I collected the Ninja tools, money, and scrolls from their bodies. Counting them up, we now have two Heaven scrolls and four Earth scrolls.
Well… that's enough for two teams to pass. Kano also took yesterday's leftover rice balls, lit a fire, and cooked them into four bowls of porridge.
Back in the cart, she set the porridge aside. Karin happened to wake up, so Kano gave her a bowl.
'You're awake. Freshly cooked porridge—eat it while it's hot.'
'Thanks. I get the feeling you'll make a perfect wife and mother someday.'
'No way—I'm not marrying anyone. I prefer pretty girls to boys. When you're done, help me feed those two; they haven't eaten or drunk anything all day. I'll handle Naruto, you take Sasuke. After that we keep moving.'
'All right.'
The deer cart rolled on. This time Kano sat on the roof, enjoying the scenery.
It wasn't fast—more like a leisurely stroll—but that unhurried pace felt nice; they had plenty of time.
Running would get them there quickly, but sprinting while carrying Naruto and Sasuke would look pathetic.
'Gaara's group must have reached the finish already.'
She thinned the surrounding mist enough to make out the landscape—though it raised the odds of being spotted, and now every random stray thought it could ambush them.
Shadow Zabuza had cut down several beasts and a single Genin; today's meals were secured.
While Kano scanned the surroundings, a figure suddenly leapt up and hugged her.
'W-wait—!'
Realising it was Shikamaru, Kano hadn't time to speak before he dragged her into the grass.
'You idiot, sitting in plain sight—trying to get yourself killed?'
'Exactly, Kano-chan. Stay hidden until the fog lifts, then we move.'
Shikamaru was crouched beside Ino and Choji.
'Why?'
Kano was baffled; she'd been there ages without seeing any danger. If anything, the danger had been to whoever attacked—had Shikamaru not been from Konoha, Shadow Zabuza would have sliced him on sight.
'There's a Mist Demon in the Forest of Death. It only appears in thick fog. Anyone who meets it dies, beheaded with a single cut—only headless corpses are left.'
'Many have noticed that wherever the mist clears, bodies lie, all severed at the neck. We've seen its victims ourselves.'
'So when the fog rolls in, you hide—never let the demon find you.'
Shikamaru pressed his sister's head, heart still pounding. Had Kano not been his little sister, he'd never have risked stepping out with a Mist Demon nearby.
'Uh… you blockhead! That mist is mine!'
Kano laughed bitterly, pushed his hand away, stood and dusted herself off.
'The cart—my deer cart—is my doing; go look if you like. And your so-called Mist Demon is the Shadow Ninja who kicked you into the wall the day I came home.'
She called Shadow Zabuza over and let the three gape as he demonstrated the kubikiribōchō's power.
'Kano-chan, you're not joking, right?'
Ino couldn't understand how her best friend had become so strong—weren't they all just Genin?
'You were the first to see my Forbidden Jutsu, remember? It's only evolved a tiny bit since then.'
'A tiny bit? The three of us together probably couldn't beat him.'
'Drop the "probably"—you definitely can't. Even my real self can't. Come on, back to the cart; the others will worry.'
She led them aboard. Seeing Kano, Karin lowered the Kunai she'd raised.
'Kano, you're back—everything okay?'
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