Ahead of the outpost, atop the treetops.
Sen swallowed one of the Soldier Pills Mikoto had given him. As for the supplies Fugaku had "kindly" offered before they set out, he'd tossed them aside without even looking.
He could clearly feel that Uchiha Fugaku's gaze had changed.
It was no longer the scrutiny of a rival, but genuine hostility... and murderous intent.
In that situation, eating food from him would be no different from courting death.
It was precisely because he was so wary that Sen hadn't acted rashly. Instead, he'd spent two whole days lying low in the jungle, quietly observing the Sunagakure squad in the distance.
After two days, he'd already figured out what they were capable of.
They were nothing like the "three-man Chunin squad" Fugaku had described. This was a full-strength elite squad of four, led by a Jonin.
Damn it, Uchiha Fugaku was trying to use them to kill me!
Sen shook his head. He couldn't deal with Fugaku for now, so he'd better complete the mission first.
He waved his hand, and several crows silently disappeared into the night to make one final reconnaissance sweep.
He'd made up his mind: tonight.
On this dark and windy night, he'd send them on their way.
Several hours later, beneath an ink-black sky, a thick fog drifted with the moonlight toward the Sand shinobi.
"The fog's gotten awfully thick. Should we wake the squad leader?" one of the Sand shinobi on watch asked uneasily.
The other yawned and replied nonchalantly, "Isn't fog normal in the forest? We've got half an hour before the shift changes. Don't bother the squad leader."
"All right... It wasn't this thick yesterday, though. I guess it's going to rain."
Just then, the sound of flapping wings suddenly came from beside them.
The