Chapter seven : Into the Wilderness

She packed quickly, deciding that the more she took, the longer her journey towards Konoha would take. Opening up the small rucksack that attached to the back of her skirt, she hastily flung in some assorted toiletries, such as soap and toothpaste, as well as several changes of undergarments. If she was going to occupy the foreign country for more then 4 days, she would be damned if she was going to do it in dirty underwear.

She then threw in a large pouch full of ryo. All her life, she had never spent lavishly, saving her modest earnings from the missions she was assigned. There was no space in her pack for food, not even some dried fish-jerky her mother had made the other night; she would have to pay for all her meals once inside Konoha. In the wild, the bounty of nature would have to do. Chihiko knew enough about living in the forest to know which mushrooms and fruits were safe to eat, and which ones would leave you rendered helpless with a sour stomach, or worse, death. She respected nature, and in return, it respected her.

Last of all she packed her hitai-ate, which was made from the same yellow cloth as the rest of her outfit, although the metal forehead protector was the same shape and make as all the others. This she placed in very carefully, folding the sash several times so that it took up as little space as possible.

Once she had finished, Chihiko carefully buttoned the pouch to her skirt, measuring its weight, how it would move when she ran or jumped. It was a little on the heavy side, most likely from the money she was bringing, but it would have to suffice. She wasn't going to resort to stealing while inhabiting the Fire Country.

Chihiko had considered at first to wear her Aikido gear, thinking that the hakama pants would provide her with better protection and comfort during her trek into the overgrown forest. But then she realized that once in Konoha, she would need to appear as harmless as possible. Dressed in martial arts gear wouldn't achieve that as successfully as civilian's clothes would.

She moved around her bed, taking one last look at her room, so barren and piecemealed together. However lackluster or boring it seemed, it was still her room in her home; it was the place she had slept in for the last fifteen years. Chihiko sighed quietly, hoping that this room would still be open to her once she returned. Her heart sunk at the thought of coming home to find her room turned into a storage-closet.

Grimacing, she stroked the leaves of the potted Aralia for luck, as if she could draw some strength or hope or goodness from it. As she passed her desk, she quickly grabbed the fake passport and map that Orochinaho had given her; these she tucked into the black weapon holster that was wrapped securely around her right thigh. Since Chihiko never carried kunai or throwing stars, she usually filled the holster with herbs or salves. She would have to do without them this time.

As she exited the room, she resisted the fervent urge to turn around. This would be the last time she set foot inside these walls for at least a week, perhaps forever. A lump rose in her throat.

Was this really the right thing to do?

She willed the thought out of her head, dug her thumbnail into her palm. The sharp jabbing sensation worked to muster her resolve. Tightening the bandages around her knuckles, Chihiko walked past the familiar sights of the old house, the aged grandfather clock, the modest living room with the coffee table and mingei display stand cluttered with picture frames, many which contained photos of Chihiko with her parents. A stab of guilt punctured her heart as she glanced briefly at those happy images, of the times in which she had been so ignorant. To be so lost in bliss, unaware of the trouble around her – Chihiko almost longed for it again.

Pushing aside the Shoji sliding door, Chihiko took a long breath of the outside air, removing herself of all guilt and hesitation. She couldn't be hindered those emotions, she was a shinobi, a tool. This was nothing more then another mission on a different day.

Slowly closing the door behind her, Chihiko walked down the front stairs, making her way towards the exit. Her task had been well-timed, for the late afternoon sun provided her with the best cover to slip out of the village unnoticed. There were scarcely any villagers wandering the streets now; all were preparing for dinner. As for Chihiko's own parents, they had gone out for the night, leaving her to tend for herself. She hoped that they wouldn't return until the following morning. Chihiko wanted her mission to remain as secret as possible; the sooner her plot was discovered, the sooner a rescue team would be dispatched. If anything, she could lead them to believe she had been kidnapped.

She moved quickly, as far away from the center road that cut through the entire village, for it was wide and well-lit. There was a tangle of narrow streets that would provide her the cover she needed, and into that dark maze she hurried now. Darkness began to overtake the world, the air becoming still and frosty. The September sun died into the west, making room for a waning moon to claim dominion over the sky. But Chihiko paid this no mind, her bare shoulders hardly registering the cold, even if they were becoming red from the wind.

Several minutes later she arrived at not the front gate, for that would be so obvious, so foolish. There were always two guards, adamant at their posts. No, Chihiko knew better then to try and trot out the front-door, so to speak. Instead, she searched for a secret exit, one that only the street-urchins and trouble-makers knew of, located only 20 feet from the guard's station. As a child, she had seen many children creep out of the village this way, and if it worked for them, it would surely work for her as well. It was nothing more then a loose plank of wood in the looming front gate that, when pushed correctly, would fall through. It was a wonder that no one had fixed it yet, but Chihiko only cared that the secret exit had gone unnoticed; the loose board was located behind a thick collection of thorny, thick-branched bushes, and this was probably why none of the adults knew of it.

Her arms moved through the undergrowth and brush delicately, fingers weaving and winding so as not to be scratched up against the thorns that decorated the twigs. The tips of her fingers were exposed, and once or twice the soft flesh would scrape up against a thorn or two. Chihiko ignored the pain, disregarded the fresh blood, continuing to push around through the vegetation until finally she saw the wooden plank. It was identical to all the rest, distinguishable only by the little chip on the bottom left. Chihiko's keen eyes, even in the dark, found this indication at once, and she maneuvered through the bushes, the nicks on her knees and legs turning into larger and larger cuts.

After some time, she eventually reached the panel, and with both hands, she pushed softly on the wooden board, hoping that it didn't creak once it moved.

Please…she thought to herself as she noticed the board beginning to shift. At first it made a dull creak, which probably seemed louder then it really was. Chihiko stopped at once, making sure that none of the guards had registered the low, obtrusive noise.

Making sure it was safe to carry on, Chihiko gave one last nudge and the board swung upwards and away from her. There was surprisingly little room to work with, and although Chihiko wasn't large by any standards, she was no where near as small as the aforementioned street-urchins. However, this was her only option; she wasn't about to try and turn back, attempt to trick the guards into letting her leave. And using her chakra to run up the sides of the walls was also out of the question; she had done it enough times to know how much noise it would make, no matter how slowly she moved. The looming fence encircled the entire village, and every 50 feet or so was a pair of guards, each armed to the teeth, at least by Waterfall's dismal standards.

No, this was the only way, and so, sucking in her stomach to make herself as small as possible, she started to squeeze through the hole, her dreads dragging on the ground beneath her. The stones poked at her stomach as Chihiko crawled, digging into the skin of her thighs and shins.

Chihiko thought she was doing well until suddenly she felt something catch, snag, on the wooden planks; she hoped her pack wasn't lodged in along the sides of the hole. Twisting her neck, she tried to look behind her, and she nearly let go of her breath when she realized that it wasn't her pouch that had stopped her, but her hips, which had recently started to develop as she entered into that mysterious stage of life called puberty. She was far from buxom, but the increased width was just enough to cause her to become stuck so that she couldn't clear the gap.

Moaning to herself, she repositioned herself around slowly until she was on her side instead of her stomach, so that her hips were no longer in the way. Pulling with her arms, Chihiko wiggled through the hole, feeling actually rather silly; she must have looked ridiculous.

Standing up once she had cleared the secret exit, Chihiko brushed the rocks, grass and twigs from her hair and clothes, hoping that nothing had torn during the process. She didn't want to look too suspicious amongst the other citizens, and it wouldn't do to arrive dressed in muddied and ragged gear, covered head-to-toe in filth.

With the thickness of night covering her, Chihiko left the outskirts of the village. Turning away from the village she had been raised in, she looked towards the moon, and moved into the South.

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Many hours passed and Chihiko was still walking steadily through the heavily-wooded forest. She consulted the map often, making sure that she stayed on course. Thankfully, the cartographer who had drafted the chart had been highly skilled, because so far everything that appeared on the map was showing up in reality, from the slightest hill to the smallest lake or ravine. It made her job of getting through the forest as straightforward as possible.

By herself, trotting through the woodland areas without the hindrances of company, Chihiko felt at ease. Since there was no one to offer their opinion or thoughts, there was no one to tell her that what she was doing, from the pace she took to the direction she was going, was wrong. She was at her leisure to do what she wanted, or what she thought was right.

Even with this newfound freedom, Chihiko knew she didn't have the time to meander, admire the scenery and smell the flowers, which was a shame. The beauty of the forest was compelling to say the least, with lush plant life and flora surrounding her at every turn. Each branch of every tree seemed to contain several forms of life, from insects to birds, all contained within a balanced, perfect ecosystem. Everything seemed at peace, coexisting without caring why they had to; they just did. Chihiko wondered why the shinobi nations couldn't do the same.

"Why can't this mindless competition end?" Chihiko asked herself dryly, glancing at the map as she turned around a fresh corner, moving into a new sector of the wood.

As she entered a new clearing, Chihiko felt her body stiffen, as if something dying had touched her soul, and she stopped at once. At first, she thought perhaps she had sensed the vile intentions of some spying animal, one that would love nothing more then to smash her skull between its hungry, strong jaws; the girl prepared herself for such an attack, if only mentally.

Searching the area, Chihiko found that it was very spacious, with very few places to hide in, a good thing for her since this eliminated the chance for a surprise attack. It was a large, circular section of the forest, with small patches of shrubbery darting the ground. Dividing the clearing in half was a river. It was when she looked at the flowing water that the strong, remarkable and old sensation arose in her again.

A warmth began to culminate within her body, like some ancient feeling stirring after so many years of rest. Those feelings slowly began to form into words, slow and trembling, quivering inside her heart.

Something about this forest was vaguely familiar. Maybe she had seen it before in a dream, or perhaps had even passed by it before on a previous mission. Whatever the connection Chihiko had with this particular patch of forest, it had been reborn with a violent ferocity now. Her heart thudding, fingers tingling, Chihiko suddenly wondered if perhaps she was finally becoming tired, and that was why she was experiencing such vivid, strange pangs. Now that she thought about it, she had been walking for nearly twelve hours with no rest or water. Her feet were finally beginning to feel sore within the confines of her yellow boots and slowly, little by little, her stomach was starting to growl.

"Perhaps its time to finally rest," she admitted, looking up at the sky. The sun had reached and surpassed its zenith, and late afternoon was upon the earth. It was too early to make camp, but a small nap couldn't hurt, just enough to keep her going.

"I guess this will do."

She found a piece of forest floor that had the fewest amount of rocks in it, and was covered with soft crab grass. It looked comfortable, and once she had sat down on it, smoothing the blades down with her legs and arms, Chihiko was pleased to find that it was rather comfy. The cool air from the river wafted around her, calming her excited nerves, and she soon found herself slumping onto the ground, resting on her back so that she could look up and see what was all around her. Chihiko relaxed her brain, which was as cramped and racked as the strained muscles in her legs.

Soon, sooner then she could have ever expected, with the sounds of the river and the birds and the wind all sounding at once, and the grass cold and velvety against her tired skin, Chihiko fell into a deep sleep.

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No light shone from the iron-dark sky and a peculiar mist obscured the horizon on every side. The ground was bare earth, beaten flat by the pressure of millions of feet, and yet there was no one here; it must have been time that pressed it flat. Nothing moved, nothing breathed.

Chihiko stood in the midst of the barren plain at the end of all things, apparently alone, yet she knew this was simply not so. There was a deep agony filling this place, and all at once, so terrible and sad that it could be thought of as a tangible, touchable thing.

"You've finally come to me."

The voice startled her, although it was as soft as dry leaves scraping on a stony surface, a pale sound that barely reached Chihiko's ears.

"Who is it? Who is out there?" Chihiko called to the owner of the soft, sad voice.

"I am here, I have been here for so very long…"

The voice seemed to come from all directions, from under her, from above, and part of her thought the voice was actually inside her head, speaking to her from within. Chihiko opened her eyes wide as a wind devoid of life rustled her hair.

"Show yourself, why have you brought me here?" she asked, not trying to sound needy, but rather, confused.

At first, nothing, but then the wind altered itself, and Chihiko turned to face the new direction in which it was blowing. She gazed at the source of the voice.

From nowhere, a fragmented image began to materialize in front of her, its outline blurred so that it nearly melded with the air around it. It was like a sad shadow that had lost its owner, and was now stuck in limbo, searching for something to cast itself off of.

Chihiko squinted her eyes, trying to make sense of the hazy creature in front of her. Moving closer to it, she soon detected a face, obscured by a thousand unhappy emotions, and Chihiko gave a cry so loud that even in the muffled, mist-hung world it raised an echo.

It was a featureless being, maybe even a soul or ghost, with a face that lacked any discernable features except for a few dips where a mouth and two eyes might have once been. Chihiko thought that even without a truly physical form, she sensed that the creature was helpless and beaten, so sunk with misery that it was more misery than creature. She felt great pity for it, even if she had no idea what "it" was.

Every hair on her flesh was upright with alarm.

"I have been here for so very long…waiting…longing…" the sad voice spoke again, even softer this time, so that Chihiko had to lean forwards to hear it.

"I was killed by humans, tricked by humans…and yet wanted by humans. They are evil…they are vile…they are greedy and glutinous. There is no good in them, nor will there ever be."

Chihiko sensed that the creature was trying to emit anger, frustration. It was still so tired though, so weak, its voice too quiet to be regarded as being furious. The creature had little power of its own, and it was as frightened and full of pain as Chihiko was.

"They must all be punished, Chihiko, for what they did to me…what they are still doing to you…you must do it…for us…"

Suddenly, before Chihiko could react, the enigmatic spirit rushed forward with a perilous speed that astonished the kunoichi. It had as much substance as fog, and as it tried to touch Chihiko, she felt a quick succession of cold, delicate brushing sensations as its form passed through her again and again, warming itself with the flowing blood and strong-beating heart of the young girl.

Her mind slowly becoming possessed by the creature's alluring sadness, she felt herself becoming one with it, her intentions, thoughts, feelings, and desires being shared with that of the creature.

And then it finally became so clear to her. Unpredictably and without warning, she finally understood that there was only one thing that she should do in Konoha, and that was-

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The dream ended.

Chihiko awoke from a rest she thought must have lasted a few hours at least. A strange wetness had settled on her face, and when she opened her eyes, droplets of what she soon realized was sweat immediately slid into then, causing her to blink in surprise. Wiping her face as she struggled into consciousness, the girl sat upright at once to brush off the sleepy miasma that had overtaken her.

Her eyes were still heavy, and she felt racked with yawns and the need to stretch, but Chihiko already felt her mind rousing with awareness as her heart beat faster.

"Damn, I hadn't meant to sleep for so long," Chihiko grumbled, noting the position of the sun in the sky. It was probably nearing four in the afternoon. Crickets were already beginning to chirp loudly in the background, setting the mood for nightfall. Since she had already rested, it would be a long time before she would need to sleep again.

"I guess it's going to be a dark journey from here on out…"

Picking herself off the forest floor, Chihiko turned to look at the river, trying to remember her dream. Though she could recall bits and pieces – the desolate plain, the feelings of sorrow – it was beyond her to recollect her conversation with the sad creature. She knew it had been there, could nearly feel its chilly touch still wrapped around her, but that was where her memory stopped.

Chihiko sighed, wondering if it had all been a consequence of her tiredness, if this was all just fatigue speaking to her in dream-form.

She was a realist, one to always veer towards the more logical path, and so Chihiko put her dream into the farthest corner of her mind. She checked her weapons holster and her rucksack, making sure that nothing had fallen loose during her slumber. The hitai-ate in her pouch felt heavier then usual, and Chihiko wondered if this was because of her rising guilt…she had completely forgotten about her parents this entire time; by now they must be worried sick, wondering where their "daughter" had gone, hoping that she was okay, that she was safe.

Can't think about that now… she thought, opening her holster and pulling out the folded piece of paper that was inside.

Checking her map one more time, Chihiko was pleased to see that Konoha wasn't too far off; she should reach it by day break if nothing got in her way. The sooner she completed her business and returned to the Waterfall village, the better.

Breathing silently, Chihiko started for the Fire Country, for the village hidden in leaves.