The official road at the Land of Iron's border was hemmed into a narrow passage by towering cedars on both sides.
Hooves struck the frozen earth with dull thuds. Hyuga Xiao sat in the front seat of the carriage, his pale eyes calmly scanning ahead. Kurenai Yuhi sat beside him wrapped in a heavy cloak, while Samui and Ko Hyuga rode behind the carriage—four people disguised as a merchant caravan carrying medicinal herbs to the Iron Country Capital, with several crates of dried herbs stacked on the wagon bed.
"The border checkpoint is ten li ahead." Samui urged her horse forward and lowered her voice. "Any movement from Hidden Cloud?"
Xiao did not answer immediately.
His Tenseigan grew faintly warm deep in their sockets. His vision pierced through layer upon layer of tree trunks, catching unusual chakra fluctuations on a hillside three li away—seven people, concealed in the shadows of the cedars, their chakra carrying the violent quality unique to the Land of Lightning.
"Seven." Xiao spoke softly. "Three Elite Ninja and four Chunin. Their Lightning Chakra has been warmed up to the third stage. It's Hidden Cloud ANBU's Thunder Fang Squad."
Hong's fingers tightened slightly beneath her cloak.
"They're coming for us?"
"Who else?" A faint curve touched Xiao's lips. "The Fourth Raikage would never pass up an opportunity to ambush and kill me within the Land of Iron. This is neither the Land of Fire nor the Land of Lightning. Kill us, blame it on bandits, and it's clean and simple."
The carriage continued onward.
When they were two li from the hillside, Xiao suddenly raised a hand. "Stop."
The driver pulled on the reins. Almost at the same moment, seven black figures shot out from the cedar forests lining the road—they wore tattered leather armor and black