Kai's eyes narrowed as he sensed the subtle threat behind the Tsuchikage's words. He stood tall, unwilling to be intimidated. "I appreciate the offer, but I am not looking to join a village at the moment. If you have a job for me, I would be happy to consider it."

The Tsuchikage raised an eyebrow, seemingly impressed by Kai's boldness. "Very well. I need someone to accompany a group of our genin to the Hidden Sand Village for the Chunin Exams. There will be other chunin and jounin escorts, but I want you to keep an eye on them as well."

Kai considered the offer, weighing the potential risks and rewards. He decided to push his luck a little further. "What is the reward for this mission?"

The Tsuchikage leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "If you succeed in this mission, I will grant you a significant monetary reward, access to our village's training facilities, and a house in our village."

Kai mulled it over for a moment before nodding. "I accept."

The Tsuchikage's eyes twinkled with satisfaction. "Excellent. You will leave tomorrow morning with the group. Niro will introduce you to them.

Kai bowed once more before turning to leave, Niro close behind. As they walked through the compound, Kai couldn't help but feel amused about the reward. It was obvious that the Tsuchikage was trying to tie him to the village. Besides the money, the free access to village training facilities and a house in the village were ways to make him stay there and become part of the Tsuchikage's village. But he accepted anyway. He could swing by anytime he wanted to watch others train in the training facilities he was given access to. What else could he ask for?

The next morning, Kai met the group of genin he would be escorting to the Chunin Exams. They were a diverse and energetic group, each one eager to prove their skills and advance in the ninja world.

Niro, now wearing his official Chunin vest, introduced Kai to the other chunin and Jonin escorts. They regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, but Kai kept his demeanor aloof and professional.

As they set out for the Hidden Sand Village, Kai quickly found himself in the role of cannon fodder. He wasn't even allowed to talk with the genin and had to follow them from behind. He knew why. He was an outsider, and he could put them in danger if he was too close. The Tsuchikage wanted him to tag along as extra muscle, and he was going to do that; he had no intention of talking with them anyway.

During their journey, the group encountered several challenges, including a group of bandits who tried to ambush them. Kai hung back, allowing the genin to handle the situation under the watchful eyes of the other Chunin and Jonin escorts.

That night, as they sat around the campfire, the genin chatted excitedly about the day's events. Kai listened from a distance, a small smile playing on his lips as he heard their enthusiasm and determination. Most would fail, and were selected to fill the numbers, but their spirits remained high.

"Did you see how I took out that bandit?" one of the genin, a tall boy with spiky brown hair, boasted. "One swift kick and he was down!"

His companions laughed and nodded, impressed by his accomplishment. They didn't notice Kai, who sat apart from the group, his expression carefully neutral. He knew he wasn't there to make friends or share in their triumphs. He was cannon fodder, nothing more.

As the night wore on, the conversations around the fire grew quieter, eventually fading into silence. The genin, chunin, and jounin began to drift off to their tents, leaving Kai alone with his thoughts.

He stared into the flickering flames, pondering his own position in the world. He had been given a chance to learn and grow, but at what cost? He was an outsider, someone to be used and discarded when the time came. The Tsuchikage had made it clear that Kai was expendable, and he had accepted that role willingly. But it didn't make it any easier to bear.

The next day, the group continued their journey, the genin practicing their jutsu and sparring with each other as they traveled. Kai watched from a distance, his eyes carefully observing their techniques and tactics. He knew that he could learn from them, even if he wasn't a part of their group.

As they neared the border of the Hidden Sand Village, the group encountered a more significant threat. A group of rogue shinobi, far more dangerous than the bandits they had faced earlier, emerged from the surrounding desert, their eyes filled with malice and greed.

The genin hesitated, glancing nervously at their chunin and Jonin escorts. The chunin, including Niro, exchanged wary glances, clearly aware that they were outmatched.

"We need to fall back," one of the Jonin whispered, his voice tense. "We can't risk losing the genin."

The others nodded, their faces grim. They knew they were putting Kai in danger, but they had no choice. They had their orders, and their priority was to protect the genin.

Kai watched the scene unfold, his expression unreadable. He knew what was about to happen, and he knew that he would be the one to face the danger. But he didn't flinch or protest. Instead, he calmly stood up and walked toward the approaching rogue shinobi, his eyes cold and focused.

As the chunin and Jonin led the genin away, Kai faced the enemy alone. The rogue shinobi laughed, clearly not expecting much of a challenge from a single, unaffiliated ninja.

"You're in our way," one of them sneered, a cruel grin on his face. "Do you really think you can stop us?"

Kai didn't respond. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to focus his chakra, his body becoming a conduit for the powerful energy. He knew he had to be careful not to reveal his true abilities, but he also knew that he needed to protect the others, even if they saw him as expendable.

As the rogue shinobi charged toward him, Kai opened his eyes and unleashed a torrent of earth jutsu, drawing on the knowledge he had gained from watching the Rock Shinobi in battle. The ground shook beneath their feet, sending them stumbling and disoriented.

Kai continued to use his earth jutsu to create barriers and pitfalls, doing his best to stall the rogue shinobi without engaging them in serious combat. His primary goal was to buy time for the genin, chunin, and Jonin to escape and reach the Hidden Sand Village safely.

The rogue shinobi quickly realized that Kai was merely toying with them, and their anger grew. They began to use more powerful jutsu in an attempt to break through his defenses and get to the young ninja they assumed were hidden nearby.

Kai kept his emotions locked away, not betraying any fear or concern. He knew that his role in this mission was to be the expendable outsider, to face danger and allow the others to retreat. Despite the animosity between them, he was committed to fulfilling his duty.

At one point, the leader of the rogue shinobi, a tall man with a jagged scar across his face, managed to get within striking distance of Kai. Kai used his knowledge of Kage Bunshin to create a shadow clone, sending it to face the enemy while he slipped away, creating more barriers and obstacles.

"Stop playing games!" the leader snarled at the shadow clone, frustration boiling over. "You think you can keep this up forever?"

The clone simply stared back at him, its expression as cold and impassive as the original's. It did not respond, further fueling the rogue shinobi's rage.

As Kai continued to stall the enemy, the genin, chunin, and Jonin managed to put a significant distance between themselves and the rogue shinobi. They moved quickly and silently, their earlier enthusiasm dampened by the knowledge that they had left one of their own behind to face danger alone.

Even though the genin didn't know Kai well, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for leaving him behind. They had been taught to work as a team, to protect one another, but in this situation, they had been forced to abandon a fellow shinobi to save themselves.

As the distance between them grew, the chunin and Jonin began to relax slightly, confident that they had evaded the rogue shinobi. They focused on guiding the genin towards the Hidden Sand Village, knowing that they still had a long journey ahead of them.

Back at the battlefield, Kai knew it was time to make his escape. He had done his job, giving the others enough time to get away safely. He took a deep breath and began to focus his chakra, preparing to use his Kage Bunshin technique to create a diversion.

He created several shadow clones, each one positioned in a different location. Then, using his earth jutsu, he caused a series of explosions and rockslides, creating chaos and confusion among the rogue shinobi.

In the midst of the chaos, Kai slipped away, his movements swift and silent. He knew that his mission was not to defeat the enemy, but simply to ensure the safety of the genin and their escorts. With that accomplished, he had no reason to remain and risk his life in a pointless battle.