After resting overnight at the Land of Fire border outpost, the Konoha ninja and Land of Iron samurai set out again. This time, they traveled light, with a samurai carrying the noble girl, who could not move very fast, as they headed toward the Land of Iron Capital.
As for where the young samurai had gone?
The young samurai had died protecting the girl. She had buried him herself in the forest near the Land of Iron border where he had protected her. The others who had died in the convoy were buried there too, including the client's double and the girl's double.
The moment Lin Chuan and Hayama Shirakumo saw the young samurai's body, they understood what had happened. Chūsuke also came to speak with them privately, asking them to keep quiet. He would persuade the client to raise the mission's rank.
Even when Hayama Shirakumo brought up the samurai's technique for explosive bursts of speed, Chūsuke agreed after a little thought.
Brothers to your face, rivals for profit behind your back. Out in the world, acting carried you farther than sincerity ever could. They seemed to be discussing favors, but all they thought about was business. Everyone understood the rules; they simply left them unspoken. All smiles on the surface, all schemes underneath. Friendship on their lips, meticulous calculations in their ledgers.
All these catchy rhymes-are you studying for a graduate entrance exam? Lin Chuan had not expected to achieve his goal so quickly. When that quip came to mind, he nearly laughed aloud. Fortunately, the solemnity of the funeral forced him to suppress his amusement, though holding it in almost hurt.
Thinking it over afterward, he could understand Chūsuke's intentions. After all, a dead childhood sweetheart was the best kind of childhood sweetheart. Besides, the boy had