The Bad Company rewarded by Ryuji's system was identical in function to the Stand of the same name from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure... except it had been materialized into a physical toy and had no direct psychic link to its user. In all other aspects, it was the same.
It possessed the equipment and tactical discipline of a modern soldier, along with physical attributes that would startle an ordinary person... Although there was only one of them, making it far from a powerhouse for an experienced Shinobi.
But for a freshly graduated Obito, it was still a tough opponent.
After dodging the initial burst of fire, Obito launched his own attack.
The small soldier, however, was shockingly agile.
It flipped from Ryuji's palm to the ground, then darted through the curtain of rain, using the downpour to mask its movements as it circled to Obito's blind spots to open fire again.
Relentless, tiny bullets peppered Obito's body with stinging pinpricks.
While the attacks hit their mark...
The scaled-down firearm and its ammunition had drastically reduced power. After piercing Obito's clothes, they could only inflict shallow skin wounds, unable to reach muscle.
This was precisely why Ryuji considered it a toy.
If he had an entire company's worth, with supporting units like tanks and helicopters, it might constitute real combat power.
But he only had this one infantryman.
"Damn it! Quit running! Aaah!"
Though not lethal, the Bad Company soldier's attacks were painfully irritating, making Obito yelp with every hit.
What frustrated him more was that his own physical speed and strength were clearly superior, yet he couldn't catch the thing. Even his thrown kunai and shuriken were easily dodged. He was being toyed with.
"This idiot."
Kakashi watched from the sidelines, shaking his head in disapproval.
Against a small, agile opponent like this, reckless charging was the worst approach. The more you flailed, the harder it became.
You had to use your head.
The target was fixated on him. With a little thought, he could manage it. But Obito just kept forcing his way through with brute force.
The outcome was already decided.
Boom!
A miniaturized grenade detonated right before Obito's eyes. While its blast couldn't cause serious injury, it left his head spinning and ears ringing.
He staggered drunkenly for a moment before collapsing onto his back.
"Target. Destroy."
The Bad Company soldier uttered its flat command. Its tiny form leaped, landing on the bridge of Obito's nose, its rifle barrel aimed directly at his left eye.
"I think that's—"
Thwip!
A kunai shot through the rain, piercing the small soldier's body and carrying it through the air to slam into the wooden signboard of Ichiraku Ramen, pinning it there.
"Target. Destroy. Target. Destroy..."
The soldier continued to struggle mechanically, but it was firmly impaled. The kunai held it fast like a nail driven into wood.
No one paid the struggling toy any further mind. All eyes turned toward the direction the kunai had come from... Through the heavy rain, three figures in long, cloak-like raincoats walked steadily closer. The crisp, deliberate sound of their footsteps was starkly audible in the hushed, rainy street.
Both Kakashi and Rin felt a palpable, oppressive aura emanating from the trio, making them tense. Even Minato's brow furrowed slightly. Only Ryuji merely narrowed his eyes.
He didn't know who these people were, but releasing such an intimidating presence so openly from a distance was a clear sign of hostile intent.
Tap. Tap. Tap...
The footsteps halted right above the prone Obito. The strange pressure and the shadow falling over him snapped Obito back to awareness. He scrambled to his feet and whirled around, falling into a defensive stance.
"Who's there?!"
He shouted, then his eyes widened in recognition.
The leader had a sharp, angular face, his left cheek covered in intricate tattoo-like markings. His gaze was piercing and aggressively direct.
"Un... Uncle Setsuna!"
Recognizing the man, Obito froze for a second, then hastily bowed in a deep, formal greeting. He didn't even glance at the two figures standing behind 'Uncle Setsuna'.
The man called Setsuna's eyes flicked over the blood speckling Obito's clothes, his frown deepening. Then his gaze swept past Obito to the others.
His scrutiny passed over each person. When it landed on the Sunagakure's forehead protector on Ryuji, his scowl became pronounced.
He seemed to consider speaking several times but held his tongue. Finally, his attention settled on Minato.
"Namikaze. Explain this."
As he spoke, his eyes darted to the Bad Company soldier still twitching on the signboard.
"Uncle Setsuna, it was me who—"
"Silence!"
Setsuna cut Obito off sharply, his voice a whip-crack of authority. "You are not only the disgrace of your class, but you cannot even defeat a child's plaything? Do you seek to heap further shame upon the Uchiha name?"
"I..."
Obito tried to explain again but was interrupted once more. This time, it was Ryuji who spoke, letting out a soft, derisive laugh. "You speak as though you are vastly superior."
Hearing this, Setsuna's focus shifted entirely to Ryuji. His eyes narrowed. The black of his irises instantly flooded with crimson, and three comma-shaped tomoe swirled into existence.
Ryuji's eyes snapped shut on instinct.
Though his spiritual network granted him immunity to such mental attacks, it was a primal, physical reaction.
"So. You have heard of the Sharingan." Seeing Ryuji's reflexive response, a smug, superior smile touched Setsuna's lips. "Outsider, it is unwise to display such arrogance within another's village. Even as allies, when in Konoha, you will abide by Konoha's laws. Engaging in an unsanctioned duel on a public street is grounds for me to have you detained immediately."
"Is that so?"
Ryuji gave a light, unconcerned laugh and opened his eyes, meeting Setsuna's crimson gaze directly. "My teacher in the puppeteer arts, Elder Chiyo, did mention the Sharingan. She said that in a one-on-one duel between combatants of comparable skill, the wielder of the Sharingan was considered unbeatable."
"So your mentor was Chiyo!" Setsuna snorted, a hint of pride in his voice. "It seems I left a lasting impression on her during the last great war. Then again, being forced to call upon her brother for aid just to face me... how could she forget? Hahaha..."
Ryuji's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
He could sense this 'Setsuna' was powerful, but as a character not central to the original plot, he hadn't paid him much heed.
But the man's words implied he had battled Chiyo in the past and apparently held the upper hand.
That was somewhat noteworthy.
But only somewhat. It changed little.
After all, neither Chiyo nor her brother Ebizo, nor even the two of them combined, posed a threat to him now.
"I am unaware of your personal history. But when I heard her say that, I thought it was pure exaggeration. Seeing this now, I am even more convinced of its falsehood." Ryuji's grin turned dark and mocking, his voice dripping with disdain. "What 'Sharingan is invincible in single combat'? If that were true, Uchiha Madara would never have fallen to the First Hokage. Or are you suggesting that Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were not truly equals?"
Here, Ryuji glanced at the expressions of the three Uchiha. Their faces cycled through dark anger and seething resentment.
He couldn't help but let out a low, goading chuckle, continuing in a deliberately sarcastic and provocative tone. "Ah, but I've read they were friends since boyhood. Perhaps the First Hokage simply took pity and held back each time, allowing their battles to appear epic and closely fought?"
"Otherwise, why did the great Uchiha Madara lose every single decisive encounter, yet always walk away without a scratch?"
"But wait, that logic is flawed!"
"Doesn't the Uchiha Clan proclaim to all the world that the two were legendary rivals, perfectly matched? If they were not, in fact, equals... wouldn't that mean the Uchiha are merely a clan obsessed with saving reputation, prone to fabricating glorious tales about themselves? A second-rate group, all boastful talk with nothing to back it up?"
"ENOUGH!"