The heavy brush tore apart. Three figures stumbled out of the darkness and collapsed onto the dirt road. The metallic scent of fresh blood hit the air instantly.
A young man in torn civilian clothes scrambled to his knees. He pulled a standard iron kunai from his belt. His hands shook violently. He pointed the weapon blindly into the shadows of the cart.
"Who is there?" the young man demanded. His voice cracked with sheer terror.
Two young women lay on the ground behind him. The older girl, perhaps twenty years old, was desperately pressing a wad of torn fabric against the youngest girl's shoulder. The youngest girl looked barely eighteen. Her right arm was completely gone just below the elbow. Dark blood soaked her clothes and pooled in the dirt. She was pale and completely unresponsive.
Itachi glanced at Naruto. Naruto sat perfectly still in the back of the cart. His face was a mask of total apathy. He looked completely disinterested in the bloody scene unfolding a few feet away.
Itachi raised his hands slowly and stepped out of the shadows. He kept his movements smooth and non-threatening.
"We are just travelers," Itachi said gently. "We did not start a fire. We were afraid the light would attract bandits."
Hideki peered over the edge of the wooden cart. The official turned completely white when he saw the severed arm and the pool of blood. He pressed his back against the wooden planks and covered his mouth, looking sick.
The young man lowered his kunai slightly. He looked at Itachi, then at Kinoe sitting quietly on the driver's bench. The tension in his shoulders finally dropped. He dropped the weapon and turned back to help the older girl apply pressure to the horrific wound.
"What happened to you?" Itachi asked. He walked closer and knelt beside them.
"Bandits," the older girl cried. Tears streamed down her dirt-streaked face. "They ambushed our camp a few miles east of here. We barely got away."
She looked up and locked eyes with Hideki in the back of the cart. She gave the official a desperate, pleading look. "Please. Are you the guardian of these boys? We need help."
Hideki swallowed hard. He looked at the girl's tearful eyes and completely dropped his guard. He felt a sudden surge of protective instinct.
"We can help you," Hideki said quickly. "We are heading north to the border of the Hot Water..."
Itachi stepped neatly between the girl and the cart. He cut Hideki off with a very polite bow.
"We are merchants returning from a long trade route," Itachi said smoothly. He completely ignored Hideki's slip. "We have a few basic medical supplies. We are heading in the same general direction."
The older girl let out a massive sigh of relief. She looked back at Hideki and offered a weak, grateful smile. Hideki blushed slightly and sat up straighter.
"Could we travel with you?" the girl asked Hideki directly. "My sister cannot walk. She will bleed to death if we carry her all the way to the next town."
Hideki looked at the amputated arm. He nodded firmly. "Of course. Put her in the back with the boys. We have enough room."
The young man and the older girl carefully lifted the unconscious teenager. They placed her gently on the wooden floorboards next to Naruto. The older girl climbed in and sat beside her. The young man took a seat on the edge of the cart near Kinoe.
Throughout the entire frantic exchange, Naruto did not say a single word. He rested his chin on his palm and stared directly at the severely wounded girl. His blue eyes were cold and analytical. He watched the way her chest rose and fell. He watched the blood seeping through the crude bandages.
Itachi climbed back onto the bench. He glanced over his shoulder. He noticed Naruto's intense, unwavering stare. Itachi wondered why the boy was so hyper-focused on an unconscious, dying civilian.
The group spent the rest of the night in total silence.
The sun rose a few hours later. Kinoe snapped the reins. The heavy wooden cart resumed its slow journey down the dirt road. The morning light made the forest feel less oppressive. The thick tension from the previous night slowly faded.
Even Itachi seemed to drop his guard. The young Uchiha slouched on the bench and watched the trees pass by with heavy eyelids.
The older girl wiped the dirt from her face. She looked much prettier in the daylight. She smiled at Hideki and engaged the official in light conversation. She talked about the weather, the poor state of the roads, and the high cost of silk. Hideki eagerly matched her energy. He was clearly smitten with her.
She turned her attention to the back of the cart. She noticed Naruto still staring blankly at her injured sister.
"Your boy is very quiet," the girl said to Hideki.
She leaned closer to Naruto. "Are you worried about her? Do not worry. She is strong. She will not die as long as we reach the next town."
Naruto completely ignored her. He did not blink. He just kept his eyes fixed on the severed stump wrapped in bloody cloth. The girl gave a nervous little laugh and went back to talking to Hideki.
***
Late in the afternoon, the road narrowed significantly. Kinoe pulled back on the reins, bringing the horses to a sudden halt.
A massive, fallen tree blocked the path completely.
Five men stepped out from the dense brush. They carried rusted swords and heavy iron clubs. They wore mismatched armor and leather vests: Bandits.
Hideki gasped loudly. He shrank back into the cart and clenched his leather briefcase tightly against his chest. His knuckles turned completely white.
The older girl gasped as well. She threw her hands over her mouth in fear. She shrank back next to Hideki.
Naruto watched her carefully. He saw her eyes dart down to the leather briefcase in Hideki's lap. The sheer terror on her face vanished for a fraction of a second. A very faint, highly satisfied smile pulled at the corner of her lips. She masked it instantly, returning to her frightened act.
Naruto memorized the micro-expression.
Kinoe stood up on the driver's bench. He hunched his shoulders and bowed repeatedly.
"Please, good sirs," Kinoe begged. His voice was perfectly pitched to sound pathetic and weak. "We are just humble travelers. We have a severely wounded girl in the back. We need to reach a doctor. Please let us pass."
The lead bandit sneered. He walked up to the side of the cart and peered into the back. He looked at the bloody bandages, then his eyes landed on the older girl. He licked his lips.
He gave a sharp hand signal to his boss standing near the fallen tree.
The boss stepped forward. He tapped his iron club against the wooden wheel. "The road is closed. You want to pass, you pay a toll. Everything you have."
Itachi stood up. He reached into his gray cloak with violently shaking hands. He pulled out a heavy pouch of coins. He kept his head down and handed it to the boss. He played the role of a terrified teenager perfectly.
The boss weighed the pouch in his hand. He laughed loudly. "Smart kid."
He looked at the older girl in the back. "Shame we are in a hurry. That one in the back looks hot enough to warm my bed for a week."
Hideki looked horrified. The bandits laughed again. They grabbed the ropes tied to the fallen tree and dragged it off the dirt path. Kinoe whipped the reins, and the cart hurried away from the thieves.
***
The sun vanished behind the trees a few hours later. They pulled the cart off the road and set up camp. They did not start a fire.
The young man sat on the grass near the horses. He looked at Kinoe. "We cross the border tomorrow. We will officially be in the Land of Hot Water. It should be safer there."
He waited for a response. Kinoe mirrored Naruto's behavior perfectly. He stared blankly into the dark woods and stayed completely silent. The young man gave up and joined Hideki and Itachi on the other side of the cart.
The older girl sat next to Hideki. She offered him a piece of dried fruit.
"You held onto that bag so tightly today," she said smoothly. She pointed to the leather briefcase resting near his boots. "What is inside? It must be very valuable."
Hideki rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Just contracts. Trade contracts for the merchant guild. Nothing a bandit would find useful."
It was a terrible lie. His voice pitched up, and he avoided her gaze. The girl smiled sweetly and nodded. She did not push the subject.
The next day passed without incident. They crossed the border marker at noon. The thick forests of the Fire Country gave way to the rocky, humid terrain of the Land of Hot Water. They were exactly two days away from the capital.
Night fell rapidly over the rocky landscape. They parked the cart near a small cluster of boulders. The air was thick and warm.
The young man stood up from the grass. He picked up an empty wooden canteen.
"I am going to find a stream," the young man announced to the group. "My sister needs fresh water to fight the fever."
He took a step toward the dark tree line.
"The Jashin cult, was it?"
The voice was perfectly calm and cold. It cut through the quiet camp like a physical blade.
Everyone froze.
The young man stopped mid-step. The older girl's hand hovered over her bag of dried fruit. Hideki looked around in total confusion. Even Itachi shifted his eyes slightly.
Naruto stood up in the back of the cart. He stepped over the unconscious girl and stood near the edge of the wooden planks. He looked directly at the young man holding the canteen. His blue eyes held absolutely zero emotion.