Actually, Itachi had thought the pass was fake, and that they would end up having to fight the guards anyway.
"It's real..." Li replied flatly. "A few years ago, Konoha fought the people of the Land of Snow and obtained this thing afterward. Nowadays, basically every important figure in Konoha has one. It's just that Konoha has no need for these things, and there's also a lack of shinobi willing to come here and take the risk."
The sky gradually darkened as the sled slowly entered Frost Hell.
According to the information Li had learned, most of Frost Hell was still covered in forests. Li and Itachi had only entered the outermost region, where the trees were relatively sparse, so the sled could still barely get through.
After traveling for nearly another three minutes, the sled began to slow down. The gaps between the trees ahead became increasingly narrow, and moving forward would take a great deal of effort.
Li stopped the sled right then, lightly kicked Itachi, and said with a smile, "Alright, get out, kid. From here on, we'll have to walk on our own."
Itachi could not help sighing. Though he knew moving around would warm him up more, the thought of having to walk on his own two feet again inexplicably annoyed him. He glanced around. "But it's already dark."
Li gave an affirmative hum, looking somewhat displeased. "I thought we'd be able to get farther in."
Li then pulled out a map from his lower back. Itachi asked curiously, "Isn't this place a forbidden zone? How do you have a map?"
"Hm? Don't forget, this place attracts countless people as well. Many teams come once and then return a second or third time, so every time they come, they map out part of the area—what