The carriage jerked to a halt.
The noble nearly spilled his tea.
His brows knitted as he leaned toward the window and peered outside.
The road looked normal.
Still, he said nothing. He wasn't a fool. A delay was inconvenient, but safety was far more important.
Outside, Kakashi frowned.
He didn't like it either.
Even so, he voiced no objection. His task was simple.
Follow orders.
Ken turned toward him.
"Now that we have permission," he said, keeping his voice steady, "let's scout ahead. We need to confirm whether the path is safe."
He hesitated briefly before adding, "With Minato-sensei here, there shouldn't be any problems."
His eyes shifted toward Minato.
Minato met his gaze and gave a small nod.
Kakashi didn't respond. He simply stepped forward and vanished into motion, already moving ahead of the caravan.
Ken watched his retreating figure.
He didn't like this method.
Though direct and efficient, it was completely unsuitable for building bonds, especially with someone like Kakashi.
But Ken couldn't think of another way.
He sighed.
Some walls could only be worn down with time.
Ken and Kakashi moved ahead of the caravan in silence.
The forest thickened as they left the road behind, branches overlapping overhead and dimming the light. Ken slowed and placed his palm against the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Ear Technique."
Chakra spread outward beneath the soil. The feedback returned in broken pulses, scattered and incomplete.
Ken frowned.
"This method is too limited," he muttered. "Anyone moving through the trees can avoid it entirely."
Kakashi didn't reply and continued searching.
He crouched near the path, examining the dirt carefully. After a moment, he gestured forward.
Footprints.
They were faint and partially erased, but still clear enough to trained eyes. The trail led deeper into the forest.
They followed it cautiously.
Soon, two figures came into view, each crouched behind a tree, their attention fixed on the road. They were waiting for the caravan to move again.
"Only two," Ken murmured.
"Which means the others are positioned elsewhere," Kakashi replied.
Neither hesitated.
"We capture them," Ken said. "Minato-sensei will handle the interrogation."
Kakashi nodded once.
Ken formed hand seals. The ground beneath his feet softened, drawing him under without sound.
Kakashi remained where he was, visible and still.
Moments later, Ken surfaced behind the first attacker and struck cleanly at the base of the neck. The man collapsed before he could react.
The second assailant spun around.
His hand darted into his pouch and emerged holding a small signal flare. He twisted, aiming it skyward.
Ken moved instantly.
A column of earth erupted upward, smashing into the man's arm and knocking the flare aside before it could ignite.
Panic flashed across the attacker's face.
He drew a kunai and drove it toward his own throat.
A silver blur intercepted him.
Kakashi appeared beside the man and struck him down with a single blow.
Silence settled over the clearing.
Ken stared at the unconscious attackers.
First the signal. Then suicide.
That level of conditioning ruled out ordinary hired thugs.
Yet when he checked closer, he found no poison capsule. No prepared seal. Nothing hidden beneath the tongue.
Crude.
At least they weren't professionals.
They returned to the caravan with the prisoners bound.
Minato stepped forward as they arrived, calm eyes briefly assessing the situation before kneeling beside one of the attackers.
Interrogation was not his specialty. His strengths lay elsewhere.
But he was still a jōnin.
It didn't take long.
When Minato stood, his expression had grown slightly heavier.
"They don't know much," he said. "They only follow the orders given to them."
Ken's gaze sharpened.
"They weren't taught ninjutsu," Minato continued. "But they received training in taijutsu and throwing techniques. Enough to function."
"And their orders?" Kakashi asked.
"Simple," Minato replied. "Attack the caravan. Nothing beyond that."
He paused briefly.
"In normal circumstances, they live ordinary lives. Traders, laborers, villagers. They only gather when an order arrives."
Ken's face grew solemn.
"So they're sleepers," Kakashi muttered.
Minato nodded once.
Both Ken and Kakashi frowned.
Minato then turned toward Ken. "What do you think?"
Ken gathered his thoughts.
"They were trained from a young age," he said slowly. "And not just one or two. There are many of them."
"That level of preparation requires significant resources."
He glanced toward the noble's carriage.
"This isn't the work of a rogue shinobi. It's likely another noble, or someone operating at that level."
Minato motioned for him to continue.
"If they can afford to raise and maintain this many sleeper fighters," Ken said, "then these men are only the outer layer. Cannon fodder."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"We should expect real shinobi as well."
Minato listened without interruption.
"When we attempted capture," Ken continued, "their first reaction was a signal flare. When that failed, they attempted suicide."
He shook his head faintly.
"That suggests they lack independent communication. At least these cannon fodder don't know about broader troop movements."
"They're following fixed orders," Ken concluded. "Once deployed, they can't adapt."
Silence followed.
Minato nodded in approval.
Then he asked,
"What's next?"