They moved fast, covering large distances with only brief stops of a few minutes. The chill of the early morning air bit at their skin as they pressed onward, the soft rustle of leaves and distant birdcalls the only sounds accompanying their swift passage. They took just two long breaks, including seven hours of sleep under the vigilant protection of scattered sentry seals, before moving on again. Shorai was impressed by their readiness—they slept combat-ready beneath a protective barrier, the faint hum of chakra weaving a shield around them.
During their travels, the group grew closer. Questions about Shorai's Academy days naturally arose. Cat, in particular, took an inquisitive tone, probing into his connection with Heavenly Lotus and his modeling career. She mentioned his new widespread title of "Heavenly Prince" among Konoha women and how lucky she felt to know him. Her surprise and subtle fan-girl attitude sharply contrasted with the serious, collected personality she usually displayed. Shorai found it amusing.
Two days later, they arrived at the secret hub—a village near the border with the Land of Rice. They spotted a two-story building close to the forest, its wooden beams weathered and moss-covered. The scent of damp earth and pine filled the air.
After a quick look around, they left the woods and approached a stone wall behind the house.
Shorai's sharpened vision caught a subtle trap door cleverly hidden in the wall, blending seamlessly with the scenery. Eagle knocked in a special rhythm. Soon, the sound of metal echoed as a small, muddy shrub lifted. The group descended inside, the cool, musty air of the cellar greeting them.
They found themselves in a lamp-lit, spacious cellar. The flickering light cast long shadows on the stone walls. By the time Shorai reached the bottom, Eagle was already speaking with a man dressed in peasant's clothes, his voice low and cautious, asking about the disguises they would need. Moments later, Eagle and the man disappeared behind one of the three doors.
Meanwhile, Shorai, Boar, and Cat sat behind a large wooden table, its surface rough and scarred. The faint smell of smoke lingered in the air. Eagle soon returned, carrying three scrolls.
"Here," he said, handing one to Boar, another to Cat, and signaling Shorai to take the last. "Our legend is that of traveling merchants. You two will pose as a mother and her child." He explained, "These scrolls contain disguises to assist us. Change quickly. It's early morning—the perfect time to blend in."
They nodded and unrolled the scrolls. One by one, they entered assigned rooms to change and remove their masks, the rustle of fabric and soft footsteps the only sounds.
An hour later, all four stood ready. Cat wore poor country robes. Her brown, messy hair and tired, muddy eyes gave her the appearance of an average village woman. Shorai noted the weight of age she carried without her mask.
Boar emerged next, his black shoulder-length hair and green eyes visible. Dressed in a blue and black kimono-style wardrobe, it was difficult to see him as an ordinary merchant.
Eagle followed, wearing a somewhat cheap-looking vest over black and blue kimono-style clothes. His sharp blue eyes and fierce features stood out—more like a bodyguard.
Shorai wore beige, cheap robes, slightly tattered. There was a good match and resemblance between his current look and Cat's.
"Listen carefully," Eagle began. "Our legend: Boar, you're 'Takashi'; Shorai, you're 'Kaito'; Cat, you're 'Mika'; and I'm 'Ryo.'"
"You two, as mother and child escaping a bandit raid, traveled with us to find a place to stay. Boar and I, merchant and guard, will conduct sales. Under the morning mist, we'll infiltrate the Land of Rice, moving town to town to investigate and gather intel on the Sound group. In town, we'll split into two teams. Each team will operate independently and blend in during the day. At night, you can act solo if you want, but be careful."
They nodded in agreement.
"Good. Let's go."
They passed through another door to a barn attached to the house. The peasant man handed them rations and explained the situation in the Land of Rice.
"This new faction is peculiar," he said. "There isn't much info besides that they target nearby countries, offering help, protection, food provision, and recruiting talents."
"Are they all ninjas?" Eagle asked.
"Mostly. Some have no chakra. Others… how to put it—experiments," the man whispered. "They carry strange tattoos; some say they have body modifications…"
"Human experiments? Interesting," Boar mused.
"Be careful. May the Will burn brighter!" the peasant said.
"May it cast a shadow on the leaves!" Eagle replied.
They settled into the carriage—Boar driving, Eagle beside him with a katana at his waist, Cat and Shorai in the back. The carriage creaked and jolted over the muddy road, the scent of wet earth and crushed grass filling the air as they moved out.
Cat turned to Shorai. "Hey, don't sweat making mistakes, alright? We'll be close even if we split up. On missions like this, you gotta roll with whatever comes."
Shorai's hands clenched tightly in his lap, his breath quickening. "I'll be careful, not to embarrass you all," he said softly, his voice betraying a mix of anxiety and thrill. To think I'll be the first genin in my generation to actually do a real ninja mission. Unlike their… chores… he thought, hiding a thin smile from his mentors.
"I know you won't, kid! Just stick to the legend, and it'll be fine," Boar said, urging the horse to speed up.
Eagle glanced back. "Shorai, you're the only one who doesn't use sensory detection. You need to get the hang of it, whether you can pull it off or not. Cat, you can show him the ropes while we ride. It'll take a couple hours to reach the nearest town."
Shorai raised his head, glancing at Eagle then Cat.
"It's a pretty handy skill for any ninja… but not everyone's cut out for it," Cat said, giving him a sharp look.
"I'll do my best!" Shorai said, trembling slightly with excitement.
Cat began explaining the basics. "So, it's mostly a Yin-based technique," she said, glancing at him. "Basically, you channel chakra at the center of your mind, then push it out like a web. Think of it like a Clone Technique, but instead of making a clone, you're sending out a kind of… chakra net. It alerts you when something touches it."
Shorai understood it as a Yin-dominant method—transmitting chakra outside the body while maintaining a constant real-time connection. However, this technique demanded more concentration and was more complex than the Clone jutsu.
Watching him, lost in thought, she added, "But heads up—it only picks up chakra. So if someone doesn't have any, you won't sense them."
He nodded.
As the carriage slowly moved through the muddy road between grass, rocks, and meadows, Shorai focused on the sensory technique. Hours passed as he steadily made progress. His already high concentration and control made it easy to visualize and mold the chakra; pushing it out wasn't that hard either. What proved challenging was maintaining the aura-like constant presence of the chakra web around him.
The carriage creaked—creak—and squeaked—squeak—as it jolted over the uneven road. Each bump jarred Shorai's concentration, causing his chakra to falter and waste.
He blinked open his eyes and exhaled slowly.
"It's actually a good exercise, Kaito. Being able to perform this ability under stress and not in a controlled environment will be far more effective and rewarding on mastery," Cat noted, mindful of the mission.
Shorai stretched and returned to training. Now, he began focusing on molding and shaping, then after a while, he changed into maintaining the web despite the bumps.
Soon, he began to spread the web outward, slowly increasing the radius.
The step-by-step adaptation proved the right path. He managed to extend the invisible chakra aura to a five-meter radius and detected Eagle, Boar, and Cat's chakra as they touched his.
"Very good, Kaito! That's my boy!" Cat praised with a charming smile, clapping her hands.
Shorai's eyes twitched lightly before he opened them, keeping the technique active.
"Already at this level? What a prodigy," Boar commented, glancing behind him.
"Yeah, he is," Eagle remarked, looking cautiously around.
Hours passed as Shorai continued practicing. Around 4 PM, they finally reached a small town. Shorai had progressed to maintaining a ten-meter sensory field.
They stopped at an inn with a nearby stable and went inside to rest and seek intel.