Heh heh heh...

Out of nowhere, Takuya started chuckling. It wasn't a normal laugh, though—it was the kind of creepy laugh that made Minato and Kushina's skin crawl.

Even Mikoto Uchiha looked uncomfortable.

"What... what are you up to?"

Minato rubbed his hands together, trying to shake off the goosebumps.

"If you've got something to say, just say it—don't laugh like that. It's creepy."

"Let's ambush them at the gate!"

Takuya suddenly slapped the table and stood up.

"I've figured it out—the Uchiha clan members always act up if they aren't put in their place regularly. The only way to keep them in check is to beat them down until they submit."

"What? What are you blinking at me for, Minato...?"

Takuya looked confused.

Uh-oh, this is bad news...

Takuya quickly glanced over his shoulder to see Mikoto Uchiha's face darkening. He coughed awkwardly. "Uh, slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue—I meant that idiot Uchiha Shinka. If he doesn't get smacked around every now and then, he gets too cocky."

"I'm going to ambush him at the gate—are you guys in?"

Beat up someone from the Uchiha clan?

Minato looked like he was itching to join in.

Kushina was also tempted. She didn't have anything against the Uchiha clan as a whole, but Uchiha Shinka? He was just plain annoying.

If someone's annoying, a good beating usually fixes that.

But seriously, it's only your first day in the senior class, and you're already thinking about causing trouble?

Mikoto Uchiha held her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

The kunai-throwing class was basically just a skills test to see how everyone measured up.

Mikoto Uchiha, naturally gifted, easily scored full marks.

Takuya also got full marks.

Minato was just a hair off, scoring nine out of ten.

Only Kushina lagged behind a bit.

The teacher was mainly focused on observing the four of them.

After seeing Takuya, Mikoto, and Minato's scores, the teacher nodded in satisfaction.

Not bad—they're already ahead of most students in their grade.

Even though Kushina's score was a bit lower than the other three, at least she wasn't too far behind. There was still hope for improvement.

After school that day, the four of them decided to hang out near the school gate, waiting for Uchiha Shinka, who was heading home with his gang. When he saw them, his face turned pale.

Despite his earlier bravado in the classroom, deep down, Uchiha Shinka was terrified. Who wouldn't be after getting a rock smashed into their head by someone younger when they were kids?

Uchiha Shinka's taunts were mostly because he was jealous of Takuya hanging out with Mikoto.

But who would've guessed Takuya would actually show up to block the gate?

Takuya, you jerk! You said it was just a warning!

Is this what you call a warning—blocking the gate?

"Kushina, Mikoto, you two should step back. School fights aren't something girls should get involved in. Leave this to Minato and me."

It wouldn't look good if the girls got caught fighting at school.

It was better if he and Minato handled it.

Takuya quickly grabbed two bricks from the flower bed near the gate and handed one to Minato.

Minato took the brick, looking bewildered.

"Fighting... with a brick?"

"Minato, just aim for the face. I'm telling you, there's nothing more satisfying than smashing a brick into someone's face!"

You'll see—try it out.

Minato was curious. After all, he'd never experienced that kind of satisfaction before.

But hitting someone in the face with a brick—wouldn't that be a bit too much?

"Maybe we should just use our fists instead."

Minato was genuinely worried a brick to the face might seriously hurt someone.

"Trust me, you'll be fine."

Takuya patted his chest confidently, with the air of someone who had been through it all. He put an arm around Minato's shoulders. "A brick won't kill anyone. At most, you'll just break their nose and make them bleed a bit. No big deal."

Minato: "..."

I feel like you're leading me down a dangerous path.

"..."

Kushina and Mikoto were both exasperated.

It seemed like Takuya was already corrupting Minato, the innocent and sunny boy.

"Uchiha Shinka, don't even think about running!"

As soon as Uchiha Shinka and his gang stepped out, Takuya charged at them with his brick.

They're actually blocking the gate?

The smile on Uchiha Shinka's face froze, and for a few seconds, he was too stunned to move. Then, remembering the last time his head was cracked open, he bolted.

His little lackeys stared blankly at Takuya and Minato, who were charging at them with bricks. They shuddered, then quickly followed their boss in running away.

On the school playground, a group of older boys was running for their lives, chased by a slightly younger kid brandishing a brick.

The two Anbu ninjas secretly watching Kushina exchanged glances.

Ninja A: "Are kids these days using bricks to fight?"

Ninja B: "Who knows? But that one leading the pack is from the Uchiha clan, right? Has it really come to this for the Uchiha?"

Ninja A: "I'd run too. That kid with the brick isn't weak, and he fights dirty. He's only been in school for two years, and he's already beaten up all the senior bullies."

Ninja B: "..."

In the end, Takuya's attempt to block the gate failed because the teacher showed up.

Takuya quickly ditched the brick and grabbed Minato, making a run for it.

Getting into fights was one thing, but getting caught by the teacher was a whole different story—the punishment would be much worse.

Takuya wasn't actually trying to crack Uchiha Shinka's skull; he just wanted to scare him enough so that he'd stop picking fights. Just looking at him was annoying.

If he really wanted to beat him up, he would've done it in class. Why wait until after school?

"You little brats, causing trouble on your first day in the senior class."

The teacher laughed and shook his head as he watched Takuya and Minato run off. Then he glared at Uchiha Shinka and his gang. "When you were bullying other students, did you think this day wouldn't come?"

"Eight of you, running from two kids two years younger than you who are chasing you with bricks—how embarrassing!"

Uchiha Shinka and his gang looked like they were about to cry.

It's not like we wanted to run, but we can't win in a fight!

Back when Takuya first started school, he didn't hesitate to block our way and beat us up.

Now, two years later, it's even easier for him.

Only an idiot wouldn't run.

What are we supposed to do, stand there and get beaten?

"Takuya, do you think the teacher will scold us?"

On the way home, Minato was worried about getting in trouble with the teacher.

After all, blocking the gate and chasing classmates with bricks wasn't exactly model student behavior. If they got caught, the teacher would definitely have a few words to say.

Carrying groceries from the market, Takuya didn't seem bothered at all. "What's there to be afraid of? Did we actually hit anyone?"

"Didn't we?"

Minato scratched his head, confused. But we were blocking the gate and chasing people with bricks—what else would you call that?

"Did you actually hit anyone?"

Takuya began to coach Minato. "We were just standing by the gate, and we only chased them with bricks. We didn't actually hit anyone, did we?"

"..."

I guess that's true.

"Since we didn't hit anyone, how can it be called fighting? The teacher can't accuse us of something we didn't do. Don't worry, at most, they'll just tell us not to bully our classmates. We won't get scolded."

Takuya was pretty experienced with this sort of thing.

And just as Takuya predicted, the next day, the teacher only reminded them to get along with their classmates, avoid conflicts, and not to chase people with bricks. After that, there was no further scolding.