Bab 71: Chapter 71
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"There's one more thing, Lord Ashina—I have a request," Jiraiya began, his tone grave as he caught the slight change in Ashina's expression.
With a subtle exhale of relief, Jiraiya felt the tension ease. An all-out conflict had just been averted.
"'Request' sounds too formal, Jiraiya!" Ashina replied with a light chuckle. "Whatever it is, just say the word."
Jiraiya nodded, his face earnest. "Thank you, Lord Ashina. Here's the situation."
"We sent two Chunin from the Leaf Village to Mist Island. They managed to escape from four elite Jonin of the Mist Village by diving into the ocean. Based on intel from my summoning beast, they might still be alive."
"So, I was hoping you could lend me some manpower. Of course, I'll cover the full mission cost according to its rank."
Judging from the direction given by his summoning animal, Inomaru, it seemed likely that the ocean currents had carried them north. But one person alone couldn't search such vast waters.
Besides, in these treacherous seas, no other shinobi village, aside from the Mist, was better equipped for survival than the Uzumaki Clan. Their expertise would be invaluable.
"Jiraiya, you little rascal!" Ashina laughed. "Mention 'payment' one more time, and I'll send you back to the Leaf Village and bring Orochimaru instead!"
"Understood! I'll arrange this myself," Ashina promised, flashing a reassuring smile. "Give me half an hour, tops. You'll have the boats and ninja squad you need right here."
With Ashina personally overseeing the preparations, the Uzumaki ninjas moved with remarkable efficiency. Not even twenty-five minutes later, three small ships and six teams of Genin were ready to launch before Jiraiya.
———
As the three ships began their journey northward, miles away, far beyond the northern shores of the Land of Whirlpools, two faint figures drifted on the waves toward a deserted island.
Carried in by the relentless tide, these two were none other than Tetsuya Fujiwara and Mikoto Uchiha.
After falling unconscious, they'd drifted aimlessly, yet somehow survived.
The island they'd washed up on was tiny, barely a speck in the ocean if viewed from above—only a thousand square feet of rock, sand, and sparse vegetation. A mere dot in the vastness of the sea.
"Caw…caw…"
In the distance, beneath a brilliant blue sky, a flock of seagulls soared over the waves, diving to snatch plump fish from the surf.
Along the shallow shore, as the tide receded, small crabs crawled out from under sand and rocks, skittering across the beach with their clawed bodies swaying in a rhythmic, almost defiant strut.
It seemed Tetsuya's scent, or perhaps his sheer presence, somehow irritated the male crabs, and before long, his body was dotted with a host of feisty sand crabs.
"Argh…ow!"
The sharp pinch jolted Tetsuya back to reality, the pain from countless clawed nips pulling him out of unconsciousness.
With his sudden movement, the crabs scrambled, fleeing to bury themselves back under the sand.
After spitting out seawater from his lungs, Tetsuya shielded his eyes from the blinding sunlight, taking in deep breaths of fresh air. It felt like a rebirth.
Is this the Pure Land?
No! Did… did I actually survive?
The gritty feel of the sand under his fingers stirred a feeling of relief deep within him. He'd come back from the edge.
However, this brief joy quickly faded when he noticed Mikoto Uchiha lying beside him, unconscious.
"Mikoto! Mikoto!"
"Wake up, it's me, Tetsuya! Can you hear me?"
Mikoto's breathing was shallow, and she had swallowed a significant amount of seawater. Tetsuya pressed his ear to her chest, and upon hearing the faintest heartbeat, felt a spark of hope.
Seeing her peaceful, delicate face, and her slightly parted, soft lips, Tetsuya hesitated for only a moment before he leaned down to administer mouth-to-mouth.
Good thing I remember those first-aid lessons on drowning from my last life, he thought with a smirk. Otherwise, this would be much more nerve-wracking.
On the sandy beach, Tetsuya's breathing grew heavy. After all, he'd just barely escaped drowning himself, and his lungs still weren't fully adjusted to fresh air.
With each round of artificial respiration and chest compressions, he managed to purge more seawater from Mikoto's lungs.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mikoto's eyelashes began to flutter. Although Tetsuya was soaked in seawater from her coughing fits, he felt the heavy weight of anxiety in his chest ease up at last.
They'd both made it.
"Tetsuya…" she murmured weakly.
"Are… are we dead?"
"Is this… the Pure Land?"
Lying on her back, Mikoto blinked several times before she opened her eyes completely. Her gaze, as always, was clear and captivating.
"Silly girl," he whispered, smiling softly. "What are you talking about?"
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone