The brief respite did nothing to dispel the gloom hanging over the Konoha delegation. Although they had wiped out every attacker in the battle at the canyon entrance, the enemy's reckless madness, utterly consumed by darkness, and Zetsu's silent scrutiny afterward made one thing clear to them all: they faced not only the Akatsuki, but also the uncanny being behind it known as the "Sacred Lord," who could warp both minds and power.
"Pick up the pace. We must reach the Land of Iron as soon as possible," Tsunade ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument. As a neutral nation, the Land of Iron had a powerful force of samurai maintaining order. However strange the powers of the Akatsuki or the "Sacred Lord" might be, they would not dare launch an open, large-scale invasion. It would offer a relatively safe buffer zone.
The delegation set off again at a noticeably faster pace. Kakashi and Tokuma Hyuga widened their surveillance perimeter, while Shino Aburame's insects spread even farther afield, forming a mobile early-warning network. Ling remained under the group's protection, replenishing his slightly depleted senjutsu chakra while continuously sensing his surroundings, especially the dark thread connected to Sasuke. He was certain Zetsu's appearance had been no coincidence, and the attacks by those puppets of darkness were far from over.
Naruto followed beside Tsunade. Though he remained silent, much of the agitation in his eyes had settled, replaced by a firmer resolve. In the battle earlier, he had witnessed the wretched state of those utterly devoured by darkness. It only strengthened his determination to pull Sasuke back from that path.
Sure enough, over the next two days of travel, they suffered two more similar attacks. One came as they passed through a dense coniferous forest, where a horde of beasts corrupted