Somewhere atop a large tree in the Land of Fire.
Lin Chuan had entered the Land of Fire and hidden in the canopy near the border. He watched as two Grass Ninja ANBU reached the border, then stopped their pursuit, unwilling to cross into the Land of Fire.
Only then did he get a clear look at them: both pursuers were Grass Ninja ANBU. Fighting them would be like facing armored opponents without any armor himself. He was in poor condition, and it would be two against one. The advantage was theirs, not his. This would be tricky!
He had already tightened his grip on his sword hilt. Difficult or not, he would have to fight for his life. Yet he crouched there until sunset, and neither of the two Grass Ninja ANBU made a move. Instead, they turned and left.
Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He turned and headed deeper into the forests of the Land of Fire, eventually finding a small town where he stopped for food and a rest. By then, it was midnight.
He picked a warehouse at random, slipped inside while no one was around, and jumped onto a roof beam, planning to spend the night there. The infiltration lessons in the ANBU Training Class had taught him that, in populated areas, the best hiding place was among the crowds. Storerooms and places with little foot traffic could all serve as hiding spots for a brief rest.
The two Grass Ninja ANBU lingering along the Land of Fire border followed it back into the Land of Grass. They reported to their superiors that the missing-nin was skilled in Water Release and had vanished into the sea, leaving them unable to track him.
The entire pursuit squad on the other side had