41 After The Ruins

Kentaro listened to the words of his father immediately. He ran like a madman back to his house.

Kentaro opened the door aggressively and charged to his parents room.

Kentaro saw that the door was closed, this only meant that Yuka was still sleeping or maybe changing herself.

"Knock knock" nobody answered, Kentaro slowly entered the room.

'Mother is sleeping with Fumiko.'

Kentaro walked towards his father's closet and opened it. There were four sets of armors. They all were dark red-brown with the clan's crest on the shoulder area.

It was a pretty stylish armor. It covered the whole upper body, the shoulders, the hips and the crotch area.

The arms and the legs were left unprotected. Because if the armor also covered those areas, the Shinobi's movement would be drastically slowed down.

"But, I can't wear this ultra stylish armor with this homemade robe of mine."

Kentaro began searching for clothes in Tetsuo's wardrobe.

"This is will look perfect on me."

He found a kimono, the only difference was that it was black and not dark red-brown like the standard kimonos the clansmen wore.

Dressing himself with the kimono he had found, Kentaro then wore the armor on top.

Kentaro approached Yuka and Fumiko, both giving them a little kiss.

"I will come back safely, Mother, Fumiko."

Kentaro left the room and made sure to make the least noise possible.

Kentaro then went to the room Hatsu was sleeping in. He slightly opened the door and looked at her sleep for a few seconds.

Kentaro closed the door back and grabbed his straw hat, his katana, a kunai and a couple of shuriken.

He had wasted enough time like this, it was time to go!

Kentaro left the village and ran through the forest of pillars. The land of fire, he would have to pass through the land of grass.

It was not a place were Kentaro wanted to return. Lots of things happened there between the Kusa clan and him.

"It doesn't matter anymore, I must always strive forward! No matter what!"

Kentaro traveled until night. He had reached the border of the land of fire, the other side was the land of grass.

Kentaro decided to cross it now and not wait until tomorrow.

He had already crossed it once with Hatsu, this time was more easier to cross it than last time.

On the other side, the terrain was still dry and rocky.

Kentaro ran three hundred meters further, it was then that the fields of grass began showing their presence.

"I am in the land of grass, it is enough for today. I will continue tomorrow."

Kentaro was now conscious of his strength, he needed not hide himself in this land. He made a campfire, whoever dared to attack him, he shall answer back tenfolds.

Kentaro was warming his hands around the fire he created. The night was cold, more cold than usual. Maybe winter was coming with great steps.

Kentaro layed on the ground and closed his eyes, it was time to rest.

The lights of day woke Kentaro up. He create some water and washed his face.

"I forgot to bring food with me, that's problematic."

Kentaro had hunger and needed to eat something before resuming his travel.

When he looked on his map, he saw that Hayakama village was nearby.

Kentaro ran towards Hayakama village with the idea of asking for some food.

When he saw the village from far away, he noticed that it had been built back from the ruines.

This place had been completely burned down by the Kaguya.

Kentaro entered slowly but surely, the people were looking at him because he was wearing some an armor used by shinobi on the battlefields.

"Excuse me grandma, do you have any rest of food I could eat!"

The old woman looked at Kentaro from head to toe.

"Are you hungry, is that why you ask?"

Kentaro nodded and put a hand on his growling stomach.

"I will give you some riceballs, in no way will I give you the rest of some food. Here take as many as you want."

The old woman put a plate in front of Kentaro's face. He grabbed four rice balls, sat down on the ground and began eating them.

"Are you a shinobi from a nearby clan, young one?"

"Yesh, I am fwom the Fuzimoto clan, shust noth fom he." Kentaro began conversing with his mouth full of rice.

This didn't seem to bother the old woman at all.

"I see, you must be very careful. My son has died in battle a month ago. The Kaguya have been cruel to us, fortunately they were driven away to the land of water by a shinobi with a straw hat called Kentaro Fujimoto.

You are from the same clan as him from what I've heard of you. Do you know him?"

Kentaro devoured three out of the four riceballs and placed one in his kimono. The riceball was protected by the armor.

"Yes, I know him personally. Kentaro is very.... Serious in what he does, he is by far the strongest shinobi living at the moment. You can trust me on that."

Kentaro looked seriously at the old woman while saying the last sentence.

The old woman looked even more impressed than what she already was.

"It has been my pleasure grandma, but I have to go."

Kentaro began running out of the village, he stopped in front of a pillar.

It was where he had buried Ryu. Kentaro looked at the pillar for a few minutes, he turned to look back towards Hayakama village.

After the ruines, this place had truly revived itself. The people were living back to normal.

Kentaro ran for a few hours, he relied on his map and the piece of paper to find the encampment.

He entered the land of fire and while following his map, Kentaro ended up in a forest. He went deeper and deeper until he stumbled upon it.

The encampment of the Senju clan.