The fog was thicker than yesterday.
The sky was bright, the mouth of the slope turning white first while the ravine stayed dark. Moisture rose from below, weighing their clothes down. A whole night against their bodies had not dried them.
The team followed the ravine deeper in. Wet stones lay underfoot, and the leaves overhead were still dripping.
Night dew had washed the rocks along the ravine wall. A band of black, a band of white.
They left the direction of yesterday's glint to the left half of the slope.
The team skirted a long way along the ravine's edge, keeping entirely to the shaded sides of the rocks.
No one mentioned the glint again. The water murmured thinly in the ravine, sounding along each stretch they walked.
The sun climbed slowly, adding light to the ravine inch by inch.
Kiyoshi led the way as usual.
After a while, he angled his steps toward the side with more rocks, leaving half a step of space behind him.
No one behind him asked why.
For his own footing, he chose only firm ground.
The black-green layer on the rocks gleamed, soaked through with moisture.
"Thick lichen," he said. "Slippery."
It was a sound reason. No one could find fault with it.
What weighed on his chest had not brightened with the daylight. Wherever the glint might be waiting, he steered the others away from it.
He swept another glance toward the downwind side. The wind came from that direction, carrying moisture.
Sasuke walked just behind him to one side, his pace even. His blade was sheathed, and the cloth he used to wipe it was tucked back into his bundle's side pocket.
Sakura walked in the middle, her cuffs rolled up once.
Naruto brought up the rear. He tightened his