Five boys stepped forward, each wearing the village headband that marked them as academy graduates. What unsettled him most was that they were from the Hyuga clan.
Yuta saw that the other boys had already been subdued, and Rika was being dragged by her hair by one of them.
Without haste, Yuta picked up a few peanuts from a man's table near the exit. He infused one lightly with chakra and flicked it toward the hand gripping Rika's hair.
The peanut struck its target.
"What? Who did that?" the boy demanded, turning toward the direction it had come from.
At the doorway stood a small boy, barely five years old.
The Hyuga boys abandoned Shota, Jun, and the others and walked toward Yuta.
"Are you the one who threw that peanut?" the leader of the Hyuga squad asked.
Yuta met his gaze directly. It was the first time he had seen the Byakugan up close. The pale eyes were striking. He thought they might have suited a girl better.
"Yes," Yuta replied calmly. "And I would not mind doing it again."
The Hyuga boy was taken aback by Yuta's composure and the way he addressed him without fear.
"Boss, he is the one who has been saying the Hyuga clan is inferior to the Uchiha clan," one of the boys behind him said.
The leader stepped closer, clearly trying to intimidate Yuta with his height.
"So you are the one running your mouth and insulting a noble clan like the Hyuga?" he said mockingly. "Do you even know who I am, commoner?"
Yuta felt the familiar sting of being looked down upon. In his previous life, he had been only five foot six, and he had always disliked speaking to people taller than him. One of his personal goals in this new life was to grow taller than he ever had before. Considering that most of his family members were over six feet, and that many Uchiha were naturally tall, he was confident he would achieve it.
"I am a member of the Hyuga clan," the boy continued proudly. "My grandfather is the brother of the clan head, and I am a certified shinobi."
As he spoke, he rubbed his hand over Yuta's hair, making it even messier than before.
The four boys behind him laughed. Rika and Jun could only blame themselves. If they had not asked Yuta those foolish questions earlier, they would not have ended up in this situation.
"You should be careful who you call a commoner," Yuta said coldly. "You second-rate noble clan."
Before the boy could react, Yuta smacked his hand away.
"How dare you lay your hand on an Uchiha?" Yuta continued. "Do you want to start a war between the Hyuga and the Uchiha?"
The Hyuga boy instinctively stepped back. If what this child claimed was true, he could be in serious trouble.
"Boss, do not listen to him," one of the boys said quickly. "He looks ordinary. What kind of Uchiha does not wear his clan crest?"
Yuta glanced at the speaker. The boy was not wrong. The Uchiha typically wore clothing bearing their clan symbol. Yuta, however, disliked displaying it openly. He had even warned the others not to wear clan-marked clothing when they were with him. Earlier, he had taken back his Uchiha jacket from Rika after leaving the clan's smithing store.
"I do not care whether you believe me or not," Yuta said evenly. "Why did you injure my brothers and my friend?"
"How dare you say the Uchiha clan is better than the Hyuga clan?" the leader roared.
The commotion began to draw attention from inside the restaurant and from those eating outside.
"Boss Yuta," Shota called weakly from the ground, "we told them we were from the Uchiha clan, but they kept hitting us. They said we are nothing but an annoying clan."
Hearing Yuta call them his brothers strengthened their spirits. They now knew he truly cared.
"Very well," Yuta said calmly, turning back to the Hyuga leader. "What do you want, Brother Hyuga?"
"I want you to kneel and bow your head," the boy replied with a smug smile. "Apologize for your disrespect toward the Hyuga household."
By now, a crowd had formed around them, nearly double what it had been before.
Under normal circumstances, Yuta might have complied simply to avoid unnecessary spectacle. He disliked scenes like this. However, the area was crowded, and he knew it was being monitored. His uncle was present, and so was his father, watching and waiting. They were likely hoping he would use genjutsu. He had already been warned not to use it publicly. The punishment would be enduring his uncle as his instructor for an entire week. Yuta would rather travel across the continent than suffer through that again.
"No," Yuta said firmly.
"Just because I called your clan insignificant, you are angry?" he continued. "Then hear this. Before this village was even founded, I doubt the First Hokage even knew your clan existed."
"What?" the Hyuga boys shouted in outrage. "Say that again, you liar!"
"Who is lying?" Yuta replied calmly, looking at them without the slightest fear.
The tension in the air thickened as the crowd waited for what would happen next.