Issei woke up that morning, bright and early, prepared for his next departure. He let out a sigh of relief when he opened his room's window to find that the air outside wasn't too hot, which would make his journey a lot easier. In addition to that was the fact that the Land of Fire was much closer to the Land of Wind than the Land of Water was, meaning that it wouldn't take him too long to get to Konoha. At most, he was thinking it would take two or three days. He went to a local restaurant for breakfast, opting to have fish and rice because that was their most popular choice in the mornings. He wasn't disappointed, either, and after having his full of a hearty meal, he went to the Bazaar to pick up food and water for the road, as well. At that point, he was familiar enough with the village that he didn't need to look at a map at all or ask for directions any more, which made him feel much more comfortable in the village and made him confident in his adaptability to different cultures. It was a skill that he prided himself on, because what else could be expected of any seasoned traveler who lived for new places, new cultures, and the unknown? Stubbornness, lack of flexibility, and difficulty adjusting were the three things that kept people closed-minded and one-sided, which was exactly what Issei didn't want to be.

The Bazaar wasn't crowded at all, likely because the shops had just barely opened and it was a Tuesday morning of all days, so no one was really up and ready to go buy things at such an hour. If anything, everyone who was awake had more important responsibilities to take care of, so Issei enjoyed the quiet and took his time perusing the different morsels he could choose from. Besides that, he purchased a large metal jug full of water that also had a simple water filter attached, in case he needed to refill it. He figured there would be plenty of opportunities to refill it once he crossed the Kaze no Kuni border and passed into the lush greenery that could only be described as heavenly. Once he got another moment to himself, he took his bag off of his back and unpacked the remaining chakra armor pieces, robes, and masks, and resealed them into his handwraps, leaving behind a black sigil on his wrist. With his load lightened, his preparations completed, and his stomach full, he headed towards the village gate, staring up at the massive stone wall that surrounded the village in one departing moment of awe. The Jounin who guarded the gate looked at him suspiciously, likely due to the Kirigakure headband tied limply around his neck, but he smiled back at them innocently and left Sunagakure, bound to return sometime in the near future.

Time passed much faster this time. Day and night blurred together, with the sun and moon dancing around one another, using the skyline as their stage and the world as their audience. Issei took plenty of breaks along the way to admire the scenery, sitting in treetops or resting near riverbeds, finding shelter at night in shallow caves and in hollow trees. It wasn't long before he came upon the verdant wooden gates that signaled he was there, just in front of Konohagakure no Sato, the leaf symbol painted in red there in front of him. He stopped there, knowing full well that he had plenty of guards watching him, though none of them were in his line of sight. After a long pause, the gate shifted, and its large doors started to swing backwards, opening the path into the village which seemed so unlike anything else Issei had seen before. He knew, in the back of his mind, that the nature surrounding Konoha may have even been his favorite, just a tad more uplifting and beautiful than that which he was so used to in the Mist. A Jounin approached him, took note of his Kirigakure headband and his name, and then cleared him.

With that, Issei entered the Village Hidden in the Leaves, ready for whatever awaited him there.


[ Travel Complete ]

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