This kind of bloody storyline is everywhere—countless versions of it exist in novels.Hoshikawa Haru was no exception.
Just as he was about to buy some local specialty snacks to bring back for his mother, a sneering voice suddenly broke through the air.
"Tch. Letting lowly commoners like you live here is already a blessing—and now you want money? Are you serious?""I really don't get what the higher-ups are thinking. What a waste of air."
The words dripped with sarcasm and contempt. The people on the street who had been arguing with the speaker couldn't help but clench their fists, anger clearly written on their faces.
Haru moved in closer, his face expressionless.He already had a rough idea of what was going on, but he needed to see for himself, just in case…
"You're going too far! The price was agreed on before you arrived, and we even gave you the ninja sword. And now you think you're still in the right?"
Looking closely, Haru saw a middle-aged man, his face red with fury, arguing passionately.
Although the man was clearly in the right, Hoshikawa Haru couldn't help but feel that his resistance was fragile—like a paper tiger, bluffing strength with no real force behind it.
He wasn't sure why he had that impression.
While he pondered it, the crowd around them began whispering. Their voices were low, but Haru could still make them out.
After a moment of eavesdropping, his suspicions began to clear up. His eyes narrowed. He seemed to be piecing something together.
"Oh, it's them again. That's the fifth time this month.""Right? They just throw their weight around because they're ninja—pushing people around like bullies.""The head of the Isshin clan just moved to Konoha. He's new here—no way he can stand up to that group."
Clan leader?
Now that was interesting. Haru touched his chin, intrigued.
So the guy was actually the head of a clan—but it had to be a small one. Otherwise, things wouldn't have gotten to this point.
Getting extorted by someone who had barely made it to Chunin rank? That was humiliating.He must have been trying to avoid conflict since he was new to Konoha.
The village was still developing—these kinds of shady figures would inevitably pop up and threaten its reputation.But Haru knew all too well from his previous life: the more you let people walk over you, the more they would.
Still, judging from the look of him, this Isshin fellow probably wouldn't go out of his way to cause trouble.
Sure enough, the argument went nowhere. The middle-aged man's words fell flat. Looking at the smug expressions on the group's faces, he clenched his fists tightly—only to let them go a moment later.
The moment they saw him back down, the group got bolder, laughing with exaggerated delight, like they'd accomplished something grand.
"Hahaha, lowlifes are still lowlifes. They don't even fight back. What a letdown.""Forget it, I'm in a good mood today. I don't feel like wasting time on trash.""I thought he had some guts, but this? This is pathetic."
Their leader sighed dramatically, as if disappointed by the lack of entertainment.
The expression on the Isshin clan leader's face was dark. Whatever anger boiled inside him, he didn't show it. But anyone in his shoes would be livid.
The group started turning away, ready to leave.That's when Haru smirked. His eyes narrowed slightly, and under the sunlight, a faint blue glint shimmered in his pupils.
Then, it happened.
A ripple spread from his eyes, quiet and invisible, yet powerful. Everything around Haru—people, movement, sound—seemed to freeze in place.
[Eye of Time – Slowness]
The flow of time within the space slowed drastically.
To Haru, the world looked like it was stuck in a dream. Every movement slowed to a crawl, like a film stuck in slow motion.Every little twitch, every breath and heartbeat, became visible. Even tiny particles of dust floated serenely in the golden light, no longer hidden.
It was as if time itself had stopped.
The world was silent—unnaturally so.Only Haru's thoughts continued to move at a normal pace.
This strange, otherworldly phenomenon gave him an overwhelming sense of power. It was as if he had become a god.Life, death, time—nothing felt beyond reach.
He could change it all if he wanted to.
Excitement bubbled inside him. An intoxicating sense of control rushed through his veins.
But his reason kicked in.
Haru slapped his cheeks hard, trying to snap out of it."Don't get arrogant. Don't get carried away. Pride will ruin you.""Hoshikawa Haru, are you really going to let something like this shake your faith? Calm down. Focus!"
He kept repeating the mantra until the rush died down.
Power alone wasn't enough.Without the heart to control it, power was just a trap—a weapon that could turn on its master.
After a few deep breaths, he turned back to the task at hand.
He walked up to the ringleader who had been throwing insults moments ago.Looking at his arrogant face in slow motion, Haru felt a wave of disgust.
He checked the man's pockets, frowning.
Moments later, he had a thick wad of cash in hand. He smiled, satisfied.
He turned to the others, ready to do the same. But just as he moved, he felt his chakra dwindling.
The energy needed to sustain the time-space ability was nearly gone.
With a disappointed sigh, he gave up and returned to his original position. Then, he released the technique.
In an instant, time surged back to normal. Everything resumed—laughter, footsteps, wind—all so ordinary.
"Boring. Let's go," the leader said, yawning.
Seeing that the clan leader didn't retaliate, the group lost interest and walked off.
The onlookers, realizing the drama was over, slowly dispersed. The only one left was the Isshin clan leader, still standing there, clearly frustrated.
But there was nothing he could do.
He let out a long breath, his shoulders sagging. Then he turned back toward his house.
He had only taken a few steps when he felt a tug on his sleeve.
He looked down and saw a boy—Hoshikawa Haru, smiling up at him.
Surprised to see a child, the man managed a tired smile.
"Hey there, kid. What's up?"
"Uncle, are you new to Konoha?" Haru asked innocently.
The man hesitated, then nodded.
"Yeah… I am."There was nothing to hide. Anyone in the village could find out with a few questions.
"So… what do you think of Konoha?" Haru asked, voice curious.
The question caught the man off guard. It was an odd thing to hear from a kid.
Still, he answered.
"It's a good place. Peaceful. Much better than drifting around from place to place."
A smile finally broke through his weary expression.
Despite the occasional bad apple, Konoha still had a strong reputation.Maybe that's why he started opening up—perhaps seeing Haru as a safe ear to talk to.
"I used to be a samurai," the man said. "When Konoha was established, I thought it'd be a good place to start fresh. So my wife and I moved here."
"Luckily, the Hokage welcomed the Hatake clan and gave us some land. We're not rich, but it's enough. We can live in peace."
As Hatake Isshin spoke, the tension in his face vanished. Hope and warmth replaced the frustration.
What he didn't notice, though, was that when he mentioned the Hatake name, Haru's face changed—subtly but noticeably.
"No way… I just bumped into a member of a famous clan while out buying snacks?""This might be the luckiest day of my life."