I woke up to a sharp shaking. It felt like I had just closed my eyes. But long ago I learned how to wake quietly, so I opened my eyes and looked up. I could see Baki-sensei leaning over me.
"Wake up, it is time for our morning briefing."
I nod my head and sit up. My sleeping bag falling down and pooling at my waist. I glanced over and saw both Hideo and Amagi in similar positions.
"As stated, the caravan provides food, but I want you all to eat a little something to help wake you up. At the fire, there will be coffee and water for tea before the fire is put out. Our main breakfast will be shortly after the sun comes up, in about two hours. We will move faster today than we did yesterday."
The three of us nodded when Baki-sensei paused.
"Good, now, pack up your sleeping stuff and meet me near the fire. I will give you my briefing and updates."
We nodded again and slowly shuffled to a standing position before slipping on our shoes. Packing up our sleeping bags had become routine at this point and we didn't have to do much thinking. That is always a good thing because it meant that we would be able to slowly wake up.
I know it sounds strange to be moving when you were not all the way awake, but it did for us. Or maybe we just liked to pretend it worked.
As the three of us walked over to where Baki-sensei was standing, we all were stretching. I was keeping my arms straight and crossing and uncrossing them as we walked. Hideo had his hands on his waist and was leaning side to side while Amagi was loosening up his neck and shoulders with a rolling motion. This was also something we learned while outside the city walls. We needed to stretch when we first woke up to ensure that any sore or kinks from sleeping on the ground were worked out before we had to start running or training.
Baki-sensei looked over the caravan circle one last time before facing us.
"Last night was a quiet night on both watches. I am sure it is because we are still close to Suna. Today we will have a three man guard unit and a single scout. Amagi will be the first scout, until we stop for food. The scout's job is to be out in front of the caravan looking for problems. These problems can range from a blocked path to a water source being dried up to bandits laying a trap. It is important to keep your comms open when you are the scout. That way in the event you see something, you just have to say it and not key your radio. Like this afternoon when it is too hot for you to be out by yourself, your job will be to check what is ahead of the caravan and then to check all things that look suspicious. Most of the time, suspicious things turn out to be mirages, but that doesn't make checking on them any less important. Just something to keep in mind.
"Now one last thing I need to teach you, it is called a body flicker technique. This will help you to come back after you go and check or scout ahead. It is important to not use this technique unless you know what you will land in. For instance, if there is a trap laid in front of the caravan, it is important for you to not just appear in the middle of it, but also to not miss it in your hurry to get finished. I can't stress this enough, use this only when you are returning to the caravan, after you have checked to see if the route was safe. Are we clear?"
"Clear Baki-sensei," we chorused.
"Good, now here is how you do the body flicker technique."
Baki-sensei showed us the hand signs for this technique and gave us the rundown as to what it was supposed to do and how it was supposed to do it. He also gave us the reasoning behind using smoke or not using smoke. He recommended that for now to not use smoke, because that would give away the fact shinobi were guarding the caravan, but we should use it when around civilians, they find the technique unsettling when used without smoke.
"You have thirty minutes to practice before we are to leave," Baki-sensei said as he dismissed us.
We walked beyond the caravan circle to a flat part of the area and began to practice. Thirty minutes moved by in a flash. We were able to kind of get the technique down, but I had no doubt we would master it before this mission was over. This technique was not one we would use in battle, I guessed because it used too much chakra and the results could be unpredictable. But still, while moving short distances in a safe location this didn't seem like a bad way to do.
We walked back to the fire and grabbed something to drink. I sweetened my coffee with just a touch of sugar, but no cream today. We sat, listening to the drivers get up and talk to their beasts. Then once everyone was up, we all sat around the fire and drank our drinks while we waited for Daiki to get us started.
Uncle Daiki, who wasn't really my uncle, but he liked to call all the merchant children his nieces and nephews. Mother said that he should have gotten married long ago so he would have children of his own to look after and spoil, but Uncle Daiki always said that he would only marry when he found the right girl. I used to envy that girl when I was younger, but now, I am pretty sure I would pity her. Uncle Daiki was not a man that liked change, and according to Father, Mother and the three of us children have brought nothing but change to his life. But he always smiled when he said that, so I guess it wasn't a bad thing.
But anyway, Uncle Daiki joined us before the first cup of coffee was finished. He spread out a map and pointed to one of the x's marked on it. "This is where we will stop for breakfast. It will offer little shade, but it is a well traveled spot, so it should be comfortable. For our afternoon stop, ideally we will make it to this rock outcropping. It will provide natural shade for the beasts and us if we can manage it. In the rocks there is a natural depression that can collect water. If there is water in it, leave it for the beasts. We have our own water. Each driver is responsible to ensure that their beasts have enough water at this point, failure to do so will mean immediate dismissal. Any questions?"
"No" was muttered along with shaking heads at Daiki's question.
"Good, we head out in ten minutes." With his announcement, Daiki walked back to his tent and helped to take it down.
I wondered in the back of my head if Daiki's tent was similar to Father's tent when he traveled alone. Father's tent was tall, but not very wide. Big enough for a small bed and maybe a fold up desk to work at. Not that it mattered, because this tent was taken down and packed in just a few moments.
"Take up your positions, team," Baki-sensei told us in a low voice. "Remember what I told you this morning. Once we are in position, do a coms check and we will continue from there."
The three of us saluted and walked over to the road, to wait for the caravan to start moving to see where we needed to be, since drivers change positions often.
"Did you see the route we are supposed to take, Amagi?" I asked while we waited.
"I did, but the map wasn't very detailed, it looked like we were going to stick to the main roads," he replied.
Hideo and I nodded.
"So I should be fine, but if there is a problem I will ask Baki-sensei. After all, we are only genin and we can't be expected to know the trade routes yet, especially since this is our first time on one," Amagi looked at me, "well for some of us."
"Hey!" I said in mock offence, "I didn't need to look at the maps or the routes, I just followed Father where he said to go."
The three of us laughed, mainly because that was what was expected of us. We were aware that we were not supposed to look like anything other than genin on their first trade route mission. Baki-sensei didn't need to remind us, but it was good to keep people underestimating us as a team. People already expected huge things from us because we were led by Baki-sensei, but that doesn't mean we had anything to prove to them.
We had been cautioned over and over to not show ourselves to be more talented than what people expected of us. The fastest way to get ourselves in trouble over our heads is to talk big and to act bigger than we were. This is a lesson we heard that other teams ignored and they would get challenged by another team and someone would end up in the hospital. Or we all heard about the teams that would talk big in other cities and they either wouldn't return because they ended up on the wrong side of the blade, or their mission would fail because they got into a fight leaving them unable to finish the mission. To be honest, failing the mission seemed like the worst option.
A loud shout came from the wagons, the sound of leather hitting flesh as the drivers urged the beasts to move. Slowly, the caravan began to move. Amagi and I took up positions on either side of the first wagon. It was a different driver today.
"Hello, we will be guarding the front of the caravan. We will be moving around a lot, so please don't let that alarm you, our job is such that we can't stay in one place," Amagi gave the same little speech I did yesterday.
I gave Amagi a small smile, which he returned.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm not as talkative as some, but if you have questions, feel free to ask me. I have ridden this particular path for years."
I gave a small bow, "Thank you, we will keep that in mind."
"Radio check, Tsukio," Baki-sensei's voice came through my earpiece.
"Check, Baki-sensei," I responded.
"Radio check Amagi."
"Check, Baki-sensei."
"Radio check Hideo."
"Check Baki-sensei."
"Good, Amagi, first scout run. I want you to run approximately five hundred meters, do a radio check. If you don't hear from myself or Tsukio, start jogging back and do a check every ten seconds. Stop once you get confirmation. That way we can get a practical distance with our radios."
"Yes Baki-sensei!" Amagi replied before he gave me a grin and started off at a fast run.
I glanced at the driver, who just shook his head at Amagi's happiness.
"You shinobi, get excited about the strangest things. I wouldn't be happy about running this early in the morning."
I laughed, "I guess we do, but as shinobi, we like to keep moving, so an early morning run is a great way to accomplish that."
"I guess, but these old bones are happy sitting here on my perch on this wagon."
The driver and I shared a laugh. I laughed because the driver didn't look old enough to have old bones. He didn't have any gray hairs, he did have wrinkles, but that could also be from being in the sun all the time.
"Hideo, see if the driver you are sitting with can give you an idea of what the road will look like. See if he knows where the normal ambush spots are. If he is a new driver, see what he has heard."
"Yes Baki-sensei."
It was still strange to have two different conversations happening in my ears at the same time. The driver seemed to be in a good mood. He was whistling a song that wasn't familiar to me. I asked him about it.
"Oh, this is a song my mother used to sing to us kids when my dad was out in the caravan. It talks about how we do our best when we think small. How things can be overwhelming, until we start thinking of small steps."
"I like that," I replied.
About three minutes later, I heard a crackled voice saying "Radio check."
I waited a breath, then heard, "Check. Look around and see what the road conditions look like then come back. You have eight minutes to return or check in."
"Yes Baki-sensei."
The driver continued to whistle.
Amagi returned without any issues, we continued on. Once we got to the place Amagi checked in, Baki-sensei had him run about one thousand meters. Only this time, once the radio check was complete, he had Amagi go further and further. Eventually, Amagi came to the place marked on the map. At least he said it could be, it was the only place that looked well traveled and well used. Baki-sensei had Amagi stay there to check the location for traps or problems and to guard it.
While Amagi was running, Hideo and I were doing math problems. It took Amagi a few minutes to jog to each location, it took us at least fifteen minutes to get to each check in location. Hideo and I were in charge of figuring out our distance per hour and then figuring out how long it would take us to get to our final destination. I could feel my head hurt from doing math using my fingers and head, without being able to write anything down. Hideo and I finally agreed that at the speed we were going right now, we could be there in sixteen and one half days. Baki-sensei agreed, but also told us to not get our hopes up. Something always comes up and slows a caravan down.
Eventually we get to the resting spot. Amagi was no longer sweaty, he found a nice spot of shade from the sun. The wagons circled up and a fire was made. Water was boiled and a large pot of soup was quickly made. No rice this morning, but we did have some bread, which was nice. Lunch would be a heavier affair because we would have longer to digest it. I didn't really care, it was good soup.
We all had some hot soup and hotter tea. It helps to keep our temperature regulated if our insides are closer to the outside temperature. At least that is what the drivers used to tell me when I was younger. An old wives' tale, perhaps, but one that is still believed today.
Once we had all finished a large cup of tea, we headed back out. Amagi and Hideo switched positions and I was the scout.
"Tsukio, jog for five minutes, looking out for anything that shouldn't be there and report back in."
"Yes Baki-sensei," I gave the driver a small smile and Hideo a grin, "Bye!" Before I took off at a fast jog.
This was familiar, my feet hitting the sand, moving me forward. I loved to feel the warm sun on my face, I knew I would have to put my scarf on soon, but for now, it was nice to feel the sun on my face. I looked left and right as I ran, I stopped and looked at things that didn't look right, and even things that looked too correct. After five minutes, I reported back.
"Nothing of interest, Baki-sensei. A few extra cracks in the road that might cause problems if it rains."
"Very good, now I want you to go approximately five thousand meters, and check in."
"Yes Baki-sensei."
I took off again at a slightly faster jog. The food from breakfast hadn't settled completely yet, so I decided to err on the side of caution. I was still moving faster than the caravan wagons were.
"Nothing of interest Baki-sensei."
"We are approaching a known ambush location. It is right before where we will stop for lunch. I want you to make your way there, but make sure to be stealthy, we wouldn't want to alert the potential bandits to our presence."
"Yes Baki-sensei," I replied before stretching my legs. I stood on the hard road and bent forward to touch my toes, then I stood up and stood in a position to continue to stretch. I didn't stay stretching for long, but I wanted to ensure that I wouldn't pull anything while I was running this next part. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I took off down the road again. This time, I veered off the road slightly and ran on the loose sand, keeping my body as low to the ground as I could get myself and still be able to run.
Running quietly was something we had been practicing for a while. Running while being stealthy was a difficult skill. One that my teammates and I were still working on, but I am sure it wouldn't be a skill that we lacked for long. I was excited to try this out in a real world situation.
After about ten minutes of running, I could see what Baki-sensei was talking about. I stopped on the down side of the small rise I ran over.
Up in front of me, were two larger hills on either side of the road. It was the perfect place for people to hide behind the hills and force the caravans to stand still. I couldn't see anyone, but that didn't mean much. I dropped down into a crouch and began to speak.
"Baki-sensei I have reached what I believe to be the ambush location. Two hills on either side of the road, a perfect location to try and box in a caravan."
"That sounds correct. Slowly make your way behind one of the hills and check for signs of life. If there is none, make your way over to the other hill. Once you are done checking both hills check in. Your orders are to scout, not to engage. If you must engage, you have permission to use all force necessary to complete this mission. Do you understand Genin Tsukio?"
I swallowed, all necessary force means to kill. For just a brief second I questioned if I could do this, but then I remembered my teammates and all my training both as a team and at the academy. It all came down to this. This was what I had worked all these years for.
"Yes Baki-sensei, I understand."
"Good."
The radio went quiet. I could almost feel Amagi leaning forward, anticipation surging through him as he waits to hear if there are bandits. Hideo would be more focused on listening, to see if he could hear something through the radios. Both of my teammates are ready to spring into action if I need them.
Since I was on the east side of the road, I chose to check out the east hill first. I slowly made my way over the sand. I thought about practicing my genjutsu while I did this, but I wasn't confident enough with it to use while in motion. It is difficult to be stealthy in the desert, but we Suna shinobi were good at it, we practiced as much as we could. Stay low to the ground, and if possible stay behind the sand. Don't let your feet make footprints in the sand. Keep moving. If you can't be stealthy, then be faster than the other person.
I finally made it to the hill. I looked around, put my hand in the sand, feeling around for something to indicate that someone or something was hidden under the sand. I didn't see or feel anything, so I made my way over to the other hill.
I found the same thing there.
"Baki-sensei, I found nothing to indicate bandits are in the area. Your orders?"
"I want you to check the road for any traps that may be there."
"Yes Baki-sensei." I was already moving when I answered. I stood in the center of the road, and pushed my chakra sense out to encompass the road around me. I didn't feel anything, so I moved to the next location. After that, I walked around the road, checking to see if there were more traditional traps. When nothing happened, I moved further down the road and tried again. Then moved back towards where the caravan was and tried one last time.
"No traps found on the road, Baki-sensei."
I heard two sighs. I grinned at my teammates' actions.
"I want you to go to our stopping point. It should be a ten minute jog from your location. Check for problems then guard the location. We should be there within the hour."
"Yes Baki-sensei."
I pulled my canteen off my belt and took a drink of the cool water. I then pulled my scarf around my head and began to jog to the rest point.
I could see the rocks long before I could see the rest of it. While the rocks were a prominent part of the landscape, as I moved closer I could see small bushes and a few small trees also dotted the area around the rocks. This must be because the rocks could protect the plants from the harsh winds and sun. I walked the perimeter of the hard packed area. It was evident this was a frequent rest point. The ground was solid, not a lot of sand on it. The plants and rock would offer plenty of shade during the hottest parts of the day. It was a nice place to stop, all things considered.
I quickly walked through the whole area, checking for traps, looking for something that looked like it didn't belong. It was easy how I was able to call upon things from my childhood to figure out what the area was supposed to look like. After all, merchants liked to help each other out on the trail. It was only in the cities and towns where they would act like sharks. So some of the things that didn't belong, might just be a merchant being nice to the next caravan.
Thankfully, or not, I didn't find anything. I did see the small basin that Daiki was talking about. It had some water in it, so I used my hands to scoop out as much of the water as I could, before using just a little wind to force the rest of the water away.
I made a note to ask if anyone knew of a jutsu that would let us test if water was bad, or if we just needed the test like the one we used at the oasis. It would make things so much easier if we could just reuse the water in the basins instead of wasting it. Although, glancing around at the greenery, maybe it wasn't wasting.
After about thirty minutes, I heard the first sounds of the caravan. I stopped my stretches, stood up and went to meet the boys as they walked into the area. We stood out of the way to ensure that we wouldn't be in the caravan's way.
"How was everything?" Hideo asked.
I shrugged, "It was fairly boring, to be honest. Not that I'm complaining, because a boring caravan is a good thing. But I did like the run and the quiet. This is definitely not going to be difficult, it stays like this. In fact I'm sure our biggest problem will be boredom."
"That's why you were told to bring something to do. It is for times like this, when you have nothing to do but wait for the caravan to catch up," Baki-sensei told us as he walked up to our little group.
"Ah," Hideo said.
"Well I guess if we were to practice an instrument, it would tell lots of people that we were just sitting here," Amagi suggested.
"It could, it could also tell others that there is a group of people, not just yourself there." Baki-sensei agreed.
"So why were we told that it had to be something that didn't use chakra?" I asked.
"To ensure that if we need to fight, you have plenty of chakra to call upon," was the answer given.
I nodded.
"Now after the beasts have been freed, I want Tsukio to find a good spot to watch over them. It should be in the shade so you don't get overheated. One of us will bring you food when it is done. Hideo I want you to get some rest, try to take a nap if you can. We will be here for a couple hours at least. Amagi, your job will be to study the map and identify potential ambush locations and to make sure your teammates have water when they need it. I will keep an eye on the area from on top of the rocks."
"Won't you need food and water too Baki-sensei?" Amagi asked.
"I will go start my watch after we eat," he replied. "And I will make sure I have plenty of water with me. Make sure you all put your sunscreen and your scarves on. The sun is going to be brutal today."
The three of us nodded. I took another drink from my canteen, the water was getting warm, but it was wet and that is what is important. I moved over to a shady spot near the rocks, I could see all the beasts as they made their way over to the drinking basin. One of the drivers put fresh water into the basin and the beasts were drinking as they needed. The drivers also threw out the grain food that the beasts ate, on the ground. The beasts would eat the grain, they would also eat a small bite of the grass available.
Once the beasts were taken care of, then the cooking fire was lit. The cook grabbed two large pots and threw water in both, then some rice into one of them. In the other he started throwing in vegetables and noodles, then they put a chunk of meat on the roast over the fire. One of the smaller cooks turned the spit, keeping the meat from burning.
I sat back and let myself relax in the shade. I wasn't feeling sleepy, but I was tired. If only because I had stopped moving after all the running I had done in this heat. Despite what I told the boys, being bored was not a good thing. It was when my mind started to wander and I kept imagining all sorts of things that could happen. My imagination kept conjuring all the worst case scenarios that it could come up with. It was hard to ignore them so that I could focus on the task at hand.
So maybe it would be best if I pulled out the book that one of my friend's had recommended a while ago. I couldn't even remember which friend it was, to be honest. I was half asleep when it was thrust into my hands. One of the hazards of answering the door right after I got back from another patrol mission. That one, we didn't have a base to leave from, we just went around in a large circle from the city. I sighed and pulled the book out. It was about a ninja who thought he could change the world through hard work. His name was Naruto, which was the strangest name for a character, but that is what makes stories fun, because you can have strange names.
I read for a little bit before Amagi walked over with two bowls of food.
"Thank you Amagi, this looks delicious," I told him, setting my book down after folding down the page I was on.
"You're welcome. I hope I got the stuff you liked. Rice with roasted meat and a big bowl of ramen with extra vegetables."
"Perfect!" I assured him.
"I will be back with some water, but they are making tea and coffee, did you want one of those too?"
"Some tea would be nice, then I won't have a temperature shock when I drink my tea when we leave," I replied laughing softly.
Amagi smiled at me, "Sounds like a plan." Then he walked back over to the fire and started to eat his food while the tea and coffee were being made. I ate quickly, because I wanted to make sure I had time to read for a little bit. I was also hoping that I would be able to find some time to rest my eyes for a little while.
Amagi came by with a fresh canteen of water and some hot tea. I quickly drank the rest of the water from my old canteen and handed it over to him with a small 'thanks.' I took the tea in my hand, placed the canteen on the ground near me. Then I opened the book and continued to read.
I found myself lost in the story, but not so lost that I forgot to look up and count the beasts and make sure they were all accounted for. I also drank the tea, which Amagi continued to come by and refill for me. I watched as Hideo stretched out in the shade of a tree and fell asleep fast. Amagi sat near him and was studying the map. I could make out his finger following something and tapping it a couple times. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Baki-sensei climb to the top of the rock formation with some binoculars and keep watch.
I could get used to this.
We rested for a few hours, Baki-sensei was happy up on top of the rocks, I was able to rest my eyes for a little while and bask in the cool shade, Hideo took a good nap and Amagi had shared with us all the places where an ambush could happen. All in all, a well spent rest time. I have also decided to share my book with the boys. I figured they might enjoy it.
When the caravan headed out again, Hideo was the one who was our scout, I walked with the front driver asking more questions about the road. It turns out that Amagi was pretty accurate when it came to the ambush areas. It was even more interesting to hear about the different ways that bandits have tried to ambush the caravans.
When we finally stopped for the evening, we were near a small oasis. We were able to put the beasts on long ropes tied to the wagons so they could roam a little bit. I was able to help with the cooking, which brought back lots of memories of when I used to travel with Father and Mother.
Just like those times, after the meal was eaten, we sat around and traded stories. We would talk and trade stories. Tonight it was mostly the drivers trading stories about the best and worst trips they had taken. It was always amazing what qualifies as a good or bad trip. One trip was considered good because nothing happened, while another was good because while they were ambushed, no one got hurt and the cargo wasn't taken. It was a strange scale. However it wasn't long before I could feel the day of running and heat catch up to me. I leaned on Hideo, since Amagi was talking about a time he guarded a small group of travelers and how slow they were.
"It didn't matter that a storm was coming, this man wouldn't move faster. In fact the more stressed my team leader got, the slower he would go. It was amazing to watch, but it was also hard to watch because there were small children in the group and without knowing how bad the winds were going to be, we couldn't plan." Amagi told us. "It didn't matter what we did, this man was determined to do the opposite. In fact he told us that he wasn't worried about a storm because he knew that the shinobi he hired could keep them safe from the storm.
"So I asked him how he expected us to do that, because last time I checked, none of the shinobi on the trip could change the weather. And he looked me dead in the eye and said that we could create a sand barrier and we would be fine. In fact he didn't understand why we didn't do that last night, because it was cold.
"I thought the team leader was going to explode at this point, but I give him credit, he just looked at the man and asked him if he thought we were the Kazekage? Because as far as he knew, only Lord Gaara had that particular power and we were just lowly shinobi from the sand.
"I will never forget the look on the man's face when he understood what was said. He paled so quickly I thought he was going to faint. Thankfully he didn't because we were still trying to move. Then he asked in a quiet voice, 'So all sand shinobi don't share their power with the Kazekage?'
"My leader replied very calmly, 'No sir, we don't all have the same power as the Kazekage, we all have different strengths. In fact I am not sure even the Kazekage could save all of us from this storm.
"The man looked between the leader and the storm, then without a second glance at us, he took off down the road at a run. We made it to a small rock for shelter just in time. The winds kicked up quickly and we were able to stay safe until it blew over."
Some of the drivers laughed and launched into their own tales of the worst clients or the slowest. I closed my eyes and tried to listen to what was going on around me. I must have drifted off, because next thing I knew, Baki-sensei was kneeling behind me with his hand on my shoulder.
"Go to sleep, you will get the third watch."
I open my mouth to protest, but he continues, "The boys have already decided. You did most of the running today, so you get to sleep the longest. Also Amagi said something about you making them something for breakfast."
I laughed and stood up, noticing that the group was still talking, but it had gotten smaller. I walked over to where Hideo had set up our small camp. Sleeping under the stars near the fire was a great place to be, I decided. I took off my shoes, took off my belt and my scarf. I undid my braid and pulled it up into a loose bun on the top of my head, then I curled up in my sleeping bag. Deciding to change my clothes in the morning.
AN: And they are off! The first day of Mission: Guard the Caravan is done. Welcome to all who have just joined this journey and Hello to all who are old friends. As always, comments are always welcome and I'll see you next time.