The rocky bank lay north of the supply point.
A shallow river ran through its middle. The water was clear, and the stones had been washed pale.
The view was unobstructed here.
There was no dense forest.
There were no abandoned houses.
Nor was there any high ground where someone could easily hide.
Morikawa Kai's reason for choosing this meeting place was clear.
He no longer wanted to enter any place where one side alone could control him.
After Gen arrived, he did not immediately set up an encirclement.
"No encirclement."
Crow looked at him.
Gen said, "An encirclement would scare him off."
Shisui nodded.
"Open ground, three sides in position, with the Medical Ninja in the center."
This time, Shisui did not put himself at the front.
Morikawa Kai had specifically asked for him.
Perhaps it was genuine trust.
Perhaps it was a lure.
Either way, he could no longer serve as the sole point of contact for the meeting.
Crow positioned the Anbu on the left.
The Uchiha stood on the right.
The Medical Ninja and the Recorder stood in the center.
They were not far apart.
Everyone could see one another's movements.
It was not the best formation for combat.
But it was the best formation for bearing witness.
The wait dragged on.
The sun sank little by little, and the river darkened.
No one spoke.
Gen knew that the real danger was not necessarily whether Morikawa Kai would appear.
It was this stretch of waiting before the meeting.
The enemy might attack now.
Or they might make the spatial traces appear again to cause panic.
Sure enough, as dusk approached, the air across the river warped slightly.
Shisui noticed immediately.
"Space fluctuation."
Crow also raised a hand in warning.
But no attack came.
No kunai.
No