There's no doubt about it—this man is their team leader: Jōnin Yuhi Shinku.
I don't know what method Shinku-sensei used, but he's actually chatting and laughing with one of the samurai in that small group.
Compared to their situation, the treatment he's receiving is definitely better than what Asuma and the others are dealing with here.
In a full day, the entire caravan had only managed to travel from Tsuchihara Castle—located near the border of the Land of Rain—to just beyond the border of the Land of Wind. For ninja, this speed is slower than a snail's pace.
The sluggish progress even made Sarutobi Asuma question whether it would've been better for the four of them to skip the caravan and head directly to their destination.
However, that thought quickly vanished once they entered the heart of the Land of Wind.
The terrain inside the Land of Wind was nothing short of desolate. Other than some barren land near the border, all they had seen since was the Gobi Desert—an endless sea of yellow sand stretching beyond the horizon.
After entering the desert, even Asuma—who wasn't the most studious but still had solid theoretical knowledge—lost his sense of direction.
The sun blazed above like a fiery red disc, making it impossible to distinguish east from west.
Without the caravan's guidance, even trained shinobi might easily lose their way in such conditions.
Of course, given their physical abilities, unless they were incredibly unlucky, they were unlikely to die in the desert. But getting lost would undoubtedly delay the mission.
After traveling day and night, they finally arrived at an oasis town deep within the Land of Wind. It was here that the younger members of the team finally understood why no one had ever tried to invade Sunagakure in either of the previous Great Ninja Wars.
This harsh land really had nothing anyone would covet.
Moreover, Sunagakure was nestled deep in the center of the desert.
One could only admire the First Kazekage, Reto—he truly was a genius strategist when it came to choosing locations.
Omiizu City was the first oasis-based settlement the caravan had reached, and it was the caravan's first scheduled stop within the Land of Wind.
Coincidentally—or perhaps not—this was also where Yuhi Shinku's team was supposed to rendezvous with a spy embedded in Sunagakure. Of course, this was no coincidence but the result of Shinku's careful planning.
This was the advantage of having a veteran jōnin as team leader. If it had been someone less experienced, they'd probably have wandered in circles through the desert—or worse, exposed their identities.
Instead, everything so far had gone perfectly.
---
Days Waiting for the Spy
"Tch, you two brats really got lucky. Not a single sand bandit on the way," said a familiar voice.
It was the same wandering ninja who had tested Asuma's strength earlier.
"Still, you're not going to make much selling those herbs in this town. Want to continue traveling with us?"
Although the man clearly had ulterior motives, what he said was true. With so many caravans arriving at once, even rare goods like medicinal herbs would sell cheaply here. But if they continued to the next few towns, scarcity would drive prices up.
However, Asuma wasn't in the Land of Wind to peddle herbs.
"No thanks. I know the road ahead only gets more dangerous. I've still got a little brother to look after—I'm not dying out here in this godforsaken desert."
Asuma licked his parched lips and declined.
"Ungrateful brat," the ninja muttered under his breath, then left with his caravan.
Asuma and Kawaki Qingyu quietly slipped away from the caravan. On the other side of town, Yuhi Shinku was acting out a similar farewell.
"Hayashi-kun, I'm afraid I'll have to break my promise. I won't be able to continue the journey with you," Shinku said apologetically to the samurai next to him, who watched with concern as Shinku held an unconscious Kurenai in his arms.
"Don't worry about it, Kougetsu-kun. Your daughter's health is more important. No one here will blame you," said the samurai generously, even slipping a few bills into Shinku's hand.
But Shinku refused the money, standing firm on his principle: no commission without fulfilling a contract.
After a few polite exchanges, Shinku left with "his daughter" in his arms, looking every bit the concerned parent.
As he turned a corner and stepped into a quiet inn, the illusion faded.
Kurenai, who'd appeared unconscious moments ago, now stood alert and calm.
Shinku's two other students were already waiting.
"The plan's going smoothly. All we have to do now is wait. If our contact manages to escape Sunagakure and get here, we'll extract him safely," Shinku said.
He looked over the three genin and added, "Still, be prepared to stay here for a while. Don't break character, and don't waste time—this is the best period of your life for growth."
His gaze lingered longest on Kawaki Qingyu.
For Asuma and Kurenai, training meant escaping the genin ranks and becoming capable shinobi.
But for Kawaki Qingyu, it was different.
If he didn't improve fast enough... he could die.
"I understand, Shinku-sensei," Kawaki said solemnly. "From now on, I'll prioritize getting stronger."
However, Kawaki Qingyu was well aware that his talent wasn't as exceptional as others believed. At best, he could only be considered slightly above average.
His strength, aside from the result of his rigorous training, primarily came from the mysterious power of the altar. Therefore, if he truly wished to become stronger, focusing on the altar remained his best path forward.
After all, everyone knows: effort never feels as satisfying as receiving something for nothing.
Over the next two days, the lives of the four team members settled into a mundane rhythm. Following their initial gathering, they split into two pairs.
Though they lived under the same roof, they maintained appearances by pretending not to know each other in public, each one playing their role with convincing precision.
During this period, Kawaki Qingyu observed Sarutobi Asuma closely. They often shared meals, and Qingyu quietly took note of Asuma's steady efforts.
Asuma's natural talent in taijutsu and genjutsu wasn't particularly impressive—average, perhaps. However, as a member of the prestigious Sarutobi clan, his development had clear direction. By focusing on mastering Fire Release, the clan's signature nature transformation, he had a defined route to strength. At least until reaching the Jonin level, Asuma likely wouldn't encounter serious obstacles in improving his capabilities.
This was the legacy and advantage of a noble shinobi clan—something that civilians, with access only to basic techniques like the Three Body Techniques and a few generic jutsu, could rarely match.
For the past two days, Asuma had remained locked in his room, immersed in chakra theory and practice. Meanwhile, Kawaki Qingyu had completely relaxed.
Far from the surveillance net of Konoha and hidden away in such a remote area, Qingyu felt safe from sensory ninjutsu detection. Their instructor, Yuhi Shinku—known for his genjutsu prowess—was preoccupied with his own affairs. Qingyu, deliberately discreet, gave Shinku no reason for concern.
With no one monitoring him, Kawaki Qingyu transformed into a mad experimenter, almost like a husky let loose. Anything he could perceive with his Observation Haki—regardless of its usefulness—was thrown into the altar space as an offering.
Although the odds of acquiring anything valuable through sacrificing mundane items were low, Qingyu compensated with sheer volume.
He firmly believed that quantity would eventually yield quality.
Besides, even if nothing came of it, he wasn't losing anything important—just junk. To him, exchanging garbage for even the slimmest chance at a powerful reward was a worthwhile gamble.
He casually tossed a neodymium magnet into the altar's void, followed by a fistful of desert sand.
---
Under the desert night, a figure darted swiftly across the cold wasteland in classic shinobi fashion.
The desert's nocturnal chill was biting, and most ninjas avoided staying longer than necessary. But this ninja had no such luxury. His urgency was written in every strained movement—clearly, a critical mission demanded his relentless advance.
Yet his relentless pace dulled his senses. He didn't realize he was being followed.
Closely behind him, a group of shadows trailed with silent precision—a four-man squad of elite Sand shinobi, easily distinguishable by their Sunagakure headbands and standard-issue vests.
Unlike Asuma's team of new genin led by a veteran jonin, this Sand squad was composed of hardened elites.
---
An Unexpected Situation
"Captain, are we still not going to engage? If we delay any longer, he'll cross the border out of the Land of Wind."
The question came from one of the Sand shinobi, eyes narrowed, breath controlled.
Their target—a solitary, unaware ninja—raced just ahead. The four-man formation maintained a perfect tracking distance, ready to strike at any moment.
An elite jōnin, leading three chūnin with extensive field experience.
Even during the Third Great Ninja War, such a team composition placed on any battlefield would have been a formidable force—short of running into monsters like the Sannin, the Yellow Flash, or the Tailed Beasts.
Yet now, this elite squad was trailing an ordinary chūnin-level ninja. No matter how you looked at it, the arrangement felt off.
There could only be one explanation—they were playing the long game, hoping to catch a bigger fish.
That alone could justify the patience of this highly skilled unit.
"If I remember correctly, the next city is Great Lake City, and beyond that lies the Land of Rivers. If no one intercepts him in Great Lake City, there's even less chance in the Land of Rivers," the leading jōnin said calmly, suppressing the unease of his subordinates. "Let's stay patient. If no one shows up at the rendezvous point, we'll capture him ourselves and interrogate him."
"Let's hope this guy's actually useful," one of the chūnin muttered. "Wasting this much time on someone so low-level—it'll be hard to explain when we report back."
This squad had been dispatched by Sunagakure, stationed near the Land of Fire's border in anticipation of a potential conflict. But by sheer coincidence, they encountered a rogue shinobi escaping from their own village—on a mission to return valuable intel to Konohagakure.
The man was a spy. Ironically, he had just received orders to end his undercover mission and return to Konoha. But just before departing, he stumbled across classified intel—the mysterious disappearance of the Third Kazekage.
That revelation explained Sunagakure's recent erratic behavior—sudden mobilizations, border closures, and a near-paranoid lockdown across the village. Rumors ran rampant, from a failed coup to abduction by a foreign power. Regardless of the truth, the spy knew one thing: he had to report this.
With emotions running high—euphoria at the mission's end, the shock of uncovering a national secret, and the growing fear of being caught—the spy chose a risky escape route.
But fate wasn't on his side.
To escape Sunagakure's tight patrol net only to run into an elite squad? A crushing stroke of bad luck.
Tensions in the Sand were already sky-high following the Kazekage's disappearance. So, when a lone, nervous ninja with a clear heading was spotted on the road, suspicion was immediate. After tracking him for a while, the Sand squad confirmed their fears—he was a spy.
To them, it was an unexpected gift. A clean chance to earn merit.
Still, the jōnin leading the squad had a sharper ambition: instead of capturing the spy immediately, he decided to see who would meet him. If they could capture the contact as well, it might lead to an intelligence windfall.
And that contact?
It was none other than the target Asuma Sarutobi's team had been assigned to extract.
But no one expected the spy to bring this much heat with him.
---
Kawaki Aoba: I didn't expect this, but my sensory range clearly picked up two distinct groups.
In the dead of night, Kawaki Aoba's sensory jutsu had captured movements approaching Great Lake City—one from the front, and one tailing closely behind.
This was no coincidence. It was a habit developed after years of operating on the edge—his chakra control and perception honed to near perfection. Whether consciously or not, he constantly scanned his surroundings for potential threats.
Detecting both the fleeing spy and the Sand ninja team shadowing him was only natural.
Realizing the high stakes, Aoba immediately woke Asuma and explained the situation. Then, without hesitation, they rushed to find Kurenai Yuhi.
"Kurenai-sensei," Aoba reported, "I was using sensory jutsu just now and picked up two approaching groups. One is likely our mission target. The other, judging by formation and chakra signatures, is a squad of elite Sunagakure shinobi."
As expected of a veteran jōnin, Kurenai processed the intel swiftly. Regardless of whether the target was truly theirs, she assumed the worst—that they had been compromised—and took immediate action.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Kurenai formed a quick seal and created a clone to take her place.
"Kurenai, Asuma, Aoba," she instructed calmly, "my clone will approach the target. If it turns out he's legitimate, the clone will engage to buy time. Meanwhile, I'll be lying in ambush nearby. If I manage to strike down the jōnin leading the Sand team, you two handle the remaining chūnin. With speed and surprise, we may be able to eliminate them all."
"But if I fail," she added after a pause, "and we're outmatched—your priority is retreat. Don't throw your lives away. I'll buy you the time."
She turned to Aoba once more.
"Aoba, can you confirm for sure? Are they an elite squad?"
Aoba nodded firmly. "Three chūnin signatures and one jōnin, all chakra levels consistent with advanced combatants. They're not a patrol—they're an elimination team."