Kawaki Aoba fell silent for a moment, then said, "Keep watching them. Don't expose yourself. I'll sense the area again and see where the third person is.
If they're only searching for something and haven't discovered us, we'll stay hidden and see what exactly they're looking for. But if they've found us or show any intent to attack, we'll act immediately. We'll take care of these two first, then find the third person."
"Alright."
Yuhi Shinku answered, then withdrew back into the hollow of the tree, leaving only a narrow gap through which she continued watching the two men.
Kawaki Aoba closed his eyes again and focused his senses.
This time, he searched with his chakra more meticulously, combing through the forest to the northwest bit by bit. At last, around fifty meters behind those two men, he detected a third chakra fluctuation. It was more concealed than the other two, nearly blending into the surrounding environment. Without careful sensing, it would have been impossible to detect.
"Found him."
Kawaki Aoba slowly opened his eyes and lowered his voice as he spoke to Yuhi Shinku inside the tree hollow. "The third person is fifty meters behind those two, hiding in a large tree. He should be on lookout duty. His chakra fluctuation is weaker than the other two's, but more concealed. Looks like he specializes in hiding and reconnaissance."
Yuhi Shinku's voice came from the tree hollow, carrying a trace of surprise. "Hiding in a tree? No wonder I didn't see him. I kept watching the bushes on the ground and didn't pay attention to the trees.
So what exactly are they looking for? I saw them constantly scanning their surroundings, and they're moving slowly. They don't look like they're traveling—they look more like they're searching for something specific."
"Hard