Not Very Convincing

Fifteen minutes later, Toru tucked the scarecrow into his coat pocket and stood up. "Fifteen minutes are up. The client has recovered his strength. We're moving out."

Kurenai promptly stood up as well. Toru then glanced at Asuma. The two exchanged looks for a moment, and finally Asuma braced his hands on his knees and pushed himself up from the ground.

Toru nodded in satisfaction. "Good. We can go."

The group set off into the forest.

As soon as they entered the forest, Toru signaled for the other two to slow down. "I sense danger in the forest. Form a triangular formation immediately and protect the client."

During an escort mission, the client's life was the top priority.

The group drew together. Toru took the lead at the point of the triangle, with the scarecrow—that is, their client, Sakamoto Ichiro—behind him.

The other two ninja, Yuhi Kurenai and Asuma, took positions on either side of Sakamoto Ichiro, surrounding him.

Sakamoto Ichiro walked in the middle, keeping pace with their formation without leaving any openings. This let them move quickly while keeping him safe.

Just then, a Kunai suddenly flew in from the treetops ahead, aimed at the open space surrounded by the three of them.

In theory, that was where the client stood. If the Kunai struck the middle of their formation, it would mean the client had been hit.

Since they didn't know whether the Kunai was poisoned, getting hit could prove fatal.

Shikaku could easily declare the escort mission a failure, claiming the Kunai was laced with deadly poison, so the three of them dared not let their guard down.

Asuma drew two strange weapons resembling brass knuckles. They were a gift he'd received when he officially became a ninja: short blades forged from Chakra Metal and a hard alloy by someone commissioned by the Third Hokage.

Chakra Metal was extremely expensive. Even the Third Hokage could afford to use only a small amount in the weapons. Still, that was enough. They could absorb the wielder's Chakra and manifest its elemental properties, making them extremely useful in battle.

Asuma lunged forward and swung a punch, knocking the Kunai aside with a clang. Then he charged into the forest toward the place where it had been launched.

Asuma was strong, easily ranking among the top three in their class.

He was fast and powerful. He leapt up and reached the treetops where the Kunai had been launched in an instant.

He channeled Chakra into his short blades and swung a punch. The cold gleam of the Chakra Blades swept through the air, tearing away the cover of the treetops.

Leaves whirled through the air and fluttered to the ground, but Nara Shikaku was nowhere to be seen. Only a simple launching mechanism had been exposed.

Asuma looked surprised, but still smashed the device with a punch. Then he jumped down and reported to Toru, "The teacher isn't up there."

Toru had already expected as much. "It's fine. Stay alert and reform the formation."

Asuma nodded and returned to his position.

The forest was only a little over two hundred meters long, so crossing it should have been easy. Even with a deadweight in tow, it wouldn't have been difficult.

The problem was that they already knew Nara Shikaku had set traps like this throughout the forest.

And since they didn't know when Shikaku himself might appear, the three of them proceeded even more cautiously, moving at barely more than a normal person's walking pace.

They advanced step by step, remaining highly alert.

Sure enough, they encountered several more similar traps along the way, and dealt with each one in turn.

The petty tricks along the way made Asuma let his guard down a little.

They had already covered half the distance. Surely they'd be out soon.

But just as Asuma thought that, Shikaku caught him off guard.

This time, a single Kunai flew toward them. Without a second thought, Asuma charged forward, ready to knock it aside with his Chakra Blades.

Only then did he notice an Explosive Tag trailing behind it—and it was already lit.

Asuma was halfway there before he spotted the Explosive Tag, but by then it was too difficult to change his movement.

As Asuma charged toward the Kunai, it hurtled toward him as well.

With both of them moving toward each other, they would collide in an instant.

There wasn't enough time to change course.

Asuma could only steel himself and prepare to knock the Kunai away with a punch, sending it as far as possible before the explosion.

But it was a huge risk. The Explosive Tag might go off the moment he made contact.

Still, he had no choice.

Just then, another Kunai whizzed past Asuma and struck the explosive-tagged Kunai before it could reach him.

The two Kunai collided and changed course, sending the explosive-tagged one flying sideways. It stuck into a tree beside Asuma.

With a boom, the Explosive Tag blasted the tree in half. Wood splinters and dust, carried by the shock wave, knocked Asuma to the ground, leaving him in a sorry state.

Toru had thrown the Kunai, saving Asuma's life.

He had spotted the explosive-tagged Kunai with his Six Eyes long ago and thought, Nara Shikaku's got some nerve. Isn't he afraid he'll accidentally blow the Hokage's son to pieces? But he may have noticed how I used a Kunai to knock away the earlier projectile and figured I could save Asuma. Even so, this shows just how gutsy he is.

Nara Shikaku emerged from the shadows of the forest and addressed them. "Hand over the client, and I'll spare your lives."

Toru replied, "Never. Refusing to betray a client is the bottom line for us Konoha Ninja."

Shikaku played his part to the hilt, contorting his face into a vicious expression. The scars on his face twitched along with it as he snarled, "Then don't blame me for what happens next."

Shikaku raised his hand and threw a shower of Shuriken, somehow covering all four directions at once: Asuma, Toru, Kurenai, and the client.

Asuma rolled across the ground, barely dodging the attack.

Toru blocked the Shuriken coming at him, as well as those aimed at Kurenai and the client. At the same time, he called out, "Kurenai, look after yourself and the client."

Toru then pulled two Shuriken from his Ninja Tool Pouch and threw them at Nara Shikaku.

Shikaku dodged to the side, but Toru had tied nearly transparent, wire-thin lines to the Shuriken and manipulated them to chase after Shikaku.

Seeing that he couldn't dodge them, Shikaku could only draw a Kunai and knock both Shuriken down.

"Shuriken Manipulation Technique! Are you with the Uchiha?" Shikaku cried out.

Toru replied, "You know I'm with the Uchiha, and you still dare attack me?"

Shikaku laughed heartily. "An Uchiha brat's worth quite a bit at the Bounty Station!"

Toru's verdict: That didn't look like acting. He should be thoroughly investigated.