The identity of Hayato Satomi proved more useful than Maki had expected.
He was a lower-ranking samurai of the Land of Iron, captain of the Third Squad in the border patrol, with an official posting and travel clearance.
His patrol route covered the entire mountain region along the border between the Land of Iron and the Land of Rain. No one would give him a second glance.
After all, lower-ranking samurai like him were as common as troublemaking civilians in Konoha.
He spent two days traveling between the border checkpoints, learning Amegakure's patrol shift schedules.
He also pinned down exactly how often the checkpoints communicated. As a samurai from a neutral country, he was merely looking around.
On the evening of the second day, a Land of Iron border patrol stopped him at a checkpoint.
The samurai leading them was a broad, burly middle-aged man whose armor bore the insignia of the Second Squad's captain.
The samurai rested his hand on his sword hilt and looked him up and down.
"Satomi? Didn't you take sick leave and go back home? What are you doing here?"
Maki's expression did not change.
He had already verified that Hayato Satomi had taken sick leave to recover back home from documents seized at the bandits' hideout.
He lowered his voice and spoke evenly. "Back home, I heard that some routed Amegakure soldiers had crossed the border lately. I was worried the patrol would be short-handed, so I came back early."
The Second Squad's captain stared at his face for a moment.
Maki maintained Hayato Satomi's wooden expression, his head slightly lowered.
The man grunted and took his hand off his sword hilt.
"Thoughtful of you. But since you're back, report to headquarters tomorrow. Don't let everyone think you're still lying around back home."
"Understood."