Hoshino listened as he flipped through the logbook and booklet in his hands.
Insects that didn't belong in the Land of Wind... an insect-controlling ninja clan!
There weren't many ninja clans in the entire Shinobi World that could control insects.
Hoshino knew of only two: Konoha's Aburame Clan and Iwagakure's Kamizuru Clan.
Either was a strong possibility.
Iwagakure and Sunagakure were generations-old enemies, and as for Konoha...
Though it maintained a degree of peace with Sunagakure on the surface, Sunagakure had practically become its vassal.
In the eyes of those Konoha Ninja, the Land of Wind was no different from their own backyard.
And then there were those caravans from the Land of Lightning, going deep into the desert to gather medicinal herbs of some sort.
It was complete nonsense.
The Land of Wind lay in the west of the Shinobi World, while the Land of Lightning was in the north, with numerous small countries and the Land of Fire, another major power, between them.
Could they even recoup their costs after traveling all that way to gather medicinal herbs?
It reminded him of the first official mission he had handled after joining the Anbu.
He had pursued the missing-nin Onimaru and recovered stolen puppet technology, and the buyers had been ninja from Kumogakure.
Even then, Hoshino had thought it was strange.
Kumogakure specialized in Lightning Release and Taijutsu, with Taijutsu making up a large part of its techniques. Why would it buy Sunagakure's puppet technology?
To set up a dedicated puppet unit?
That couldn't be it either!
The manpower and resources involved would be considerable. Surely Kumogakure didn't have so much money that it had nowhere to spend it.
The more Hoshino thought about it, the more he felt there was more to the matter.
"Maki, Hizuki, we're going to investigate deep in the desert and see what those so-called caravans are really up to!"
"Temari, Yashamaru-senpai, Arashi, you stay in the village and look for any other clues. While you're at it, find out exactly where these insects are mainly found."
"Understood, Captain!"
Maki and Hizuki quickly packed their ninja tools and followed Hoshino out of the Anbu's Team Eleven office.
Temari, Yashamaru, and Arashi also set about their respective tasks.
After receiving permission to leave the village, the three departed Sunagakure and headed deep into the desert.
They remained on high alert along the way.
Hoshino used the Rat Bead among the Spirit Control Beads to sense changes in their surroundings, trying to gather any remaining clues.
Unfortunately, this was the desert, and seven days had passed. Wind and sand had covered all traces, and he found nothing.
"Captain, do you really think there's something wrong with those caravans?" Maki asked as they traveled.
Hoshino nodded. "The Land of Wind's desert is short on resources. What precious medicinal herbs could be worth a caravan from the Land of Lightning traveling thousands of miles to gather? They must have another purpose."
Maki continued, "Then why didn't any of the other ninja notice?"
Hoshino explained, "Haven't you heard that money can make even the gods do your bidding?"
Sunagakure was already dirt-poor, and keeping watch at the gate and recording arrivals was an especially thankless job for a ninja. Those on duty counted on a little extra profit from it.
Besides, the caravans had disguised themselves well. On the surface, they looked like ordinary medicinal herb merchants.
They might even have bribed certain higher-ups in the village or patrol ninja, getting them to turn a blind eye.
The money's already in my pocket. Worst comes to worst, I can run. Whoever wants to stay in this godforsaken village can have it!
That was how the vast majority of low-ranking ninja thought.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
As the three ventured deeper into the desert, the wind and sand grew fiercer, almost blocking their view.
"Captain, it looks like a sandstorm's coming. Should we find shelter?" Maki asked.
Hoshino looked up at the sky.
The distant horizon was already shrouded in yellow sand. The wind howled, whipping dust and sand across the sky.
"All right. We'll rest on the sheltered side of a dune and move again after the sandstorm passes."
Hoshino quickly made his decision and led Maki and Hizuki toward a nearby sand dune that stood taller than the rest.
"Let's rest here. The sandstorm won't stop anytime soon."
Maki picked up her water flask and took a sip. "Captain, the sandstorm won't blow the dune down, will it?" she asked worriedly.
Hoshino laughed. "It's not that easy. Besides, we're ninja. As long as it isn't an exceptionally massive sandstorm, we'll be fine."
You're strong enough to be fine, but I'm not!
After muttering a few words under her breath, Maki stole several glances at Hizuki.
Hizuki sat to one side without any expression, as though the wind, sand, and danger around them had nothing to do with her.
Maki felt a little apprehensive and whispered to Hoshino, "Captain, has Hizuki-senpai always been this... aloof? I don't even dare talk to her."
Hoshino smiled and whispered back, "That's just how Hizuki is. She doesn't like talking much, but she's reliable when it comes to getting things done, and she's a good person too."
Maki nodded, though she was still a little uneasy.
She stole another glance at Hizuki and saw that she was still looking straight ahead, the very picture of icy beauty.
So cool!
"Maki, you keep looking at me. Is something wrong?" Hizuki suddenly asked in an icy voice.
Startled, Maki hurriedly waved her hands. "N-no, nothing! I'm just... just a little nervous. The sandstorm's so strong."
Hizuki gave her an indifferent glance. "Sandstorms are dangerous, but as long as you stay calm, there won't be a problem. You're a ninja. Don't let your surroundings frighten you."
Ashamed by Hizuki's words, Maki lowered her head and said quietly, "Yes, Hizuki-senpai. I'll keep that in mind."
Seeing this, Hoshino smiled and smoothed things over. "All right, Maki, Hizuki's right. We're ninja, and we have to stay calm no matter what we face."
"While we're waiting for the sandstorm to pass, we can discuss our plan of action."
"Even if the wind and sand have covered the caravans' tracks, they can't have vanished into thin air. We need to find a way to locate their hideout."
Hizuki said coldly, "Since those caravans dare to operate in the desert, they must have a fixed base."
Maki asked, puzzled, "But the desert is so huge. How are we supposed to find their base?"
Hoshino smiled. "This is the desert. They can't travel through it without water, so we'll start by checking the nearby oases."
An unknown amount of time passed.
The yellow sand gradually dispersed, letting a little sunlight through.
"It looks like the sandstorm's about to pass," Maki said quietly.
Hizuki nodded. "We can get ready to move."
"All right, let's keep going," Hoshino said, getting to his feet and brushing the sand from his clothes.
The three continued through the desert. The wind and sand gradually weakened, and their view grew clearer.
Using the Rat Bead among the Spirit Control Beads, Hoshino sensed the changes in their surroundings. His gaze then settled on a patch of sand not far away.
When they approached, they found an abandoned camel-drawn cart there, its wheels sunk deep in the sand and its cargo scattered across the ground.
There was also a concealed pit nearby.
The pit was covered with sand, but faint traces of digging could be seen.