Arrival

At that moment, Maruboshi Kosuke swung the long sword in his hand. A strange aura suddenly spread through the area, and Li Yi even saw countless long swords appear all around them. Clearly, Maruboshi Kosuke was using the Nintaijutsu he was best at.

It was Konoha Style: Willow!

This was a unique technique that perfectly combined genjutsu and swordsmanship. The user didn't need to perform any complicated Hand Seals to engage an enemy in close combat.

At the start of the battle, the user would swiftly unleash exquisite swordsmanship, striking with fierce force at the enemy's vital points. At the same time, they would cast a powerful genjutsu, making the enemy believe they had vanished among leaves drifting in the wind. This illusion would confuse the enemy's vision, making it difficult to pinpoint the user's real position.

What was more, the genjutsu could also produce a powerful binding force, trapping the enemy and preventing them from moving freely. Just as the enemy was left confused and helpless, the user would seize the opportunity to launch a sudden, swift attack from their blind spot. The strike was as fast and deadly as lightning, the swordplay precise and true as it pierced straight through the enemy's body, dealing a fatal blow.

There was no doubt that this was a deadly technique capable of killing an enemy in an instant. Its speed and power were astonishing. The enemy had almost no chance to dodge or fight back, and could only be easily cut down in shock. It displayed the terrifying power of genjutsu and swordsmanship working in tandem, making it an exceptionally formidable Nintaijutsu.

The last remaining Cloud Ninja's pupils contracted. He felt himself unable to move, and when he regained control of his body, Maruboshi Kosuke had already slit his throat.

Li Yi was stunned, too. So this was what it meant to combine genjutsu and Taijutsu. He would have to be careful in the future. There were simply too many strange techniques in the Naruto world. He had eaten the Mera Mera no Mi, but hadn't developed its powers yet. Once he did, he would be able to turn his body into fire. But if someone controlled him with genjutsu and slit his throat before he could activate it, he could die a very unjust death.

Maruboshi Kosuke leaned against a tree to rest for a moment. A battle this intense had taken a toll on his chakra.

Even so, he didn't put Li Yi down. Only with Li Yi on his back could he carry him and flee at a moment's notice. Otherwise, Li Yi could easily be killed.

"Let's go!" Maruboshi Kosuke called out, then quickly leaped into the trees and headed for the Konoha camp.

Maruboshi Kosuke moved nimbly through the dense forest, flitting from branch to branch. When Li Yi had watched the anime, he'd thought the characters were exaggerating. Why did they have to leap from branch to branch just to travel? Now he saw that running through the trees was clearly much faster than running on the ground.

The Naruto world really did have excellent greenery.

Suddenly, Maruboshi Kosuke darted off to the side. Li Yi had already heard a series of "whooshing" sounds when an explosion rang out. Even though Maruboshi Kosuke had moved quickly, the blast still caught them in its shockwave, sending him and Li Yi tumbling across the ground several times.

That really hurt. There was no helping it—the impact had been brutal. Li Yi felt as if his ribs might have been broken.

Maruboshi Kosuke didn't have time to ask if he was all right. Instead, he took up a fighting stance. On the trees opposite them stood three tall Cloud Ninja, staring them down.

"Looks like we've caught a big fish. We'll take that civilian!" one of the Cloud Ninja called out.

Li Yi cursed inwardly. Seriously? I'm just a civilian, and you still want to snatch me? What's wrong with you? People of Kumogakure, you've made an enemy of me. Just you wait. One day, when I've made it big, I'll take you all down.

Maruboshi Kosuke didn't bother responding. He reached into the pouch on his thigh and pulled out a handful of Kunai. He waited for the right moment, then hurled them. Li Yi could see that there seemed to be something attached to the Kunai.

Maruboshi Kosuke quickly ran in the opposite direction. A massive explosion rang out behind them. But according to the laws of the Naruto world, Explosive Tags seemed incapable of killing anyone.

Just like Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique never seemed to hit anyone.

Sure enough, three figures quickly gave chase. Maruboshi Kosuke seemed to have expected them to pursue him. He waited until they were closing in before beginning to form Hand Seals.

Only after the three men had drawn their Kunai did Maruboshi Kosuke finish his Hand Seals. He turned, spun around, opened his mouth, and blasted out a stream of water.

"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"

A high-pressure jet of water shot from his mouth in a straight line, slicing through the three charging Cloud Ninja and cutting them cleanly in half.

Maruboshi Kosuke gasped for breath. This was the most powerful Ninjutsu he knew, a technique created by the Second Hokage. It consumed too much chakra, so Maruboshi Kosuke rarely dared to use it. But he had no choice now. Three Cloud Ninja were hunting him down. He might have been able to escape without using it, but Li Yi would certainly have died.

"Move!" Maruboshi Kosuke was about to dash away.

Li Yi was puzzled. Weren't they going to rest? At this rate, if they ran into another enemy, they'd both be done for.

Li Yi soon understood why they weren't stopping. They hadn't run far before they encountered a Konoha Ninja. The ninja nodded when he saw Maruboshi Kosuke, and Kosuke said nothing as he hurried onward. Before long, they reached Konoha's camp.

As they neared the tents, two ninjas suddenly appeared and blocked Maruboshi Kosuke. They glanced at him, then at Li Yi. "The adults are discussing battle plans."

The meaning was clear: the adults were in a meeting. If he had something urgent, he could send word, but he wasn't allowed to approach.

Maruboshi Kosuke knew the rules, so he said, "This is someone sent by the Second Hokage. He has important information. Please report it to them!"

One of the Konoha Ninja nodded and headed into the camp.

The ninja soon came back out. "The adults said to let him in!"

Maruboshi Kosuke put Li Yi down. Li Yi drew in a sharp breath. There was no helping it—his ribs were broken, and the journey had been agonizing.

The ninja frowned, but still stepped forward to support Li Yi. Green light glowed in his palm as he placed it against Li Yi. Li Yi felt warmth spread through his body. This ninja could use Medical Ninjutsu.

After all, Tsunade hadn't yet proposed the idea of medical ninja. At this point, she was probably only a newborn, if she had even been born yet.

"Thank you!" No matter what, the man had treated him, so Li Yi thanked him.