Something Was Definitely Wrong

The carriage rolled along the smooth highway, slowly leaving Konoha's sphere of influence.

Konoha lay in the most prosperous heartland of the Land of Fire. Under the village's protection, the surrounding towns and cities were peaceful, and ordinary people lived comfortably enough.

Beyond Konoha's core territory, the road to the border changed. Apart from a few large trading towns, the villages along the way were shabby and low-built, the roads were rutted, and the people working the fields wore the weary, numb look of those struggling to survive.

The sights gave Tsukimi a clearer sense of something he had long felt: the Shinobi World was deeply divided, a world warped out of balance.

Ninja wielded the power of Chakra. They could have used it for farming, construction, and other productive work, greatly increasing output and making better use of resources.

Yet in all these centuries, no one in the Shinobi World seemed to have considered it. To everyone, Chakra was a tool for killing.

Even someone as brilliant as Tobirama Senju had never broken out of that way of thinking.

Every shinobi world war sprang from conflict over resources, yet no one ever thought to create more. The more they fought, the poorer they became, and the poorer they became, the more they fought. It was a vicious cycle.

The sights along the road also dampened Asuma's and Kurenai's excitement at leaving the village for the first time. Both came from Konoha's upper circles and had grown up in comfort. Seeing the world as it really was for the first time left them with mixed feelings.

After a moment's reflection, Tsukimi put the thought aside. He could not change any of this. His most important goal now was to survive the coming Third Shinobi World War.

Seeing how downcast they were, Tsukimi said, "Come on, don't look so gloomy. When we get back, Asuma, ask your old man to get the Daimyō to approve a 'Land of Fire Road Beautification Project.'"

Tsukimi patted Asuma's shoulder, smiling. "Then you can help them build roads and paint Konoha's symbol on them while you're at it."

"You might even earn the title 'Pioneer of Road Construction.' Sounds a lot better than that Fire Release Master title of yours."

Asuma nodded without thinking, then his eyes widened. "That's not a bad idea—wait, why am I the one building roads? What about you two?"

With reflexes like that, kid, you'd miss the rush even at a buffet.

Tsukimi glanced at him. "Kurenai and I would be the supervisors, of course. We'd make sure you kept working."

Kurenai burst out laughing. The joke lifted both their spirits, and once Tsukimi saw that, he turned his attention to scouting the road ahead.

Ever since they had left Konoha, Tsukimi had kept the Shadowkhan summoned and spread them out on both sides of the road ahead. Every movement along their route appeared clearly in his mind.

While using the Shadowkhan, Tsukimi had discovered a new ability: he could control any one of them and see through its eyes.

He remembered that in the Jackie Chan Adventures episode where the Troll Tribe was summoned, Sheriff Black had shared the Troll Tribe's vision. It seemed this ability was common to all nine tribes.

But it had its limits. Because Tsukimi used Chakra to activate the Tara Mask and summon the Shadowkhan, the Shadowkhan themselves had no Chakra. Conventional Sensory Ninjutsu could not detect them, but they could not sense anyone else's Chakra either. His maximum control range was only two kilometers.

Beyond that distance, Tsukimi lost contact with the Shadowkhan and could no longer see through their eyes or give them orders.

The first half of the journey through the Land of Fire passed quietly and uneventfully. Though their spirits had recovered, Asuma and Kurenai remembered Tsukimi's warning before they left and remained on guard.

At dusk three days later, the sun sank toward the horizon as the carriage crossed the border into the Land of Rivers. Even the air seemed to grow still.

"We're officially entering the Land of Rivers," Tsukimi said, his lazy manner fading. "From now on, stay alert at all times. Don't let your guard down for a second."

"Got it!"

The carriage continued on. Before long, darkness fell over the entire forest. They found a hollow sheltered from the wind and made camp for the night.

Tsukimi had not forgotten Kawata Genji. The old man had been silent throughout their time in the Land of Fire, and now he looked even more uneasy. Though he sat by the campfire, his thoughts were plainly elsewhere. His gaze kept wandering, and every so often his right hand pressed against the front of his robe.

"Mr. Kawata, do you still have nothing to tell us?"

Tsukimi prodded the campfire with a stick and gave him a pointed look.

At Tsukimi's words, Kawata Genji flinched. He forced an awkward smile, then quickly lowered his head.

"N-no... nothing to tell you."

Even the warmth of the fire could not drive away his fear.

"Is that so? You do know the rules, don't you, Mr. Kawata?"

Kawata Genji looked up at Tsukimi, confused.

"If a ninja encounters a complication beyond the mission's assigned rank, they have the right to abandon it on the spot. Are you still going to keep pretending there's nothing wrong?"

That rule did exist. But nothing had happened yet, and Kawata Genji was still their client. Tsukimi could not search him by force.

Kawata Genji no longer dared meet Tsukimi's eyes. His lips moved for a long while, but in the end he gritted his teeth and said nothing.

Let's see how long you can keep this up, old man.

Tsukimi gave Kawata Genji one long look, then turned away. Kurenai handed him the food she had prepared. Once the three of them had eaten, Tsukimi assigned the night watches. "Asuma takes the first watch. I'll take the next, and Kurenai takes the last."

Orochimaru leaned alone against a nearby tree, his golden slit-pupiled eyes quietly watching the three of them.

The night deepened, and a breeze rustled through the forest. Nothing stirred during the first watch. As soon as Tsukimi took over, he spread the Shadowkhan across the surrounding two kilometers.

Time passed. Near midnight, four furtive figures suddenly entered the Shadowkhan's field of vision, breaking the stillness of the night.

The four had suppressed their presence and Chakra fluctuations as much as possible. Under cover of darkness, they closed in on the camp with silent speed.

The uninvited guests are here, just as I thought!

Tsukimi's eyes snapped open. He had been expecting this.

Kawata Genji's strange behavior and the little movements he had tried to hide throughout the journey—now all the clues fit together.

This seemingly ordinary escort mission had likely concealed a deadly threat from the moment the old man posted it.

Tsukimi intended to find out exactly what the bastard was hiding.

"Everyone, on guard!"

He quickly woke Kurenai and Asuma. "Four enemies are closing in from the four o'clock direction. Their target is almost certainly Kawata Genji."

"Kurenai, circle left. Asuma, take the right. Find cover and stay hidden."

Neither hesitated. They drew their weapons, leaped into the trees on either side, and concealed themselves among the branches, suppressing their presence as they melted into the dark.

With them in position, Tsukimi lay down beside the campfire. He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and pretended to be fast asleep.

Let's see what kind of fish I can catch tonight!