Red Nara

Around our house, there was a small fruit garden, and a little further away, a small vegetable patch. Obviously, regardless of the world, there will always be people who love to dig in the soil and grow something of their own, even if those people have chosen the profession of assassins.

As for the style of construction - traditional Japanese houses of the old style, from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century, only due to the abundance of wood around, paper sliding walls were replaced with thin wooden ones. The heat reigning in the Land of Fire in summer and the mild snowless winter with temperatures above ten degrees demanded good ventilation for comfortable living.

Of course, such openness required appropriate security measures, but the presence of a real master of seals and barriers nearby allows for real wonders, so the protective barrier and various seals protecting our house, the exact purpose of which I didn't even hope to understand in the next couple of years, turned it into a real fortress.

However, such a picture applied not only to our house - practically the entire Nara clan took advantage of the opportunity to strengthen their homes, and my uncle even significantly replenished the clan's repository with various seals. And all this was paid for with hefty ryos. More precisely, with hundreds of thousands. And all this money pa left to us! You could say we're rich! That's why my mom can still afford not to return to the ranks of shinobi, risking leaving me an orphan.

"So, Ryu-chan, listen to me carefully!" Waiting for me to put on my sandals, Saya took me by the hand and, leading me out of the house, activated the barrier. "We are leaving Konoha now and will travel through the Land of Fire towards Uzushiogakure no Sato, where your second grandfather lives. Understand?"

"Yes, Ka-chan," I nodded, patiently awaiting her continuation as we walked towards the exit from the Nara quarter.

"Excellent! We won't be traveling on foot like ordinary townsfolk, but through the trees, like all shinobi."

"As our mentors showed us?" We had already been shown this method of chakra control among others, but we hadn't learned to use it yet. "But I still don't know how..."

"No, my little one," Saya laughed softly, bending down and picking me up in her arms, "you don't need to run like a shinobi - I'll carry you on my back."

"The whole way? Won't you get tired?"

"No, Ryu-chan, I'm very strong and can carry you for much longer than a couple of days," mom smiled, "and now, something serious. You've never left Konoha and the clan's territory, and you don't know that the outside world is very dangerous even for shinobi. That's why my father hired one team for our protection, and I hired another. So if we're attacked, we'll be protected."

"Got it!" I nodded.

"You're so smart!" mom smiled, rubbing her cheek against my hair.

"Ka-chan! I already know that!"

"Ah, yes, what was I talking about... Oh yes, in case enemy shinobi attack us, I want you to continuously maintain the flow of chakra to your shirt," Saya looked me seriously in the eyes, "anything can happen in battle, and it's better to be prepared for surprises. Also, during the journey, you must remember the feeling of chakra from each of our companions, and if anyone unfamiliar tries to approach us without our knowledge, you must inform me or any shinobi who is closer to you."

"I'll try, if you promise that as soon as we return, you'll allow me to train in fuinjutsu," I grinned happily.

"Oh, you little trickster!" After patting me on the cheek, mom nodded. "I promise. And most importantly, when I tell you to close your eyes, you'll do it without any questions and only open them when I allow it! Got it?"

"Got it!"

She cares so much about me! Overwhelmed by the feeling of happiness and such care, I hugged Saya tighter around the neck and buried myself in her loose hair, which fell freely to her shoulders. How nice it is to be so deeply loved!

"And whatever happens - don't leave my side for a moment. If you suddenly want something, tell me, and we'll decide together what can be done. Do you understand everything?"

"Yes, not to leave your side, close my eyes, and talk about strangers," I repeated all of mom's instructions.

"Good job, Ryu-chan!"

By the end of the briefing, we reached the gates, where I had long noticed the presence of two strong sources of chakra, one of which turned out to be stronger than I had ever felt, and six weaker ones, including the usual Nara Chunin serving as guards at the entrance to the territory. Seeing us, they quickly opened a small door in the gates, first weakening the seal protection, and let us out onto the street.