Ken fell silent.
Now things were truly becoming troublesome.
He didn't actually know what to do next.
But he couldn't just remain quiet, could he?
"There are only two methods I can think of," Ken said at last.
Minato and Kakashi turned their attention toward him.
"First," Ken continued, "we go on the offensive. Minato-sensei stays with the carriage while Kakashi and I hunt down the cannon fodder hidden in the forest."
He paused.
"After eliminating them, we regroup and proceed together. If the one giving the orders appears, we deal with them as a team."
Minato remained silent.
Kakashi frowned.
Before he could speak, Ken continued.
"But this method is far too dangerous," he said calmly. "It plays directly into their hands. Even if we eliminate every mob, Kakashi and I would be exhausted."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Minato.
"At that point, everything would depend solely on you."
Kakashi considered it for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Minato smiled faintly.
"So," he said, "what is your second method?"
Ken cursed internally.
This might look like a chance to demonstrate his abilities but don't forget this is also a perfect place to demonstrate his inabilities and he wasn't some flawless strategist.
He was simply relying on common sense cultivated in his previous life.
Still, he answered.
"The second method is to stop following this road altogether," Ken said. "If we change routes, we can avoid their preparations entirely."
Minato did not respond immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Kakashi.
Kakashi fell silent, then spoke with a slight frown.
"It may help us avoid the cannon fodder," he said, "but we'll likely still face whoever is controlling them. The detour will also increase travel time."
He glanced toward the carriage.
"Even if the client agrees, complaints are inevitable. Especially if we encounter their leader later."
Ken spread his hands in a helpless shrug.
This was his limit.
Minato observed the two of them for a moment before speaking.
"Then we'll follow Ken's second arrangement," he said. "Any objections?"
Both Ken and Kakashi shook their heads.
Minato turned and walked toward the carriage to inform the noble.
As Ken watched him go, he finally released the breath he'd been holding.
He had genuinely feared Minato might assign him to handle the nobles… in the name of training.
Though there were some complaints from the noble, with Minato present the route was ultimately changed.
We took the longer path.
Now everything depended on the one giving the orders.
But there was little reason to worry.
It was highly unlikely they could coordinate all their cannon fodder efficiently, especially while operating in such secrecy. And with Minato-sensei present, even if the leader turned out to be a jōnin, he would be able to handle it.
It wasn't like Minato would leave a jōnin for us to deal with.
…Right?
With that, the journey resumed.
The detour added two extra days to our travel time.
Thankfully, the plan worked.
No ambushes followed.
The forest remained quiet. The road passed without incident.
Time slipped by.
Night
"By tomorrow afternoon, we should reach the destination, right?" Ken asked, stifling a yawn.
"Yes," Kakashi replied curtly.
Ken glanced at him.
Things weren't as bad as I had initially thought.
Kakashi didn't talk much, and his focus never wavered from the mission. He was the type who prioritized completion above all else, even over his teammates.
…No. That didn't sound quite right.
The point is as long as I could keep up with Kakashi, there wouldn't be any problems. He wouldn't nitpick mistakes, wouldn't undermine allies, and wouldn't interfere unnecessarily.
As for the possibility of him abandoning his comrades—
…I might do the same, though for different reasons.
And its not like I would place my life in his hands.
As long as there was no active betrayal…
Everything would be fine.