Chapter 46: Patrol and the Caravan
Itachi stared at him fixedly.
He seemed unmoved by the previous warning, still waiting for Tonbo Tobitake's definitive answer.
"You really are a stubborn kid. The so-called Will of Fire is simply about protection—protecting the things you want to protect. As for choosing between family and village, that's not something I consider. If you have the time to worry about that, we might as well spend it making ourselves strong enough to match Lord Hashirama Senju or your ancestor Madara Uchiha. Choices are for the weak; the strong take it all."
Tonbo spoke slowly, his voice calm.
With a Susanoo-clad Buddha, those two could level four nations. Who would dare to oppose them? Who could oppose them?
Itachi's eyes flickered. He felt that Tonbo was correct in principle, but he didn't believe anyone could truly be invincible across the world. Therefore, if the conflict between the village and the clan became irreconcilable, a choice would be necessary. He silently etched Tonbo's words into his heart, while realizing he wouldn't get much more "enlightenment" from this senior. Nevertheless, he wouldn't give up on acting as the bridge to ease the relationship between his family and the village.
Anko Mitarashi dropped her angry facade and scoffed. "You sure dream big. Even the Third Hokage can't achieve that. Even the Fourth, or the Sannin... they all had to be cautious on the battlefield and make choices when necessary."
Even she had to choose between Orochimaru and the village. In the end, she chose the village. Just as Orochimaru had to choose between the village and his own ambitions.
"That's why I said these are boring questions. Especially you, Itachi, acting like your life depends on knowing the answer!" Tonbo said helplessly. "People's wills are different. You can use others' ideas as a reference, but no one can make the choice for you. You have to rely on yourself."
Finally, he tapped his own temple while looking at Itachi.
"I understand, Tonbo-senpai." Realizing further questioning was futile, Itachi was decisive.
"Hey, don't think I've forgotten what happened earlier. Sooner or later, I'm going to punch you," Anko muttered, her eyes still slightly watery from the phantom heat of the peppers.
Caw! Caw!
Hoot—
The sounds of animals echoed through the forest.
"Alright, we've rested enough. Time to get to work. We aren't here for small talk; look how motivated our Captain is." Sensing his stamina had recovered, Tonbo stood up. He wanted to finish the mission quickly so he could return to Konoha before the next rotation.
Itachi and Anko straightened up. "Understood."
"This is a new piece of technology from the Land of Fire—the Radio."
Tonbo tossed each of them a device meant to be worn around the neck. It looked like a smaller version of neck-hanging headphones from his previous life.
"Radio?" The two caught the devices and examined them curiously. They were curved and rounded in shape.
"Yeah, they just came out within the last year. They're a bit clunky, and the range is only about a kilometer, but it's better than nothing," Tonbo explained. He had sourced these in the Land of Fire; the tech was still a bit primitive, with short range and bulkiness being the main drawbacks. The upside was that they could stay in constant contact over short distances.
"Give them a try." Tonbo explained how to use them, then moved a distance away to test the signal.
"Testing, testing. Can you hear me?" Tonbo's voice crackled through the device on Itachi's neck, sounding remarkably clear.
Itachi looked around, confirming Tonbo wasn't nearby. The sound was definitely coming from the device. His eyes brightened. Following the instructions, he adjusted the dial. "Received. Received."
"Oh, this is good stuff! How come I've never seen these before? I'm definitely getting one when I lead my own team," Anko's voice piped in.
"Patrol according to your assigned methods. Do not exceed the radio's range. Report any abnormalities immediately," Hayama Shirakumo's voice came through as well.
"Wait, Captain, you have one too?"
"Because the Captain and I were classmates," Tonbo replied. "Naturally, I'd coordinate with him on such convenient tools first."
High in the sky, among the white clouds.
Whoosh—
"That's the mandatory route for trade between the Land of Iron and the Land of Fire. About three kilometers ahead is the spot where the previous caravans were hijacked."
Tonbo sat atop his clay eagle, using binoculars to scan the area. A massive road appeared below, flanked by dense forests. The road stretched on for a long, long way. This was their fifth day on patrol, and they had yet to find a solid lead.
Despite Tonbo's sensory skills, Itachi's Sharingan, Anko's snake-based reconnaissance, and the Captain's wealth of experience, they hadn't found a single trace of the culprits. Tonbo had even received permission to scout the entire route between the two lands.
"Hmm? Is that... an ore trade caravan?"
Suddenly, a convoy entered his field of vision. There were about fifty people and over a dozen horse-drawn carriages, with escort ninjas patrolling the perimeter. They looked extremely cautious, likely aware of the recent disappearances.
Tonbo pressed his radio. "A mineral caravan of approximately fifty people has entered patrol range. I cannot rule out the possibility of an ambush."
"Received."
"Received."
"Received."
After confirming the responses, Tonbo focused his gaze on the convoy. He mapped out the number of people, the vehicles, the expressions on their faces, and the tracks left by the carriages, recording the scene in his mind using a mental coordinate system. He pulled out a notebook and pen to jot down the data.
"Something's off."
Looking at his data, he noticed that several people had unnatural expressions. Their eyes wandered around furtively. Occasionally, they would glance at the escort ninjas, and their facial muscles showed micro-expressions that didn't quite match the situation when they looked at the cargo.
Individually, it might have seemed normal, but when the data was compiled, it looked highly suspicious. He maneuvered his eagle over a patch of forest and descended slowly. Hayama, Itachi, and Anko were already waiting.
"Did you find something?" Hayama asked.
"Yes. Based on my analysis, this caravan has been compromised. There are moles inside. If I'm right, they'll be attacked a bit further up where the road narrows," Tonbo said confidently, recalling the details.
"Wait, how can you tell there are spies from that distance?" Anko asked, her curiosity piqued. Itachi also looked at him intently. If Tonbo had made contact, he would have told them; since he hadn't, he must have spotted it through observation.
"Transformation Jutsu," Tonbo explained. "No matter the technique, you're always transforming into a reference. Several people had 'off' micro-expressions. A normal human wouldn't react that way; it's likely a result of imperfect transformation or poor acting. Plus, there's a perfect ambush point ahead. Combined with our prior intel, the pieces fit. Of course, I could be wrong, but if I am, it just means the caravan is safe."
To Tonbo, data formed a closed loop. Just like a detective's evidence, once the loop was closed, the probability approached one hundred percent.
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