Second Generation Hokage

Yet, this Second Hokage showed not a flicker of expression, as if the one suffering from the wounds were not himself.

While Li Yi stood there in a daze, the Second Hokage came to a halt, leaned against a tree, and slumped to the ground. He breathed shallowly; it was clear that the high-speed dash had taken a significant toll on him.

"Little brother, are you from a nearby village?" Senju Tobirama asked calmly.

Miraculously, Li Yi understood him. He nodded, feeling rather nervous. There was no helping it; the Second Hokage was not a man to be trifled with. More importantly, he was a man of decisive action and peerless strategy—truth be told, the prosperity and development of Konoha were inseparable from him.

"Heh, no need to be nervous. It is our fault for dragging you into this; had the Cloud Village not launched a sneak attack, the war would never have reached villages like yours," Senju Tobirama said, forcing a faint smile.

Li Yi had a rough idea of the timeline. This must be when the Second Hokage went to negotiate a peace treaty with the Raikage, only for Ginkaku and Kinkaku to rebel and mortally wound him. It had to be this very moment.

It was the tail end of what was known as the First Shinobi World War.

Damn it, did I really transmigrate this early? Li Yi cursed inwardly. At a time like this, with war raging everywhere, he could be killed at any second.

"You are the Second Hokage, aren't you? My village... it's already gone," Li Yi said, feigning grief.

Senju Tobirama was not particularly surprised; his appearance was quite recognizable. As for Li Yi's claim, he had no reason to doubt it, for the war had truly destroyed countless villages.

He was a sensory ninja and had detected not a shred of chakra in Li Yi. It was evident that Li Yi was no ninja. As for the katana he carried, well, in these chaotic times, far too many people carried blades.

"Then, would you be willing to join our Konoha?" Senju Tobirama asked.

Li Yi was overjoyed. Joining Konoha would provide him with some security. If he stayed out here, he might be finished off any day. Although Konoha had its share of filth, the Konoha of this era had not yet reached that point.

"May I?" Li Yi asked, pleasantly surprised.

Senju Tobirama smiled, wiped his chest with one hand, and performed a single-handed seal. A scroll was summoned forth. Without any further movement from him, countless tadpole-like markings appeared around the scroll and began to crawl across its surface. Senju Tobirama tossed the scroll to Li Yi and said, "Deliver this to Sarutobi Hiruzen of Konoha, and you may join us."

Li Yi scrambled to catch the scroll. He glanced at the Second Hokage, then tucked the scroll into his chest and asked, "Then how do I find Konoha?"

Senju Tobirama placed his fingers on the ground, closed his eyes to sense the surroundings for a moment, and said, "Run in this direction. If you are lucky, you should reach the Konoha encampment. Go, little brother. I look forward to the day you join Konoha."

Li Yi looked in the direction Senju Tobirama had pointed and nodded. Then, Senju Tobirama vanished, leaving no clue as to where he had gone. Shortly after, Li Yi heard shouting in the distance, followed by an ominous, terrifying aura sweeping through the area. Not daring to linger, Li Yi hurried off in the direction the Second Hokage had indicated.

Li Yi knew that the scroll the Second Hokage had given him was likely some form of intelligence, as well as his ticket to joining Konoha. If he could successfully reach the Konoha encampment, all would be well. If he couldn't, then it was just his own bad luck; after all, the Second Hokage was merely taking a chance.

Li Yi felt no resentment toward this. It was still better than wandering out here alone.

Besides, he had no chakra, so he figured he wouldn't attract any attention.

However, Li Yi was clearly overthinking things. At this critical juncture, they would rather kill an innocent than let a potential threat slip by.

"A commoner. Kill him!" a ninja wearing a Cloud Village headband whispered from the shadows.

Suddenly, a kunai flew from an unknown direction, aiming straight for Li Yi's heart. Although Li Yi had eaten the Mera Mera no Mi, at his current level, he could barely conjure a tiny spark—it was completely useless.

Li Yi didn't even realize a kunai was flying toward him.

Just as the kunai was about to strike, a shuriken flew from somewhere else and knocked it away. Only then did Li Yi react, looking back in alarm.

Damn, someone's trying to ambush me! Li Yi cursed inwardly. He was just a commoner, yet someone actually wanted him dead. What a bunch of bastards.

However, several more kunai flew toward him. The sound of them cutting through the air terrified Li Yi, who rolled to the side just in time. The spot where he had been standing was now bristling with kunai.

"Konoha Style: Willow!" At that moment, a young man holding a long sword appeared suddenly. As he swung his blade, it seemed to multiply into countless swords. Before Li Yi could even process his shock, the young man vanished. A moment later, two cries of pain echoed from nearby, and the young man stepped out.

He glanced at Li Yi and said coldly, "This is a battlefield. It would be best for a commoner not to enter."

Li Yi didn't know who this young man was, but he saw the Konoha headband on his arm and quickly asked, "Are you a Konoha ninja?"

The young man frowned but nodded.

Li Yi hurriedly said, "I met the Second Hokage. He asked me to deliver intelligence to someone named Sarutobi Hiruzen. Since you are a Konoha ninja, could you take me to him?"

Having a Konoha ninja escort him was undoubtedly the safest option, far better than running around on his own.

To prove his point, Li Yi took out the scroll and waved it, signaling that he wasn't lying.

In an instant, the young man appeared right in front of Li Yi, giving him a start. This must be that "Body Flicker Technique." As expected, as a mere commoner, he couldn't see a thing.

The young man glanced at the scroll, made no move to take it, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "I'll carry you."

Li Yi didn't hesitate and hopped onto the young man's back. He didn't know who this person was, but after the recent attack, he knew that for a commoner like him, trying to reach the Konoha camp on his own was a pipe dream. For all he knew, he could be finished off by a stray kunai at any second.

He had originally thought that eating the Mera Mera no Mi would give him the means to protect himself, but the reality left him speechless. No wonder some people said the Mera Mera no Mi wasn't even worth a dog's attention.

The Konoha ninja was incredibly fast. Li Yi didn't know his rank, but judging by that display of genjutsu and swordsmanship earlier, he was clearly no simple character.