“Have you got everything? What about the food… did you pack-”
“Don’t worry, Dad, I’m fine. I thought of everything,” Misoka cut him off, smiling. Only her voice gave her away – it trembled violently. She swallowed, but felt as though the lump in her throat was still present. Her father stood in front of her, kneading his hands like a nervous child. Every now and then, his eyes flickered towards her before he looked away quickly again.
Misoka knew how hard this was for him. They wouldn’t see each other for at least three months and her father was always very protective of her. This time, he couldn’t protect her. No-one could.
“I’m going then,” She announced weakly, putting on her backpack. The sun was going down as the area around them darkened. They were at Suna’s gates, ready to say goodbye for the last time. “Please take care of yourself, Dad. And don’t worry about me,” Misoka said, her lower lip quivering when she tried to keep an even tone.
Then her father stepped forward and gave her a firm hug. “I should say the same to you,” He replied quietly. She felt something wet on her cheek and figured that he must be crying.
“Goodbye.” Her own tears started flowing. It was alright. This time, it was alright to cry.

The next hours, Misoka was walking in a steady pace, leaving her hometown behind. The air sent shivers down her spine and all she heard were the gusts of wind combing her hair. At night, the desert looked cold and dangerous. She was grateful for the fur cloak her father had given her.
“I’m a Chunin,” she would sometimes breathe out into the silence, reminding herself of her rank and the higher skills which should go along with it. However, thousands of self-doubts continued to eat her pride away. Was she really stronger than before? Why was she chosen to rank up and not Jezzi or Kaizen? Did the Kazekage do it out of pity?

Time passed by as she had to rely more on her other senses than her sight. Complete darkness engulfed her, but strangely, she could still see most of her surroundings if she tried hard enough. Perhaps her eyes’ glowing effect was good for something after all.
After a while walking on, the racing thoughts in her mind weren’t enough anymore to keep her awake. She was tired and exhausted, only wanting to rest somewhere. The desert was endlessly wide and offered hardly any plants, let alone trees for cover during the night. Misoka’s heart picked up in pace, thumping with anxiousness. She had to put up her tent in the middle of the desert. Enemies would spot her immediately, which meant there was no way she could sleep through the whole night.
With tired eyes, the girl put up the tent, slipping inside and crawling into her sleeping bag. As she had expected, she didn’t sleep well.
The most insignificant sounds would wake her up, get out of the tent and look around frantically. Fortunately, she wasn’t attacked by any real enemies.

The next morning, she awoke early, had a small breakfast and then kept on moving. She took two days in total to arrive at the edge of a forest. The sand had gradually gotten less until she was walking on muddy ground with more and more trees surrounding her. This must be the Hidden Leaf Village. Hesitantly, she looked back, trying to make out Suna in the distance although she knew that it was impossible. ‘It’s not forever’, she told herself and kept the brave look on her face. “I’m a Chunin. I can take care of myself.”
It was morning when she had found a way out of the forest, thanks to the map she had packed. “Okay then.” She took a deep breath and approached the gates of Konoha.

WC 650