The battle took place beside a stone bridge that had been half blown apart.
Beneath the bridge, muddy river water surged violently; above it lay a scene of devastation.
Fifteen Rogue Ninja in mismatched clothes, wearing forehead protectors from different ninja villages, were surrounding three young people.
Two boys and a girl.
The boy with short orange hair fought at the front, wielding a crude kunai. His movements were inexperienced but full of grit.
He tried to protect the purple-haired girl and red-haired boy behind him.
Several fresh scrapes marked his face, but his eyes were bright and determined.
Every block, every counterattack carried a vicious resolve to take his enemies down with him.
"Yahiko! Watch your left!" the purple-haired girl, Konan, cried anxiously.
Paper fluttered in her hands, transforming into shuriken that shot toward the enemies, but their power was limited. They could only serve as a distraction.
The red-haired boy, Nagato, huddled behind Yahiko, trembling uncontrollably. Deep within the eyes hidden by his bangs, purple ripples faintly swirled.
He gripped his own arms tightly, his knuckles white, as though desperately suppressing something.
"Hand over your supplies, and we'll let you live!" The Rogue Ninja leader, a burly one-eyed man, swung his blade at Yahiko with a savage grin.
"Three little brats playing ninja? You're asking to die!"
Yahiko gritted his teeth and blocked the blade. The skin between his thumb and forefinger split, and blood ran down his kunai.
He suddenly kicked at the man's knee, then used the moment as his opponent staggered backward to shout hoarsely over his shoulder, "Nagato! Take Konan and run! I'll hold them off!"
"No! Yahiko, we're leaving together!" Konan tried to rush forward, only to be stopped by two Rogue Ninja.
Nagato trembled even harder. He raised his head, and in