Mission Briefing:

It's been a long journey from Kirigakure no Sato and Eishi was already regretting a great part of his decision to expose himself (needlessly) to such a nerve-trying trial. The boy wasn't taking a part in the chuunin exams – they were currently being held in Kumo so he hasn't (entirely) given up on the idea to pass by and see what's making all the ruckus. He hadn't got any interest in participating though. In fact, he overslept the entire registration process for he was feeling particularly lazy for the last couple of months. So lazy that his mother had to confront him a few times and even intimidate him to leave the house – just thinking about that was giving Eishi the goosebumps. So at the end the white-haired shinobi had devised a devious "leave me alone" plan – he was going to hit the trade routes with the next shipment of fish and eventually find his way towards The Hidden Cloud village. For that purpose he had to sneak on a chartered ship and hide from its crew members which proved to be a piece of cake at first. Then the seasickness kicked in and Eishi was found half dead on board. The captain – a sturdy but kind man – did his best to show respect to the Mist's ninja representative, yet demanded a full retribution (in ryo) for the damage that the boy had caused with his... well, symptoms, and that pretty much left Eishi with little to no cash. What's worse – after reaching the mainland, the genin had to follow a large caravan all the way north, which – on top of everything – seriously exhausted both his body and the remains of his wallet.


"Here we are, kid", said the leader of the caravan after two weeks of travel. "The Village Hidden in the Clouds. Do you have anywhere to stay at? Some relatives or..."
"Nah, I was hoping to find somebody who would show me around. First time visiting."
"With the event blowing on full wheels, I am sure you'll easily spot a tour guide. I even recommend looking for one and paying him extra. This place can get pretty confusing, especially if you are a first timer."
"Thanks for the advice, pops."


"Greetings, sir, I wondered if you could..."
"Aaaaah, a tourist!"
The tour guide was wearing a funny looking hat that was easy to notice even in a crowd of that immense scale.
Welcome, welcome! Follow me!"


This here fine establishment is called the Golden Horn Casino. It's an extremely large and high-rated place to stay so be sure to bring lots of money if you decide to give the games a try. Also, if you are in for some top tier luxury, I would  recommend renting a room on the last floor – it has an astonishing view and you can even observe the Skyforge on a clear day. Isn't that wonderful?"
"Yes, but I am looking for..."
"This way now! You just HAVE to see the Thunder Temple!"


The tour continued for more than an hour and Eishi's legs were starting to feel heavy. The genin was extremely tired and all that yapping made him feel edgy and nervous. Still, he didn't have the heart to interrupt the excited tour guide who was doing his best to show every corner of the village to a complete stranger. It was an effort that deserved admiration.
"And here we have the Sky Bar! If you follow me through that door and up those stairs, we can climb the balconies and see everything I've shown you so far from there. There's also a large dance floor made out of – guess what –
glass (!) for those adventurous enough to use it! Heh-heh! You wouldn't believe how great it is. Come, come..."  


"And the administration building concludes our tour. How was it? Lord Raikage makes sure that we offer only the best to our valuable and most honoured guests. He spares no expense in his desire to keep the village running – as you probably saw for yourself. But – where are my manners – excuse me! Please! Share your remarks! Ask me anything! I am more than happy to be of service!
"I...", Eishi was barely breathing. The boy was 2 seconds away from collapsing on the floor. "Need... sleep... but cheap..."
"Huh? What's that? You need to... oh my! Okay then. How much money do you have? For just 120 ryo, we can..."
"I... well... not much... it's... idea."
"Yes?"
"I'm fine. Thank you... for... hospital, which direction again? Please!"
---

WC: 778

[Exit]

778 - 750 = 28 words left (D-rank mission completed)