The two reached an unspoken agreement. This mission could be considered over, since they had not found that unknown energy at all. They could only assume that the Akatsuki Organization had beaten them to it.
After taking one last look at the somewhat desolate Takigakure, Moriyue reminded himself that this was the fate of those who were not strong enough, then returned the way they had come with Yugito Nii.
The path was still lush and green. Sometimes, the actual mission did not take very long; it was the journey that truly consumed time. That had been the case for Moriyue and the others this time.
Dealing with the Black-faced Sheep had not taken him long at all—far less time than the journey.
But now that they had completed their mission, they could treat the trip back to the village as a journey. Whether one carried burdens in one's heart while traveling had a great impact on how one felt about the trip.
When someone traveled with a clear purpose in mind, travel became nothing more than rushing along. The only things that mattered were the starting point and the destination, while everything in between was likely seen as wasted time.
Traveling was different. If one traveled merely to appreciate the sights, then even the scenery along the way was worth savoring. Or rather, as long as one had the heart to enjoy a journey, one could travel anytime.
Moriyue could clearly sense that Yugito Nii had relaxed considerably. She spoke to him much more often than she had at first, but it also made Moriyue realize something—Yugito Nii sometimes liked to tell terrible jokes.
For example: "What kind of sword is a transparent sword?" "Elephants went extinct because they were angered by the meteorological bureau." "Because this tree understands