Chapter 62: The Road to the Moon Kingdom
"Are there just the four of us?" Akatsurugi asked, glancing around their small group. With only himself, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Hatake Sakumo present, the escort team seemed unusually lean.
"That's correct, Captain," Tsunade confirmed.
Akatsurugi gave a curt nod. His eyes swept over the caravan, which was ready to move out. "Let's go," he ordered.
Their mission was to escort this shipment of vital supplies to the Land of the Moon. The political situation there was volatile; two high-ranking officials were locked in a power struggle. One had hired Konoha, while the other had turned to Kumogakure. With the high probability of a Jonin-level clash, the mission was rightly classified as S-Rank.
The caravan began its journey. Akatsurugi situated himself on the roof of a supply wagon, addressing the three shinobi around him. "There's a high chance Kumo ninja will cause trouble. Once we cross the Land of Fire's border, Sakumo, you'll take point and scout ahead. Orochimaru, Tsunade, you two will guard the rear against any sneak attacks. I'll remain in the center to coordinate."
The three voiced no objections. Hatake Sakumo was already an elite Jonin, more than capable of handling unexpected threats.
And so, they set off. Akatsurugi lounged on the wagon roof while Hatake Sakumo darted ahead, scouting the path. Tsunade and Orochimaru maintained a watchful position at the back. Akatsurugi had to remind Sakumo to conserve his energy a couple of times; they were still within the Land of Fire's borders, and no one would be foolish enough to attack a caravan under Konoha's protection. But if any were that foolish, Akatsurugi would be happy to teach them the meaning of a Blaze God's wrath.
As expected, the journey through the Land of Fire was perfectly safe. However, the atmosphere grew tense as they prepared to cross into the Land of Hot Water. The security in this border region was notoriously chaotic.
Yet, no incidents befell the caravan. Any potential threats were silently and efficiently neutralized by Hatake Sakumo before they could even materialize.
In the distance, hidden from view, two squads of shinobi watched the large convoy. "Is that Konoha's Blaze God?" one of them whispered, a note of fear in his voice.
The team's sensor ninja gave a grim nod. The others exchanged worried looks. They were from Iwagakure, and they had their eyes on this shipment. The Hidden Stone Village, with its heavy focus on military expansion, was perpetually short on funds and supplies. Robbery had become an unfortunate necessity. Their methods were brutal—leave no witnesses—and it had allowed them to amass significant resources.
"There's nothing we can do. Akatsurugi is too powerful. Our two squads are no match for him," the team leader concluded with a sigh. This particular prize was out of their reach.
"Captain, let's just follow them," the sensor ninja suggested. "According to our intelligence, Kumo is planning to move on this convoy. If they fight, we might be able to pick up the pieces."
The captain's eyes lit up. It was a sound plan. They would follow at a safe distance. With their sensor, they didn't need to get close. If things turned dangerous, they could always retreat.
Back on the wagon roof, Akatsurugi's eyebrow twitched. He had felt a faint, probing sensation, a flicker of being watched, but a quick visual sweep revealed nothing.
He pondered for a moment, then closed his eyes. Sage Mode.
His senses expanded exponentially, painting a detailed picture of the world around him. Soon, he pinpointed them—eight chakra signatures, concealed on the other side of a nearby hillside.
Are they preparing to attack? he wondered. But the convoy moved on, and the eight ninja remained in place, making no hostile moves. Akatsurugi let Sage Mode drop. Perhaps they were on an unrelated mission. As long as they didn't interfere, they weren't his immediate concern.
Still, he committed the feel of their chakra to memory. He would keep an eye out.
"Captain," Hatake Sakumo reported, appearing in a flicker of movement. "I've found a large bandit group ahead. There are ninja mixed in with them. They're definitely waiting for us."
He had returned because the numbers were too great for him to handle alone discreetly.
"I see. Tsunade, Orochimaru, you two will go with Sakumo," Akatsurugi ordered. "I'll stay with the caravan."
Tsunade and Orochimaru nodded. Though young, they were elite Chūnin, more than capable of handling this. To be safe, however, Akatsurugi created a Shadow Clone, which leaped down to follow the trio. No matter what, Tsunade's safety was his primary directive.
The three shinobi quickly engaged the bandit horde.
On the wagon roof, Akatsurugi once again slipped into Sage Mode. He sensed the eight foreign ninja were still following, maintaining their distance.
So, they are after the supplies. They're just wary of me, he mused, deactivating his enhanced senses. They hadn't even reached the Land of the Moon yet, and the vultures were already circling. He wasn't sure of their affiliation—Iwa, Suna, or even Kiri were all possibilities—but their equipment suggested a major village. For now, they weren't a direct threat.
He sat back on the roof, basking in the sun. The bandits, as it turned out, were not a significant challenge. He had overestimated them. With Orochimaru and Tsunade's area-of-effect ninjutsu working in tandem, large swathes of the bandits were swiftly buried or torn apart. Hatake Sakumo, a specialist in single-target elimination, watched their flanks, dealing with any stronger opponents that broke through.
The three returned, clothes spattered with blood but unharmed. Akatsurugi gestured for them to rest on the wagon roof while he took over the watch.
Exhausted, they didn't argue and immediately began to meditate, recovering their chakra. Akatsurugi stood on the roof, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping the horizon for any further fools.
The eight ninja trailing them still made no move. With Akatsurugi himself standing guard, untouched and vigilant, an attack would be suicide. They cursed the Kumo ninja under their breaths. If you're going to make a move, do it soon, or we'll be following them all the way to the Moon Kingdom!
The convoy trundled forward and finally reached the border of the Land of the Moon as dusk began to fall. The caravan manager informed Akatsurugi they would need to make camp for the night. He agreed, and the travelers began setting up tents and preparing a campsite.
"Stay alert tonight," Akatsurugi warned his team. "We haven't seen any Cloud Ninjas the entire journey. I have a feeling they'll make their move soon."
"Captain, I can scout the perimeter," Hatake Sakumo offered immediately.
Akatsurugi raised a hand to stop him. "No. Stay here with the caravan."
Accepting the order, Sakumo simply nodded, leaned against a large tree, and closed his eyes to rest.
Akatsurugi, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on the highest point of the wagon roof, a stark and conspicuous silhouette against the darkening sky. It was a deliberate message to any watching Kumo shinobi: Your Uncle Akatsurugi is right here. If you want to try something, think very carefully about what comes next.