The First Leg [Travel]

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

Travelling to Yu no Kuni.

Having left the treehouse of nukenin many hours earlier, Uriko had scouted the immediate area but found nothing of interest. Or rather, nothing to be concerned about. It depended on the way she looked at it. Regardless, she had trudged back to the large, hidden structure and paid up for one night's rest. Plus a little extra for the bartender, who had kindly cleared up the 'mess' she had made. Blood was tough to clean, after all. But the woman's thoughts had not been as tired as her muscles and after only a few short hours of sleep, she woke with a start. "Ngh." From behind the closed door, the sound of a female voice grunting in irritation issued forth. Muted by the four wooden walls, the noise went unnoticed. The next, however, did not. Clack. The door swept open, smacking the frame when it came to a halt. Walking purposefully out of her temporary lodgings, Uriko could already hear the hushed mumblings of those still awake on the floor below. Rolling her eyes, she made for the staircase and hurried down, her feet tapping rhythmically against the hard steps. Before long, the restless kunoichi had burst out into the open air, immediately pulling her layers of clothing tighter around her neck and face. This night was bitterly cold.

Kuma no Kuni was a notoriously well-defended country. Craggy mountains and deep forests were one thing, but the deep, poison-spewing ravines that protected much of this land were another altogether. Uriko had tried free climbing her way through the great fissure on her arrival and wanted to avoid the discomfort of such an ordeal another time. Knowing the geography a little better now, the kunoichi cut a path through the forest and toward the most slender area of the trench. In her haste, Uriko was forced to ignore sharp but shallow cuts to her face, where thin branches had scored through her skin. The chilling temperature made these incisions all the more painful, but the woman was not one to complain about such minor injuries. She had long since learned to put such pain aside, ignorance being a far better painkiller than any drug she'd ever encountered. Pushing on, Uriko fought both the forest and the weather until the landscape began to open up. Sensitive as she was to such things, the kunoichi soon recognized the toxins being carried on the breeze and quickened her pace. Moments later, she stood on the precipice of a three-metre crack in the earth. Huh. Uriko thought to herself, recalling the lengths she'd gone to to bypass the ravine last time. Inwardly laughing at the situation, she took a small run-up before leaping through the fumes and across the trench. Her feet met solid ground once more. Without a sound, the female nukenin straightened her back and continued on. After all, she had quite the agenda.

Yu no Kuni, in stark comparison to Kuma, had very little by way of defense - natural or otherwise. Known for its singular route both in and out of the tiny nation, it had become something of a target for thieves and highwaymen. No doubt attracted by the wallets and purses of wealthy tourists visiting the bath houses and springs. Despite the lack of law enforcement in the area, Uriko knew not to underestimate her destination, as it was nestled right between the two powerful nations of Fire and Lightning. Not only did this make the one-armed criminal's journey more difficult, it also meant she could not relax once safely inside the borders. It would come as no surprise were she to find either Konohagakure or Kumogakure shinobi on guard duty. The woman was keen not to become entangled with a formal military of any sort, given the nature of her visit. But if they were present, a battle could not be avoided. Uriko knew she could not go through with her plan whilst enemy forces occupied the villages. Sighing lightly as she approached the outskirts of her destination, she found herself in the unfamiliar position of not wanting a fight.