Kenshin, Ichiro, and Keiji didn't suspect they were being followed, enjoying a walk around the city and having fun, visiting many shops. Kenshin bought four silver pendants on chains, paying 1000 ryo for all of them. He wanted to apply a formation of protection from physical impact to them and give them to Aya and his two sons.
Kenshin himself already had a similar pendant with an applied formation; he spent almost a whole day installing such a complex formation on such a small pendant, but the result was worth it. This formation could protect him from three thrown kunai or from ten full-force punches from Ichiro, distributing the kinetic energy of the impact throughout the body, causing a stumble without visible damage.
Kenshin guessed that this formation wouldn't save him even from one full-force punch from a Jonin, but assumed it would at least stop one fireball from a Genin.
After half an hour of wandering around the city the trio had lunch at a local eatery, and Kenshin with his two sons headed home. Their backpacks were half filled with various things, but due to the weight reduction formation the weight of the bags was practically not felt, and the trio moved quite quickly away from the city by ten kilometres; their "native" forest was already visible on the horizon, but Ichiro suddenly froze like a statue and looked back.
"Father, we're being followed!" he declared mentally in a serious tone.
"What? Followed?!" Kenshin thought in surprise and looked back. At a distance of 500 metres a figure was quickly approaching them, rapidly closing the distance.
"It's a Konoha shinobi!" Ichiro declared, peering into the distance. Thanks to improved vision he could see what Kenshin couldn't.
"What should we do, father?" Keiji asked mentally, becoming serious.
"We'll act according to circumstances. I hope he's just running past," Kenshin declared, and the trio continued walking at the same pace as a minute ago.
"Hey you, stop!" thirty seconds later an irritated, slightly breathless voice rang out.
Kenshin and his two sons turned around looking at the Genin. Kenshin put on the most ridiculous and friendly smile, playing the role of a village fool.
"Greetings, Lord shinobi. Do you need something from three brothers? We're simple peasants, but if we can help Lord in any way, just say!" Kenshin declared selflessly, and Ichiro and Keiji nodded.
The young Konoha genin looked appraisingly at the "three brothers" as if thinking and deciding a difficult question, but then his eyes flashed, and he, obviously having decided the question tormenting him, said: "Follow me." And involuntarily nodded his head toward small hills five hundred metres from this place.
The sturdy young man was thinking whether to rob this trio or rob and kill them, and at the last moment chose the second option. He decided to eliminate possible troubles in the future by simply leaving no witnesses and victims.
Kenshin clearly noticed exactly where this Genin ordered them to go and immediately understood everything. Initially he was ready to even give away all the money just so he wouldn't have to fight a full-fledged Konoha Genin, but now he had no choice, and Kenshin mentally commanded "Now!"
Standing to the left and right of the genin Ichiro and Keiji instantly threw their shuriken at him, and Kenshin lunged with a kunai, but at the last moment the Genin jumped back, and Kenshin's kunai didn't reach its target, nor did Keiji's shuriken, but Ichiro's shuriken stuck into the lower part of his back, burying itself in the body a good two centimetres.
Landing on his feet the genin instantly drew two kunai, instantly throwing one of them at Kenshin hitting him right between the eyes, but the kunai was stopped by the formation, and the kinetic energy from the impact evenly distributed throughout Kenshin's body, making him lose balance and fall on his ass.
Kenshin was instantly covered in cold sweat, but he immediately came to his senses. He knew he had no time to hesitate and needed to help his sons quickly.
After throwing the kunai the Genin was a little surprised when what seemed a sure corpse suddenly shimmered with invisible protection and the kunai was stopped. Not paying attention to it he grabbed the second kunai and jumped toward Ichiro wanting to end the battle as quickly as possible.
Ichiro and Keiji had already drawn their kunai and synchronously moved toward the genin; Ichiro was closer so he immediately engaged in close combat, virtuously parrying the enemy kunai thrusts, but just as Keiji approached Ichiro almost took a decisive thrust but at the last moment managed to parry it and immediately received a spinning kick to the chest, flying several metres away.
While Kenshin was coming to his senses and approaching on his rather small speed Keiji engaged in close combat with the enemy and successfully defended for the first time but due to lack of experience quickly found himself in a disadvantageous position and after several strikes was wounded in the left arm.
The Konoha genin, seeing the other two opponents approaching, made a move dangerous for himself and rushed forward. Keiji instantly reacted and lunged toward the recklessly rushing enemy, but the Genin took Keiji's kunai on the thick leather bracer of his left arm, and the kunai blade pierced the bracer burying itself deep in the genin's arm; at that moment not caring about anything he made a counter thrust, and the enemy kunai plunged into Keiji's chest who didn't have time to react.
Everything happened so quickly that Kenshin running toward the fight and Ichiro who had just risen couldn't believe what they saw; the enemy kunai entered their dear Keiji's heart area up to the hilt.
A beastly roar burst from Kenshin's mouth, and he instantly accelerated, attacking the genin from behind, but for the enemy Kenshin's speed was no more than a joke. He instantly reacted and sharply turning kicked Kenshin in the stomach.
An invisible barrier instantly flashed at the impact site but also instantly went out absorbing half the force of the kick. The remaining half was more than enough to throw Kenshin three metres back.
At that very moment before Ichiro's eyes as if in slow motion flashed numerous moments spent with his brother. He remembered when he was first allowed to hold this small bald bundle. He remembered how little Keiji asked to be picked up, also remembered how he helped little Keiji get his favourite honey candies. And now this baby stood with a pierced heart looking his older brother straight in the eyes, and a second later collapsed to the ground.
Ichiro's eyes suddenly closed, and when they opened bloody tears flowed from them, the entire iris was covered in red, and a small black "comma" appeared in the pupil.
"What?! Uchiha?!" the Genin exclaimed in amazement, stopping heading toward Ichiro.
Ichiro didn't answer and only growled, instantly rushing forward.
The Genin hastily drew a spare kunai and only at the last moment managed to parry Ichiro's thrust. He didn't stop attacking, growling furiously and not giving the Genin anything but going into deaf defence.
Kenshin who had risen to his feet and was planning to rush into battle again suddenly froze in place seeing his eldest son's eyes. He also saw that Ichiro was pressing the enemy Genin without much trouble not giving him a chance to counterattack.
Ichiro's reaction jumped to a completely new level, and he easily saw all his enemy's movements. After several dozen thrusts his kunai finally found its target.
When the Genin tried to retreat and jumped back Ichiro's kunai suddenly slashed his throat. The shocked Genin who landed on his feet collapsed to the ground a few seconds later.
Kenshin froze in amazement seeing the last strike that slit the enemy Genin's throat. Ichiro's kunai definitely shouldn't have reached the target; there were at least thirty centimetres from its blade to the enemy's throat. But at that moment nothing concerned Kenshin except Keiji lying motionless.