The suspension bridge incident had ended without harm, and that fleeting glimpse of Ling's Water Body Flicker had earned him deeper trust and curiosity from his teammates. After crossing the gorge, the rest of their journey went relatively smoothly. Several days later, they entered the Land of Tea without incident.
The Land of Tea had a climate similar to the Land of Fire's, but its air carried more moisture and a faint fragrance of tea. Rolling hills and tea plantations filled the country, offering beautiful scenery and seemingly simple, honest people. Yet along the way, both Asuma and Ling keenly sensed something unusual. The villages they passed seemed a little too quiet, and the tea farmers wore traces of worry. Occasionally, armed ronin could be seen gathering in teahouses, discussing something in hushed voices.
"Something's off." That evening, while they set up camp on a secluded hillside, Asuma gathered the team and spoke quietly. "The Land of Tea has always been known for its peace. You rarely see this many ronin gathering here, and... they seem very wary of outsiders."
Shikamaru lay on the ground with his arms behind his head, gazing at the stars. "What a drag... Looks like this escort mission isn't so simple after all. What ruins is that archaeologist, Dr. Mitsui, studying? Why are they attracting so much attention?"
Everyone turned toward the elderly scholar, Dr. Mitsui, and his assistant, Kenichi, who were carefully organizing their equipment inside the tent.
Ling quietly extended his perception, using the moisture around the campfire and the nighttime dew to pick up subtle movements within several kilometers of the camp. [Southeast, one and a half kilometers away. Three chakra signatures. Well concealed, but they carry the cold, damp aura characteristic of ninja from the Land of Water,] Tobirama warned.
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