Regarding this, neither the Jonin captain nor Kado said anything. In a perpetually chaotic country like the Land of Rain, where even the safety and well-being of its citizens cannot be guaranteed, it's even less likely that extra funds would be invested in road construction.
"Captain..."
Kakashi and the three Chunin approached, whispering softly beside the Jonin leader.
"Ah, I know."
Ever since they entered the canyon, the Jonin captain sensed something was amiss, with a cold scent mingling in the rain.
Boom!
The explosion came too suddenly, yet the guards escorting the convoy and the Konoha Ninja were not overly frightened.
As the flames burst against the rock walls, massive rocks fell from above.
Kakashi was at the forefront, drawing the White Fang Short Knife from his back, and swung forcefully at the falling rocks.
The rock split in two, and using the still-falling rocks as a stepping stone, he began his attack towards the top of the rock wall.
Behind him, the Jonin Captain and two Chunin teammates also charged up.
They were met with a barrage of Kunai and Shuriken raining down from the sky.
Kado stood calmly among the group, with two black-cloaked guards by his side, their expressions unchanged, standing like stone pillars amidst the rain.
The rest of the black-cloaked guards divided into two groups, with half staying to protect the vehicles and the other half cooperating with the four Konoha Ninja to wipe out the invading enemies.
"Really, couldn't help making a move only after getting here. It seems I overestimated these people."
Kado sat on a carriage step, unmoved by the sound of fighting in his ears.
Since he took over the company, there had been several assassination attempts every month. Yet, he was still alive, which was a testament to Shion Flower Company's strength.
"There's nothing to be done, after all, the value of this batch of drugs is just too tempting."
"It's worth watching as a sideshow. Let's finish it quickly."
"Yes."
Developing the company and making it profitable, that was Kado's task.
Eliminating enemies, that was their job.
In the battle with the attackers, Kakashi quickly discerned their identity through confrontation. They were of Samurai origin, knew some Chakra applications, and some were rogue Ninja with knowledge of some practical low-level Ninja Techniques.
For someone like him, who had learned the White Fang Swordsmanship, these people didn't pose much of a threat.
However, for his two Chunin partners, it might be a bit troublesome.
Watching them struggle, almost getting hit by enemy attacks several times, Kakashi glanced over, confirming their Jonin leader was nearby, and determined they wouldn't be in mortal danger.
Hence, he ignored the difficult battle the two faced.
Instead of worrying about that, eliminating the enemy quickly and completing the mission sooner was what he needed to do.
As one enemy after another fell, Kakashi, weaving through the rain, had the blood on his White Fang Short Knife continuously washed away by the rain, turning red then white, white then red, changing repetitively.
The battle ended in just over ten minutes.
With only a few lightly injured, they defeated these people, while some, sensing impending defeat, fled directly, and no one pursued them.
"Mr. Kado, we can continue on our way."
The Jonin leader wiped away the blood on his shoulder's clothing, the pungent smell of blood faint in the rain.
Kado adjusted the sunglasses on his nose, ordering the convoy to prepare to move forward again, but it seemed a dispute had arisen on Kakashi's side:
"Hey, Kakashi, what's going on? Didn't you see us signaling for support just now?"
After the battle, the two Chunin who had teamed up with Kakashi for the first time were very dissatisfied with his indifferent attitude earlier.
Because they were surrounded by many enemies, they suffered quite a few injuries.
"With both your abilities, I believed that even without my assistance, you would have been fine."
Kakashi stated truthfully.
The two did have strength, and in a situation surrounded like that, they were capable of defeating the attacking enemies.
Being able to eliminate more enemies, considering the circumstances at the time, Kakashi believed was the optimal decision.
Eliminating the enemy quickly meant the safety of this batch of drugs would also be out of danger sooner.
"What did you say? Repeat that if you dare. Aren't we part of the same squad?"
One of the Chunin grabbed Kakashi's collar.
"I said, I judged that you two were not in any life-threatening danger, and eliminating the enemies as fast as possible was the top priority at the time. The longer the delay, the greater the risk to the convoy. Compared to you, the safety of these drugs is more crucial."
The two Chunin's faces turned livid, utterly unpleasant.
"Alright, you three, don't make your first collaboration end up like this. I was watching too at that time and wouldn't let anything happen to the three of you."
The Jonin leader gave Kado an apologetic smile, then unwillingly walked to the three of them, preventing their relationship from further worsening.
"Tch. I can't get along with someone like this at all."
Only then did the two Chunin give up, beginning to treat their injuries.
"I merely aimed to minimize the risk of mission failure."
Kakashi also turned his head to the side, seemingly still thinking his choice was correct.
The Jonin Captain scratched his head, exceedingly troubled.