Koji and Kuro took the lead, their movements smooth and precise as they leapt from tree to tree, their sharp eyes constantly scanning the dense underbrush below for any sign of movement.
Kuro's ears twitched with every rustle of the leaves, his powerful nose flaring as he picked up the faint, scattered scents of animals and wet earth.
After an hour, Koji held up a hand, his fingers splayed in a quick, sharp signal to halt. I dropped into a low crouch on the thick, moss-covered branch beneath me, my hand instinctively opening into open palms of the Gentle fist stance.
I carefully watched the area with my Byakugan as Koji and Kuro dropped silently to the forest floor, their bodies low and tense as they sniffed the damp, leaf-strewn ground.
I could see the faint, flickering chakra signatures of small animals scurrying through the underbrush, their movements quick and frantic, but nothing large enough to be a threat. Still, my muscles remained tense.
My senses remained on edge as I watched Koji move slowly through the undergrowth, his eyes narrow and his steps cautious as Kuro sniffed the air beside him, his tail held low and stiff, his sharp, yellow eyes fixed on the twisted roots and dark, shadowed hollows that lined the forest floor.
After a long, tense moment, Koji straightened, his hand moving in a quick, dismissive gesture that signaled the all-clear.
I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief at the false alarm. "Good job," I whispered to him as we once more started moving on. It was good that he was extra alert, even if there was nothing. Because surely that meant that he would easily find out if there was something.
The thick, moss-covered trunks of the ancient trees offered plenty of cover, but also countless places for an ambush, every shadow and twisted root a potential hiding spot for a waiting enemy.
I easily understood why a team like mine was sent in here, I could only imagine how many people had been ambushed, this place was perfect for it.
And it was a good thing when Konoha was the ones hiding in the shadows, but when it was the enemies? That's when something had to be done about it.
And well, it was dangerous to bust an ambush, in particular when you couldn't be sure about whether you had a real ambush on your hands and whether you didn't.
It was therefore incredibly important that you found the enemy; only then could you turn the ambush on them, hence my sensor team.
While a team like that Hinata's one day would be on was a bit on the heavy end, with so little offence, those kinds of sensor squads were one of Konoha's specialities.
This team was far better balanced, with more offense and defense. It was a good, solid team, but the situation also required it.
Every so often, Koji would raise his hand, his sharp eyes narrowing as Kuro froze beside him, his dark fur bristling slightly as he sniffed the air, his ears twitching with every faint rustle of leaves, every distant snap of a twig.
Each time, I would drop into a low crouch, my Byakugan flaring as I swept my gaze through the dense underbrush and tangled roots below. My fingers tightened instinctively as I prepared to strike at the first sign of danger.
But each time, after a long, tense moment, Koji would straighten, his hand moving in that same quick, dismissive gesture, his sharp eyes meeting mine for a brief, silent moment before he turned and moved on.
It was always just an odd smell or an animal. Not that animals couldn't be dangerous. They could be summons, or they could be traps. It was good to be on the safe side.
However, the constant tension was draining. Not physically, but mentally. And while Arata and Haruto could better handle it due to their age, Koji couldn't.
Hell, even I wasn't any different, despite my true identity and all that it entailed. When it came to this kind of stuff, I wasn't any better than Koji. Dealing with this stress wasn't something I was used to.
After another cautious hour, the fog seemed to grow even thicker, clinging to the branches like damp, cloying cobwebs. The heavy air muffled even the slightest sound, making the quiet snap of a distant branch or the soft rustle of leaves feel unnaturally loud.
Koji held up his hand again, his head tilting slightly as Kuro sniffed the air, his fur bristling. I dropped into a low crouch, my fingers flexing as my Byakugan pulsed, the familiar rush of chakra sharpening my vision as I swept my gaze through the dense underbrush below.
Nothing but small, scurrying animals and the slow, creeping advance of tangled roots and thick, wet leaves. I forced myself to take a slow, steady breath, letting my pulse settle as I met Koji's eyes. He gave a small, sharp shake of his head, his lips pressing into a tight line as he relaxed, his hand falling back to his side.
"False alarm," he whispered as he moved back to the branches, Kuro slipping into his shadow as he leapt up beside me. "This place is playing tricks on my nose. Everything smells damp and rotting."
"That's fine," I replied, my voice low but steady as I straightened, rolling my shoulders to work out the slight stiffness that had settled into my muscles. "Better to be cautious than caught off guard."
Haruto landed beside me a moment later, his dark eyes sweeping the twisted branches around us before settling on me. "We should find a place to rest soon," he whispered, his breath coming in slow, steady puffs in the cold, damp air. "The light won't hold much longer."
"Agreed," I replied, my eyes flicking to Arata as he came to a silent stop beside us.
Koji gave a small grunt of agreement, his sharp eyes narrowing as he glanced down at Kuro, the ninken's ears still twitching with every faint rustle of leaves, his tail held low and stiff as he sniffed the damp, leaf-strewn ground.
"Alright," I said, my voice firm as I adjusted the headband wrapped around my arm. "Keep moving, but start looking for a defensible position. We're not resting out in the open if we can help it."
They all gave small, sharp nods, their bodies slipping back into motion as we moved deeper into the fog-shrouded forest. Our breaths were slow and steady, our senses sharp and focused as we searched for a safe place to rest.
After another half hour of silent movement, Koji's hand shot up again. His body dropped into a low crouch as Kuro froze beside him. His dark fur bristled slightly as his sharp, yellow eyes flicked between the twisted roots and dark, shadowed hollows that surrounded us.
I stopped immediately, but I quickly realized that this time, Koji wasn't signaling a threat, but a potential resting spot.
The area ahead was a small, sunken hollow in the forest floor, its edges lined with thick, twisted roots and dense, thorn-covered bushes that would make for a natural barrier against both predators and human enemies.
The thick canopy above twisted into a tight, interlocking mesh of branches and leaves, blocking out most of the pale, mist-filtered light from above. This cast the entire area into a deep, shadowed gloom that would make it difficult for anyone to spot us from a distance.
The ground inside the hollow was covered in a thick layer of soft, damp moss. It was a bit too moist for my liking, but it was better than resting on the wet, hard ground or a hard wooden branch.
I felt a small, satisfied smile spread across my lips as I glanced down at Koji, who was already moving through the thick, twisted roots that lined the hollow's edge, his sharp eyes flicking between the thick, shadowed trunks that surrounded us as Kuro sniffed the damp, leaf-strewn ground beside him.
"Good call," I whispered as I dropped silently to the forest floor beside him, my feet sinking slightly into the thick, spongy moss as I scanned the dense, tangled underbrush around us. "This place is as close to perfect as we're likely to find. Tight perimeter, natural cover, good visibility. Well done."
Koji gave a small, sharp nod, his lips pressing into a tight, satisfied line as he continued to scan the dense, twisted roots that surrounded us.
I turned to Arata and Haruto as they dropped silently into the hollow beside me.
"Alright," I said, my voice low but firm as I straightened, rolling my shoulders to work out the slight stiffness that had settled into my muscles. "We'll rest here for the night. Haruto, set up a small perimeter. Arata, keep an eye on the high ground. Koji, you and Kuro take first watch. I'll relieve you in a few hours."
They all gave small, sharp nods, their bodies moving with quiet, efficient precision as they slipped into motion. Quickly setting up a makeshift camp in the shadowed depths of the hollow.
I drifted into a light, uneasy sleep, the moss doing its best to offer a bit of comfort, even at the cost of my back getting wet. It wasn't easy falling asleep with the sounds all around us, and the constant desire to use my Byakugan to ensure it was nothing.
Still, this wasn't my first time in the field, and while each time was much the same, slowly, my training kicked in, and my mind drifted in and out of a restless, half-conscious haze.
I wasn't sure how long I'd been out when a light nudge against my shoulder pulled me from the fog of my dreams, my eyes snapping open and Byakugan on full display as the veins around them bulged out.
Koji's face hovered just inches from mine. His dark eyes were sharp and alert despite the late hour. His sharp canines flashed in the faint, filtered moonlight as he gave me a small, crooked grin.
"Your turn," he whispered, his voice low but clear as he took a small step back, his hand falling to rest on Kuro's broad, fur-covered back as the large ninken sniffed at my shoulder, his sharp, yellow eyes locking onto mine for a brief, silent moment before he let out a quiet, rumbling huff, his thick, black tail swishing slowly behind him as he settled back onto his haunches beside Koji.
I straightened and rolled my shoulders, the familiar, quiet aches of a long day's travel settling back into my muscles as I forced my mind to shake off the last remnants of sleep.
And so began the first night for real. We slept little and poorly as we took turns keeping watch one at a time until finally, we were all up and digging into our breakfast.