As soon as I heard that voice, my body instinctively jolted. The reaction came before I could even think, as if my body had remembered something my mind had buried long ago.
Quickly calming myself down, memories came rushing back the moment that voice reached my ears. One after another, scenes from the past surfaced in my mind: the owner of that voice mocking me, pushing me around, and making my life miserable. As those memories surfaced, I also recognized the other two voices accompanying him, remembering them just as clearly. None of those memories were pleasant. Still, that brief jolt was the only reaction those buried memories managed to pull from me, and my expression remained calm.
Those three had indeed bullied the original Ryuma before my transmigration, before I took over this body. But things were different now. I did not care about them, nor did I fear them. Completely ignoring the call behind me, I continued walking forward as if I had heard nothing at all. As I walked, a thought crossed my mind: Well, I hope they also just ignore me and no face-slapping kind of slop happens with me like it always does in the novels from my previous life.
The thought almost made me laugh. I knew exactly how such situations usually went: someone would stop the protagonist, start bragging, throw insults around, and then get humiliated. But honestly, I wanted none of that. Not because I was worried; far from it. Those three were nothing and could not even be considered a threat to me. They were weak, utterly weak compared to my current self.
And as soon as that thought crossed my mind, another realization surfaced: Well, this seems like something I developed after awakening the Breath of All Things. Could this be an initial phase of Observation Haki for me?
My senses had become increasingly strange lately. Sometimes I could vaguely sense people's presence, intentions, or even predict what they were about to do. The feeling was still faint and unclear, but it existed. Right now, that feeling was telling me something: while I hoped those three would simply leave me alone, I already knew there was a very high chance they would not. After all, people like them loved showing off. They would want to display their achievements, boast about how superior they were, remind everyone how inferior I supposedly was, and perhaps even justify all the bullying they had put the original Ryuma through during their days in the Ninja Academy. Even so, hoping none of that happened, I continued walking forward without looking back.
…
In the park, Daiki frowned and looked toward Haruto and Kento before asking the obvious question, "Is he ignoring us?"
Neither Haruto nor Kento replied immediately. The three of them simply stared at Ryuma's retreating figure as Daiki's expression darkened. Since when had Ryuma ever ignored them? His eyes narrowed as he stared at Ryuma's back. "Since when did this trash get the guts to ignore me?"
Haruto cracked his fist against his palm, a smirk slowly spreading across his face as he said, "Well, it seems he has forgotten his 'good days' with us in the Ninja Academy." He deliberately emphasized the words "good days," the mockery in his voice impossible to miss.
From the side, Kento chuckled. "Well then, let's remind him."
Daiki nodded. The three exchanged glances before grinning: an ugly, evil grin worn by people who enjoyed making others miserable. The next moment, all three of them leaped into the air. Within only a few steps, they crossed the distance and landed directly in front of Ryuma, blocking his path. Ryuma, who had completely ignored their words and continued walking, finally found his path blocked, having no interest in talking to his former bullies.
Just at that moment, as Daiki, Haruto, and Kento appeared before Ryuma, another figure entered the area. A few meters away, Kurenai Yuhi was casually strolling through the village. By pure chance, she arrived in time to witness the scene, her eyes immediately landing on the four figures as a slight frown appeared on her face.
Why are these three ninjas stopping a civilian in his tracks? she wondered. What exactly are they after? Kurenai did not step forward immediately. Instead, she remained where she was and silently observed the situation, watching to see what would happen next.
…
I frowned as I looked at the three standing in front of me. Well, they were not really my bullies; to be more precise, they were Ryuma's bullies, the original Ryuma's bullies, not mine. Still, the memories attached to this body made their faces instantly recognizable: Daiki, Haruto, and Kento. Their names were practically engraved into my mind because of how often the original Ryuma had suffered at their hands.
Of the three, Daiki stepped forward first. A smug expression rested on his face as he closed the distance between us and asked, "Were you trying to leave while ignoring us?"
I took a slow breath before answering. "Well, we are not exactly friends that I would stop here to greet you, have a nice conversation, and talk about good old times." I shrugged lightly. "And you didn't exactly call for me. I only heard a few people shouting for someone named 'Trash.' My name is Ryuma. I am not that person named 'Trash,' so you must be mistaking me for someone else."
The moment those words left my mouth, the expressions of all three darkened. Kento, who was standing slightly behind me on my right side, immediately cracked his fingers and sneered, "Well, look at this trash. It seems that even if he wasn't able to become a ninja, at least he managed to develop quite a sharp tongue." Haruto chuckled from the side while Daiki's face became noticeably uglier. He took another step forward, then another, until there was barely any distance between us.
"You look at this trash, dressed like this," Daiki said, pointing at himself proudly. "I am a Chunin now." His chest puffed out with pride. "You are nothing. A worthless piece of trash who dreamed of becoming a ninja but never had the talent for it. You should respectfully bow your head in front of me."
After hearing those arrogant and conceited words, I did not say a single word. I simply looked him straight in the eyes. Silence settled around us, making the street seem strangely quiet.
Daiki continued staring into my eyes, searching for fear, panic, resentment, or anything else. Back in the Ninja Academy, the original Ryuma would lower his head whenever these three confronted him; he would avoid eye contact, shrink back, and endure everything in silence. Daiki clearly expected to see the same reaction today, wanting to see me cower, tremble, and beg for anything that would satisfy his ego.
But he found nothing, absolutely nothing. Instead, the only thing reflected in my eyes was complete calmness and confidence, a confidence so natural that it almost looked as if someone superior was looking at someone inferior. That instantly triggered him. I could practically see the moment his patience snapped. His expression twisted, and his hand shot forward to grab my collar.
"Speak, Trash!" He pulled me closer. "Cat got your tongue? Can't speak anymore?" His voice dripped with anger.
To me, it was obvious why he was angry. Bullies enjoyed reactions: fear, panic, and despair gave them satisfaction. But I was not giving him any of those things. No matter what he said or did, I remained completely calm, which irritated him immensely.
Yet even then, I said nothing. Instead, I smiled a small, confident smile.
The moment that smile appeared on my face, Daiki's expression completely changed. His anger skyrocketed, the veins around his eyes visibly bulging as his face rapidly turned red. To him, that smile was not confidence; it was mockery, a silent declaration that I did not consider him important enough to fear. That wounded his pride far more than any insult could have.
Finally unable to control himself any longer, he let go of my collar and shouted, "Bastard!" His voice echoed through the street. "How dare you, a piece of trash, look down on me!"
The instant those words left his mouth, he attacked. His fist shot forward without hesitation.
Thud!
The punch landed squarely in my stomach. The force pushed me a few steps backward, dust lightly scattering beneath my feet as I came to a stop. But the smile on my face never disappeared, not even for a second. Because that punch was nothing, absolutely nothing. With my current physique, the difference between us was simply too great.
I had expected pain, at least a little. Yet after taking the hit, I realized I barely felt anything at all. It felt less like being punched by a Chunin and more like being lightly shoved by an annoyed child. Standing there, I slowly straightened my posture, the smile remaining firmly on my face. Seeing that smile still there after his punch landed only made Daiki's expression grow even uglier.
----
To read advanced chapters up to 24 chapters ahead, please consider supporting me on Patreon: [https://patreon.com/Hkj822]