A Transfer Station

Yuhi Shinku didn't make the three little ones take turns keeping watch. He took on the important task himself.

The pace they'd kept during the day was far faster than a Genin's usual traveling speed, and it had worn the three of them out. With Yuhi Shinku taking watch, they barely gave it a thought before each finding a sturdy branch to lie down on and sleep.

They only felt so at ease because a Jonin like Yuhi Shinku was with them. Under normal circumstances, they'd have to find somewhere hidden to conceal themselves before they could rest easy, and even then, they wouldn't dare sleep too deeply.

As for Yuhi Shinku, once he'd confirmed the three little ones were truly asleep, he found a branch and sat down quietly.

As the night settled around him, Yuhi Shinku couldn't help recalling the special instructions the Hokage had given him when he accepted the mission.

Although part of the mission was to have Kawaki Aoba lie low for a while, something could still go wrong along the way.

Judging by the reports coming from Sunagakure, they were quite likely to cause trouble for Konoha. It was even possible they might start another war.

That meant that, besides carrying out their assigned mission, the team also had to keep an eye on the situation throughout the Land of Wind. If they discovered that Sunagakure's shinobi were plotting against Konoha, they had to send word back to the village at once.

Though Sarutobi Hiruzen had entrusted him with such an important task, Yuhi Shinku didn't feel much pressure.

That was simply because this assignment was only an additional task. The Hokage hadn't given it to their team alone.

Nearly every team on a mission in the Land of Wind or the Land of Rivers had received a similar extra assignment.

Besides, based on past experience, even if Sunagakure wanted to start a war, it would take quite a while. After all, how long had it been since the Second Shinobi World War?

In that short time, none of the other four great villages had likely managed to restore their shinobi forces to full strength—not even close.

As for why he'd described the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind as so dangerous in front of the three little ones earlier, Yuhi Shinku had this to say: a shinobi could never be too wary of the outside world. Besides, it wasn't as though he'd lied.

Under normal circumstances, the smaller countries of the Shinobi World really were much more dangerous than the great nations.

With Yuhi Shinku keeping watch, most of the night passed without a sound or a single incident.

In the second half of the night, at around one in the morning, Yuhi Shinku woke the others, and they continued on their way.

After getting plenty of rest, Kawaki Aoba and the others were much more energetic. Using the cover of night, the four-person team crossed the border and entered the Land of Rivers.

But after reaching the Land of Rivers, they didn't recklessly make straight for the Land of Wind. Instead, they detoured toward the area near the Land of Rain.

They'd traveled quickly, so they still had plenty of time. They could take care to disguise themselves as thoroughly as possible. This wasn't a time of open war, after all; there was no need to rush as if the place were on fire.

It was only at daybreak that the team of four finally reached the transfer station on their route.

Tuyuan City was a border town near the Land of Rain, though it lay within the Land of Rivers.

The little city looked like the very embodiment of filth, disorder, and squalor, but in truth, it was full of hidden talent.

Wandering samurai, rogue shinobi, and even missing-nin from various villages could all be found there.

Along the way, Kawaki Aoba and Sarutobi Asuma had seen more than one missing-nin pass by.

That's right. By then, the team of four had split into two groups to travel separately. It was necessary; four people walking together in a standard team would attract too much attention.

Sarutobi Asuma and Kawaki Aoba were both in disguise. They looked less like shinobi now and more like orphans wandering the Shinobi World.

Sarutobi Asuma wore some old, ragged clothes he'd prepared in advance. He carried a basket of herbs on his back and held a stick, leading Kawaki Aoba behind him. Kawaki Aoba's eyes were blindfolded.

With that appearance, anyone could tell that Elder Brother was leading his blind younger brother from the Land of Rain to the Land of Wind to sell herbs.

The one playing the older brother looked a little too mature for his age, but his stature still made it clear he was a child.

To make their act convincing, the two had actually entered the city from the direction of the Land of Rain, and they'd run into plenty of people along the way.

The pair didn't stand out at all in a crowd.

Remembering the address Teacher Yuhi Shinku had given him, Sarutobi Asuma circled around the city a few times before finally finding the place.

Going around the city a few times after entering was deliberate, too. Sarutobi Asuma was a stranger here, and if he seemed too familiar with the place, that would look suspicious.

Still, they were being quite cautious. Tuyuan City had no shortage of anything except unfamiliar faces; new ones appeared every day.

Fortune Street was a simple, unassuming name. It was Sarutobi Asuma's destination, and the transfer station for their journey.

The name might have been plain, but plenty of the people coming and going were genuinely wealthy merchants.

Of course, "wealthy" was relative to ordinary commoners. Compared even with the lowest-ranking nobles, they were just people earning a living through hard work.

Most of them were small-time merchants. Those doing real business only hired shinobi from established villages to escort them. They would never come here.

That was one of the main reasons there were so many shinobi in Tuyuan City. Small merchants gathered here, and once there were enough of them, they would hire rogue shinobi or missing-nin to escort them to towns in the Land of Wind or the Land of Fire, where they could do business.

The two great nations turned a blind eye to this, as did the two great shinobi villages. They knew the small merchants had limited means and couldn't afford shinobi from the established villages. Besides, trade between the cities depended on these merchants.

And so they managed to survive in the cracks between the great powers.

"Hey, you're a merchant caravan heading to the Land of Wind, right? Take me with you!" Spotting a group that was about to set off, Sarutobi Asuma promptly went over. Before he even got close, he called out in a loud voice.

Sarutobi Asuma's shout stopped the caravan just as it was about to leave. Everyone turned to look at him.

"You're headed to the Land of Wind, right? Take me along. I can protect you on the way, too." Sarutobi Asuma repeated himself.

"What's this? He's just a kid. Hey, kid, you want to come with us? Hand over a thousand ryo, and I'll let you two come along." A middle-aged man dressed a little better than the others stepped forward from the caravan and answered.