[4:00 PM]
Escorted by a vice-captain with Chūnin-level strength and several samurai, the caravan arrived safely at the main road outside the slums.
At that moment, a squad of Konoha shinobi approached and demanded identification and inspection.
The vice-captain dismounted from his horse, produced an official decree from the Daimyō of the Land of Waves, and claimed he was an honest merchant. He casually lit a few cigarettes and started chatting idly with the inspecting shinobi.
Inside the carriage, you sat still, ears tuned to the voices outside. Sharp as ever, you picked up on key terms being thrown around—martial law, murder case, temporary road closures. A sense of unease crept in. You had a nagging suspicion this was connected to how you'd looked at Uchiha Itachi a little too long this morning, alerting his instincts.
But what was done was done. Worrying now was pointless. All you could do was continue your silent meditation.
Before long, the vice-captain had a few bottles of sake brought from the back of the carriage and handed them to the inspecting shinobi, successfully sending them on their way.
However, the carriage soon veered off its original path. Instead of heading toward Konoha's main gate, it turned into the bustling commercial street, making its way toward a side gate farthest from the Uchiha compound.
Fortunately, nothing major happened along the way.
They passed a few squads of ANBU inspecting travelers, but the Daimyō's decree—along with a few "extra incentives"—was enough to get by.
Even when routine inspections did occur, they only searched the lead few wagons, which carried expensive but legal goods—tobacco, alcohol, tea, that sort of thing.
When they encountered more shrewd and seasoned ANBU, the vice-captain would even take the initiative to offer up the middle wagons for inspection. There, he deliberately let them "find" a few shuriken, kunai, and other Konoha-exclusive ninja tools. While technically a gray area, it wasn't outright contraband.
A few tickets, some hush money, or—at most—a few fine bottles of liquor were usually enough to smooth things over.
[5:00 PM]
Thanks to the vice-captain's seasoned expertise, the caravan smoothly exited Konoha's commercial district and entered a small road beside the Ninja Academy. This was already considered the outskirts of the village.
You opened your eyes and activated your Sharingan, staring through the black curtain toward the Uchiha compound in the distance. Though the Sharingan couldn't rival the Byakugan's godlike x-ray abilities, it was highly sensitive to chakra fluctuations.
And yet... you sensed nothing.
It seemed the Uchiha Massacre hadn't begun.
You frowned with regret, thinking back to your earlier mistake—locking eyes with Uchiha Itachi. That might have been what triggered his suspicions.
Hopefully, the vice-captain's experience would pay off, and the ANBU guarding the gate wouldn't be too thorough...
...
Meanwhile, at Konoha's side gate, a long line of travelers and caravans had already formed, all waiting for the ANBU to complete their checks before they could pass through.
Grumbling and complaints rose from the crowd.
Occasionally, some idiot would try to sneak past the guards, hoping their ordinary civilian body could slip through unnoticed.
Naturally, they were swiftly caught, beaten senseless, stripped for a full-body search to ensure they weren't smuggling contraband, and then dumped at the end of the line to queue again.
Outside the village, atop a towering pine tree, two figures stood side by side.
One had black hair, red eyes, a ninjatō strapped to his back, and wore a sleek black night outfit.
The other had white hair, a mask covering his face, a forehead protector pulled down over his left eye, and wore the standard green Jōnin vest.
These two were none other than Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi.
"Senpai, I still have an important mission ahead of me and won't be in Konoha for some time. I'm counting on you to look after Sasuke," said Itachi quietly. "Several children from the Uchiha clan have gone missing, and a Sunagakure spy turned up dead in the nearby refugee district. Anyone passing through this gate tonight... please search them thoroughly."
Kakashi gave a small nod.
With that, Uchiha Itachi dissolved into a murder of crows and vanished.
...
[6:00 PM]
As the inspection continued, more and more individuals and caravans passed through the gate and left Konoha.
Of course, there were also those who, finding the inspection too time-consuming or unwilling to travel at night, opted to return to the village and wait for martial law to be lifted the next day.
Some merchants backed by noble families began protesting, showing letters of introduction or crests of nobility and demanding Konoha compensate them for the time and goods lost.
The ANBU patiently agreed.
Soon after, an official order came from the Hokage: any confirmed losses caused by delays would be compensated threefold.
With the Hokage's word, the complaints were silenced.
But your caravan was a different case.
Though you had the backing of the Daimyō of the Land of Waves, desperate times called for desperate measures. Most black market traders dealt in shady business. Under normal circumstances, flashing your connections might have worked—ANBU would turn a blind eye and let things go.
But now?
Not a chance.
You couldn't leave. But turning back would draw even more suspicion.
There was no choice but to grit your teeth and wait for inspection.
...
[7:00 PM]
Through your Sharingan, you sensed an extremely volatile chakra fluctuation erupting from the Uchiha compound.
There was no doubt.
The Uchiha Massacre had begun.
By tomorrow, you might be one of only four Uchiha left in the world.
Or maybe... you wouldn't live to see the morning at all.
Night had fallen, and your caravan had reached a forward position in line. However, there were still two massive caravans, each with dozens of wagons, ahead of you.
It would be a while before your turn came.
The vice-captain ordered the porters and guards to start a fire and prepare dinner. Some who wanted better food even went into the village to buy a meal themselves.
Everything looked completely normal—just another traveling merchant group.
Soon, conflict broke out between one of the front caravans and the Konoha shinobi.
From their shouting, you gathered that the issue was the discovery of a few slaves among the goods—strictly forbidden in Konoha.
But then the merchant showed a letter from a highly influential noble of the Land of Fire. After confirming that the slaves were not from any Konoha clans but had been purchased elsewhere and were merely passing through, they were released without even paying a fine.
That was when you understood why the vice-captain remained so calm. He'd clearly seen worse situations than this—nothing fazed him.
You still weren't sure how much weight the Daimyō of a minor country like the Land of Waves carried in Konoha. But judging by the vice-captain's composure, even if it wasn't as impressive as the previous merchant's credentials, it clearly wasn't insignificant either.
...
[8:00 PM]
The caravan crept forward slowly. With nothing else to do, you reinforced your chakra seal and resumed cultivating your Bloodline Meditation Technique, trying to awaken the hidden power in your body under pressure.
...
[9:00 PM]
After a long and nerve-wracking wait, your caravan finally arrived at Konoha's gate.
Several ANBU stepped forward to block your path.
The vice-captain jumped off his horse and was about to greet them when he was halted by a man stepping forward—Yamashiro Aoba.
"Please don't take offense."
Yamashiro Aoba drew a black blade and gently placed it against the vice-captain's neck.
"The blade is poisoned," he said politely. "Given the situation, your caravan will have to undergo a full inspection."
From behind him, Yamashiro Aoba raised two fingers to his forehead and began channeling a sensory ninjutsu, scanning the entire caravan.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo