Rin and Obito guarded the caravan, vigilantly scanning their surroundings, while the caravan slowly advanced behind Raj.
It was clear the Iwa Ninja's goal wasn't assassination, but rather creating terrain obstacles to prevent the transport of weapons and resources to Grass Country.
As for the "rebel ninja" claim, that was just a convenient excuse.
Generally, when ninjas were assigned inconvenient missions, they would simply claim to be rebels...
"Hahaha, thanks to you, Bunta, and Raj, we managed to clear this path after all!" Minato chuckled, relieved to see the passage restored to its original state.
"Hmph~ Next time you need heavy lifting, call Gamakichi or the others. I'm not always this free," Gamabunta grumbled, puffing on his pipe.
He was clearly still resentful about being summoned for a fight that never materialized, getting kicked by a cat, and then being forced to clear debris.
'Is this the dignity befitting the Toad Boss? Still, it was fortunate the cat had the sense to leave on its own. Otherwise... hmph!'
He tightened his grip on his sword hilt, nodded to Minato, and departed for Mount Myoboku.
"Meow~"
Raj sighed in relief, shrinking back to his normal size and collapsing onto Rin's medical kit.
He was truly exhausted this time.
'That toad sure has a temper. We're not the same kind, but he's just as dangerous to provoke.'
Kakashi made his assessment and waited for the creature to leave before quietly approaching from a distance.
He dragged the battered Jonin by his right hand, which had been completely crushed, rendering him unable to form hand seals.
Had it not been for this, Kakashi wouldn't have been able to subdue him so easily.
"Teacher, he's dead," Kakashi said coldly as he dragged the body over.
"Dead? I'll seal him away for now. We can check with Inoichi later to see if we can extract any information. If not, we'll have to let it go. It's impossible to trace these kinds of ambushes back to their source. The enemy already claimed to be a rogue ninja, and his headband is scratched out. We have no evidence to prove Onoki sent him," Minato sighed.
Konoha had engaged in similar tactics themselves.
In fact, such methods were common throughout the Ninja World, tacitly accepted by all.
Trying to make an issue of it would only invite trouble.
As for the ambush itself, Konoha had long anticipated such attacks, which was why they had dispatched an elite team like Minato's Team in the first place.
"Teacher, but did they really come all this way just to use that one Ninjutsu?" Obito was puzzled.
"Ninja-sama, you may not be aware, but this trade route is the shortest and safest path," Takafumi Uemori explained.
"If we avoid it, we'd have to travel through a narrow canyon or a river valley, both of which are closer to the Land of Earth and more vulnerable to ambushes."
Uemori, as a seasoned merchant, knew these routes better than even Minato.
After listening to his explanation, Minato nodded thoughtfully.
From this perspective, the enemy's objective was clear: if they could win a direct confrontation, they would.
If not, they would block the road, forcing the caravan to either detour or delay their arrival.
In short, Iwagakure likely had some ulterior motive or a comprehensive plan, and preventing Konoha's forces from reaching the Grass Country quickly was a key part of that plan.
"It seems Iwagakure's forces have already reached the Grass Country," Minato said after a moment's contemplation.
"We need to increase our pace and aim to reach Kusagakure Village today to meet with the village chief."
"Yes, sir!"
With a Jonin present, he served as the leader, and all orders were issued under his authority.
Even Takafumi Uemori, the caravan leader, had to obey him.
Therefore, when Minato spoke, everyone immediately quickened their pace.
Previously, they'd been moving at a leisurely pace, but now the samurai pushed the carts from behind to reduce the strain on the horses.
This ensured they could endure the journey longer.
Thanks to their collective efforts, the caravan safely traversed the "artificial canyon" created by the Ninjutsu of the Iwa Ninja and Gamabunta.
Upon exiting this terrain, they officially entered the territory of Grass Country.
The landscape of Grass Country bore a striking resemblance to that of the Land of Fire.
If there was any difference, it was that this land appeared even more desolate.
In the small nation, numerous villages dotted the border near the Land of Fire.
However, further inland, only the ruins of abandoned settlements remained, with hardly any villagers in sight.
Beyond this desolate stretch, scattered villages reappeared.
They were likely approaching Kusagakure Village.
"Teacher, there are traces of Iwa Ninja activity here, but they left quickly," Kakashi warned.
"I know," Minato replied with a slight nod.
Minato's senses were far sharper than Kakashi's.
He had detected the approaching figures long before they appeared, but since they'd already crossed into Kusagakure Village territory and the intruders hadn't made any hostile moves, it was difficult to provoke a confrontation.
After all, Kusagakure Village and the Grass Country were independent entities, separate from the Land of Fire and Konoha.
Even as allies, they couldn't be ordered around at will.
Iwagakure clearly didn't dare to act recklessly either.
Upon realizing Konoha forces had arrived, they retreated silently without engaging, though their next move remained unpredictable.
Still, an immediate escalation seemed unlikely.
This was good news.
At least it confirmed that Iwagakure wasn't fully prepared for war with Konoha and hesitated to strike immediately.
This delay... likely stemmed from issues with Sunagakure?
Minato pondered this inwardly, his thoughts turning to Shikaku and the others.
Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza had been ordered to remain at the border, leading the remaining ninja to defend against Sunagakure's forces.
With the Sunagakure ninja mobilizing frequently lately, if hostilities truly erupted and the entire village's forces descended, even the young Ino-Shika-Cho trio, despite their exceptional talents, would struggle to hold them back.
Fortunately, their delivery was nearly complete, allowing them to rush to the border immediately.
Raj slept late into the morning before finally waking up.
Raj's version of the Human Boulder, a combination of the Eight Gates Formation, Expansion Jutsu, and Needle Jizo, was incredibly taxing.
Against an Iwagakure Jonin and four Chunin, it had pushed the Needle Jizo's capabilities to their absolute limit.
Of course, if it hadn't been "forced" to clear rubble afterward, it wouldn't have needed such a long nap.
One silver lining was that it had already digested sixty to seventy percent of the Natural Energy it had recently consumed.
Normally, even after waking up, Raj would've dozed off again.
But the aroma of roasted meat was simply too irresistible.
'This is cat-temptation!'