Hyuga Neji frowned, eyeing the person beside him.
"Ito Hirofumi? What's that supposed to mean?!"
Hirofumi grabbed Neji's arm and spoke softly, a sly edge to his voice.
"Nothing much… Just don't forget, you're a ninja now. Attacking civilians is against the rules.
But us? We're just Ninja Academy students, not full-fledged ninjas yet. So even if we rough these guys up a bit… no big deal, right?!"
As he spoke, a wicked grin spread across Hirofumi's face.
Neji's heart skipped a beat. He'd only planned to teach these drunks a quick lesson, nothing too serious. After all, Hirofumi was right—inside the Hidden Leaf Village, ninjas weren't allowed to harm civilians.
But this ruthless? Breaking their bones?
As Hirofumi's words sank in, the rest of the rookie squad—Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, and the others—surrounded the drunks. Uchiha Sasuke, in particular, looked icy, a kunai gripped tightly in his hand.
Hirofumi noticed and walked over, clapping Sasuke on the shoulder.
"Easy there. We're still students, but causing a death would be a hassle. Try not to use the kunai."
With that, Hirofumi charged at the nearest drunk.
WHAM!
One swift kick sent the guy flying several meters. Before the drunk could even process what happened, Hirofumi used the Body Flicker Jutsu, reappearing right in front of him.
Raising his foot, Hirofumi stomped down hard.
CRACK!
"AAAAHH! My leg! My leg! It's broken! Help! Somebody help! It hurts! Oh god, no!!!"
"Heh, feeling the pain now?" Hirofumi sneered. "Sobered up yet?"
He pressed his foot down harder, grinding into the drunk's leg, then leaned in close, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the screaming man.
"I'm sober! I'm sober! I'm sorry! I messed up! I swear I'll never bully anyone again!" the drunk sobbed. "Wait—you're a ninja, right? You can't attack civilians! That's against the village rules!"
Hirofumi let out a mocking scoff.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm no ninja. I'm just a Ninja Academy student who hasn't graduated yet. So, technically, I'm not breaking any rules!"
His brutal display sobered up the other drunks instantly. They stood frozen, trembling, terrified that their legs might be next.
The rest of the rookie squad hadn't expected Hirofumi to go this hard. Then his voice rang out again.
"My name's Ito Hirofumi! If any of you have a problem, come find me! I don't care who you are—if you mess with my friends, I won't let it slide. And I'll show you what cruel really means!
I better not hear anyone calling Naruto a 'demon fox' or Neji a 'Byakugan freak' ever again. Or you'll end up like this guy!"
Hirofumi's gaze swept over the onlookers—civilians who lacked any real respect for ninjas.
Guys like these drunks, even when sober, had the nerve to throw around insults like "Byakugan freak." They knew the village rules protected them—ninjas couldn't touch civilians.
But today, Hirofumi was going to teach them what ninjas were really about.
With that, he raised his foot again.
CRACK!
The drunk's other leg shattered, leaving him writhing in agony.
Hirofumi turned to the rest of the squad.
"What are you all standing around for? Let's wrap this up and go eat!"
The group snapped out of their shock. They were stunned not just by Hirofumi's ferocity but also by this new side of him.
All these years at the Ninja Academy, Hirofumi had been the sunny, cheerful guy. Who knew he could be this ruthless?
But none of them felt uneasy about it. This side of Hirofumi was aimed at their enemies. Who wouldn't want a friend like that? Someone who'd have their back no matter what!
Sasuke was the first to move. Following Hirofumi's advice, he tucked away his kunai and charged at one of the drunks.
Ino's eyes sparkled with admiration. Hirofumi's so commanding right now. If I were in trouble, he'd protect me like that too, right?!
With that thought, she jumped into the fray.
Next was Hinata. Her usual timid demeanor vanished. Thinking of how miserable Naruto had looked earlier, she steeled herself and joined the beatdown.
Kiba Inuzuka didn't hesitate either, charging in with a howl, shouting about bonds, friendship, and hot-blooded passion.
Choji Akimichi popped the last of his chips into his mouth.
"Let's finish this quick! I'm starving for that group lunch!"
Shikamaru scratched his head, noticing a few ninjas in the distance who'd seen the commotion and vanished—probably to report to the Third Hokage.
"What a drag… But that's what friends are for, right? With all of us here, even the Third won't punish us… probably."
Muttering to himself, Shikamaru shuffled toward the fight.
Sakura Haruno's eyes darted to the drunk Sasuke was pummeling.
"You jerk! You're dodging Sasuke's punches?! Don't you know his fists probably hurt from hitting you?! Unforgivable!"
Shino Aburame, as always, was the least noticeable. He stayed on the edges, slipping in a sneaky kick here and there—always aiming low and dirty.