The forest remained quiet. Too quiet.
Ken stood near the roadside, eyes half-closed. He crouched low, his chakra stretching outward through the soil like invisible roots, searching.
Nothing.
Behind him, Kakashi stood alert, his posture a rigid line.
Though his gaze frequently drifted toward Ken.
The image of Ken's previous combat lingered in his mind—the lack of hesitation, the clinical efficiency. There was no panic in Ken's movements, only a cold, fluid grace.
Without realizing it, Kakashi had begun measuring the difference between them.
Minato hadn't reappeared. His absence was itself answer; whatever happened next was entirely on them.
"We continue as before," Ken broke the silence, his voice barely a whisper. "No pursuit."
Kakashi glanced back. "If they attack?"
"We repel them," Ken replied. "If they retreat, we let them go. We stay on the carriage."
Kakashi paused, then gave a stiff nod. "Agreed."
Time became a blurred cycle of violence. The attacks were never direct; they were surgical strikes from the periphery. A blade whistling from the shadows. A rain of senbon. A brief, frantic clash of steel before the enemy vanished back into the treeline.
Ken and Kakashi handled them in silence. Another body hit the dirt. Then another. By dusk, they had taken out many.
Sleep came in fragments—minutes stolen between shifts, never enough to reach deep rest. By morning, fatigue clung to Ken's limbs like wet wool. His chakra flow felt heavy, sluggish, as if moving through sludge.
Minato materialized briefly as they dismantled the camp. He took one look at their sluggish movement but said nothing.
The caravan resumed.
Less than an hour later, the ambush hit.
Three attackers from the left, two from the rear. Ken raised his arm as a blade crashed against his hardened earth technique. The vibration rattled his teeth. Nearby, Kakashi intercepted an enemy, but his movements had lost their explosive edge.
Ken lunged for a killing blow with an earth spike, but he was a fraction of a second too slow. The attacker tumbled back and escaped into the bushes.
They forced the perimeter clear, but the cost was visible in their ragged breathing. The client remained safe only because Minato was a constant shadow near the carriage, occasionally picking off those who slipped through.
Ken stared into the dark eaves of the forest. "They're weak," he muttered.
Kakashi turned, wiping sweat from his brow. "What?"
"Individually, they're no match for us," Ken said, calmly. "But they aren't a ragtag group. They're coordinated. There are too many of them, and they're draining us on purpose."
Kakashi didn't respond, his silence an admission of the truth.
"If we keep playing defense," Ken said calmly, "we'll eventually make a fatal mistake. We should hunt them."
Kakashi's head snapped toward him. "Our mission is protection, not pursuit. We don't leave the client."
Ken fell silent.
He hadn't expected his own previous logic to be used against him, but the situation had shifted. "Minato-sensei is here," Ken countered. "The client isn't in danger."
"That's not the point," Kakashi snapped. "Our responsibility is the escort."
Ken stared at him for few seconds, then exhaled slowly. "I see."
He turned away, approaching Minato. He had no intention of hunting them alone—who knew what traps lay in wait—but he knew they couldn't stay passive. He also knew that Minato was watching. This wasn't just a mission; it was an evaluation. If they just "held on" until the end, they would look like genin clinging to a safety net.
Ken needed to cling on Minato. That was the only way forward for now.
"Sensei," Ken said, his expression grim. "If we continue like this, we'll hit total exhaustion. The fact that they're still attacking even with a Jonin present means they're prepared for one. They might have a counter for you waiting ahead."
Minato looked at him, his blue eyes searching. "What is your plan, Ken?"
Ken glanced back at Kakashi, then at the road ahead. "We stop moving. It's too dangerous to walk into what might be a ambush. I want to capture the next attacker alive for interrogation. We need to know who is pulling the strings before we take another step."
Minato nodded slowly, a small, unreadable smile touching his lips. "It's up to you. I will follow your arrangement."