"Captain, how long do you think we’re going to be stuck here?" Uchiha Shisui leaned on his hand, looking bored out of his mind as he asked Nara Kazuki. Kazuki sighed in equal exasperation.
They’d already been in Kumogakure for a full week. And during this week, Konoha and Kumo still hadn’t reached an agreement on the final price. Still, Kazuki could understand—this was a massive deal. But he had a feeling that things would wrap up within the next couple of days. There was no way either side would drag this out forever.
"Give it a few more days. I heard they’re close to finishing the negotiation—just ironing out the final details." Kazuki closed his eyes, continuing his ninjutsu training while speaking.
Even though Kumo had arranged their lodging and food during their stay, Kazuki still found the atmosphere a bit uncomfortable. The local shinobi kept using excuses to monitor them at close range, which got tiring fast.
"Man, I never thought this kind of mission would be so boring. If I’d known, I’d have preferred hunting spies outside the village," Shisui muttered, clearly losing patience. If he hadn’t been personally assigned to this diplomatic mission, he might’ve just requested to return home.
Kazuki was about to offer some words of encouragement when Nara Suzaku walked in, a small smile playing on his face. Kazuki knew immediately—the deal was done.
"All right. The mission’s officially a success. We’ll prepare to head back to the village shortly," Suzaku said cheerfully. A rare smile touched Kazuki’s lips. That was the best possible outcome—he hadn’t been too keen on staying any longer anyway.
Besides, the food in Kumo had been... odd. The people here seemed obsessed with meat. Kazuki had eaten more protein in the past week than he ever wanted to again, and he’d had to ramp up his physical training just to keep pace.
During those training sessions, Kazuki had noticed how the Kumo shinobi watching him would give him strange, analytical looks.
He didn’t use the Hatake Sword Style in front of them, of course—just basic conditioning and taijutsu drills.
But after a few days of following Might Guy-style workouts, the Kumo ninja began watching him with a bit more respect.
Kazuki found it amusing. If Guy ever visited here, he’d probably be praised like a minor deity.
After quickly packing their belongings, the group prepared for departure. Kazuki glanced at the crates being loaded up behind them, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Suzaku-taichō, are we really transporting all the payment ourselves?" There was a sharp glint in Kazuki’s eyes. He was thinking ahead. If their squad was responsible for carrying all that money back from the Land of Lightning to Konoha... things might get dicey.
He didn’t know the exact sum involved, but judging by Suzaku’s satisfied expression, it wasn’t small.
And when a sum wasn’t small, things got dangerous. The question wasn’t if someone would try to steal it—it was when and how.
"Yes. Originally, I suggested leaving the money here until a dedicated escort unit could pick it up," Suzaku replied gravely. "But the Raikage insisted that we take it ourselves."
Kazuki felt a flicker of excitement... and a thread of anxiety.
Money could make anyone greedy. Even if Kumogakure didn’t act directly, they could leak the route to rogue shinobi or bounty hunters.
And those types? They’d kill for pocket change, let alone a treasure convoy.
The most likely spot for an ambush wouldn’t be inside the Land of Lightning itself—but at the borders, or the small buffer countries in between. Perfect gray zones for deniability and chaos.
Still, part of Kazuki looked forward to it. If they were attacked, it meant battle—and battle meant more chakra for his development.
"They probably won’t act on this side of the border," Suzaku whispered. "But we need to be ready. I’ve already dispatched a small squad to secure support from border patrol units."
His voice was low—so low that even Kazuki, standing right next to him, barely caught it.
That explained why he’d noticed a few team members missing. Suzaku had sent them ahead to prep reinforcements.
After quietly briefing Shisui, Kazuki kept his senses sharp on the road. He began deploying Wind Pulse sensory techniques every so often, checking for threats in their surroundings.
Nothing showed up. No bandits. No missing-nin. No traps.
But Kazuki didn’t mind. Even without immediate danger, the exercise helped him refine his detection skills.
By the time they reached the edge of the Land of Lightning, Kazuki’s vigilance had peaked. He even created a shadow clone, having it fall back and hide nearby—ready to switch with him at a moment’s notice.
They crossed into a neutral small country without incident. The Kumo patrol that escorted them simply turned and left, wasting no time.
But just as Kazuki started to relax, a team of Konoha shinobi came rushing toward them.
Something felt... off.
"Lord Suzaku! We’re here to receive you!" one of the approaching shinobi called out.
Suzaku raised his hand in a specific signal. Kazuki understood instantly.
Before the supposed allies could get any closer, a massive Fireball jutsu surged forward, roaring through the air.