True to her word, after that day's conversation, Kana began preparing to return to the village. She had expected the Daimyo to make things difficult, perhaps by preventing her from leaving, but nothing of the sort happened. She was allowed to pack her belongings and could leave the Capital whenever she pleased.
Kana had learned from Asuna and the others that the village suspected Tobi was the true leader of the Evil God Worshippers, and that he had ordered them to murder the Lord. Though she felt sympathy for the Lord, she also became deeply wary of Tobi. She did not believe there was anything normal about his letting her leave so easily.
It was not that Kana thought too highly of herself. She understood her position and how disastrous the consequences would be if anything happened to her. Someone hostile to Konoha Ninja Village should not simply let her walk away.
The night before her departure, Kana invited Asuna and Mizuki to stay over and discussed the matter with them in her room. They also found it suspicious. Tobi was hardly someone who shied away from underhanded tactics. Both his measures involving the Guardian Ninja and his scheme against the Lord showed just how calculating he was.
"I think he might be planning to attack you on your way home, Kana," Mizuki said.
"That's possible." Asuna nodded slightly. "There won't be many people around on the return journey, and we won't be able to come help right away. It's the ideal place for an attack."
"So I really might end up being ambushed on the road." Kana gave a wry smile.
Such things had happened in the Land of Fire before, but after Konoha Ninja Village began maintaining the main roads and protecting traveling merchants, they had all but