Walking into a Trap

"Goodbye Suzume!" Kai walked over carrying a large sack over his shoulder. Natsume was just finishing packing when he arrived. She glanced at his luggage and nodded at him. Kai already knew she didn't say many words, so he didn't take it to heart. He gave her a thumbs up with a wide grin before running off to the south. There was currently a large-scale war going on in the shinobi world, but Kai just saw it as a whetstone for himself.

'He probably won't get himself killed… right?' Natsume shook her head in wonder and moved to the north gate of the village where the other samurai were gathering. She was excited to continue her training. She already grasped the basics that Yori had taught her, now she just needed to refine her technique and master it. During the fighting with the crabs, she could already tell her sword strikes were significantly more lethal.

The mood of the group was a lot more solemn than before. Natsume didn't know at the time, but five of the samurai were wounded. They hid their injuries until they were found passed out in the morning. Now, they were being dragged along on sleds. Many of the samurai were looking at Yori with disappointment. Although they would still listen to his orders as the leader, they no longer chatted freely.

However, Yori didn't seem to mind. He was more critical of himself than anything. Strangely, no one turned that anger and suspicion toward Natsume. Perhaps it was because she had already been accepted as an apprentice samurai, or because she really couldn't perform Ninjutsu. This didn't stop her from putting up her guard. One of the samurai would occasionally glance her way during their journey.

After three days of traveling, the injured were able to move on their own. Natsume was finding it harder and harder to resist the cold. The temperature in the Land of Iron drastically plummeted with only a few days travelling north, she could only imagine how much colder it would get. Seeing her like this, the samurai she had been keeping an eye on began to talk among themselves. The next morning, before they set off, the representative of the group approached Yori.

"Yori-sama, Suzume won't be able to withstand this weather for much longer. We do not have any spare coats, and this would be a good opportunity to get accustomed to the Land of Iron's weather." He chose his words carefully, and Natsume saw right through it. His way of speaking was laced with multiple meanings.

'They plan for me to die in the wilderness? Ah!' She was confused at first but noticed that the youngest samurai in their little clique glanced at her waist. Her sword was no secret to the samurai. 'They're after my sword?' Natsume rolled her eyes. It seemed that even samurai training wasn't enough to stifle human greed. Yori was distracted with his thoughts and only half-listened to the request.

"Yes, that's fine. We will camp for another 2 hours; you have until then. Suzume!"

"Yes, Sensei!"

"It will only get colder and harsher the further we go north. Follow Daichi for now."

Natsume nodded and followed behind the samurai. Along the way, he explained to her the terrain and their purpose. "There are many large beasts that live in the snowy mountains. If you are lucky, we will find a non-aggressive animal. However, there are many predators hidden in this white landscape, so be cautious."

Natsume nearly snorted at his pretending but replied with a nod. She saw his expression turn nasty for a split second, but he quickly relaxed his face. Seeing that Natsume wasn't paying attention he was internally relieved. Natsume released her senses and discovered a large four-legged animal on the mountain wall. She looked over at Daichi and saw that he wasn't putting in any effort to lead or search for prey.

"Daichi-san, since this is part of my training, let me try to lead." She suggested.

"How motivated! Very well." He nodded but sneered when she pulled ahead of him. He wondered how naïve his target was. Meanwhile, Natsume thought the same about Daichi. Unfortunately, she couldn't kill him out here. If she accidently died, it would be brushed off by the group and they would continue. However, if Daichi died, she couldn't return. The reward wasn't worth the effort to try and clear her name. Unfortunately for Daichi, he chose the wrong target.

Not long after she took the lead, she spotted the large goat standing on a very narrow ledge of the cliff. It was eating a large bundle of greenery that sprouted out from cracks in the mountain. Daichi had a look of shock, but quickly recovered. "Not bad, Suzume-chan. The fur from the Giant Goat is soft and warm. However, you will have to deal with it on your own. Don't underestimate this Goat, it is very nimble and has unparalleled skills in climbing."

Natsume nodded perfunctorily and slowly crept up toward the Goat. She covered the soles of her boots with a layer of chakra to keep her from sinking into the snow or leaving behind any tracks. Fortunately, she was downwind of the goat so it wouldn't be able to smell her for now. Once she was 30 feet away, it seemed to sense something and look in her direction. Before it could react, Natsume already released her strength and launched herself forward.

The goat didn't have enough time to react before Natsume directly stabbed it in the neck. She didn't want to ruin the body too much so she could make a good coat. As the goat bled out, it released a desperate kick toward her which she easily blocked. However, this created an opening behind her which Daichi immediately exploited.

"Sorry Suzume-chan, you could only blame fate!" He was fully confident in succeeding in his sneak attack that he had time to speak before landing the blow. Unfortunately for him, Natsume was completely prepared. She lowered her front shoulder and flicked her scabbard up behind her, intercepting his sword. Then, she spun with her momentum and ended up facing Daichi.

"Hah, Daichi-sama, I am sorry, you can only blame fate…" Her pupils shrank and her iris turned red. The three tomoe sharingan appeared instantly, but before she could even activate her technique, Daichi was on the ground kowtowing in the snow. Natsume's mouth was slightly agape. This was not part of the script.