Night was drawing near. A crescent moon hung high in the sky, casting a faint glow.
On a plain in the Land of Earth, Uzumaki Kuming stopped with Kakashi, Obito, and the others. They planned to spend the night in the open area.
"We'll rest here tonight. We'll continue on first thing tomorrow morning."
"Until Minato gets here, just follow my instructions."
Uzumaki Kuming hadn't cleaned the blood off himself. Now that they'd picked a place to camp, he took a scroll from his clothes, planning to wash up. During the earlier battle with the Stone Ninja, he hadn't used any of his showy Lightning Release Ninjutsu. To avoid drawing too much attention, he'd mostly fought hand to hand.
As a result, he was covered in enemy blood. It felt sticky and unpleasant.
"Yes." Obito nodded, then began getting their camping gear ready. He also took water and Military Ration Pills out of his pack to replenish his strength.
Kakashi, with half his face wrapped in bandages, surveyed their surroundings with his one good eye. "Lord Kuming, why did we choose a place like this to camp?"
"There's nowhere to hide on a plain like this. If the enemy finds us, even escaping will be difficult."
"Wouldn't it be better to keep going and find somewhere with more complicated terrain?"
Kakashi made his suggestion. He seemed to tug at his wound as he spoke, and the pain made him frown slightly.
"Don't call me 'Lord.' I was teammates with your dad and friends with your teacher. No need to be so formal. Just call me big brother."
"The same goes for you guys. You don't need to be so polite."
Uzumaki Kuming said with a smile. As he spoke, he took out a scroll, intending to get some water to