Chapter 52

Taking with him another Uchiha and Meido, the four of them immediately sped up, leaving the rest of the escort to guard the excitedly chattering genin who had overheard a brief conversation and were now debating who had come across them. However, I had already sensed a couple of dozen sources of varying strength at the edge of my sensory range, though even at a great distance, it was clear that not everything was right — some shinobi felt very weak, as if all their strength was being used to fight their injuries. I could always tell a healthy person from an ill one; I've had enough practice on the front lines. But who they were and why — it was better to wait for the report from the taichō.

After a few minutes of leisurely running, we caught up with the four, and their frowning faces didn't sit well with me; I could feel that difficulties were approaching.

— Kumo, — Hatake responded and nodded to the Byakugan user.

— Obviously, this is a delegation for the chūnin exams, but their condition is frankly pathetic, — the Hyūga shrugged. — Clearly, they also got caught in a sandstorm and, unlike us, couldn't protect themselves properly...

— So what do we do? — I interrupted the potentially prolonged silence.

— As the taichō decides, — Shinji shrugged, casting a questioning glance at the aforementioned.

— Well, there's no war between us, so considering them enemies would be wrong…, — Kunimaru grunted. — Shall we meet them?

— From a political standpoint, helping representatives of a currently neutral village would be a very good move, — Sarutobi nodded. — But practically, it means creating more competition for ourselves in the exam.

— It's unlikely their genin will be able to pass the exam if they really got caught in a sandstorm without proper protection, but if we offer help, their Kage will definitely be in our debt, — Kei shrugged. — It's a matter of prestige.

I mentally agreed with him — even a trace of demonic chakra from the weakest bijū had put considerable strain on my barrier, and what such sand would do to a living person without proper protection…

Even though one's own chakra should protect against the most unpleasant outcomes, the chafed skin would cause considerable discomfort for those who cannot reinforce it to armor-like hardness. For jōnin, it's almost a conditioned reflex at any time of day, but less experienced fighters will struggle.

— Alright, we'll help them, — the commander decided. — Moreover, if we happened to encounter a Cloud delegation, we could very well divert towards Sunagakure.

— That's a shame, — Shinji sighed. — The Cloud shinobi caused us quite a bit of trouble in the first war, not to mention the death of Tobirama-sama...

— Just as we did to them; now is not the time to remember old grudges, — Sakumo frowned. — Nara and… Meido, follow me. The rest, stay a couple of minutes behind.

Shrugging, I dashed after Hatake, who immediately picked up a decent speed, and a few minutes later we slowed down to about thirty meters from the cloud shinobi, who had their weapons out and were shielding their charges with their bodies.

— Calm down, we're not here for a fight, — Sakumo stepped a little forward, raising his hands in a calming gesture.

However, instead of relaxing, the Kumogakure no Sato shinobi tensed up even more, clearly recognizing our commander as the famous White Fang of Konoha. But I barely noticed this, my gaze fixed on one specific individual — a huge, dark-skinned muscular man with pale blond hair slicked back. Could it be Ai? Did the Raikage send his son as part of the escort, or does he have his own team?

I've got more interesting stuff on patreon (+ 200 chapter)

patreon.com/Chill76