I had spent most of the night crouched on top of the cart, carefully etching a complicated seal across the roof. The work was slow and precise, every stroke needing just the right focus of chakra to set it properly. Thanks to the soldier pill I had taken earlier, my reserves held steady, though the long hours left my shoulders tight and my hands sore from the strain. When the last mark was pressed into place, I exhaled slowly and slid down from the roof, relieved to finally rest inside the cart while letting my chakra recover.
Time passed as the cart rolled steadily along the dirt road. The horses kept an easy, unhurried pace, as if carrying someone too important to be jostled. That was the point. If the ambushers were watching, the act had to look convincing. The wheels hummed over hard earth, and the frame swayed with a gentle rhythm.
Shisui sat across from me, his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the river and the swaying trees. His eyes had that distant, unfocused look. The shadow clones held their forms perfectly, sitting like dutiful passengers. Nothing in our posture invited suspicion. Everything in our pace said this was a noble's ride.
I broke the silence. "Sensei, what is on your mind?"
His eyes flicked back into focus, and for a heartbeat I saw that I had pulled him out of a deep train of thought. Then he smiled. "I like that plan a lot. Creative."
"You can thank Sena for that one," I said. "We did something similar during the Academy test."
Shisui nodded slowly. "Sena has been a valuable part of the team. You and Kaen are doing exceptionally well. Both of you could easily be called prodigies. Sena is strong, though she does not always show it. Even so, her planning and her attitude toward clients have been a big reason our reputation has grown so fast. Your effort and Kaen's skill keep our record clean. We are becoming well known for a team of fresh graduates. Not many new squads take on C-rank missions and pull them off this cleanly."
His gaze settled on me, calm but serious. "I want to thank you for the work you have put into this team. I know it is not easy dealing with Kaen, but because both of you try, the team is thriving. That has helped me more than you realize, even with the Uchiha situation. Fugaku-sama himself, the clan head, has expressed interest in meeting you after hearing about our accomplishments."
I choked on nothing but air and coughed into my sleeve. What is this world trying to do? First Root, now a potential meeting with either a clan killer or the one who started a revolt. Would it kill fate to let me spend time with normal people for once?
"It would be an honor to meet the head of such a great clan," I said with a thin smile. "But I am sure he is too busy to waste time on someone like me."
Inside, I prayed Shisui would not arrange it. I could not remember if Fugaku led the revolt or only went along with it, and I did not want to test my memory. The last time I misremembered something, Root had almost dragged me off. I would rather not tempt that kind of fate again.
The cart creaked softly as it moved along the uneven road, the wheels thudding now and then against small stones. A faint breeze carried the smell of the river and the rustle of reeds that grew along its edge. Overhead, the scattered canopy shifted with the wind, throwing patches of sunlight across the worn path. The steady clop of hooves was the only other sound. The quiet worked in our favor. Anyone watching would see nothing but a lazy morning ride.
"I think what you are trying to do is a noble goal, sensei," I said. "Less bloodshed is worth chasing. Losing the Uchiha to anger and distrust would weaken Konoha and make us an easy target. If the village and the Uchiha mend their relationship and build trust, Konoha will grow more stable, and other villages will not dare disturb the peace. Peace needs strength, and the Uchiha have that in spades."
Shisui's eyes widened slightly. "Well said, Noa. I have something to discuss with you once we return. It will increase your strength, and with that strength I hope to count on your support to reach that goal."
I nodded, already guessing. Once I revealed my Stormdrive, Shisui would report it to the Third Hokage. A bit snitchy, but his loyalty to Konoha and to the Hokage was never in doubt. That could ruin my plans or open the door to better ones. Considering Root didn't get to abduct me or turn me into some experiment, it meant the old man actually stepped in for once. Hiruzen chose to protect me. To nurture me. And for once in his life, he did the right thing.
I opened my mouth to speak, but something tugged at the edge of my senses. For a heartbeat I felt the presence of someone powerful. It vanished so quickly I almost doubted it. Near that point I still felt four chakra signatures with the weight of chunin, close to Aoya's level. Around them, six weaker sparks flickered like genin.
"Sensei, I can feel chakra signatures ahead," I said quietly. "I think there might be a jonin, but it vanished so fast I am not sure. I still count four chunin and six genin."
"The Third's suspicions were right," Shisui said, his face tightening as he let out a slow breath. "Those numbers point to something planned. No bandit group or missing-nin squad would field that many high-level fighters."
He flickered out of sight and reappeared beside the driver. Taking the reins, he spoke low. "I will slow the cart enough for you to jump. There is an ambush ahead. Hide and do not come out until we come for you. Understood?"
The driver nodded, leapt from the nearly stopped cart, and vanished into the brush before moving deeper among the trees. The harness jingled once and fell quiet.
"Come here, Noa," Shisui said.
I moved to his side, nerves tight. He glanced at me. "We will deal with the ambush head on. This is likely the main group sent to target the noble. We handle them first, then try to take someone alive for answers about who they are and whether other teams are waiting."
I nodded, though the tension in my chest did not ease. Shisui noticed and spoke in a steady voice. "I will handle the ambush. Climb to the top of the cart and activate the seal formation. We need to sell the illusion that we are protecting someone important, so they will not try to run."
I nodded again. My chakra had not fully recovered, and the enemy numbers still pressed at the edges of my thoughts. Even so, Shisui's calm steadied me. I would get to see one of Konoha's strongest in real action. The idea, despite the danger, stirred a spark of excitement.
The road narrowed as it entered a rocky pass where the river bent away below a steep slope on the right. Loose gravel and scrub covered the slope, too treacherous for a turn or an escape. On the left rose a wall of jagged stone with a few stunted pines clinging to the cracks. The pass itself was a strip of hard dirt, just wide enough for a single cart. The horses dropped into a slower cadence as the light dimmed between stone and slope.
Movement pricked at my senses on the ridges above. I flickered onto the roof and slammed my hands against the etched formation. Behind us, a chunin had already finished his seals and dropped to one knee, pressing both palms to the ground with practiced speed.
"Earth Release: Rock Spike Technique."
Spikes burst from the ground under the cart, lunging up to tear through the floor. The formation lit as I fed it chakra. A dome spread from the lines, and the spikes shattered on the barrier, breaking into dull stone against the field. Chips rattled down the sides of the wheels and scattered across the road.
I allowed myself a quick grin at the chunin's scowl. Another attacker appeared in front of the cart, dropped to a knee, and pressed his palms to the dirt.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall."
The ground trembled. A wall surged up ahead of us. A second rose behind. Both stopped short of the barrier, boxing the cart in like prey in a pit. Dust sifted down the faces of the new ridges, and the gap felt tighter than before.
Before I could take it all in, a heavy surge of chakra rolled from the top of the rocks. The jonin stood on a flat ledge. His hands blurred too fast for me to read.
"Wind Release: Pressure Destroyer."
He drew in a deep breath and exhaled in a roar. Compressed air drove down from the ridge and forced its way through the narrow space between the rock wall and the steep slope. The tight corridor pushed the blast forward like a rushing tide. The sound of the blast filling the pass before the wave even reached the barrier.
My stomach dropped. The seal might not hold, even if I poured everything I had into it. I called out, voice tight with desperation, "Sensei?"