Kameko woke up, full of energy, with the sunrise. Today was the day! She had filed the paperwork a week or so ago, and her travel to Hi no Kuni was finally approved. It was a bit unusual, Kumogakure rarely approved Genin to leave the country on their own, and she hadn’t been sure if her request would be granted; whatever the reason behind the exception, she wasn’t going to question her good fortune. She’d wanted to visit other countries for years but had never had an opportunity to. A tidy pack sat by her door, prepared the night before when she had taken care of all of the tedious tasks that it takes to leave town for an extended period, and in no time, the young woman was ready to go.

Having already said farewell to her parents, she set out on foot. Konohagakure was the closest major village, but traversing countries, even at the higher speeds that shinobi were capable of, would make this journey more than a day trip. Setting aside her normal desire for the finer things, Kameko traveled simply, wearing sturdy clothing and camping out at night. She had her choice of more fashionable outfits for when she arrived in the Leaf village, but the journey was a practical one.

She encountered a few trade caravans, but was fortunate to have no trouble on her trek across the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water. It seemed that in the wake of the not-that-long-past Chunin exams, any who might accost her were leaving shinobi alone, and as required when one traveled, she wore her hitai-ate prominently as a headband to keep her dark hair out of her bright blue eyes. She imagined that their caution was born of avoiding the more powerful ninja who might have gone to observe the Exams, not to avoid an inexperienced Genin kunoichi. Aware of the risks of a young woman traveling alone, she kept her weapons at easy reach and well-tended.

Well….as well-tended as she could. Unfortunately, she still hadn’t found a way to clean up her Rusty Katana. It cut well enough and was a balanced weapon, but she was a bit embarrassed by its appearance As a youth of the Ryuzoji clan, she had been taught since birth that the sword was an extension of ones self and would never mistreat a blade in such a way that it would be spotted in rust, as this one was. The secondhand blade was the best that she could afford at the moment, however. Although she had completed a few missions, the rewards were not nearly enough to offset the cost of a brand new katana. For the meantime, this blade would serve, but she hoped that those she would meet in Konoha, her a stranger to them, would not judge her disposition based off of its appearance.

As Kameko entered Hi no Kuni and neared Konohagakure, a thread of nervousness worked its way in. She had spent her entire life within Kaminari no Kuni's borders and knew Kumo like the back of her hand; to be alone in a new country would be quite an experience. Konoha was full of new people and adventures; she only hoped that they would be good ones. When she caught sight of Konohagakure, she stepped to the side of the road, her vanity raising its head under the wish to make a good impression. She dusted off her clothes as best she could and fished out her travel documents. 'Here we go!' she thought, pushing away the nerves as she neared the gate.