It took more than ten days to travel between the Land of Fire and the Land of Artisans. Since they had to match the pace of the two barrier ninjas and the porters, Uchiha Itachi and the others had traveled in fits and starts for nearly five days, barely covering a third of the journey.
That afternoon, the sky was gloomy, and dark clouds blocked out the sun. The bitter winter wind swept through the forest, leaving Tenma and Shinji shivering. Mucus was even seeping from Tenma's nostrils.
"Sniff..."
"This weather is awful. It's freezing!"
"I didn't expect it to get colder the farther we went. Even our winter clothes can't keep out the chill."
Tenma walked in the middle of the group, grumbling. They had been traveling for several days. The weather had been pleasant at first, with bright afternoon sunshine that felt warm on their skin. But today, it had changed abruptly, and the temperature had plummeted.
"Just hang in there a little longer. We'll reach the border in a few days. We can rest at the border troops' encampment before moving on."
"For now, let's hope the coastline hasn't frozen over!"
Maruboshi Kosuke, walking at the rear of the group, tried to reassure them.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
"This is so annoying!"
Tenma complained. Just then, a warm liquid splattered across his face, and a sharp, metallic stench filled his nostrils. He instinctively touched his cheek and looked at his hand. It was covered in bright red blood.
"Blood?!"
"We're under attack!"
The two shouts rang out almost simultaneously. The first was filled with confusion and shock; the second with alarm and urgency.
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
Beside the wagon carrying the Star Iron, two porters collapsed helplessly to the ground. The two barrier ninjas had noticed something was wrong, but