*******A/N*****
Birthday mass release š Releasing 5 chapters!
****
Chapter 87: The Rendezvous (2)
The client stood frozen on the edge of the dirt road. He was a tall man, completely covered in dried mud and sweat. His expensive silk robes were torn at the hem. He clutched a thick, leather-bound briefcase tightly to his chest. His wide, terrified eyes darted frantically around the empty rendezvous point.
He looked at the wooden merchant cart. He looked at Kinoe sitting on the driver's bench in a straw hat. He looked at Itachi standing quietly in the shade of a tree. Finally, his gaze landed on Naruto sitting in the back of the wagon.
The man's pale face flushed with sudden, intense anger.
"Is this a joke?" the man demanded. His voice cracked with panic. "Where is the Anbu squad? I paid the Hokage for an S-rank escort. I have armed mercenaries hunting me right now."
He stepped closer to the cart, shaking his head. He looked completely betrayed.
"Konoha took my money and sent me a teenager and two children. You expect to fight off trained killers with a wooden cart?" He gripped his briefcase tighter. "I am walking into my own grave. I should have hired the Cloud village."
Naruto sat perfectly still. He did not say a word. He simply watched the man panic. The client was reacting exactly how any normal civilian would react. His life was in extreme danger, and his supposed saviors looked like a family of helpless travelers.
Itachi stepped out from the shade of the tree. He moved with absolute calm. He did not reach for his hidden sword. He simply walked up to the panicked official and bowed slightly.
"My name is Itachi," he said quietly. His voice was incredibly smooth and steady. "Please lower your voice, sir. The forest carries sound."
The man opened his mouth to yell again, but Itachi raised a single hand. The simple gesture carried a strange, heavy authority that immediately silenced the official.
"We are well aware of the mercenaries on your trail," Itachi explained. "That is exactly why we are dressed like this. If Konoha sent a full platoon of Anbu operatives to the border, the mercenaries would spot them instantly. A heavily guarded convoy is a giant target. It invites a large-scale ambush."
The client blinked. He looked down at his muddy boots, slowly processing the logic.
"Three simple civilians and a merchant cart are completely invisible," Itachi continued. He gestured to the empty road. "We blend into the background. The mercenaries are looking for a terrified official running with a military escort. They are ignoring ordinary travelers. This is the safest way to get you back to the capital."
The man looked at Itachi's calm, dark eyes. The panic in his chest slowly began to subside. The logic was sound. He was exhausted, terrified, and out of options. He let out a long, shaky breath and finally nodded.
"My name is Hideki," the man whispered. "We need to leave right now. They are not far behind me."
"Climb into the back," Itachi said.
Hideki hurried to the back of the cart and climbed up next to Naruto. Itachi sat on the wooden bench beside Kinoe. Kinoe snapped the reins, and the two horses pulled the heavy cart forward down the dirt road.
The journey into the Fire Country interior began. The atmosphere along the border road was thick and unnerving. The Land of Hot Water was famous for its tourist attractions and natural springs. The main roads connecting it to Konoha were usually packed with wealthy travelers, merchant caravans, and colorful wagons.
Today, the road was completely deserted.
The heavy summer humidity clung to the air. Thick, towering trees flanked both sides of the muddy path, casting long, dark shadows over the cart. The total lack of other travelers made the silence feel oppressive. Hideki jumped at every single sound. A bird taking flight or a rustling bush made him clutch his briefcase and hold his breath.
Naruto observed everything from his spot in the back. He was highly impressed with Itachi. The young Uchiha played his part flawlessly. Itachi slouched slightly on the bench, completely hiding his perfect shinobi posture. He looked exactly like a bored civilian boy. Naruto mirrored the behavior, letting his legs dangle over the edge and staring blankly at the passing trees.
They traveled for eight straight hours without seeing another living soul.
When the sun finally dipped below the horizon, the forest plunged into total darkness. Kinoe steered the cart off the main road, pushing deep into a thick patch of heavy brush to hide their camp.
They did not light a fire. The light and smoke would easily expose their position.
Kinoe took the first watch, disappearing silently into the trees to set up a perimeter. Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor of the cart. Hideki sat opposite him, shivering violently in the cool night air. The darkness clearly terrified the official. The man kept his eyes wide open, staring into the black woods.
Itachi approached the back of the cart. He handed Hideki a canteen of fresh water and a small package of dried rations.
"Eat," Itachi said softly. "You need your strength for tomorrow."
Hideki took the canteen with shaking hands. He took a long drink and wiped his mouth. "Thank you."
Itachi sat down on the edge of the cart near the man. "You have been looking over your shoulder all day, Hideki. You mentioned a cult uprising to our officials....The men hunting you, are they standard mercenaries?"
The gentle, non-threatening tone of Itachi's voice finally broke the man's walls. Hideki desperately needed to talk to someone.
"They are monsters," Hideki whispered. His voice trembled in the dark. "We thought it was just a small group of religious fanatics in the northern mountains. They call themselves the Cult of Jashin. We ignored them at first. Then the trade caravans started disappearing."
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly in the dark. He remembered the name well.
"They are not bandits," Hideki continued, gripping his briefcase. "Bandits want ryo, supplies, or weapons. These people want blood. They ambush travelers and slaughter everyone. They leave the bodies arranged in circles with a triangle drawn in the center. They call it a sacrifice to their dark god."
Itachi listened patiently. "Why are they hunting you specifically?"
"I am the chief surveyor for the northern routes," Hideki explained. "I was tasked with finding out where the attacks were happening. My team and I tracked their movements for a month. We found their central network. We found the hidden shrines where they perform their rituals."
Hideki patted the leather briefcase resting on his lap. "I have the exact coordinates of their strongholds in here. If this information reaches the Hot Water DaimyÅ, he can authorize a joint military strike with Konoha to wipe them out completely. The cult knows I have the maps. They hired an elite tracker unit to hunt me down before I could cross the border."
The official buried his face in his hands. "My entire survey team stayed behind to hold them off. They bought me enough time to run. They are all dead now."
Itachi placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "Your team made a sacrifice to ensure this intelligence survives. We will make sure their effort is not wasted. You are under Konoha's protection now. Try to get some sleep."
Hideki nodded slowly. He lay down on the hard wooden planks of the cart, pulling his ruined silk cloak tightly around himself. Exhaustion finally overtook his fear, and his breathing slowly evened out.
Naruto looked at Itachi. The Uchiha gave Naruto a very brief, silent nod. The intelligence gathering was successful. They now knew exactly what they were dealing with. They were facing religious fanatics backed by elite trackers.
The night deepened. The forest grew incredibly quiet. The wind stopped rustling the leaves. The crickets completely ceased their chirping. The sudden, absolute silence was heavy and unnatural.
Naruto slowly shifted his weight. He gathered his chakra, pulling it quietly into his coils. He was ready to forge a Rasengan in a fraction of a second. Itachi slipped his hand silently under his gray cloak, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of his short sword.
A sharp, loud crack of a heavy branch snapping echoed clearly through the dark trees just outside their perimeter.