Every few days, when he came by, he always found some changes.
Under the excited and respectful gazes of the two student guards in the camp watchtower, whose bodies had suddenly straightened when they saw him, Chiba gave them a slight nod in greeting before stepping into the camp.
Three days had passed since his last visit. Over those three days, the camp, which had already changed considerably, had undergone even greater transformations.
First were the surrounding log walls. At some point, iron spikes meant for fortifications had been installed in every gap, making the log walls look like the spiny hide of a hedgehog.
At the same time, inside the camp, the buildings that had originally served as student dormitories had mostly been torn down. A group of workers disguised as ninja were digging something, apparently planning to excavate tunnels.
At this point, only the office building, two former student dormitories, a warehouse, and a kitchen remained in the camp. Even the cafeteria had been demolished, replaced by nothing more than an awning outside.
Was this...
Were they planning to turn this place into a fortress? After looking around, the thought could not help flashing through Chiba's mind.
Forget it. I should find Hirohiko and Yukina first.
But the thought passed in an instant. Chiba did not dwell on it and headed straight for the office building.
"Wait. Stop right there."
"Please verify your identity."
Just then, as Chiba walked away, two ninja wearing Konoha forehead protectors behind him were stopped by the student guards in the watchtower.
"Oh, we're friends of Chise Hibiki, the person in charge. Chief Chise Hibiki asked us to come today, saying there was something he needed."
Hearing the words from the watchtower and seeing the gleaming Kunai in the two guards' hands, one