The tent fell silent in an instant.
Shikamaru slowly exhaled.
"Then he hasn't lost his mind," he said. "He's turning Osmanthus Village into a strongpoint before reaching outward. That's the most troublesome approach."
"There's more," Chisen said. "They've started digging into the past. Old household registers, medicine contract records, lists of outside traders-anything they can turn up. If the local officials won't give it to them, they'll get it elsewhere."
Tsunade's gaze turned cold.
"Names."
"Yes," Chisen said. "And they aren't grabbing people at random. He's having people watch the rendezvous points. Leave the women and children alone. Only watch the people who can hold a pen."
Kakashi clicked his tongue softly.
"Dirtier than simply intercepting villagers."
"They're watching the western post road too," Shino added. "They scouted the two outer security rings around the southern rendezvous point, but haven't gone in yet. We also received a report that the team carrying the compensation documents will take the western post road the day after tomorrow. Helian doesn't intend to touch them immediately. He said hitting them then would be too obvious. Mark out the western post road first, then intercept their second shipment of resettlement supplies."
Shikamaru tossed his pen onto the table with a snap.
"I knew it."
Tsunade looked at him. "What have you heard?"
Shikamaru pulled a sheet of paper from the edge of the table and pushed it forward.
"A message from the southern sentry line this morning. Both teams we sent to resettle villagers from other villages and transport compensation documents spotted scouts on the road last night who weren't local patrols. Not many, and they moved fast. Looked like they were mapping routes, not preparing to strike right away." He raised his eyes toward Chisen. "Put that together with what you found, and it