Unaware of the tail, Kenshin, Ichiro, and Keiji enjoyed strolling the city, having fun and visiting many shops. Kenshin bought four silver pendants on chains for 1000 ryō total. He planned to inscribe them with a material-impact protection formation and give them to Aya and his two sons.
Kenshin already had a similar pendant with the formation inscribed; he'd spent nearly a full day etching such a complex array onto the tiny thing, but it was worth it. It could protect him from three thrown kunai or ten full-power strikes from Ichiro, dispersing the kinetic energy across his body, making him stagger without visible damage.
Kenshin suspected it wouldn't save him from even one full-power jonin strike but figured it would at least stop a genin's fireball.
Half an hour of city wandering later, the trio lunched at a local eatery, then Kenshin and his sons headed home. Their backpacks were half-full of assorted goods, but thanks to the weight-reduction formation, they barely felt it. They quickly put ten kilometers between themselves and the city; their "home" forest was visible on the horizon. But suddenly Ichiro froze, turning back.
"Father, we're being followed!" he stated mentally in a serious tone.
"What? Followed?!" Kenshin thought in surprise, glancing back. Five hundred meters away, a figure was rapidly closing in.
"It's a Konoha shinobi!" Ichiro declared, peering into the distance. With his enhanced vision, he saw what Kenshin couldn't.
"What do we do, Father?" Keiji asked mentally, turning serious.
"We'll play it by ear. Hopefully he's just passing by," Kenshin said, and the trio kept walking at the same pace.
"Hey, you! Stop!" Thirty seconds later came an irritated, slightly breathless voice.
Kenshin and his two sons turned to face the genin. Kenshin plastered on the silliest, friendliest smile, playing the village idiot.
"Greetings, Lord shinobi. Do you need something from us three brothers? We're simple farmers, but if we can help a lord in any way, just say the word!" Kenshin declared selflessly, while Ichiro and Keiji nodded vigorously.
The young Konoha genin eyed the "three brothers" appraisingly, as if pondering a tough decision. Then his eyes gleamed—he'd clearly made up his mind—and he said: "Follow me." He jerked his head toward some small hills five hundred meters away.
The sturdy youth had debated robbing the trio or robbing and killing them, settling on the latter at the last moment. Better to eliminate future trouble by leaving no witnesses or victims.
Kenshin clearly noted where the genin had ordered them to go and understood immediately. He'd been ready to hand over all the money to avoid fighting a full Konoha genin, but now he had no choice. He commanded mentally: "Now!"
Ichiro and Keiji, flanking the genin left and right, instantly hurled shurikens at him. Kenshin lunged with a kunai, but at the last moment, the genin leaped back. Kenshin's kunai missed, as did Keiji's shuriken, but Ichiro's embedded two centimeters into the lower back.
Landing on his feet, the genin whipped out two kunai, instantly throwing one at Kenshin—right between the eyes. The formation stopped it, dispersing the kinetic energy across Kenshin's body, throwing him off balance onto his ass.
Cold sweat broke out on Kenshin, but he snapped to. No time to hesitate—he had to help his sons.
After the throw, the genin was surprised to see an invisible barrier flicker before what should have been a sure kill. Dismissing it, he gripped the second kunai and leaped at Ichiro, aiming to end it fast.
Ichiro and Keiji had drawn their kunai and moved synchronously toward the genin. Ichiro, closer, engaged first, masterfully parrying the enemy's lunges. But just as Keiji arrived, Ichiro nearly missed a fatal strike, barely deflecting it—only to take a spinning kick to the chest, flying back several meters.
While Kenshin recovered and approached at his modest speed, Keiji engaged the enemy. He held his own at first but, lacking experience, soon fell into a disadvantage and took a cut to his left arm after a few exchanges.
Seeing his other two foes closing in, the Konoha genin made a risky move and charged. Keiji reacted instantly, lunging at the reckless attacker, but the genin blocked with his thick leather left bracer. The kunai pierced it, sinking deep into the genin's arm. Ignoring it, he countered, stabbing Keiji in the chest before the boy could react.
It happened so fast that Kenshin, rushing to the fight, and Ichiro, just rising, couldn't believe it. The enemy's kunai was buried to the hilt in their dear Keiji's heart.
A bestial roar escaped Kenshin's mouth. He accelerated instantly, attacking the genin from behind—but to the enemy, Kenshin's speed was a joke. He spun and kicked Kenshin in the gut.
An invisible barrier flashed at the impact point but vanished instantly, absorbing half the force. The rest was plenty to hurl Kenshin three meters back.
At that moment, countless memories with his brother flashed before Ichiro's eyes in slow motion. He recalled first holding the little bald bundle. How tiny Keiji begged to be picked up. Helping him get his favorite honey sweets. And now that little one stood with a pierced heart, staring into his big brother's eyes—then collapsed a second later.
Ichiro's eyes snapped shut, then opened—blood tears streaming, his entire iris shrouded in red, a small black "comma" appearing on his pupil.
"What?! Uchiha?!" the genin exclaimed in shock, halting his advance on Ichiro.
Ichiro didn't answer—just roared and charged.
The genin hastily drew a spare kunai and barely parried Ichiro's lunge at the last second. Ichiro kept attacking relentlessly, snarling, forcing the genin into pure defense.
Kenshin, back on his feet and about to rejoin, froze at the sight of his eldest son's eyes. He also saw Ichiro dominating the enemy genin effortlessly.
Ichiro's reaction speed jumped to a whole new level; he tracked every enemy move effortlessly. After dozens of lunges, his kunai found its mark.
As the genin tried to retreat and leaped back, Ichiro's kunai slashed his throat. The shocked genin landed on his feet but collapsed seconds later.
Kenshin stared in shock at the final strike that slit the enemy genin's throat. Ichiro's kunai shouldn't have reached—thirty centimeters short. But right now, nothing mattered except motionless Keiji.