The Waystation

A cool breeze stirred the forest. Tsukimi and the other three moved calmly through the dense woods of the Land of Rivers, steadily approaching the border with the Land of Fire. They looked like a team heading home after completing its mission.

A kilometer behind them, the Sand Hidden scout suppressed his presence as much as he could. He followed at the very edge of his sensory range, tasked with confirming whether the Konoha squad was truly leaving.

After half a day of travel, the mountains grew gentler and the vegetation began to change. A ridge rose ahead of them: the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire. Once they crossed it, they would be in the Land of Fire.

The moment the four crossed the ridge, Tsukimi received a view from the Shadowkhan behind them. The Sand Hidden scout who had followed them all this way stopped. After confirming they had no intention of turning back, he ended his Sensory Ninjutsu and headed into the heart of the Land of Rivers.

"Move!"

At Tsukimi's low command, the four immediately changed direction and reentered the Land of Rivers. They followed the Sand Hidden scout from roughly two kilometers away.

Now it's our turn to follow you.

As they traveled, Orochimaru turned to Tsukimi, curiosity in his golden snake eyes. His words were a question, but his tone was certain. "You noticed a scout watching the valley while you were interrogating that Sand Hidden Jonin, didn't you? Is that why you pressed him about Rasa's strange behavior?"

Tsukimi kept moving as he laid out the situation.

"To be precise, I spotted the hidden scout before we ambushed the Jonin."

"He never showed any intention of intervening. At the time, I only suspected it might be an internal struggle within Sand Hidden."

"But after interrogating the Jonin, I realized there was more to it. Rasa has always competed with Pakura, yet he gave up the valuable mission to investigate a new poisonous plant. Sand Hidden specializes in puppets and poison. Discovering a new toxin could greatly strengthen its forces, but Rasa's excuse was that border affairs kept him busy."

"I actually know this one," Asuma said, eagerly raising a hand. "Outside wartime, border troops usually just patrol. There aren't any major deployments."

Tsukimi shrugged. "See? Even Asuma knows that."

"Heh!" Asuma grinned proudly, then caught on. A huge question mark might as well have appeared over his little head.

Was that a compliment?!

"And we had only just dug up clues connected to Cloud Hidden when the investigation squad arrived. Then there's this scout."

"Three coincidences together aren't a coincidence!"

Tsukimi waved a hand, indicating that the point was obvious.

"You mean," Orochimaru said with a slight nod, "Rasa is connected to whoever was behind the poison-making base. He deliberately leaked information so we'd eliminate his rival for him."

"Exactly. The traces pointing to Cloud Hidden also drew our attention away from him."

Asuma and Kurenai understood now too, and a chill ran through them. The person behind the operation they were investigating was tangled up in Sand Hidden's factional struggle. Using others to kill a rival was far more insidious than a head-on fight.

Orochimaru gave a soft laugh and looked at Tsukimi with interest. "A good theory. But so far, it's only an inference. You have no proof."

"Our proof is right ahead. Follow him, and we'll get to Rasa."

The four said no more. They suppressed their presence and used the terrain and Tsukimi's Shadowkhan to stay on the Sand Hidden scout's trail.

The scout was highly experienced at shaking pursuit. He repeatedly changed course, chose desolate mountains and dense forests, and even doubled back several times.

What he didn't know was that they had him firmly in their sights.

Kid, you've got a long way to go before you can pull one over on me.

The four tailed him deep into the central Land of Rivers. After winding about for most of the day, they finally reached a hidden valley surrounded by mountains late that night.

Sheer cliffs enclosed the valley on three sides, leaving only one road out. It was exceptionally well concealed. The night was black as ink, but lights blazed throughout the cluster of buildings at its center. Hidden barriers and warning lines guarded the base's perimeter.

The Sand Hidden scout passed through the barrier with practiced ease and entered the depths of the base. Tsukimi and the others stopped in a concealed spot on the mountainside and surveyed the valley from above.

The valley appeared to be a waystation, but its size and activity far exceeded their expectations.

Large numbers of Ninja in Sand Hidden attire moved through the valley. In the firelight, everyone had a job: carrying supplies, recording shipments, patrolling. The vast waystation ran in an orderly fashion, showing no sign of slowing down for the night.

Large wooden crates, laboratory vessels, and sealed medicine jars crowded the open ground at the valley's center. Many containers bore poison markings. Supplies arrived in bulk, were quickly logged, then repacked and sorted. Some went into storage; others were sent out of the valley.

Asuma instinctively lowered his voice. "Why is there so much stuff? What's that sand-eating Rasa trying to do?"

"They've set up a barrier around the perimeter," Kurenai said with a frown. "We can't sneak in. If we force our way through, word will get out."

Orochimaru swept his gaze over the busy figures below, then turned to Tsukimi, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. "We've found a lead, but security is tight. What will you do, Tsukimi?"

Asuma and Kurenai looked at Tsukimi too.

Tsukimi estimated the distance and confirmed that the valley lay within two kilometers.

"Leave it to me!"

The Shadowkhan had no Chakra, making them ideal for sneaking in to investigate.

He formed hand signs, and the shadows beneath his feet surged. Instead of forming a troop, they slipped through the cracks in the mountainside as shadows and passed straight through the barrier.

Interest deepened in Orochimaru's eyes as he watched.

The darkness suited the shadows perfectly. They flowed silently along the eaves and the bases of walls into the compound, then gathered into a Shadow Ninja.

On the mountainside, Tsukimi closed his eyes and linked his consciousness to the Shadow Ninja. After scanning room after room, it dissolved into a pool of shadow again, slipped past Sand Hidden patrols, and headed toward the deepest part of the complex.

The outer barracks held only guards' quarters and warehouses. There was nothing of value there.

Stopping and starting along the way, the shadow finally slipped through a crack into a separate stone building with noticeably tighter security. Candles burned quietly inside. Files covered the central desk, and ledgers stood neatly on the bookshelf beside it.

This must be the place!