Time for Some Exploring [ Hinowa -> Yokuchi ]

The boy with the fox mask stood at the entrance of Hinowagakure with a pack resting on his shoulders. What he was about to undertake was something that made him a little nervous if he were to be completely honest. He'd never traveled outside of Hinowa no Kuni. He'd always remained within the protective borders, even when he was not living within the village during his initial training. The idea of leaving and exploring the unknown that he had only heard and read about was a strange notion. Still, he knew that at some point during his life, travel was definitely something that he would have to do as a shinobi. He couldn't let his nervous excitement get the better of him in this case. He needed to travel and explore. He needed to be familiar with the areas that he would possibly have to do missions in at some point.

Hakai would be jealous if he saw where Sasayaki was now. He had always been the one with the urge to travel, getting more and more stir crazy as they had gotten older. It was a shame that the boy who Sasayaki had readily called his little brother wasn't here with him now. Sasayaki could imagine the youngest of them bouncing around pulling them out of the village. Traveling with his brothers wold have been something that all of them would have enjoyed. But, that was only wishful thinking, and he really needed to stop focusing on them, as much as that hurt him to think about doing.

Sasayaki was the only one left now, and as such he was the one to do the living in this world for all of them. He wasn't going to let them down. These moments in travel that he would have were going to be something that he'd use to make himself better than he already was. With a small smile behind his face he nodded to the guard at the front of the village when the man finally returned his papers to him before stepping out into the world. He hadn't left the village since the first time that he had set foot into it, led by one of his sensei's after the final test he and his brother's had been put through.

But now here he was in the nature surrounding the village. The lush green trees were something that he was much more familiar with, still, even after spending some time within the city. The nature was something that he cherished, as he was raised in it, save for the compound that they had lived and trained in. He took a deep breath as he moved, letting himself feel soothed by the smells of the outside before picking up his pace. He wasn't supposed to dawdle. He'd been told that he had as much time as he needed to explore, but he wasn't supposed to waist time. So, waist time he wouldn't.

Yokuchigakure was to be the first place that he'd stop at. He'd always been fascinated with the contrast from his homeland that was described by his sensei's and books. A sea of sand certainly had to be an interesting place, and he wondered how the temperature truly differed. Learning how to outlast other people, possibly those from that area in battle would certainly be a useful trait if that was something that he could develop. Of course, knowing how to fight in any terrain was going to be important, and that was something that he hoped he'd be able to learn while he spent his time traveling from each place.

Word Count: 620
[Exiting Thread and Hinowa]