The unease stirred by the discovery of the tracks lingered through the night, making sleep fitful for the Genin of Team Twelve.
Ryuu, despite his exhaustion, found himself jolting awake at every unfamiliar forest sound, his senses automatically extending, searching the darkness for threats that remained unseen.
He saw Izumi, during her watch rotation, perched statue-still in the highest branches of a nearby tree. Even Kenta, usually prone to heavy snoring after a day's exertion, seemed restless, frequently checking the perimeter near the smoldering campfire where the nervous drivers huddled close to their wagon and oxen.
Genma, as always, appeared outwardly relaxed when Ryuu saw him during his own watch shift, leaning against a tree, but Ryuu could sense the tightly controlled alertness beneath the Jonin's casual posture. They were being watched, or at least shadowed, and Genma knew it.
Dawn broke grey and misty, the air cool and damp. They broke camp quickly, efficiently, leaving minimal trace of their presence. The merchant, Hiroshi Yamada, bustled about nervously, urging his drivers to hurry, clearly eager to reach the relative (and highly questionable) safety of Tanzaku Quai.
The second day of travel continued much like the first, though the underlying tension was now palpable. The road led them through increasingly hilly terrain, dense forests giving way to rocky passes and steep inclines that slowed the oxen considerably.
Izumi spent most of her time scouting far ahead or on high ground, her Sharingan peeled for any sign of ambush. Kenta remained glued to the wagon, adopting a protective stance, while Ryuu continued his sensory sweep, his focus sharpened by the previous night's discovery.
He paid close attention to lingering chakra signatures, subtle disturbances in the natural energy flow, anything that felt out of place. He detected nothing overtly hostile, but the feeling of being observed, a faint prickle at the edge of his senses, persisted intermittently.
Were the followers keeping pace, staying just outside his current detection range? Or was it just paranoia fueled by Genma's warning?
Genma seemed to share the subtle unease. He moved more frequently now, rarely staying in one position for long, sometimes vanishing into the woods for extended periods on wider reconnaissance sweeps, reappearing silently beside the wagon without warning. He tested his Genin constantly, throwing unexpected drills or questions at them during their rotations.
"Miyamoto!" he called out sharply during the afternoon watch. "Enemy shinobi, three o'clock, treetop level, preparing wind jutsu! Reaction?"
Kenta flinched, whirling around, kunai drawn, scanning the indicated trees frantically. "Uh... Earth Wall? No, wait, Substitution!"
"Too slow," Genma stated flatly from beside the wagon, having seemingly appeared from nowhere. "By the time you decided, you'd be sliced ribbons. Anticipate potential threats based on terrain. High ground offers advantages for ranged attacks. Always be ready to counter or evade instantly. Izumi?"
Izumi, who had been flanking them on a nearby ridge, simply pointed towards the 'threat' location, her Sharingan already active, confirming she had 'seen' the hypothetical enemy Genma described.
"Good," Genma nodded. "Ryuu? What did you sense?"
"No hostile chakra signature detected at that location, Sensei," Ryuu replied calmly, having extended his senses the moment Genma spoke. "The wind pattern is natural for this pass."
"Correct," Genma said. "But never rely solely on one sense. Chakra can be masked. Intent can be hidden. Cross-reference everything. Visuals from Uchiha, sensory data from Yuki, Miyamoto ready for immediate defense or counter-attack based on confirmed threat. That's teamwork." He vanished again, leaving them processing the impromptu drill.
These drills, combined with the tedium of the slow journey and the underlying tension, began to forge a different kind of bond between the three Genin. Shared vigilance, reliance on each other's specific skills, and Genma's demanding presence created a functional unit, if not yet a deeply cohesive one.
They spent a second night camped in another defensible position, the watch rotations doubled as Genma had ordered. Ryuu, during his sensory sweep with Genma, detected faint, distant chakra signatures moving parallel to their route again, confirming they were indeed being shadowed, though the signatures remained weak, difficult to pinpoint or identify clearly as shinobi.
Genma acknowledged the report with a grim nod but gave no orders to engage or investigate further. His priority was the escort mission, confronting unknown followers in the dark was an unnecessary risk unless they posed an immediate threat.
The third day saw the terrain flatten out again as they descended into the broader valley leading towards Tanzaku Quai. The forest thinned, replaced by scrubland and occasional rice paddies. Small farming hamlets appeared in the distance, plumes of smoke rising lazily into the sky. The signs of civilization increased, but so did the potential for encounters.
Genma kept them moving at a steady pace, pushing the oxen, wanting to reach the relative anonymity of Tanzaku Quai before nightfall. Izumi scouted ahead relentlessly, while Ryuu maintained his sensory bubble, filtering the increasing number of civilian chakra signatures, searching for anything hostile or suspicious.
Kenta remained vigilant by the wagon, occasionally chatting with the now slightly less nervous drivers.
As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the dusty road, they finally saw it – Tanzaku Quai. It wasn't a hidden village nestled in a valley like Konoha.
It sprawled along a wide bend in a river, a chaotic jumble of wooden buildings, brightly colored banners advertising sake houses and gambling dens, narrow winding streets, and sturdy-looking fortress walls indicating its status as a significant castle town, likely belonging to a minor feudal lord.
A haze of smoke and noise hung over it, even from a distance.
"Alright, team," Genma called them together as they approached the town's less-used southern gate, Yamada already sighing with relief. "Mission parameters shift slightly inside. Stay alert, stay together unless ordered otherwise. This place... attracts trouble. Keep your mouths shut, your eyes open, and your hands near your weapons pouch. We escort Yamada-san to his designated warehouse near the western docks, ensure his cargo is secure, collect payment, find lodging, and await his departure schedule. Minimum interaction with locals."
Entering Tanzaku Quai felt like stepping into another world after the silence of the wilderness. The streets thronged with people – merchants hawking wares, rough-looking ronin carrying swords openly, colorfully dressed women beckoning from doorways, loud gamblers spilling out of dimly lit establishments, farmers bringing produce to market.
The air was thick with the smell of cooking food, cheap perfume, stale sake, and underlying desperation. Chakra signatures were everywhere, a chaotic jumble ranging from faint civilian levels to surprisingly potent spikes indicating hidden shinobi or skilled samurai bodyguards.
Ryuu found the sensory overload intense, far more complex than Konoha's relatively ordered environment.
He focused on keeping his immediate perimeter clear, relying more on visual cues and situational awareness. Izumi looked visibly uncomfortable, her Uchiha sensibilities likely offended by the noise and lack of decorum, though her eyes constantly scanned the crowds, analyzing faces, noting potential threats. Kenta looked wide-eyed, simultaneously intimidated and fascinated by the sheer chaos.
Genma navigated them through the crowded streets with practiced ease, moving like a shadow despite the throng. He led them towards the western district, a rougher area dominated by warehouses, shipping offices, and inns catering to transient merchants and mercenaries.
Yamada nervously directed them to a large, nondescript warehouse guarded by two bored-looking thugs leaning against the door.
After a brief exchange between Yamada and the guards, the heavy doors creaked open, revealing a cavernous space filled with crates and barrels. Yamada supervised his drivers as they began the laborious process of unhitching the oxen and preparing to unload the cargo, fussing over every canvas cover.
"Alright, Team Twelve," Genma said quietly, pulling them aside while Yamada was occupied. "Uchiha, take the roof opposite, maintain overwatch. Miyamoto, stay with the wagon, assist the drivers if needed, act as close guard. Yuki, with me. We do a quick sweep of the immediate surroundings, make sure no one took an unhealthy interest in our arrival."
Ryuu nodded, following Genma as he melted into a nearby alleyway.
They moved quickly, silently through the network of narrow passages behind the warehouses, Genma checking rooftops, blind corners, potential ambush points. Ryuu focused his senses, searching for any lingering hostile signatures, any sign they had been followed into the town itself.
He detected nothing immediate, just the usual background thrum of the port town – shady deals happening in shadowed corners, drunken arguments spilling from taverns, the pervasive sense of low-level danger.
"Seems clear for now," Genma murmured after completing their circuit. "Doesn't mean we relax. Stay sharp."
They returned to the warehouse as the last of the cargo was being unloaded. Yamada, looking immensely relieved, counted out a hefty pouch of ryo and handed it to Genma with profuse thanks.
"Excellent work, Genma-san! Smooth journey! I'll be finalizing my business here over the next three, maybe four days. I'll contact you at the usual inn when I'm ready to arrange the return escort."
"Understood, Yamada-san," Genma nodded, pocketing the payment. "We'll be at the 'Sleeping Carp' down the street. Ensure your cargo is secure."
With the client seemingly safe and the initial mission parameters met, Genma led his team away from the warehouse. "Alright, brats. Job one, done. Now, job two: secure lodgings, get some decent food that isn't hardtack, and establish a watch rotation. The 'Sleeping Carp' isn't the Ritz, but the owner owes me a favor, so they won't ask too many questions."
The Sleeping Carp Inn was exactly what Ryuu expected – dimly lit, smelling faintly of stale sake and unwashed bodies, filled with rough-looking patrons nursing drinks or engaging in low-voiced, suspicious conversations. Genma secured them two simple adjoining rooms on the upper floor with practiced ease, paying upfront and ignoring the innkeeper's leering gaze.
"Alright," Genma instructed once they were inside the basic rooms. "Uchiha, Miyamoto, you share one room. Yuki, you're with me in this one." It was a practical decision – keeping the youngest member and the sensor under his direct supervision.
"Standard four-hour watch shifts through the night. I'll take first watch from the window here. Izumi, you relieve me at 2200. Kenta, 0200. Ryuu, 0600 until I wake up properly. Any sign of trouble, any anomaly, you wake me instantly. Understood?"
They all nodded.
"Good. Get some food downstairs if you're hungry, but keep it quick and keep your mouths shut. Then get some rest." Genma settled near the window, seemingly relaxed but his senses clearly alert.
Ryuu wasn't particularly hungry, the tension and exhaustion dulling his appetite. He opted to stay in the room, finding a corner to sit cross-legged and meditate, focusing on restoring his depleted chakra reserves and processing the day's events.
Izumi and Kenta went downstairs briefly, returning with simple bowls of rice and pickled vegetables, which they ate quickly and quietly in their room before settling down.
The night passed tensely but without incident. Ryuu took his watch just before dawn, scanning the alleys and rooftops visible from their window, listening intently to the sounds of the town slowly stirring back to life. He felt Genma's steady presence nearby, ostensibly asleep but likely only feigning it.
The next few days fell into a strange pattern. While Yamada conducted his business, Team Twelve essentially remained on standby, confined mostly to the inn or its immediate vicinity.
Genma used the time for relentless training. He drilled them on teamwork exercises in cramped alleyways, focusing on silent communication and coordinated movement in confined spaces. He ran them through situational awareness drills, quizzing them constantly on observed details, escape routes, potential threats.
He reviewed basic sealing techniques with Izumi, worked on Kenta's reaction speed and defensive Taijutsu, and supervised Ryuu's chakra control and sensory exercises, offering curt, insightful critiques.
"Yuki, you're filtering better, but your range still collapses under pressure. Learn to maintain breadth even when focusing on a specific signature."
"Uchiha, stop relying solely on the Sharingan's prediction. Use it to inform your instincts, not replace them. What happens if your chakra runs low or an enemy uses a visual counter?"
"Miyamoto, faster! Anticipate! Don't just block, redirect! Use your weight as a weapon, not just an anchor!"
They also spent time gathering passive intelligence. Genma sent them out in pairs on simple 'errands' – fetching supplies, scouting alternate routes back to the main road, observing traffic patterns at the town gates – all designed to familiarize them with Tanzaku Quai's layout and atmosphere while testing their observation and discretion.
Ryuu found Tanzaku Quai fascinating and repellent in equal measure. It was a nexus of trade, yes, but also of desperation.
He saw ronin hiring themselves out as cheap muscle, gamblers losing everything on a single dice roll, merchants engaging in hushed, illicit deals, shinobi from minor villages passing through, their loyalties unclear.
He sensed the constant low hum of deceit, ambition, and fear beneath the surface bustle.
During one such errand, while discreetly observing the flow of goods near the western docks with Izumi, she suddenly stiffened.
"Ryuu-san," she whispered, nodding subtly towards a figure lounging near a stack of crates – a man dressed in nondescript travelling clothes, but whose posture radiated a lazy confidence that didn't quite mask an underlying coiled readiness. "Recognize him?"
Ryuu focused his senses. The chakra signature was vaguely familiar... where had he...? Then it clicked. One of the weaker, faded signatures Genma had pointed out near the tracks on their second night out from Konoha. One of the potential bandits or ronin who had been shadowing their convoy.
"Possibly," Ryuu murmured back, keeping his face neutral. "From the trail, two days out from Konoha."
Izumi nodded grimly. "Thought so. He's watching the warehouse Yamada-san uses."
They didn't engage, didn't linger. They completed their ostensible errand and reported their observation immediately back to Genma upon returning to the inn.
Genma listened intently, chewing his senbon thoughtfully. "One of the shadows from the road, huh? Here in town, watching the client's base. Could be coincidence... could be confirmation."
He looked at his team. "Alright, plans change slightly. From now on, one of you maintains constant covert surveillance on Yamada-san whenever he leaves his warehouse or the inn we assume he's staying at. Rotate shifts. Report any contact, however brief, with suspicious individuals. Especially our friend from the trail."
The mission had just shifted from simple escort standby to active counter-surveillance.