Ichigo stood rooted to the spot, his mind racing. The family, with their fiery red hair, was huddled together, beaten and bruised. The mother, her eyes wide with fear, looked at him. "A person attacked us," she whispered, her voice trembling.
A sudden, chilling sensation of danger prickled the back of Ichigo's neck. He instinctively leaped upward, twisting his body to avoid a swift, silent attack. A ninja, clad in a black jacket and pants, with a headband bearing a deep, etched gash, landed where he had just been. A rogue ninja. He was a menace, a ninja without a home, a killer who lived outside the law.
The rogue ninja scoffed. "Lets see Kid,what are you made of."
Ichigo knew, deep down, that he was no match for a trained shinobi. He was a civilian who had only just begun to understand this world. He didn't know how to use chakra, let alone fight a ninja. But he couldn't just abandon them. His old self, Arthur, had a sentimental soft spot for the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans. They were known for being a bit arrogant, but weren't all clans? Just because they possessed unique eyes or bodies didn't make them inherently bad people. He had to help.
He took a fighting stance, a rush of adrenaline filling his veins. Let's go, he thought, steeling himself for the inevitable fight.
He stood in front of the rogue ninja, shielding the family behind him. "Guys, go to the left! There's a depot there, ask for help!"
The mother nodded, her eyes full of gratitude and determination. She grabbed her children's hands and began to run.
The rogue ninja laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "Foolish brat. You think you can stop me?" He charged forward, his kunai glinting in the pale sunlight.
Ichigo dodged the first strike with a burst of speed. He managed to evade the second and third, his instincts and training paying off. But by the fourth strike, the ninja was no longer toying with him. The blows landed, and Ichigo felt the searing pain of cuts and bruises. The rogue was playing with his prey, toying with him like a cat with a mouse. His extreme reflexes and raw sense of danger, skills he had acquired from the legendary Ichigo Kurosaki, were the only things keeping him alive.
The ninja's eyes widened, a flash of surprise on his face. This kid has extreme reflexes and senses for a civilian without chakra,he might become the civilian prodigy for future in Kumogakure, he thought. Time to end this. He landed a powerful kick to Ichigo's stomach. Ichigo tried to block it with his bare hands, but the force sent him stumbling back. The rogue ninja didn't hesitate, rushing forward and aiming his kunai at Ichigo's neck.
Crap! Ichigo's mind screamed. It seems plot armor only applies to the main characters! I'm going to die.
He braced for the end, trying one last, desperate attempt to dodge. But before the kunai could reach him, a flash of white, a figure with a Cloud Village headband, came crashing down from the sky. It slammed into the rogue ninja, sending him flying into a rock with a sickening crunch.
The figure, a dark-skinned man with silver hair and a typical Cloud ninja uniform, stood over the fallen rogue. He didn't look at Ichigo. "The Uzumaki family is safe," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Your efforts were not in vain."
He then vanished in a burst of speed and began a relentless assault on the rogue ninja. The rogue didn't stand a chance. He was on the receiving end of a brutal barrage of punches and kicks. Ichigo's thoughts swirled with a single question: Who is he?
The short, one-sided fight ended with the rogue ninja clinging to life. His eyes, full of a strange mix of defiance and resignation, stared at the sky. "Sorry, Danzo-sama" he whispered, and then his body was suddenly engulfed in flames, self-destructing and turning into ash.
Ichigo, exhausted and in pain, felt his consciousness fade. The last thing he saw before the world went black was the silver-haired ninja standing over him.
The ninja who had saved him and the Uzumaki family was none other than the son of the Third Raikage, the future Fourth Raikage, Ay.
A Few Minutes Earlier
Uzumaki Megumi, her heart pounding with terror, ran toward the direction the orange-haired boy had pointed. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her two children, Akira and Saori, both of whom were too scared to look up. Sage of Six Paths, why has it come to this? she prayed.
After the destruction of Uzushiogakure, she had wandered aimlessly, trying to find a safe haven. She had heard a rumor that Kumogakure was taking in war orphans, providing them with a home and a future. She had decided to bring her children here, hoping to leave them at the orphanage and then either die in peace or find a place to start anew. She knew she couldn't take care of them on her own.
To her surprise, her hopes were nearly dashed by a rogue ninja who attacked them out of nowhere, trying to capture her and her children. But thanks to the unexpected intervention of the strange, spiky-haired boy, she had managed to escape.
She saw the depot in the distance and ran toward it. There, she found a Cloud Jonin. It was Ay.
"You, who are you? What are you doing here?" Ay demanded, his voice sharp and authoritative.
Megumi, knowing that lying would only make things worse, explained her situation honestly. Ay's eyes widened in surprise when she mentioned she was from the Uzumaki clan. "I understand," he said, his tone softening. "I will take care of the situation."
"Please," Megumi begged, her voice thick with emotion. "Please save the orange-spiky-haired boy. Please."
Ay simply nodded and disappeared in a flash of speed, heading in the direction she had come from.
Akira and Saori looked at their mother, their faces etched with fear. "Mom, what happened to the orange kid? Is he okay?" Akira asked.
"Mom, why is this happening to us?" Saori followed up, her voice small and trembling.
Megumi wanted to tell them the truth, to comfort them, but the words wouldn't come. She just hugged them tighter. "Saori, Akira, I'm here. I'll take care of you."
Presently
The depot was a large, well-guarded structure. A few shinobi were on patrol, a testament to Ay's foresight. Ay himself appeared moments later, carrying the unconscious form of Ichigo in his arms.
Megumi saw them and let out a sob of relief. "He's alive," she said, her voice shaking.
"He's alive and well," Ay confirmed. "He just needs medical treatment. Now, you need to meet the Third Raikage. Both of you."
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Some Questions came to me that,Why Kumogakure?Why not Konoha.To be frank,they are many Fanfics based Konoha and rarely based on other Village,so I thought,Kumogakure always had a bad Impression on Naruto storyline and Fandom,So I thought of exploring Kumogakure's Side,Thats all.