The next day.
Early in the morning.
After having breakfast, Tenya and his two companions set off again with Jouichi's caravan.
Leaving the city, they passed by the battleground from the previous day's fight.
The ground was full of potholes, and the surrounding area looked like it had been scorched by a fierce fire, with burn marks everywhere.
"Move quickly, don't linger!"
Seeing the scene before him, Jouichi's face turned pale, and he hurriedly urged the caravan to move forward.
"It seems that yesterday's battle was indeed intense!" Kakashi observed the surroundings and said in a low voice, "This place has clearly been subjected to fire, earth, and even lightning jutsu, and each technique was powerful; otherwise, it wouldn't have caused such widespread damage."
"Indeed."
Having personally experienced it all, Tenya couldn't help but admire Kakashi's keen observation skills.
With just a quick glance around, he could deduce all that, proving Kakashi's exceptional insight.
No wonder he could survive numerous battles unscathed.
After traveling a bit further.
They were now approaching the border of the Land of Grass.
Crossing the border would lead them into the Land of Rain.
As soon as they entered the Land of Rain, Tenya noticed several prying eyes around them.
He discreetly alerted Kakashi and Might Dai, then continued to act nonchalant.
The caravan proceeded smoothly, causing the guards to relax their vigilance.
So far, no one had noticed the hidden enemies around them.
Even the guard captain, Shuji, hadn't sensed any danger.
As for Jouichi, the fat man, his fear and unease had long faded.
He was now dozing off, with drool occasionally dripping from the corner of his mouth, looking quite content.
Who knows what kind of sweet dreams he was having!
Suddenly, countless shurikens were shot at the caravan without warning.
Tenya and his companions exchanged glances and withdrew from the battlefield in advance.
"Enemy attack!"
Someone shouted from within the caravan, and the whole group immediately entered combat mode.
The suddenness of the attack, coupled with the guards' lowered vigilance, led to many deaths on the spot.
The remaining guards, under Shuji's leadership, gradually stabilized their position.
Although they couldn't counterattack for now, they could defend themselves.
"Shuji, what's happening?"
Jouichi's uneasy voice came from inside the carriage.
The voice was trembling, clearly frightened by the sudden attack.
"Manager, we're under attack!"
Shuji intercepted the incoming shurikens and replied, panting heavily.
"Are those Konoha ninjas still here? Call them for help!"
Inside the carriage, Jouichi's eyes were filled with terror, and he was almost curled up in a ball, shivering in the corner of the compartment.
"Manager, I just checked, and those Konoha ninjas are no longer with our caravan!"
Shuji's answer was unexpected for Jouichi.
"No... no longer... here? What... what do you mean?"
His voice trembled even more!
"I don't know when they left, but there's no sign of the Konoha ninjas in our group!"
Shuji was frustrated and, after saying this, he stopped paying attention to Jouichi and focused on the enemy.
He had repeatedly suggested to Jouichi that they hire the Konoha ninjas, but this stingy fat man never agreed.
Now, they were under attack, and suddenly he remembered the Konoha ninjas.
Why didn't he think of that earlier?
A few rounds of shuriken attacks caused significant casualties in the caravan.
Now, even the subordinates around Shuji were all injured to some extent.
The hidden attackers, seeing the heavy losses inflicted on the caravan, no longer hid and revealed themselves one by one.
They were all dressed as ninjas, with forehead protectors of various kinds, all slashed through by sharp weapons, indicating they were rogue ninjas.
There were quite a few of them, almost matching the number of guards in the caravan.
In a short time, the rogue ninjas surrounded the caravan.
The leader, a middle-aged man with a noticeable scar on his face and a pair of ruthless eyes, exuded a menacing aura.
"Do you still want to resist now?" The scarred man stared at Shuji, speaking slowly, "You're surrounded by my men. If you know what's good for you, drop your weapons, and maybe I'll spare your lives!"
"Hmph, don't even think about it!"
Shuji's face was stern as he refused without hesitation.
Looking at their attire, Shuji knew they were dealing with a group of rogue ninjas.
Although they were from small ninja villages, they were still a significant threat to people like them.
These rogue ninjas were ruthless.
Encountering these desperate men usually meant a terrible fate for a caravan like theirs.
There were no exceptions!
Since they were doomed, rather than dropping their weapons and being slaughtered by these rogue ninjas, they decided to fight to the death and try to survive.
"Heh, you're quite brave!" The scarred man sized up Shuji and said fiercely, "Since you want to die, don't blame me. Get them! Kill them all, leave no one alive!"
"Wait... wait!"
As the rogue ninjas were about to strike, a trembling figure crawled out of the carriage.
Jouichi glanced at the rogue ninjas, then focused on the scarred leader, swallowing a few times before pleading, "Lords, please calm down. We're just merchants, and our goods are just daily necessities, not worth much. If you let us go, I'm willing to pay fifty thousand as a toll!"
"Oh?" The scarred man raised an eyebrow, his tone unfriendly, "Are you trying to brush us off with a pittance? My men here can't even split fifty thousand. Are you looking down on us, huh?"
"Eighty thousand!" Jouichi gritted his teeth, painfully quoting the amount.
"Not enough!"
"One hundred thousand!"
"Not enough!"
"Then... two... two hundred thousand!"
As he said this, Jouichi felt his back soaked with sweat.
This was the most he could offer.
Any more, and he couldn't afford it.
Because this was all the cash he had left.
If he had known they'd be robbed, he would have hired those Konoha ninjas earlier. Then, they wouldn't be in such a passive position.
Jouichi felt a pang of regret.
"Two hundred thousand?"
Hearing the amount, the scarred man's face lit up with an unusual smile.
Jouichi, watching him closely, suddenly felt a chill, sensing imminent danger.
"I didn't expect a small caravan like yours to offer two hundred thousand as a toll. It seems I underestimated your wealth!" The scarred man's tone shifted, and he laughed sinisterly, "I've decided. I want not only your goods but all your money. And fat man, your two hundred thousand toll is mine too!"
"It's over!"
Jouichi's face turned ashen, his regret flooding him like a broken dam.
"Kill them all!"
The scarred man ordered, leading a few men towards Jouichi.
As for the other subordinates, their eyes filled with greed as they charged at the remaining guards, fearless.
If they could take down this caravan, they'd be rich!
Seeing the scarred man getting closer, Jouichi's fear grew.
He kept retreating, his eyes darting around, hoping to find a way out.
When he saw Shuji, his eyes lit up, like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline, and he couldn't help but cry out, "Shuji, save me!"
"No one can save you. Hand over all your money, and I'll let you die quickly!"
The scarred man glanced at Shuji, uninterested, and continued to approach.
Suddenly, a sword light flashed, seemingly trying to stop the scarred man's advance.
Clang!
The scarred man raised a kunai and caught the attack with one hand.
Before Shuji could change his move, a whip leg struck him in the waist.
Spitting blood, Shuji, who had rushed to save Jouichi, was kicked far away.
At this point, the scarred man was right in front of Jouichi.
"Now, no one can save you. Hand over all your money..."
Boom!
Before the scarred man could finish, his body was suddenly sent flying.
"Boss!"
"Boss!"
"Boss!"
...
The following subordinates exclaimed in shock and hurriedly ran to the scarred man.
Meanwhile, the spot where the scarred man had stood was now occupied by a young figure.