The early morning sun cast a warm glow upon the bustling village of Konohagakure. Even as the heavenly light just barely shone over the mountains, the people of the leaf had already begun their day. The crisp spring morning was rife with opportunity, and Takao was no exception to the active villagers. A small collection of clothing was neatly folded on his bed, sitting idly whilst he wrapped a long length of cloth bandage around his right forearm. It was firmly tied off, ensuring that it wouldn’t come loose during the fatigue of travel, and his attention was turned and focused upon the pile of spare clothing. A single hand seal later had sucked the clothing into the cloth bandages, and left the intricate mark of a seal upon the fabric. It was a much more convenient way to pack necessities than a backpack or the like, although the capacity of the bandages was considerably smaller. The rest of his equipment was worn, including Munnin, which was tucked under the sleeve of his right arm.

The Land of Water was unknown territory to him. It had always been a bit of a mystery, and he had endured a plethora of battles against shinobi of said nation. They were a tough, unforgiving folk, and he was curious about the land in which they were born and groomed in. In particular, the Village Hidden in the Mist was his destination. Travel was made safer between the two allied nations of Leaf and Mist, and after the success of his excursion in Iwagakure, he had been thoroughly bitten by the travel bug. Broadening his horizons, so to speak, was on the menu for the raven-haired shinobi.

Takao set out, his journey through the village of Konoha unhindered. Even at the gates, the check-in gave the former Hokage little issue with passing. Before long, he had set out into the wilderness of Hi no Kuni, southbound one of many well-traveled trading roads that would take him around the bay and into the Land of Noodles. His falcon had claimed the skies above him, flying along with Takao as he traversed the Land of Fire, enjoying the freedom away from the village that it had rarely been afforded.

Before long, the pair of travelers had stepped over the border of Hi no Kuni, and around the bay between the Land of Fire and the Land of Noodles. Very little of the scenery changed, but his walk along the bay offered a pleasant breeze of fresh, sea-bound air. Just as the sun rested high in the early afternoon sky, the road took him back into the copse of oak, and within an hour he stood at the end of the peninsula. A series of viaducts bridged the series of islands to the mainland, gradually leading to the village hidden in the mists.

As he progressed along the bridge, he was briefly interrupted by a gaggle of menacing looking geese, impeding his path forward. Initially apprehensive to approach them, as their hostile nature was well known to the seasoned shinobi, but he gathered his courage (Strong Willed SC) and progressed forward. As he neared the gang of vicious waterfowls, they dispersed in spectacular fashion and took flight into the afternoon sky, thus permitted Takao to continue on unhindered into the Land of Water. Thick mist eventually overtook the bridges as he neared the village hidden in the mists, a clear indication that he grew closer to his destination. In less than a day’s time, he had arrived in Mizu no Kuni.