The Land of Earth.

That was the destination Huan was now heading for. A land rumoured to be of little more than barren wastelands and pillars of rock protruding out from random spots on the ground. Clouds were rare in the Land of Earth – more frequently spotted than in the deserts of the Land of Wind, but still relatively less when compared to the other three large countries on the continent. However, that was only what he had heard from the many civilians he had crossed paths with when crossing the Land of Lightning. Having been stuck in their village for a majority of their lives, exiting only ever so much as to meet merchants or hunt for food or obtain water, they knew little of the world outside their country, so Huan wouldn't take their words too seriously.

He had initially been heading off to the Land of Water, hoping to take advantage of the turbulent situation the Village Hidden in the Mists had been thrown in, what with the attack by their former protector and now missing-nin Seven Bells. News of his appearance had struck terror into the villagers of Kiri, and the news had quickly spread like wildfire, reaching the mainland and soon also being brought all around the shinobi continents. It was only natural that Huan, who always was on the lookout for jobs or opportunities, would catch wind of it with relative ease.

However, his destination had quickly changed. He had quickly decided that he was still in no condition to interfere with the village's happenings. If anything, the moment he stepped into the premises, the tight security would catch sight of him and immediately detain him. He probably wouldn't see light until the entire issue with Seven Bells was dealt with, which could easily take months considering how exaggerated the missing-nin's skills had seemed. Or, he could never escape at all, and have the lands of Kiri be his graveyard as Seven Bells burnt it, and him, to the ground.

No, he had to suit himself up first. It had been awhile since he had been on any high-paying mercenary missions, and the last had been boring bodyguard duty in which he didn't even encounter any foes to cut down. His skills were quickly dulling, and that was something he could not afford, not if he wanted to keep his promise to his now deceased father of enacting his vengeance upon his father's killer. Or, maybe it was to say killer, as ultimately, Konohagakure, the so-called 'honorable village', had been the entire cause behind his family's predicament.

Huan took in a breath as he continued his steady trip to the Land of Earth. It was no secret that Iwagakure and Konohagakure were not on the best of terms. Their relationships have fluctuated largely since the Fourth Shinobi War, the war that changed the world, and even before then the ties between the two villages had been rocky at best. It would be the obvious place to conceal himself from Konoha – that had been his father's wish ever since he was born, for his safety, of course – and prepare himself to make that hell of a village pay its debts, long overdue.

In fact, his dislike towards Konoha had been the whole reason he was currently in the Land of Lightning. Konoha had a very tight grasp on the Land of Fire, sending patrols at least twice as frequently as most other villages, hoping to catch any intruders before any damage could be done. It was safe to say that a wandering ninja like Huan would quickly be apprehended. Although Konoha had declared that its borders were open and that laws were loosened, Huan didn't trust them. After all, it had only been two days since one of his informants in the Land of Fire – and one of his close friends – had disappeared after Konoha nin had entered his house.

Coincidence? He thought not.

While he had no proof, he didn't need it to pin the blame on Konoha. As far as he was concerned, they had realised the man was leaking information about happenings within the Land of Fire, things that the sneaky village of Konoha didn't want other people knowing, and so had resorted to shutting him up permanently when he had refused to reveal where he was getting his information from, or who he was giving it to. Huan suppressed what little remorse he had for the man. He knew little friends as he was always on the move – the whole world was his friend, in a manner of speaking – and his father's contacts had all but been lost with the man's life. All the people who could play mind games with Huan was more or less gone, disappeared, out of contact. As such, the boy prided himself little on the bonds he had. Perhaps some time in the future, maybe.

He shook such thoughts out of his head as he continued on his trek towards the Land of Earth. He needed to stay focused. The slightest change in direction would lead him spiralling off to the coast and heavily off course, or into the Land of Fire, and even more heavily off course. He needed to get to the Land of Earth without wasting any time. It wouldn't be difficult to find a place to stay and maybe perform some missions there to better himself. Training, working, whatever. But first, he would need a warm shower and some actual food, not the grubs he had been finding out in the wild. Maybe then he would think of what he would do next.

Word Count: 959

Travel thread [Kumo > Iwa] 600/600
Training Katon [C -> B] 359/2000