The caravan leader led his people onward at a trembling, sluggish pace, terrified that something else might happen.
Yet what he feared was exactly what came.
First, the Three Evil Ninja had come looking for them. To save himself, he had immediately answered every question, selling Shinji and the others out completely.
Even then, they had only spared his group because they were in a hurry to kill Princess Haruna.
Before long, history repeated itself.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
In the blink of an eye, a group of people surrounded the caravan.
But after seeing their forehead protectors, the leader actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Under normal circumstances, ninja from the Five Great Nations did follow at least a few rules and would not readily attack ordinary people.
Of course, there were exceptions.
"I ask, you answer. If anything displeases me, you know what will happen to you."
"Yes, sir. I'll tell you everything I know."
The Kumogakure ninja questioning him grunted through his nose, fairly satisfied with his attitude.
"Have you seen these people?"
"Yes, yes, I have!"
It was hardly his first time, anyway. He felt no qualms about selling them out.
And so, the pursuing Kumogakure ninja once again obtained Shinji and his companions' exact whereabouts.
"This man killed the Land of Salt's daimyō. He's a vicious murderer. Be more careful next time, or you won't even know what killed you."
"Oh, I knew he was no good! One of the men I hired only glanced at him, and he cut his head off on the spot! My poor worker! Boo-hoo..."
To distance himself from them, the man stopped just short of cursing them out.
As for the debt he owed them for saving him, that was all in the past. Why keep bringing it up?