Escort Mission Begins

At Konoha's gate.

Yūske carried a small backpack. After submitting his permit to leave the village, he looked at the five people and one dog already waiting there in full gear. He greeted them first, then asked with a smile, "I'm not late, am I?"

"No, you're right on time."

As the team captain, Kurenai Yūhi smiled and patted Yūske on the shoulder before turning to lead them out of the village.

"Let's go. To the rendezvous point."

No one asked any questions. They simply followed Kurenai Yūhi.

At first, they proceeded slowly along the path, enjoying the scenery along the way.

As the journey continued, they gradually picked up speed until they were running. Their figures flickered through the forest like phantoms, leaping between trees, nimbly avoiding obstacles now and then as they raced through the woods in ways ordinary people could scarcely imagine.

For ninja, as long as stamina consumption was not a concern, traveling speed was actually very fast.

Before long, they arrived at an open area in a neighboring town.

Dozens of carriages were already parked in the clearing. Eighty people stood in neat lines, and Yūske noticed that Might Duy was among them.

Upon seeing their jonin arrive, the leading Chunin swiftly produced the authentication code and confirmed it with Kurenai Yūhi.

Kurenai Yūhi then began assigning the twenty Chunin into groups.

"Captain, I suggest adding one more person," Yūske suddenly said.

"What is it, Yūske?" Kurenai Yūhi asked doubtfully.

"Duy, come here!" Yūske shouted at Might Duy.

Might Duy immediately walked over upon hearing him.

"Yūske, this isn't something to joke about. Even if he's someone you know, you need to distinguish the proper occasion at a time like this." Uchiha En frowned. It was not that he looked down on people; this mission was simply too important.

"En, what would you think if I told you Duy's strength rivals that of a jonin?" Yūske looked at Uchiha En with a firm gaze.

Uchiha En looked at Might Duy's honest, stiff appearance, suspicion written across his face. He shook his head, clearly unwilling to believe Yūske's words.

"Yūske, don't argue anymore. I should just go drive a carriage." Seeing Yūske clash with others on his behalf, Might Duy hurried forward to persuade him.

"Captain, in taijutsu, I'm no match for Duy. His strength shouldn't be buried." Seeing that Uchiha En did not believe him, Yūske turned to Kurenai Yūhi with a serious expression, sincerity clear in his eyes.

Kurenai Yūhi could see that Yūske did not seem to be lying, but time was pressing and there was no way to immediately test Might Duy's strength. After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "Yūske, then let Might Duy follow you."

"Alright, thank you, Captain!" Yūske turned to Duy, his eyes full of trust. "Duy, I'm leaving my back to you."

"Waaah, Yūske, don't worry! Unless the enemy steps over my corpse, I'll never let you suffer even the slightest harm!" Moved to tears, Might Duy clenched his fists and swore an oath to Yūske.

Seeing Kurenai Yūhi's arrangement, the others said nothing and went about their own tasks.

The carriages slowly set off. Yūske and the others were responsible for daytime protection, so they quietly concealed themselves in the shadows and followed the convoy forward.

As Yūske watched Inuzuka Shiro riding atop the large white dog, a wave of envy rose in his heart. It would be great if I had a summoned beast that could serve as both transportation and a fighting partner.

Time passed peacefully, and nothing unusual happened during the day's journey.

Night fell, and it was time to change shifts. As Kurenai Yūhi gnawed on dry rations, he said to Hyuga Reon, "Even though we're currently within the Land of Fire, we can't let our guard down." After all, Hyuga Reon was the only sensory-type ninja among those on night watch, and her responsibility was immense.

After a day of travel, Yūske and the others sat around the campfire, grilling several fish. Inuzuka Shiro had ridden on Ranmaru the entire way and was now giving the dog a massage after his busy day.

"Captain, why do we still have to travel on foot? Daytime is our shift, so can't we rest in the carriages tomorrow? Ranmaru and I can take turns sensing the surrounding area," Inuzuka Shiro suggested to Kurenai Yūhi.

"We can't rule out the possibility that the enemy knows our route." Kurenai Yūhi stared at the grilling fish and shook his head as he calmly analyzed the situation. "If the enemy has set traps along our route, would you and Ranmaru be able to detect them?"

"No." After hearing Kurenai Yūhi's words, Inuzuka Shiro and Ranmaru immediately became somewhat dejected and answered gloomily.

"Alright, get some proper rest tonight. A night's sleep will restore your strength." Yūske picked up the grilled fish and handed them out one by one.

"Yūske, if your strength hasn't recovered by tomorrow, I'll carry you." Might Duy walked over and spoke sincerely.

"That's right, Yūske. You need to maintain good stamina to deal with all kinds of unknown situations," everyone said in agreement.

That night, Kurenai Yūhi ordered them to set up camp. So everyone could rest peacefully, Yūske used the String-String Fruit's power to set up a sturdy barrier around the area.

"Alright. If I can't recover my stamina, I'll be counting on you," Yūske said to Might Duy.

After finishing their food, everyone found suitable places to rest, ensuring that their stamina could return to normal by the next day.

The night passed without incident.

And so, Yūske and the others spent two days in a state of constant vigilance. If nothing unexpected happened, they would safely deliver the convoy to its destination tomorrow.

"Ranmaru, take a sniff. Do you smell anything?" Inuzuka Shiro wrinkled his nose and asked in confusion.

"Woof woof!" Ranmaru barked twice, as if saying, "It's the smell of Explosive Tags, idiot!"

"Captain, there's the smell of Explosive Tags coming from ahead of the convoy!" Inuzuka Shiro immediately reported to Kurenai Yūhi.

Kurenai Yūhi made a swift decision and shouted toward the convoy.

"Stay alert!"