To be honest, the mountains of the Land of Lightning were indeed difficult to climb, but what made Zabuza even more uncomfortable were the two gazes that constantly pricked his back like thorns.
Whether those two Kumogakure Ninja were incompetent at their jobs or deliberately trying to wage psychological warfare, their "covert observation" was not covert in the slightest.
Although Chukichi had judged Zabuza as having "no talent for sensing," that was only by the standards of a sensory ninja. In truth, outside of Konoha, the total number of renowned sensory ninja across the other four villages probably did not even reach ten.
Among ordinary ninja, however, Zabuza's Kekkei Genkai-like hearing unquestionably placed his sensory abilities among the very best.
For example, right now, he could vaguely sense what the Kumogakure Ninja behind him was writing merely from the sound of his pen moving across the paper.
Even if he could not distinguish the other characters, he was far too familiar with the sound of someone writing his own name!
That was right. Not only were they "covertly observing" him, they were openly recording intelligence right in front of him!
Was this how single-minded Kumogakure was?
They really were nothing like those sneaky old bastards who liked to hide in the shadows!
"This is Mount Unrai. Our Cloud Village is built atop this mountain!"
Along the way, A had also done his best to cover for those two chunin, such as by constantly making conversation with Araki and the others.
Unfortunately, when it came to talent for talking, he was truly leagues behind his sworn younger brother.
If Killer B had come, he would probably have already turned the mountain path into a concert by now. A, meanwhile, could only dryly introduce which mountain this was, what mountain lay beyond