They had barely left Konoha's gates.
Chikage stopped at a roadside waystation.
He did not use the Body Flicker Technique to travel with the other three.
He did not even intend to jog.
Yashiro stood beside him, solemnly scanning the surrounding undergrowth.
"Deputy Captain, this may be a main road, but rogue ninja could still be roaming around."
"Shouldn't we pick up the pace?"
"It would be safer to get through the open stretch ahead as soon as possible."
Chikage glanced at him.
"Captain Yashiro, what are we here as?"
Yashiro paused.
"A special task force from the Konoha Military Police Force?"
Chikage shook his head.
"Wrong. Completely wrong."
"We're business envoys carrying a hefty sum to Prefecture City to meet with the Daimyo."
"Have you ever seen a rich tycoon run all the way to a business meeting on his own two feet?"
"If word got out, people would think the Uchiha had gone bankrupt."
Inabi and Tekka exchanged a glance and scratched their heads.
Chikage took out the funding scroll Danzo had approved.
He tapped the counter in front of the waystation's proprietor.
"Bring out your spacious four-horse carriage."
"I want two layers of soft cushions in the cabin."
"And there has to be room for a table inside."
At the sight of the thick stack of banknotes, the proprietor's eyes narrowed into smiling slits.
"Certainly, sir! I'll get our finest carriage ready for you right away!"
An incense stick's worth of time later.
A large, luxurious black carriage stood by the road.
Four sturdy horses pulled it, and its cabin was big enough to hold seven or eight people.
Thick blankets lined the interior, with a solid wooden square table secured in the middle.
Chikage clapped his hands and pointed at the cabin.
"What are you standing