Kills to Pay th Bills [travel to Rice Country]

Age : 48 Posts : 1036

Watching the sun set behind the hills to the west, one Hinamori Toshiro could only shake his head at the events that had surrounded his entrance into Rice Country. He had taken a trail used by smugglers, poachers, and others who didn't want official attention drawn to their presence to bypass the usual border crossing. After all, while he had official reason to be in Rice Country there was no assurance that Hidden Sound wouldn't take exception to a foreign ninja in their territory - especially if the bandit chief he was supposed to arrange an "accident" for had eyes and ears watching for foreign shinobi or was operating with the tacit approval of Hidden Sound. Better safe than sorry had kept Toshiro's head attached to his neck and he saw no reason to stop doing so now. It had been just his luck that in taking said trail, which crossed lands owned by a noble who was very possessive of "his" game animals, he had ran afoul of the bane of all poachers - a very competent game keeper who took his job seriously. Apparently the old man had mistaken Toshiro for a poacher and made it his duty to "bring the thieving varmint to justice".

Since Toshiro really hadn't wanted to kill the man for simply doing his job, he had lost nearly half a day trying to throw the fellow off his trail. Something easier said than done - the old man was an even better tracker than Toshiro was, knew the terrain as the chuunin didn't, and had several rather large and far too smart dogs to help him. It had taken getting his feet soaked in a creek, climbing a small cliff, and moving from tree before he felt he had lost his pursuer. After that he had finally been able to get back to the business of reaching the location of the supposed bandit camp. That had consumed the rest of the day and the next as he had to avoid more encounters with locals ranging from farmers and peddlers to several detachments of soldiers wearing uniforms that indicated they were in the employ of the local feudal lords.

Now though he was looking over the valley that, if the map he had been provided was accurate, held the brigands stronghold up near the headwall while in the low-lying opening was closest civilian settlement. Once the sun was completely set Toshiro had every intention to finish up this trip and start working on the actual mission itself. The quicker he got done here the quicker he could head back to Konoha.