Nothing happened the first night.
During the following day, Chisen did not let anyone relax.
They rested in shifts, watched the village in shifts, and kept quiet even while eating. Shizune found time during the day to visit the southern rendezvous point and confirm that the villagers had been settled in. She returned with news: they were still shaken, but at least they were all alive, with food and shelter secured for the time being.
At dusk, just as the horizon began to redden, Neji suddenly activated his Byakugan and said quietly, "Someone's here."
Everyone looked up at once.
"How many?" Chisen asked.
"Seven, beyond the woods to the north. They aren't villagers, and their chakra doesn't feel like Konoha's." Neji kept his gaze fixed on the distance. "They're watching the village, but they aren't coming in."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Advance scouts."
Everyone fell silent.
Neji kept watching. "They're spread out. Two in the trees, three on the ground, and two farther back covering them. They've stopped-they're looking at the village entrance."
Shikamaru slowly sat up straight.
"They're here already."
Shizune unconsciously tightened her grip on her clipboard.
They could not actually make out anything in the distance, only that the treeline north of Osmanthus Village seemed darker than usual. But everyone on their side knew that people were already watching the empty village from those shadows.
Neji spoke again. "They watched for a while, but they didn't enter. Looks like they're memorizing the layout."
Chisen remained calm. "Let them look."
"Right." A little later, Neji added, "They've pulled back. Didn't come any closer."
Shikamaru exhaled.
"More cautious than I expected."
"Only natural," Chisen said.
That night, the Allied Forces' advance scouts did not approach again.
But early the next morning, a second group arrived.
There were more this