Just as Shin was about to start his running lap, he was abruptly halted by a piercing, high-pitched voice. "Hey! Stop right there!"

Startled, Shin turned around to face the imposing figure of the overweight giant. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he responded respectfully, "Yes, can I help you?"

The older kid, oozing arrogance, spoke in a haughty tone, "There were two kids here yesterday. They dared to lay their hands on my younger brother and his friend. Do you know anything about them?".

Maintaining his composure, Shin replied politely, "No, I don't know anything about that. I was just recently released from the hospital and the doctor told me to do exercise here"

A smug smile played across the giant's face as he leaned in closer. "Oh, is that so? Well, many kids here saw that after those two attacked my younger brother, they approached you and all of you left together, heading somewhere."

Shin's patience began to wear thin, but he remained respectful. "Oh, those boys? They were simply being kind to me since I'm new here. We occasionally chat and enjoy some Dango balls on our way home." Despite his polite tone, Shin's annoyance with the hulking matzo ball was palpable.

The big boy leaned in even closer, his voice dripping with menace. "If you meet them again, you will inform me immediately. Is that clear?"

Swallowing his irritation, Shin nodded obediently. "Sure, absolutely. I'll let you know."

A sinister grin spread across the fat boy's face as he clenched his fist, his threat hanging in the air. "Those pathetic weasels. When I finally get my hands on them, I'll make sure they learn who's the real boss around here."

Shin couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine as he watched the fat boy wave his fist menacingly, silently hoping that his encounter with those troublemakers wouldn't lead to an even more dangerous situation.

"Huh! I better inform Aki and Hiro about this," Shin muttered.

After this little incident, Shin completed two laps around the playground. He repeated the same set of strength exercises as yesterday, managing to improve upon his previous score. This time, he even saved some energy after completing the first set.

After a 5-minute break, he started running again. This time, he completed 2 laps and began a third but gave up halfway. Subsequently, after resting for 5 minutes, he repeated the same strength exercises but added lunges this time.

He took a sip from his water bottle. After resting for another ten minutes, he returned to the orphanage. He went to the kitchen and asked Dai for a second breakfast.

After devouring another round of eggs and bread, he reluctantly drank half a glass of milk under the stern gaze of Dai and Emi. Additionally, he finished a glass of Katsur Juices as recommended by the prescription.

Finished with his meal, Shin headed to check on Akiko and Hiro, only to find them engaged in a mischievous prank on their unsuspecting roommate.

Entering the room, Shin's face contorted with worry as he addressed Akiko, "Aki, I've got some bad news. The kids you fought with yesterday brought their big brother along. They were asking about you."

Akiko, curious, asked, "How did you find out?"

"Well, he came to me and attempted to extract information about you and Hiro. I managed to dodge the questions, but they'll always be around the playground every day. It's a dangerous situation," Shin explained, his words hurried and concerned.

Akiko pondered for a moment before inquiring, "How old was this kid?"

"He wasn't that old, but he's probably around your age. I heard he got accepted into the Ninja Academy this year. We're no match for him," Shin replied, expressing his worries.

Akiko, with a confident smirk, retorted, "Ah, come on! He can't beat me. Listen, Shin, you've got to believe in yourself. Even if we end up losing, at least we'll show them that we're not to be messed with."

Shin couldn't help but feel annoyed, thinking, 'You oaf. Usually, you're the sensible one, but the moment a fight comes up, you're the most eager.' However, he kept his thoughts to himself.

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"Hey, Hiro!"

"Yes, Elder Brother"

"Are you with me?"

"Sure brother, I am with you." Hiro declared.

"Shin, you stay here. You are still recovering from the previous time you went to the hospital" Akiko instructed.

"But hold on a second! Why don't we just inform Big Brother Dai? He'll surely take our side. He can beat that kid," Shin suggested, attempting to reason, only to be swiftly rejected by both Akiko and Hiro.

"No way! It's all about reputation. Once you become a tattletale, you're forever a target," Akiko adamantly refused to consider Shin's suggestion.

"Okay, then." Akiko signaled to their third roommate, Kirimoto, as they hurriedly left the room, leaving Kirimoto to keep an eye on Dai and Emi in the kitchen.

'Like I will stay here. Ah!, maybe I`ll just stand in the corner. Aki is strong. Maybe he and Hiro can pull through. But if that other kid has joined the academy, he probably already has his chakra unlocked. Although it hadn't been that long since the last entry, Still worried, Shin hurried after his two knuckleheaded friends.

Rushing to the playground, Shin's eyes widened at the sight before him. Hiro was sprinting around the play area, hurling rocks at four kids who were desperately trying to catch him. Meanwhile, Aki was engaged in another brawl with the same kids he had bested the day before. However, the big brother who had questioned Shin's knowledge of their whereabouts was conspicuously absent.

Relieved, Shin let out a sigh, thinking, "Maybe that kid went back home. Dodged a bullet there."

Blending into the crowd, Shin spotted Rikiwa, a girl he occasionally saw in the park, and quickly approached her. "Hey, Rikiwa! Can you please tell me where the big guy from this morning went? The one who talked to me?"

"Hey, Shin! Yeah, Gekko and Takeshi sent someone to fetch him. They're currently trying to keep Akiko busy here," Rikiwa informed him.

'So he will arrive here soon. I have to do something'.

With that, he gathered some branches and some rocks and waited for that fellow to come.

Meanwhile, Aki was engaged in a fight in the middle of a crowd of kids from all over the area. The fight had reached its inevitable conclusion after five minutes with Aki terrorizing Gekko and Takeshi again. Both were laying on the ground and when Akiko finished with one, he slapped the other one just to keep the slapping area warm.

Two of Hiro opponents had already been targeted and were laying on the park bences after being struck with precision strikes, whereas the other two kept a safe distance and were reluctant to close it. Even after many teasings from Hiro, they still wouldnt budge.

A huge figure of a kid suddenly interrupted Akiko`s fun time.

The fat kid, now filled with rage, shouted, "Hey! Stop!! You asshole! How dare you beat up my brother! I'll kill you!" His deep, shrill voice cut through the chaos, drawing everyone's attention.

Akiko immediately got up and cracked his knuckles.

Akiko, not one to back down, immediately rose to the challenge, cracking his knuckles. "I was wondering when you were going to show up. These two idiots first tried to fight me, and they got their butts kicked. They can't fight their own battles," he explained, looking a bit worn out from the previous scuffle.

"Hmm, so you're the one. You've got guts. Don't you know who I am?" barked the fat kid with a menacing glare.

"Why? Do you know who I am?" Akiko retorted, flashing a confident smirk.

Undeterred, the fat kid spread his arms wide, preparing to make his grand introduction. "Sharp mouth, but that won't save you. Before we start the fight, I'll tell you my name—"

"Ah, save it! I'll learn it after I've pummeled you," Akiko interrupted, launching a swift punch toward the fat kid's face.

Meanwhile, from his position, Shin couldn't help but shake his head at the situation. "You idiot, you're already tired. It's no wonder who'll be pummeling who," he chuckled to himself.

Just as the two rivals lunged at each other, Shin seized the perfect moment. He hurled a stone with precision, hitting the fat kid right in the armpit. Before the bewildered opponent could recover, another stone found its mark in the opposite armpit, throwing off his balance. To add insult to injury, Akiko's punch landed square on the fat kid's face.

But, to everyone's shock, the fat kid recovered quickly, shaking off the blow and retaliating with a punch of his own. The force behind his punch was so powerful that Akiko was launched backward, soaring through the air.

As the fat kid turned around, his eyes burning with anger, he spotted Shin standing there, rubbing his armpits dramatically. "So you were with them, you little bastard!" the fat kid barked, rubbing his own armpits vigorously as if trying to rub away the pain.

"Oww. It hurts. this actually hurts." fatty bellowed. For a second he couldn't believe that the little scrawny kid was able to pain him.

Seizing the opportunity, Shin shouted, "NOW, HIRO!!"

Hiro sprang into action as if in unison, whacking the fat kid from behind with two wooden sticks. The fat kid groaned and stumbled, allowing Shin to follow up with two more strikes from his own flimsy branches.

"Ah, you little shit! You're not getting away!" the fat kid roared, his anger rising as he turned to face Shin.

"Shin, run away, you idiot!" Aki shouted, concerned for his friend's safety.

But before Shin could retreat, he received a solid blow to the face, sending him crashing to the ground. The fat kid smirked, reveling in his small victory, and then turned his attention back to Aki. "Now it's your turn, and that other kid who threw those wooden branches. He's with you too, right? He'll get his share as well!" he declared.

Just as the fat kid's confidence grew, he heard a peculiar sound—a slight slippage of sand. He looked down between his legs, only to see Shin, bloodied but wearing a crooked smile.

It was then, that he knew.... he fucked up.

"Nnnooo....!!"

Shin raised his hand with a big rock and struck.