Who Are You

"It hurts." Tobirama Senju's pale lips trembled slightly, and a low groan of pain slowly escaped from the depths of his heart.

The subtle sound was like a sharp arrow, piercing the silence in Koki's heart.

Koki's body involuntarily shuddered, his palm felt as if it were being branded with a hot iron, and he hurriedly pulled his hand away from Tobirama Senju's neck.

His eyes widened, a look of panic and regret flashing in them, before he shook his head violently.

What were they thinking? How could they attack a wounded person who was completely defenseless?

After a brief internal struggle, Koki took a deep breath, rummaged through her bag, and took out the gauze and medicine she carried with her.

These were his essential protective charms for every patrol, but he never imagined they would be used by Tobirama Senju this time.

He gently untied the blood-stained shirt from Tobirama. The wound was deep, and his fair skin was slightly pale from being soaked in the river water. Fresh blood was still slowly flowing.

Koki first gently rinsed the wound with clear spring water to try to alleviate Tobirama's pain.

Then, he sprinkled the medicine on carefully, as if afraid of disturbing the boy's peaceful sleep.

Finally, he carefully bandaged the wound with gauze, layer upon layer, to ensure that the wound was well protected.

After finishing, Koki gently moved Tobirama to the green lawn by the river, where the grass was lush, soft, and dry, far away from the river's intrusion.

If the wound were to become soaked in water again, it could worsen, posing a fatal threat to Tobirama, who was already weakened at that moment.

With everything ready, Koki seemed to have unloaded a heavy burden. Dragging her tired body, she sat down by the river, gazing at the flowing water with a blank expression.

During the long wait, his gaze was drawn to a flat pebble. He bent down, picked it up, and gently weighed it in his palm, feeling its weight and texture.

His thoughts drifted away on the wind, and he recalled the time he spent with Ban, when they could still enjoy this simple pleasure by the river.

Skipping stones was a skill that Madara taught him, but unfortunately, neither he nor Madara seemed to have a natural talent for it, and every stone they threw seemed to be at Madara's wits.

Koki slowly rose, her wrists hanging down, her mind focused, her gaze fixed intently on the river. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she threw the stone in her palm into the water.

However, the harsh reality is not optimistic. The pebbles barely touch the surface of the water before falling into the abyss, failing to reach the center of the river, let alone reach the other side.

Koki scoffed softly, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes.

Somewhat unconvinced, he picked up another pebble, tried again, adjusted his posture, and prepared to challenge it once more.

Tobirama Senju awoke in excruciating pain, his memory blank for a moment, as he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings in a daze.

Then, his gaze sharpened as he recalled the fierce battle and his experience of being wounded and falling into the river.

Tobirama instinctively touched his shoulder, and when he touched the neat bandage, he felt a chill and realized that his wound had been properly taken care of.

He paused, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes, then slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing into the distance.

On the riverbank, a black-haired youth stood tall and straight, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

Just as he was about to ask, the young man seemed to already know his thoughts and calmly asked without turning around, "Awake?"

Tobirama narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the mysterious young man before him.

The other party was dressed plainly, with no special markings to indicate their identity; they wore neither a ninja Forehead Protector nor a prominent family crest.

Tobirama grew suspicious, wondering to himself whether this boy was an ordinary person without fighting ability, or a ninja skilled at concealing his identity.

After a moment's hesitation, Tobirama still managed to ask, "Who are you?"

Koki ignored Tobirama's questions; he didn't even turn around to look at him.

He stood quietly by the riverbank, toying with a smooth pebble in his hand. In a fleeting moment, he flicked his arm, and the pebble flew like an arrow across the river, creating ripples.

After completing this series of actions, he spoke leisurely, asking with a hint of mockery, "And who are you?"

His tone was slightly teasing, as if he was deliberately teasing Tobirama.

Tobirama frowned slightly, ignoring Koki's teasing.

His gaze shifted from Koki and began to look around.

At this moment, he had a subtle look of anxiety on his face, because he knew he was in a dangerous situation. An uneasy atmosphere permeated the air, as if countless eyes were secretly watching him.

He looked at Koki again, a hint of sincerity in his eyes, and said earnestly, "Did you bandage me? I'm extremely grateful. But this place is dangerous; it would be best to leave quickly."

Tobirama knew in his heart that those who were hunting him down would not let him go easily, and if Koki were just an ordinary person, he would probably be in grave danger if he got involved in this turmoil.

Hearing Koki 'Tobirama words, Mitsuki hesitated for a moment, not expecting that Tobirama, even when he himself was in danger, would still care about his safety.

However, he chuckled softly, "Take better care of yourself."

"What?" Tobirama raised an eyebrow in confusion, about to ask further, when he saw Koki slowly raise her finger and point upstream.

Koki calmly said, "Those uninvited guests must have come for you."

His gaze followed the direction of the finger, and he saw several figures on the riverbank, like smoke and mist, with dust flying everywhere. Their killing intent was as scorching as the blazing sun, clearly perceptible.

Tobirama turned around and looked at the faces of those people clearly; his expression immediately turned serious.

Sure enough, it was those very people who had once hunted him down.

Those people moved with incredible speed, and in the blink of an eye, they approached the hiding place of Koki and Tobirama.

However, when they discovered that in addition to their target Tobirama, there was also a stranger named Koki present, they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

Their pace gradually slowed, and they eventually stopped not far from the two men.

They stood still, their gazes shifting between Koki and Tobirama, trying to determine Koki's identity and his relationship with Tobirama, while also searching for the best opportunity to attack.

Tobirama reacted swiftly; upon seeing the newcomers, he didn't hesitate for a moment, his figure flashing as he blocked their path.

At this moment, his expression was serious, and his eyes revealed worry for the person behind him. He turned around and shouted loudly to Koki, "I'll hold them off! You leave immediately!"