Seeker Radiance~

[Masakuni]

“Damn.”

There was a slight snag in his plans. Namely, he had no idea where Iwagakure no Sato was. He sat down on a boulder protruding from the Earth, reviewing what information was available. He knew that he had successfully reached the Land of Stone. That much was apparent from the ten hundred million stones sticking out of the dirt as far as the eye could see. It was also evident that the Konoha government had yet to realize that he had gone missing. There hadn't been the slightest whisper of a pursuit during his journey.

Furthermore, he knew that Iwagakure was inside Tsuchi no Kuni. Fat load of good that did him, but at least he was in the right part of the world. He sighed, brushing back his hair and focusing his eyes on the horizon. Using the tiniest bit of common sense, however, made it a bit easier to find the village. The first fact evident to him was that he was looking for a the Village Hidden In the Rock. Thus, it was going to be hidden in some rocks. The best chance he had to find an entire village hidden within rock was to head for the mountains.

“This is gonna take forever.”

Still, it wasn't as though he had anywhere to be. He stood, brushing the dust of his rear end. With a quick look around him, he slipped his hands in his pockets and set off towards the mountains. As he threaded between the boulders, he thought about the best way to seek out the gates. He could roam the country aimlessly, for sure, or scan the mountain-side, but even then he could walk right by it and never know. It would be better if he could find someone who knew where it was.

“But who?”

[Masakuni]

Step.

There it was again. The soft patter of feet on soil, muffled by the distance. Masakuni had to strain his ear to hear the soft strains of sound, but they were there beyond a doubt. He tensed, his hand drifting down to the kodachi at his side. Perhaps Konoha had finally managed to catch up to him. Perhaps it was simply a wandering traveller. He couldn't afford to assume anything but the worst. He ducked down, rolling so that his back came to rest behind a sizeable outcropping of stone. He settled his hand on his blade.

Step, step, step.

One after another, they rang out in quick succession. There was... two, perhaps three people, moving in easy synchronization. Certainly, they were shinobi. No one else stepped so quietly and quickly. No other type of soul could cover such distance in so short a time. Before more than a few seconds had passed, the footsteps had faded into the distance. Masakuni waited a few minutes, to be sure, before he came out of his cover. Hand still on the hilt of his blade, he set foot in the sunlight of high noon.

There was nothing to suggest that anyone had passed through this area. He quickly scanned the earth between the boulders. It took him nearly a half hour, but he finally, he found it; an unnatural swipe of loose dirt, brushed to the side in a way that no wind or animal could have caused. It was a hint of human passage. It was barely visible, and had clearly been done to disguise a footprint of some sorts. From it, though, he couldn’t discern where the ninja had gone. That was fine with him.

Now he knew where he had to wait...

[Masakuni]

"There goes another one.”

Masakuni smirked from his hiding place. That was the third Iwagakure shinobi to pass this place in the last twenty-four hours. At this point, he felt safe enough to say that it wasn't a coincidence. He had discovered some part of the path to the Hidden Rock. Whether it was near or far from the gate, he didn't know, but he knew that a large number of ninja were passing by, all of them heading in one of two opposite directions. Every one of them thus far had worn the headband of Iwagakure.

He was even sure he knew which way to go; two men had come by, obviously exhausted. They were stained with blood and dirt, smelling of the sweat of a hard day's travel. He had narrowly avoided detection, thanks to their paranoia. Obviously, they had just returned from some battlefield out in the world. He couldn't imagine that these two were coming out of their village, looking like that. Thanks to them, he knew which way to travel. As he had suspect in the first place, towards the mountain. He set his legs into motion, keeping low all the while.

With luck, he would be able to avoid any Iwagakure ninja en route to and from the gates. As long as his tracking skills were up to par, he would be able to keep to the path. The closer he got, the more marks there would be to read from. It was simply a matter of time at this point. He knew the general direction, and he knew where to look for the tell-tale traces of passage. He smiled to himself, scratching the back of his head idly. Soon, he would set jade optics on the gates of Iwagakure.

[Masakuni]

Another footprint. This was getting easier and easier as the hours passed by. Perhaps the shinobi of Iwagakure were less concerned about being followed in the seat of their own power. Maybe they were right. After all, there was little Masakuni would be able to do if he actually found the gates. At this point, his plans consisted of walking up to the gates and surrendering himself to the mercy of the guards. At least his life would become a bit more interesting if he did that. This was the best challenge he'd had yet, and he was hoping to find a bigger one at the end of it.

Soon.

There, where a pile of stones had been disturbed by an ill-placed foot. There, where a sparse piece of grass had been bent to the side. Each of these was a sign of the passage of a shinobi or kunoichi. Each one of them, a waypoint along the path that guided Masakuni towards his salvation from the shackles of a life without risk or challenge. His pulse quickened as he imagined bloodshed and conflict in his future, the opportunity to test himself against greater foes than the stray dogs of Konoha.

His pace quickened along with his pulse, and the sun flew across the sky in the blink of an eye. He passed the hours in constant movement, with only quick stops here and there to check the trail or dodge behind a boulder to avoid detection. With the light overhead disappearing, he hoped to find his goal soon. If not, he would have to spend a night out in the wild. Beasts didn't concern him, but being caught asleep by Iwagakure shinobi was somewhat concerning to him. He grit his teeth, focusing his eyes ahead of him.

[Masakuni]

Perfect.

He was sure of it, now. After spending the rest of the day in hiding, he had confirmed the location of the Iwagakure gate. There was winding canyon, leading beyond his sight, that every ninja, either coming or going, passed through. He had circled around, seeking any possible exit from the canyon, but it only, apparently, lead into the depths of the mountains. That, in of itself, was already a victory. He had discerned the rough location of the Hidden Stone. That was dangerous information for any ninja to have.

Deadly, even.

Be that as it may, however, he had no malicious intentions. Not, at least, any that they couldn't handle. He simply wanted to have an opportunity to expand his capacity, outside of the empty trappings of his first home. He had reached the limit of that feeble place, where no one raised a finger for glory. In pursuit of ultimate power, he had simply sought out those who would give him the opportunity to fight the strong. He stood, brushing himself off, and slipped his Konohagakure headband into his pouch. It wouldn't do to show that off.

Without a glance behind him, he headed towards the gates of Iwagakure.

One last step.

Exit to Iwagakure Gates

[Pwn]

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