Naruto's Journey

Early morning, the western border of the Land of Fire.

Morning light seeped out from behind the mountain ridge to the east, carrying the dampness of a thin mist.

At the edge of the forest stood two ancient trees with luxuriant branches and leaves, their crowns interlacing to form a dense canopy.

An orange figure flipped down from the canopy.

Naruto carried a deep-blue backpack on his shoulders, pushed off a thick branch with his foot, kept his hands balanced, and landed steadily on the main road beside the forest.

He had barely found his footing before he immediately tilted his head up, his bright blue eyes shining in the morning light as he looked left and right, taking in everything around him.

"The town up ahead is huge!" His full-throated shout startled several gray-feathered birds from the treetops.

Sasuke landed soundlessly behind him.

Completely unlike Naruto's blustering entrance, Sasuke's landing made almost no sound at all. Anbu training had already been carved into his muscle memory.

He wore a black high-collared, tight-fitting shirt, with matching black shorts below. Bandages were wrapped around his calves and arms, a Ninja Blade hung at the back of his waist, and his Konoha forehead protector was tied neatly across his brow.

"Keep it down, idiot," Sasuke said coldly, his black eyes still sweeping sharply over their surroundings.

"We're not even out of the Land of Fire yet."

Naruto did not take Sasuke's warning to heart at all. His attention had already been caught by the sight ahead.

After passing through a gap in the Konoha Barrier last night, they had spent the whole night feeling their way through the forest in the dark. This was the first time they had reached a main road, and also the first time they had seen a