Aware that the caravan was likely being stalked by enemies lurking in the shadows, the members of Team 3 immediately became hyper-vigilant.
Might Guy, as the Jonin leader, positioned himself directly beside Fukusaburo to ensure he could react instantly to any threat. In the shinobi world, the line between killing and being killed often vanished in a heartbeat. A single lapse in judgment or a moment of hesitation could mean the difference between life and death.
Allen was perhaps the only one in the group who didn't feel a shred of tension. He didn't believe a group of third-rate ninjas who resorted to robbing merchants could pose any real threat to him.
Shinobi were generally a prideful bunch; those with talent and self-respect, even if they went rogue, rarely deigned to perform the "zero-capital business" of highway robbery. Look at Zabuza Momochi: even though he could have just robbed Gato, he still chose to earn his pay through contracts. Even Kakuzu, obsessed as he was with money, never robbed commoners, choosing instead to complete missions or moonlight as a bounty hunter.
While Allen was silently considering how to feed these suspected rogue ninjas to the Red Dragon without alerting his teammates, Neji suddenly leaned in and whispered, "How did you find that guy hidden behind the tree so far away?"
"Simple. I'm personally very sensitive to presence. Especially a presence with strong hostile intent; as long as it enters within a few hundred meters, I can sense it immediately," Allen answered, mixing truth with fiction.
"Oh? Besides being a medical ninja, you're also a sensory type?" A look of surprise crossed Neji's face.
Either of those roles was a high-value asset, meaning the village would prioritize their protection.
"Yeah, you could say that," Allen nodded slightly.
"Is that part of your unique Kekkei Genkai as well?" Guy's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Yes. I can scan for everything within a 500-meter radius, whether it's people or animals," Allen replied without hesitation, providing his detection range.
Of course, this wasn't his maximum range; it was roughly half of it.
Upon hearing this, Lee was filled with envy and admiration. "Is this the power of a bloodline ninja? How incredible!"
"Don't lose heart! As long as you persevere and work hard, you will one day catch up to these geniuses with Kekkei Genkai," Guy encouraged, patting his prize pupil's head.
"Yes! Rest assured, Sensei! I will work doubly hard!" The hot-blooded Lee instantly shed tears of emotion.
"That's it! That's the spirit! Youth shall never lose!"
With that, the two bowl-cut enthusiasts in green spandex embraced and wept together again. This scene had played out so many times on the road that both the other members of Team 3 and the caravan workers had grown accustomed to it, acting as if they saw nothing at all.
As the sky grew darker, the perpetually anxious Fukusaburo finally spoke up. "Masters, it's getting dark. Can we set up camp?"
"We can. Camp by the roadside up ahead," Might Guy replied, before immediately setting restrictions on the rest of the caravan. "And tell your people, do not stray more than fifty meters from the wagons. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee their safety."
"No problem! I'll inform them," Fukusaburo promised quickly, shouting orders to his hired hands.
Under his direction, the carriages were soon circled into a defensive ring, with a bright bonfire lit in the center.
While the food was cooking, Neji secretly activated his Byakugan. Seeing that the ninja who had followed them all day was still there, he frowned. "Guy-sensei, why is he still following us? Normally, if rogue ninjas are raiding merchants and find they are escorted by ninjas from a Great Nation, shouldn't they choose to give up immediately?"
"I don't know. Our current intel is insufficient," Guy said, scratching his hair in annoyance. "Fukusaburo isn't new to this route either; he's hired Konoha ninjas many times before without issue."
Thinking wasn't exactly Guy's forte, so he could only take things as they came.
After a simple dinner, most of the exhausted caravan members lay down by the fire to sleep. The four Genin of Team 3 split into two pairs following the standard academy protocol, one pair rested while the other stood guard. Neji, with his Byakugan, and Lee took the first watch, while Allen and Tenten were assigned the second half of the night. This ensured each group had a strong scout to detect an ambush before it hit.
The peaceful first half of the night passed. Allen, having rested for a few hours, yawned, threw some wood onto the fire, and washed his face with cold water before taking over Neji's watch. Beside him, Tenten was clearly not yet awake, propping her chin on her hand with her eyes barely open. By 3:00 AM, she had fallen fast asleep, completely forgetting her duty.
Allen made no move to wake her. He simply waited patiently for the prey to arrive.
Suddenly!
The red dot marked by Track Humanoids moved! And it wasn't alone, five more red dots were approaching the camp at high speed.
"Hmph. Finally here? I'll use you to test my ninjutsu skills."
The moment the last word left his lips, Allen converted his Aura into Chakra mode and vanished from the spot.
Less than a second after he disappeared, Might Guy opened his eyes and whispered, "Choosing to engage alone? That's hardly the behavior of a medical ninja. Unless... he has absolute confidence in his strength."
Meanwhile, in a clearing two or three hundred meters away, Allen had already intercepted the six ninjas intending to ambush them.
Contrary to his expectations, these six were not rogue ninjas; they wore Kusagakure protectors.
Realizing this, he spoke with a meaningful tone. "If I recall correctly, the Hidden Grass and Konoha are allies. Directly attacking a caravan escorted by Konoha ninjas... aren't you afraid of causing a diplomatic incident?"
"Hmph! Don't you worry about that, brat. Now, just die quietly. Once you're all dead, no one will know what happened," the middle-aged man leading them sneered, his face twisting into a savage grin.
"Fine. Simple and clean, I like your directness. In that case, let the slaughter begin."
As he finished speaking, both of Allen's hands were instantly enveloped in a layer of pale blue energy.
Chakra Scalpel!
Recognized as one of the most difficult A-rank ninjutsu to master, it was manifested by him with ease. For now, however, his version was purely for cutting, lacking the nuance for medical surgery.
Before the lead ninja could even react, the razor-sharp energy blades effortlessly slit his throat. Instantly, blood surged from his carotid artery, choking his windpipe and leaving him no chance to use a Substitution Jutsu. He could only make gurgling sounds, desperately clutching at the wound.
It was futile. He took one final, instinctive step forward and collapsed headfirst into a pool of blood. Whether he drowned in his own blood or died from hypovolemic shock, none could say.