After several minutes, Hinata finally came out of the inn.
"The client still needs to make some purchases in Konoha. We'll meet at the village gate tomorrow morning at eight," Hinata instructed. "After we disband, go back and prepare a change of clothes, camping tents, blankets, and some soldier pills. If you can't fit everything, get a storage scroll. With the money you've earned recently, it will be more than enough."
"Understood."
The members of Team 8 nodded in response.
"We'll meet at eight tomorrow morning. Don't be late," Hinata reminded once more before vanishing in a burst of speed.
Izayoi and Hinata said their goodbyes to Shino.
"Izayoi-kun, you don't need to get a storage scroll. I'll bring one tomorrow," Hinata said softly.
Izayoi pinched Hinata's cheek playfully, teasing, "As expected of the heir of a noble family, already planning to support me?"
"Support... support me...?" Hinata's face instantly turned bright red, her voice trembling.
"I'm just kidding," Izayoi smiled, ruffling Hinata's hair. He then took her hand gently and continued, "No need for the storage scroll. I'll carry a backpack. If we need to camp out, I'll stay up and guard you."
Hinata's face flushed even more, and she instinctively lowered her head to look at their intertwined fingers, a smile of happiness appearing on her lips.
Her heart felt sweet as if she had just eaten honey.
Although their relationship hadn't fully crossed the line, the way Izayoi and Hinata interacted was already indistinguishable from that of a couple.
If it weren't for the concern of publicizing their relationship and the potential interference from her family's elders, Hinata would have confessed to Izayoi by now.
Once they both became Chūnin, or when they had grown enough to stand as key figures in their respective clans, nothing, not even her father or the elders, would be able to stop them.
She believed that day would come soon.
Hinata clenched Izayoi's hand tightly, silently resolving in her heart.
Izayoi, unaware of Hinata's thoughts, would surely have smiled with even greater contentment had he known.
Hinata's transformation was already remarkable, and with more guidance, the Hyūga princess would soon shine brighter than anyone else.
The next day, at 7:50 AM.
Izayoi and Hinata arrived at the village gate, each with a backpack.
Shino, also carrying a backpack, was already waiting for them.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
"Shino, aren't you bringing a tent?"
"I've got it, it's in my storage scroll. If you need soldier pills, let me know."
"Thanks, but Hinata has already prepared them for me."
"..."
After exchanging pleasantries, Izayoi started chatting with Shino. However, the one who inadvertently ended the conversation wasn't the usual reserved Shino, but Izayoi himself.
Shino, who had unknowingly been served a bite of "dog food," appeared unaffected on the surface, but internally, she felt a bit frustrated.
Unable to make any sarcastic remarks, she chose to remain silent.
Seeing that Shino wasn't talking anymore, Izayoi leaned closer to Hinata, whispering in her ear.
To avoid being overheard, Izayoi stuck to normal topics and refrained from teasing Hinata.
Before long, Hinata's voice cut through the air, drawing the attention of Izayoi and Shino.
A convoy of about ten people came into view.
At the front of the convoy were Hinata and a middle-aged man dressed in plain clothing.
The middle-aged man was sizing up Izayoi and the others, wearing a warm and cheerful smile. It was easy to see his happiness, and the trio could also tell that his gaze lingered longest on Hinata.
But it wasn't because of Hinata's impressive figure—rather, it was her eyes.
Izayoi activated his sensory abilities and didn't sense any ill intentions from the man. It seemed that the reason he was staring at Hinata's Byakugan was not for malicious purposes, but because there was a member of the Hyūga clan in the escort team.
The Byakugan from the Hyūga clan was famous for its superior perception abilities.
With its 360-degree range and x-ray vision, the Byakugan could see through most low-level invisibility techniques. Even techniques like the Earth Style's underground movements would be detected.
Having a member with Byakugan in the convoy made it much easier to detect danger and avoid it in advance.
It was no wonder the middle-aged man was so thrilled.
Izayoi understood this point and wasn't bothered by the man's attention.
"This is our client. You can call him Mr. Nishimura," Hinata introduced the middle-aged man to the group.
"Mr. Nishimura."
Team 8 greeted him politely.
"Hello. I'm counting on you all," Mr. Nishimura said with a friendly and approachable demeanor.
Seeing that the client was easygoing, Team 8, who had previously encountered difficult clients during D-rank missions, felt a sense of relief.
"Let's go, we can set off now."
Hinata and Mr. Nishimura handed the necessary travel documents to the gatekeeper before Team 8 finally stepped outside the village they had called home for the past twelve years.
At first, Hinata and Shino were excited about the outside world.
But after passing the first small town, their expectations quickly turned to disappointment.
Though Fire Country had bustling commercial towns like Short Book Street, most towns and villages were far simpler, and their infrastructure was no match for the well-established Konoha military base.
Additionally, many noble families still traveled in palanquins or by carriage—technologies like trains were still years away.
By the end of the first day, Hinata and Shino had lost their excitement and were focusing on the task at hand.
For ninjas, travel was quick. If they pushed their pace, they could reach Sunagakure in about three days from Konoha.
It would take a little over a week to reach the most remote parts of the ninja world.
But for a group with non-ninja members, like the convoy of miners, their speed was much slower. Despite having two carriages, the journey still took eight days before they left Fire Country.
"Hinata, how's the situation around us?"
After leaving Fire Country and moving onto mountain roads, Hinata, who had activated her Byakugan and was straining her temples, was asked by Hinata.
"The area within a 20-kilometer radius is completely safe."
"What?!"
Hinata had given a perfectly calm response, but both Hinata and Shino were shocked.
They had never expected Hinata to provide such precise data and were left astonished.