Inn

Hyuga Yizhe traveled north at a slow pace.

For three straight days, he did not encounter a single intact village or town. Everywhere he passed was abandoned and deserted, forcing him to sleep rough in the wilderness.

"Damn this war!" Yizhe cursed bitterly as he gnawed on his rations.

He had originally set out with a rough map, but the recent war had turned many of the populated villages marked on it into wastelands.

Fortunately, although the journey had been difficult, he had not run into any bandits or robbers. This showed just how far Konoha's influence extended.

"Looks like I made journey training sound too simple!" Yizhe sighed, put away his rations, wrapped his blanket tighter around himself, and fell asleep inside a tree hollow.

"Ha, ha!" Yizhe cried excitedly.

At last, on the fourth day, he spotted a plume of black smoke in the distance. Activating his Byakugan, Yizhe clearly saw that it came from an inhabited village.

After so long without seeing any sign of people, he felt a little excited as he entered the village.

The village was not large. After wandering through it, Yizhe finally found a small inn tucked away in a corner.

"Owner, one room!" the boy called out, his clear voice echoing through the hall.

"Honored guest, there's only one room left. Would you like it?" An old man rose from behind the counter and asked Yizhe respectfully.

The old man looked about sixty, with a sallow complexion, a face full of wrinkles, and reading glasses perched on his nose. Every gesture was humble and courteous, without a single fault to find. He appeared to be an easygoing old fellow.

"Only one room left... Well... I'll make do." After some thought, Yizhe decided to stay first and worry about the rest later. He had truly had enough of sleeping rough in the wild these past few days.

"Do you have anything to eat? Bring me some food!"

"There's only a little beef and a few steamed buns left. Would you like them?" the old man asked pleasantly.

"That's fine, bring them all!" After days of dry rations, Yizhe was nearly sick of them. He ordered the food without hesitation.

"Please wait a moment." The old man smiled faintly and turned away.

Before long, the old man returned with a plate of beef and several steamed buns.

Yizhe did not stand on ceremony and dug in with gusto.

The old man stood to one side, quietly watching the boy wolf down his food.

"Sir, have any merchant caravans or other large groups passed through recently that were headed for the Land of Iron?" Yizhe asked after gulping down some water and swallowing his food.

Generally speaking, taverns and inns saw the most complicated flow of people, and their owners usually knew more than most. That was why Yizhe had decided to ask him for information.

"You're going to the Land of Iron?" The old man seemed surprised.

It was a neutral country dominated by samurai, covered in snow all year round. He could not understand what this little fellow wanted to do there.

"Yeah." Yizhe nodded, then added, "Traveling alone is too lonely and difficult, and I'm unfamiliar with the route. Resupplying along the way is also a huge hassle, so I'd like to travel with others!"

"Judging by your attire, you must be a ninja, right?" The old man looked the boy up and down.

"Yeah, I've already graduated from the academy. I'm on a journey of training!"

"I see! Then... would you like to earn some travel money?" the old man asked with a smile.

"Hm?" Hearing that, Yizhe set down the steamed bun in his hand. "What do you mean, sir?"

"A few days ago, a group of merchants came to my little inn. They're preparing to do business in the Land of Iron. Although they've already hired several samurai as guards, they still feel it isn't enough and want to find two ninja to keep watch."

"However, our village is in such a remote location that ninja rarely pass through. They haven't been able to find suitable guards, so they've delayed their departure until now." The old man explained the situation with a smile.

"So, you want to introduce me as their guard?" Yizhe's eyes turned as he immediately understood the old man's intentions.

The old man did not answer, merely nodding with a smile.

"This... I'll think about it!" Yizhe neither refused outright nor agreed.

"That's fine! Take your time thinking it over. Once you've made up your mind, just let this old man know!" The old man remained unmoved and replied politely.

"Sir, how much do I owe for the room and all this food?" Now that he was full and satisfied, Yizhe only wanted to rest. He wanted to settle the bill and return to his room for a peaceful sleep.

"Ten thousand!" the old man said with a smile.

"Ten thousand... what?"

"You're robbing me blind! This dump of an inn, plus this little bit of food, costs ten thousand?" The exorbitant price instantly set Yizhe off. He sprang to his feet and glared furiously at the old man.

"Young man, dining and dashing is not a good thing! This is a small business, and we do not extend credit!"

As he spoke, the old man's smile faded, and a powerful chakra aura radiated from his body.

What?! Yizhe's heart jolted.

The strength of the aura emanating from the old man was no weaker than Hizashi Hyuga's.

Who would have thought that this remote little inn was hiding such a formidable figure? The old man was actually an Upper Ninja-level expert. No wonder he dared charge such outrageous prices.

If Yizhe insisted on resisting and caused a conflict, he would likely gain nothing from it. With that thought, he loosened the fist he had clenched behind his back.

"Here!" Feeling the old man's powerful aura, Yizhe had no choice but to back down. He shot the old man a vicious glare, then decisively took out his money and tossed it onto the table.

Although Huo Jian and Hezi had left him a considerable inheritance, Yizhe had not brought much money with him on this journey.

After paying the bill, he was nearly penniless.

"Honored guest, your room is the one at the far right on the second floor!" After taking the payment, the old man withdrew his aura. As if nothing had happened, he continued smiling as he directed Yizhe upstairs.

Late at night, Yizhe lay in bed recalling what had happened that day. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

"Only five hundred left! With this little money, the journey will be hard to get through!" Looking at the five banknotes in his hand, he was deeply troubled.

When traveling, without money, one could not take a single step. Although he had intended to go on a training journey, he had not planned to torture himself by sleeping rough every day and living like an ascetic.

In truth, he was quite tempted by the old man's suggestion that he become a caravan guard.

For one thing, he could travel with the caravan and head to the Land of Iron along the way; for another, he could earn a reward by protecting them.

It could be said that it was a suggestion with multiple benefits.

However, the caravan had delayed its departure for so long, insisting on finding ninja guards. The road ahead was likely difficult and full of twists and turns.

When he had traveled alone before, though he was weak and alone, surely no one had wanted to bother a ninja like him, who looked as though he had nothing worth stealing.

On the other hand, if he became a caravan guard, countless desperate outlaws might come to rob them. By then, life or death would be uncertain. It would truly be asking for trouble.

But then again, without going through bloody battles and the baptism of the battlefield, how could he gain experience?

Yizhe felt conflicted. He began to regret rashly setting out alone to train.