Chapter 48

The advantage of moving through the desert using chakra is that sand is hardly lifted into the air, allowing for dense group travel even at high speeds. Try doing it the usual way, and you're guaranteed a column of fine dust shooting up into the sky, which, in turn, increases the chance of detection. Given the not-so-friendly environment of this country towards people from the Land of Fire, it's best not to give potential threats any extra opportunities.

In fact, traveling under the scorching sun was our main activity for this and the next day. We made our camp for the night near a small group of rocks, first reinforcing a small area with Doton and setting up my defensive kekkai.

Unfortunately, the Genin tolerated the heat better than the cold of the night, so it was decided not to move during the darker hours. The only real issue arose towards the end of the third day of travel. The lead member of our group, Hizashi, who periodically activated his Byakugan, detected six chakra signatures moving roughly in the same direction as us, and they could have crossed our path if they had deviated a couple of degrees in the right direction.

Since only one of the unknown (and it was clear that they were neither Sunagakure shinobi nor candidates from other villages, given their numbers) group could pose a threat, most likely being a Jonin, while the others were unlikely to reach even Chunin level, Sakumo decided to conduct a reconnaissance mission and, if necessary, eliminate these suspicious individuals before they could reach the most vulnerable Genin.

The strike team included Sakumo Hatake himself, as the strongest fighter capable of taking down even formidable enemies in groups, Hizashi for his swift detection abilities, a Uchiha specialist in ninjutsu, and myself for support. The remaining Jonin were to provide security and continue leading the squad on its previous course.

Considering that the chosen four could catch up with them in just a few minutes and Hizashi continued to monitor the surrounding situation for kilometers around, it was a very measured decision.

So, we calmly detached ourselves from the others and, increasing our running speed by about three times from the initial pace, headed straight for the unexpected companions. After a few minutes of running, Hizashi suddenly signaled attention and began to slow down.

— They've detected us, — the Byakugan user warned, raising his hand in caution, and then immediately added, — and they've turned in the opposite direction, increasing their speed.

— It seems their sensor noticed me, my apologies, — I sighed.

Among the four of us, I was indeed the most noticeable in terms of chakra concealment. The best result I could achieve, even with the help of a cloak, was at the level of a weak Jonin, unlike Hizashi, who could be mistaken for a very weak Genin or just an ordinary person with a slightly greater chakra source, even up close.

And Sakumo, whose chakra reserve was at the level of a Kage, was hidden much better than mine, and only up close could you determine its true volume. The fact that I had more than twice the amount of chakra compared to our leader didn't serve as an excuse. After all, Uzumaki blood carried not only many advantages but also a significant disadvantage of guaranteed detection when there was at least one lousy sensor nearby.

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