doesn't matter. Because I, your father, will always stand behind you. No one will ever bully you."
Kakuzu was no saint, nor did he believe in naive ideals like "all people are born good." His version of teaching was already softened for Hinata's sake. If he had spoken more bluntly, his philosophy would have been: If no one provokes me, I won't provoke them. But if someone dares to cross me, they'll pay tenfold.
Hinata sniffled and wiped her tears away. For the first time, she felt a warmth and security unlike anything she had ever known.
She said nothing more, simply burying herself deeper into Kakuzu's embrace. He held her close and started walking away, leading her away from the scene.
...
As for the brats left behind—
"Hey, are you done crying? If you keep wailing, I might have to test my fists on you," Suigetsu's voice rang out, his oversized fists cracking in front of them.
The children immediately fell silent, their faces drained of color.
"Hah! Listen up, Hinata is my little sister. You bullied her today, and she taught you a lesson. That should be the end of it. But now you're actually thinking about tattling to the teacher? Pathetic. If you can't handle a little fight, then don't even think about becoming shinobi. Just go home and be farmers."
Hearing Suigetsu's scolding, the kids were too scared to even breathe loudly, nodding their heads like chickens pecking rice.
"Suigetsu, we really didn't know she was your sister! If we had, we wouldn't have dared!"
"Yeah! Please don't tell the teachers or our parents! I don't want to get expelled!"
"We won't do it again! We swear!"
Meanwhile, Haku crouched down beside the boy who had been knocked out cold. He still wore his usual gentle, big-sisterly smile.
But the moment the unconscious boy stirred, his body trembled, and a dark patch spread from his pants.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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