The wind howled violently, whipping up sand and dust into terrifying storms that filled the sky.
Not even the most powerful shinobi would dare travel in such weather...
In conditions like these, a spacious cave was a precious lifesaver.
Sizzle, patter...
Sand grains clattered continuously against the brim of his wide-brimmed hat.
Aoi held his hat down firmly as he stepped into a large cavern, only to find that someone else had already taken shelter there.
It was a squad of samurai, well-equipped and disciplined. The moment they saw Aoi enter, their hands moved instantly to the hilts of their blades, their expressions sharp with vigilance.
Aoi, however, paid them no mind. He simply shook the sand off his clothes, found a quiet corner, and sat down comfortably...
Ten days had passed since Uchiha Makoto entrusted his son to Aoi. For those same ten days, Aoi had been traveling steadily toward the Land of Wind.
The roads had been fraught with conflict, but Aoi was dressed in full shinobi attire. Even though he looked like a mere child, ordinary samurai did not dare provoke him recklessly.
This was exactly why Aoi didn't concern himself with the samurai in the cave.
It wasn't the first time he had run into samurai while resting in the desert. Once the sandstorm died down, everyone would simply go their separate ways...
However, this particular group seemed to be caught up in some kind of trouble; otherwise, they wouldn't be so intensely guarded.
But really... what did that have to do with him?
Aoi shook his head dismissively and pulled out the map of the Land of Wind that Hiruzen had given him.
The Land of Wind was shaped roughly like an irregular square. Wedged between it and the Land of Earth lay several smaller nations.
Three of them were well-known enough to be named: the Land of Birds, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Grass...
According to Hiruzen's intelligence, the regions where the Land of Wind had lost control were primarily the desert zones bordering both the Land of Rain and the Land of Birds.
Right now, those two nations were waging war in this very area, fighting to seize control of the northern stretches of the desert lands belonging to Wind Country!
As for the Land of Rain, Aoi knew it well — a pitiful small nation situated between three major powers.
Whenever the great nations of Earth, Fire, or Wind went to war, Rain Country inevitably became the battlefield.
In fact, during his time in the trial world, Aoi had completely wiped the Land of Rain off the map, leaving not a single soul alive...
He was quite familiar with figures like Hanzo, the Salamander!
The Land of Birds, however, was far more unfamiliar to him...
From what he could recall, the only time it was ever mentioned was when Team 7 went there on a mission.
It had something to do with exorcising a spirit possessing a feudal lord's shadow clone or something along those lines.
Truly a tiny, insignificant nation with nothing noteworthy about it...
Just as Aoi was racking his brain, trying to remember more details about the Land of Birds, a cute little girl suddenly appeared and held out a water canteen toward him.
"Here you go!"
She wore a small, round hat, and when she smiled, two charming little tiger-teeth peeked out.
"My papa said you aren't carrying any supplies with you, so you must be thirsty!"
"Thank you."
Aoi paused for a moment, then smiled and accepted the canteen. Because he stored everything in his System space, he hadn't paid attention to how he looked to others.
Walking through a desolate desert completely empty-handed... he probably did look quite conspicuous.
"I'm Noko. What's your name?" The little girl with the adorable teeth extended her hand toward Aoi. It was a gesture impossible to refuse.
"I'm Aoi." He smiled and gently took her hand. Her small palm was white and soft, just like cotton candy...
Only a family of considerable status could raise a daughter with such grace and poise.
It seemed this samurai escort was protecting either a wealthy merchant or nobility.
"Brother Aoi, you look so young, yet you're already such an impressive shinobi! You're amazing!" Noko praised him sincerely.
Aoi felt his face warm up slightly...
Being praised so earnestly by such a sweet, cute girl... it really was impossible not to feel pleased!
But just then, a rough, calloused hand suddenly blocked the space right in front of Aoi's face.
"Lady Noko, for your own safety, you must not associate with people of unknown origin or suspicious intent!"
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