Asuma carefully examined the map. It couldn't be considered close—one location was in the Land of Rivers, and the other in the Land of Fire—but both were situated within the same mountain range.
He thought it over: "It's not impossible that there's a connection between the two, but there's no need to worry too much. Even if we encounter hostile ninjas, we can handle it. I believe you are all outstanding ninjas."
Ino pursed her lips, feeling that his words were a bit off, but she didn't dwell on it. Asuma was strong, and she was probably just being overly suspicious. At this time, Zabuza should still be in the Land of Waves. It was unlikely he'd travel all the way across the Land of Fire to cause trouble in the western Land of Rivers.
Even if these ronin were colluding with the bandits from before, so what? They'd just kill them.
It was a pity that Baki and East Wind had been conscripted for labor. Otherwise, they could have been questioned for some information.
The four of them returned to pack their belongings, and an hour later, they gathered at the village entrance.
Every time Ino came to the village entrance, she would greet the gatekeepers, Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu, to stay on good terms.
Regardless of whether "Old Man Kotetsu" was Danzo's illegitimate son, it was always good to maintain a good relationship.
Konoha had faced so many calamities, but look at these two? They'd never been involved in any trouble. Standing at the gate like guardians, they'd lived peacefully all the way into the Boruto era. That was skill, and you had to respect it.
Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu deeply admired Asuma, almost like fans meeting their idol.
Ino couldn't quite understand where this admiration came from.
Team 10 filled out the departure log at the entrance, noting the time, number of people, and destination. After signing their names, they left Konoha.
After two days of traveling through the mountains and forests, Team 10 emerged from a dense forest and entered the territory of the Land of Rivers.
Last time, when they went to eliminate the bandits, it was at least a mission within their own country. This time, traveling to a neighboring country, they had to be cautious. Not only did they have to watch out for various ninjas, but they also had to conceal their tracks. Asuma didn't mention it, but for Ino and the other two, this journey through the forest while staying alert was already quite taxing. Fortunately, Choji had learned some decent cooking skills from Old Man Kosuke, so he was able to prepare hot meals for the four of them in the wild, sparing them from having to chew on dry rice balls.
As they walked, Choji suddenly became excited. He pointed ahead and said, "Asuma-sensei! I smell curry! There must be a place to eat up ahead. Let's go check it out!"
Ino and Shikamaru sniffed the air but couldn't smell anything.
The four of them walked onto a country road, and before long, they saw a two-story wooden house at the intersection. Just like in Ino's previous life, where many places would draw a circle on the wall with the character "demolish", this wooden house also had a large circle on its wall, with the character "life" written inside.
"Asuma-sensei, this is it! The curry smells amazing!" Choji said excitedly.
"Then let's go in and take a break," Asuma said reasonably, lifting the cloth curtain at the entrance and stepping inside.
Choji followed closely behind, and Shikamaru, with his hands behind his head, also entered. Ino looked around. In the middle of nowhere, there was just this one wooden house. It seemed a bit suspicious. Keeping her guard up, she followed them in.
Inside the house, there was an elderly woman who appeared quite kind. As people age, their reactions tend to slow down, and it wasn't until the four of them stood in front of the counter that she noticed strangers had entered.
Ino was highly vigilant, carefully scrutinizing the old woman—her height, weight, Chakra, facial skin, and the calluses on her hands—not missing a single detail.
Asuma patted her shoulder, then shook his head and smiled, signaling that she didn't need to be so tense. This was just an ordinary old woman.
"Who are you?" the old woman asked. "Just passing travelers."
Despite the fact that the four of them were clearly wearing Hidden Leaf Village ninja forehead protectors, Asuma blatantly lied, and the old woman didn't seem to notice anything amiss.
"The journey must have been tough! Come and try the unique curry rice from the Curry of Life Shop!" The old woman was very enthusiastic, immediately inviting them to sit and quickly serving them several plates of curry rice to taste.
There was no wariness, no suspicion, just a kind smile. The old woman seemed completely unafraid that the four of them might be bad people.
Ino couldn't help but ask, "Hello, Granny, may I ask how we should address you?"
The old woman wasn't used to her formal way of speaking and thought for a moment before replying, "The people in the village call me Granny Sansho. You can call me that too. When I was young, I made the best Japanese Pepper! But in my later years, I discovered that curry is truly the best food in the world!"
"Yes, yes!" Choji nodded beside her. This guy thought anything edible was a delicacy.
The old woman rambled on about many food-related topics, her words jumbled and repetitive. She would repeat things she had already said three or four sentences later.
Ino squinted her eyes. Granny Sansho? Could she be related to Hanzo of the Salamander? But at this point in time, Hanzo of the Salamander seemed to have already passed away.
"Let's eat!" Choji, who had been starving for a while, quickly picked up his spoon and started eating. The way he nodded with delight as he ate suggested that the food was incredibly delicious.
Asuma didn't start eating right away. He sat by the window, lighting a cigarette first. Seeing Ino's suspicious and uneasy expression, he smiled but said nothing.
Being cautious is good, but knowing how to distinguish friend from foe and conserve physical and mental energy also requires experience. This girl still has a long way to go.
Ino waited for about two minutes. Seeing that Choji was already on his third plate, she estimated that the food wasn't poisoned and finally picked up her spoon, taking a small bite.
"Ugh!—" As she chewed on a piece of carrot, an extremely spicy heat surged down her throat and into her stomach. Ino felt as if she had swallowed a mouthful of fire, burning from the inside out. Her fair face instantly turned red, and the spiciness of the curry made her ponytail stand on end.
"Water, water!!!" She grabbed her water bottle and gulped down three or four mouthfuls, finally suppressing the intense spiciness.
After just one bite, a layer of fine sweat had formed on her forehead. This stuff was way too spicy! Is this even meant for humans?
She looked over at Choji.
Choji: "???"
Wow, you really have no fear when it comes to food, huh? How can you eat something so spicy? Her gaze was so fierce that Choji chuckled awkwardly, "Haha... haha, it's just a little spicy."
Just a little spicy? This is extremely spicy! This so-called "Curry of Life Shop" is truly a life-threatening place!
Granny Sansho, hearing the commotion at their table, hurried over to ask, "Customers, is it not spicy enough? I'll definitely increase the spiciness a hundred times in the next batch. I won't let the reputation of the Curry of Life Shop be tarnished!"
Ino quickly waved her hands, "Thank you, but this is already spicy enough! As for that hundred times spicier version, you can keep it for yourself to enjoy."