At the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water, the terrain gradually shifted from the latter's hot-spring valleys to the former's permanently frozen earth and frigid forests.
The leaden sky hung low. Fine, cold rain mixed with flecks of ice fell silently, swallowing every sound until only the faint tread of feet on slick moss and frozen soil remained, along with restrained breathing.
Hatake Sakumo led his four-man squad through the dense, twisted conifer forest like ghosts.
Besides Sakumo himself, the squad included Ishikawa Ken, an elite jonin skilled in Earth Release and defense; Kazematsuri Yū, a special jōnin proficient in tracking and analyzing traps; and Oshima Rin, a young but meticulous chunin with exceptional sensory abilities.
They had spent five days searching stealthily through this perilous region.
Their objectives-the token of fallen star iron engraved with special runes, crucial to the alliance between Konoha and the Land of Iron, and the truth behind the escort squad's annihilation-remained shrouded in mystery.
"Captain," Ishikawa Ken said in a low voice. Broad and solid as a boulder, he was the squad's most reliable shield. "According to the last scraps of intelligence, the attack should have happened in the valley ahead. But the traces here... they're too clean. It looks like a professional squad erased them."
Sakumo raised his hand slightly. The squad stopped instantly, melting into the shadows of the trees.
His keen gaze swept their surroundings, and the White Fang Short Blade hummed softly in its sheath.
Shinji's warning still rang in his ears, making him doubly wary of every irregularity.
"Yū, have you found anything?" Sakumo looked toward Kazematsuri Yū. The tall, thin ninja was crouched on the ground, his fingertips brushing a mark almost entirely washed away by the rain.
"Very professional countertracking methods.