Coming to the Rescue
Koki stood quietly on the riverbank, struggling intensely with the difficult choice between taking action and not taking action.
The struggle before him was complex and multifaceted, like a tangled mess of yarn, and in his hand he held tightly the thin thread that might turn the tide, yet he hesitated whether to gently pull it.
The four ninjas were completely unaware of Koki's inner struggle. One of them was rugged in appearance, with a fierce look on his face and disdain for Koki in his eyes.
A cruel and arrogant smile appeared on his lips as he thought to himself that this frail young man would surely tremble and flee in fear.
He swiftly drew a Shuriken from his waist pouch, and with a flick of his arm, the sword shot towards Koki with a whooshing sound.
The blow was heavy and powerful; as the sword flashed past, the air emitted a piercing shriek, as if playing a mournful prelude to the impending death.
However, Koki was no ordinary person.
Just as the Shuriken was about to strike, he deftly turned his head, and at the same time, his right hand swept across like Hayate, firmly catching the flying dagger.
A crisp clang of metal rang out, and the short sword lay quietly in his palm, no longer trembling.
This series of movements was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation or sluggishness.
Koki lowered her eyes, feeling the icy touch of the short sword spread from her fingertips.
When his gaze fell upon the prominent characters "Sarutobi" on the hilt of the sword, his brow furrowed slightly; this symbol was not unfamiliar to him.
On the other side, Tobirama gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain in his Tobirama. Blood bloomed like plum blossoms. He pressed his hand tightly against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but the hot flow continued to spill from between his fingers, scattering on the ground and blooming into shocking blood flowers.
He was single-minded, his eyes fixed intently on the four enemies who intended to kill him.
Just then, a skeletal, sinister-looking man among the four men flashed a cruel glint in his eyes.
He nimbly drew a sharp sword from behind his back, stomped his foot hard on the ground, and lunged straight at Tobirama.
Its speed was as fast as Hayate sweeping through the treetops, reaching the top of Tobirama in an instant. The sword was raised high, the muscles were taut like drums, and it slashed down at the top of Tobirama's head with all its might.
However, at that critical moment, a sudden dagger, with unimaginable speed and force, pierced his heart squarely, the force sending him flying backward.
The fierce look on his face froze instantly. His eyes widened, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.
With a crisp sound, the longsword in his hand fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Then his body fell heavily to the ground like a pile of tattered cotton, stirring up a whirlwind of dust, and the spark of life was quickly extinguished in him.
This sudden turn of events shocked Tobirama and the others.
Their minds went completely blank for a moment, and they stood there motionless, completely unresponsive to what had just happened.
However, in a short while, their gazes all turned to where Koki was, puzzled and bewildered that this boy, who was originally regarded as an insignificant bystander, had displayed such astonishing power.
Koki's gaze was icy, his left hand still in the throwing posture of a short sword. His handsome face appeared even paler in the sunlight, and his beautiful black eyes flashed with a sharp light.
Only then did Tobirama get a clear look at Koki's face, and for a moment he was stunned.
Just now, he only saw Koki's back, which was ordinary and unremarkable. However, at this moment, when his gaze met Koki's eyes, Tobirama was involuntarily drawn to them, and he even forgot about his own danger.
In the oppressive atmosphere, a man with fierce eyes shouted hoarsely, "Who are you?!"
Koki remained calm as she slowly withdrew her hand, her movements exuding extraordinary elegance and composure.
His gaze swept lightly across the ground, where various weapons were scattered across the ravaged battlefield—gleaming Kunai, sharp longswords, and bloodstained daggers.
Koki raised an eyebrow slightly. "The Sarutobi Clan?"
"Knowing your identity, you still dare to provoke me? You're simply courting death!" Upon hearing Koki's words, the ninja with the fleshy face became even more ferocious.
The veins on his neck bulged like writhing snakes, and his roar contained contempt and anger towards Koki. Koki's actions had violated the dignity of the Sarutobi Clan, and he had already pronounced Koki's doom in his heart.
However, Koki seemed not to hear, simply standing there quietly, gently toying with a pebble between her fingers.
The pebble was tossed into his hand, tracing an elegant arc in the air before finally landing steadily in his palm.
He slightly raised his eyes, his tone calm yet sharp. "This isn't your territory. To act so recklessly, are you trying to challenge us?"
The burly ninja thought to himself that this young man was just a greenhorn, and his previous success was nothing more than luck.
He cruelly curled the corners of his lips into a cold laugh, "What do we have to be afraid of?"
At that moment, another ninja beside him reached out to stop his impulsive companion, whispering a warning, "This person is no ordinary person. Could he be from the Uchiha Clan?"
Making an enemy of the Uchiha Clan too easily would likely backfire and have unimaginable consequences.