It had been a long time since Aya had travelled north in search of crystal caverns and hidden vast depths of the mountains which peppered the beautiful landscape, graph in hand Ayabozu walked the most treacherous paths which many ninja even feared to tread, as his skilled paintbrush washed over the countryside, mapping areas of the ninja world and the secrets it held so that people may buy the locations. It was skilled work, but it had its purpose. It was skilled work, and has he tiptoed across the plains he had finally noticed that Konoha and its forested hills had given way to Iwa territory, little of it mattered as the Ronin crossed with little hassle, so high on the hills there would be no guards to warrant investigation, so far from the beaten path, and his gear not resembling a ninja in the slightest, no headband nor uniform covered his body other than bright cloths and a bag full of maps.

Smiling as he crossed the ridges, he saw a cave, and moving toward it he marked the cave on his map, edging closer and closer he could only hope that it would be one of the networks he was searching for, an opening dug by the elements long ago, burrowing into the heart of a mountain. But as he reached it, he found little more then a narrow entrance, which had probably been dug out by ninja there long ago to save him from the weather, though it ran deep, within it there lay a small group of mountain bears, the mother eyeing up the intruder with curious and judging eyes as she surveyed the threat he may cause them, but Ayabozu did not give off the smell of danger in this world of ninja, his presence was pure, pure enough that he was able to sneak into the cave and lay by them for the warmth as night fell and even share their meat.

When morning broke along the horizon, and filled the land with golden light Ayabozu was already up, the mother bear woke and eyed him with familiarity, Ayabozu thanked the bear for its hospitality with little formality that the bear would understand, a small offer of fish which would be a rarity for them, but, alas his time here was at an end, and his supplies were beginning to run a little low, from so high he could make out the visage of a small village in the distance towards the mountains. It seemed like a good place to restock and ready himself for the next stage of his journey. Looking for rumours about fantastic places which people had never seen before. An undertaking of a cartographer seemed to be never done.

Without weaving a jutsu, he scaled his way down the mountain, looking to and fro as he moved down it, his eyes keen and looking for gaps in which he would be able to slode his hands and progress down, the scale was long and it took him to the middle of the afternoon, but he finally reached the foothills, looking onward as he hoped to see a bustling amount of friendly traders, an inn and hopefully a sum of hospitality, he had, had no issues in passing the boarder before, so, it was highly unlikely he would have any now, Iwa was always the kind of place which allowed travellers of all kinds to come and go through its hills, so long as they did not cause any trouble...

Though what trouble was, was subject to the victim...

Arrived~