Chapter 25: Days of Waiting for the Spy

"Tsk, you two brats are certainly lucky. To have traveled this far without running into a single gang of sand bandits is incredible. However, you won’t get a high price for that basket of medicinal herbs in this first town. Do you want to continue on with us?" It was the same rogue ninja who had tested Asuma's strength earlier.

Though the fellow looked sinister, his words were true. With so many supplies arriving at once, even rare items like medicinal herbs wouldn’t fetch a premium price here. But if they followed the caravan to a few more towns, as the goods became scarcer, the basket of herbs on Asuma’s back would become increasingly valuable.

However, Asuma had not come to the Land of Wind to sell herbs.

"No, this is far enough. Don’t think I don’t know that the road ahead is only getting more dangerous. I have a younger brother to take care of; I can’t afford to die in this godforsaken desert." Asuma licked his parched lips and declined the rogue ninja’s invitation.

"Che, lucky brat. You really don’t know what’s good for you." With a disgruntled mutter, the rogue ninja didn’t press the issue, turning instead to follow his own caravan as it departed.

While Sarutobi Asuma successfully made his exit with Kawaki Aoba, a similar scene was playing out for Yuhi Shinku.

"Mr. Hayashi, it seems I must break my word. I cannot continue accompanying you on the road ahead," Yuhi Shinku said apologetically to the samurai beside him, his arms tightly cradling Kurenai Yuhi, who looked flushed and was currently unconscious.

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Kougetsu. Your daughter’s condition is far more important. Rest assured, no one here will blame you." The samurai appeared quite magnanimous, even reaching into his robes to offer some loose change to Shinku.

However, Shinku held firm to his principles; since the agreed-upon mission was not completed, he would not accept any commission. After some polite back-and-forth, Shinku finally departed from the group with the ailing Kurenai.

"Even after all this time, you haven't changed a bit, Mr. Kougetsu. You are a true samurai. Even in the Land of Iron, people like you who never forget to uphold the samurai code are becoming rare." Watching Shinku's retreating back, the samurai, who considered himself an old friend, sighed with genuine admiration.

Unfortunately, he did not know that shortly after parting ways with the caravan, Shinku ducked around a corner and into a hotel room to meet up with the other two members of their squad. Kurenai, who had just been "heat-stroked" and unconscious in his arms, was suddenly back to her normal self, looking as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with her.

"The plan is proceeding smoothly. Now, we simply need to wait here according to the schedule. If the spy successfully escapes Sunagakure and reaches this location, we will provide backup and ensure their safe departure. Beyond that, we must be prepared for a long-term stay. While playing your roles well, do not neglect your training. At your age, this is the best time to improve your strength."

Shinku gave careful instructions to the three youngsters, his gaze lingering most intensely on Kawaki Aoba.

For Asuma and Kurenai, improving their strength was merely to graduate from the Genin rank as quickly as possible and become capable, independent ninjas. For Kawaki Aoba, however, if he did not work hard to improve, he really might die.

"I understand, Teacher Shinku. In the coming days, I will make the improvement of my own strength my top priority," Aoba responded solemnly.

However, Aoba knew deep down that his talent was not as great as those around him imagined; at best, it was barely above average. His strength, aside from his own rigorous training, largely stemmed from the help of the Altar. Therefore, if he wanted to become stronger, he had to focus his efforts on that Altar.

As everyone knows, there is nothing more satisfying than getting something for nothing.

Over the next two days, the life of the four-man squad became mundane. After their initial meeting, they split into two groups. Although they stayed in the same place, they acted as if they were strangers, playing their roles to perfection.

During these two days, as they ate and lived under the same roof, Aoba witnessed Asuma’s diligence. Asuma’s talent in Taijutsu and Genjutsu could not be described as ordinary; it was simply unremarkable. As a member of the Sarutobi clan, his growth path was quite clear: as long as he mastered his Fire Style chakra, he would continue to grow stronger. At the very least, before becoming a Jonin, Asuma did not need to worry about encountering obstacles in his progression.

This was the advantage and heritage of a great clan, far beyond the reach of commoners who only had access to the Three Basic Jutsu and some ordinary ninjutsu.

While Asuma shut himself in his room for two days to study chakra, Aoba completely let himself go. Having left the Hidden Leaf and arrived in such a remote place, he didn't need to worry about detection by various sensory ninjutsu. Teacher Shinku was busy with his own affairs, and because of Aoba’s subtle reassurances, he never worried about this particular student.

And so, without anyone watching, Aoba transformed into a whirlwind of activity. Anything he could get his hands on within his Observation Haki’s range—useful or not—was destined to be offered to the Altar.

Although the probability of getting something good by sacrificing ordinary items was extremely low, the sheer volume made up for it. Aoba firmly believed that as long as the quantity was high enough, he would eventually hit the jackpot. Even if he took a step back, it wouldn't matter if he didn't get anything good; he was only sacrificing trash anyway. Trading easily found junk for potentially useful items was a bargain in any case.

Flipping a neodymium magnet into the Altar space, Aoba scooped up another handful of sand to offer.

Under the night sky, a figure was sprinting rapidly across the desolate desert in the manner of a ninja on a mission. The desert nights were exceptionally cold, and even ninjas, unless necessary, preferred not to linger. But the current situation was clearly different; judging by the ninja’s urgent pace, he was obviously dealing with an emergency that forced him to travel through the night.

However, his frantic sprint clearly caused his vigilance to drop, and he failed to notice the team tailing him closely from behind.