A Fox is Born.

[Ikki Sanada]

He sat quietly, legs crossed on the ground of a small gathering of trees. He had been resting, almost napping, for some time now. He felt as if he had been in this sort of limbo for a long time. But now he was back. Ikki opened his eyes and they took in the square beam of sunlight that broke through the trees and showered his face in golden color. He took a deep breath through his nose. The sea country smelled great and Ikki was upset that he had to leave.

He had failed the Chuunin Exams, and now he had to leave. He took another deep breath and stood up. As he did, he felt something fall from his body. He looked down to see a mask on the ground. A breeze blew some dead leaves over it. Ikki brushed them aside and grabbed the mask. He held it in his hand and smiled. A moment later he was on the move.

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki knew that the Sea Country was an island, or a group of islands to be precise, to get off he would have to take a boat. He looked down at the Fox Mask in his left hand. It seemed to speak to him. Ikki agreed with voice in his head wordlessly, with a nod. The mask spoke more and more as Ikki moved quicker. Ikki soon realized the voice in his head was his own, he was just imagining the mask was telling him what to do. But he agreed with himself anyways.

Ikki came to a long shoreline, it was at the edge of a small town and a pier jutted out from the sand. Ikki ran up to the wooden pier and his brow furrowed as he scanned all of the boats tied there. Ikki laid his eyes on a certain boat and he felt drawn to it. The Sand Ninja ran up to it and hopped aboard. He looked around for a moment or two and then smiled. About a half an hour later, Ikki was catching a strong wind and the pier was just a speck on the horizon.

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki was sailing now, something he had really never done before since now. It seemed right to him, maybe he belonged on the ocean after all. Instead of trapped inland surrounded by Sand. Ikki examined his boat as he thought about his next move.

He was unsure if he really belonged anywhere anymore, Ikki still loved the Sand Village, its people, and the honor that being a Sand Ninja brought him. But now he believed that it was time for him to see the world. It seemed that traveling to the Sea Country for the Exams was just the spark he needed to realize this dream.

Ikki didn't want to become a Missing Ninja, and the Fox Mask he had allowed for that. He could make his way around the world for as long as he wanted without ever appearing as himself. He would now be known as "The Fox," just like that thief he got this mask from.

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki had only a very cursory knowledge of the world outside of the Wind Country. He knew that the further North he got, the colder it would be. He also knew exactly which countries bordered the Wind Country.

Besides those, Ikki knew the northernmost country was the Snow Country, all the way in the North. The Sand Ninja decided that he would start there and work his way down, South back to the Wind Country and his home. But first he would need a map. He knew that world maps were sold almost everywhere, but that they costed a pretty penny. Hopefully he would have enough money.

-----

About an hour or so later, Ikki could see land on the horizon. He climbed up the mainmast of his sailboat and squinted his eyes. Yes it was land. He didn't know it, but Ikki had happened on the Tea Country, rather close to the Wind Country, his home. The Sand Gennin decided to come ashore and purchase a map.

He waited until the boat got closer before he started to mess with the sails and the rigging to slow himself down.

[Ikki Sanada]

Ikki ran aground. The lurch as it hit the sand and traveled up the beach almost threw Ikki from his boat. When the boat finally came to a stop, Ikki loosened his grip from a piece of the rigging and launched himself off the boat.

He hit the ground and started to run. He wanted to hurry, for no particular reason besides that he wanted to get on the road. Ikki took in a great breath of air as he reached the crest of the sand dunes. Ikki looked down at the Sand Headband tied around his bicep. He promised himself he would always stay true to the Sand, but now he would have to take it off. Ikki rationalized that he was merely taking the long way back home, not going Missing. He hoped the Sand would also see his point of view.

Ikki stretched out his red sweater and put the headband in an inside pocket. He left the area and headed inland.

[Exit/Move to Tea Country]

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