LMaruboshi Kosuke
The young shinobi carrying Ryoichi remained wary of him. After that stretch of road, seeing Ryoichi make no suspicious moves, he relaxed slightly. The special seal on the scroll also appeared authentic.
Suddenly, the young shinobi sprang aside. Several shuriken sliced through the space where he had been running. Ryoichi's eyes narrowed. These shinobi really loved ambushes. He had thought he could reach the Konoha camp, but this was already the second assassination attempt along the way.
The young shinobi cautiously fixed his gaze in one direction. From there, two shinobi emerged, their dark skin taut with explosive power and their golden hair distinctive.
"Heh. A Konoha shinobi, and carrying a civilian. Looks like that civilian is valuable," one of them said, a Kumogakure forehead protector gleaming on his brow.
They acted as if Ryoichi and the young shinobi were already in their grasp.
"I recognize him. A Konoha genin—Maruboshi Kosuke. Be careful. The Second Hokage taught him ninjutsu; he's probably not simple," the other Kumogakure shinobi said, drawing his blade.
"Oh, that one. We just got intel he's killed many of ours." He tightened his grip on several kunai, ready to throw at any moment.
Ryoichi heard this and looked, surprised, at the youth carrying him. So this was Maruboshi Kosuke—the so-called eternal genin with formidable strength.
At this time, Maruboshi Kosuke was clearly very young; whether he already possessed his later prowess was unknown.
Kosuke didn't bother to speak, his eyes cold on the two Kumogakure shinobi.
With a flurry of motion, the Kumogakure shinobi attacked. Kunai flew, and midair several shuriken struck them, changing their trajectories while keeping their aim true—straight at Kosuke and the Ryoichi on his back.
This level of shurikenjutsu existed in every village; it wasn't unique to the Uchiha.
Kosuke knew he could dodge, but Ryoichi would be exposed. Carrying someone hampered his movements; if he set Ryoichi down, the civilian would certainly die.
With no choice, Kosuke flashed through hand seals. As the kunai closed in, water surged into a spiraling vortex around them, swallowing the blades and lofting them upward.
He kept weaving seals. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"
The vortex surged into a roaring water dragon that hurtled toward the two Kumogakure shinobi.
Watching ninjutsu at point-blank range, Ryoichi was awestruck. So this was ninjutsu—overwhelming and far more visceral than in the anime. A physical water dragon rearing in front of you radiated crushing pressure.
And this was only a B-rank technique—albeit strengthened by the Second Hokage's refinements. Thinking of S-rank ninjutsu, Ryoichi felt a thrill. Maybe he could become a shinobi one day.
"Heh. The Second Hokage's Water Wall and Water Dragon are impressive, but not enough for us," one Cloud shinobi sneered as both slipped back, evading the dragon's charge.
Kosuke still didn't release his hand seals; the technique clearly wasn't over.
Sure enough, when the dragon crashed down, it fanned into countless streams. The two Kumogakure shinobi laughed—one sprinted straight for Kosuke and Ryoichi while the other formed seals in place.
A massive dragon head erupted from the pooled water and snapped down on the charging shinobi, tearing him apart in an instant. Kosuke exhaled, his color returning slightly.
The other Kumogakure shinobi blanched but kept sealing, lightning racing along the ground a heartbeat later.
"Raiton: Jibashi!"
Having absorbed a fair amount of the enemy's chakra with the previous technique's aftermath, Kosuke's reserves recovered somewhat. He leapt to a thick branch, letting the lightning tear past below.
Ryoichi silently cheered. The eternal genin really was strong. One Cloud shinobi was already down; the other wouldn't last long.
He celebrated too soon. A heavy thud sounded at his side. Kosuke had whirled and caught a sudden blade with his longsword—that was the impact Ryoichi heard.
Ryoichi hadn't even seen the enemy appear.
It didn't matter now. Kosuke had blocked, but inertia blasted him backward into a tree. Ryoichi, clinging to his back, saw stars.
If Kosuke hadn't eased the impact, remembering Ryoichi behind him, that single crash might have made Ryoichi spit blood.
"Are you alright?" Kosuke asked.
Ryoichi tightened his grip and shook his head. "Focus on the fight. I'm fine."
He truly didn't want Kosuke distracted; any lapse could get him killed.
He had just transmigrated into the Naruto world—dying this early would be far too bitter.
Especially after the Second Hokage promised to bring him to Konoha.
If he survived and reached the Konoha camp to deliver the scroll, the current Konoha wouldn't silence a civilian. They would arrange for him to return to the village, giving him time to grow.
After all, even when Pain came to Konoha, the village wasn't wiped out.
With the power of the Mera Mera no Mi, he wouldn't be helpless forever—let alone with Ryūjin Jakka as a trump card.
Kosuke nodded. He could have abandoned Ryoichi, taken the scroll, and returned to camp. But the Second Hokage had given his word, and Kosuke wouldn't leave the boy to die.
Ryoichi was fortunate to have met Maruboshi Kosuke. Another Konoha shinobi might have taken only the scroll. A kinder one might have carried him too, but under attack, most would prioritize the scroll's safe return. As for a civilian's life or death—well, that would be a different story.