Capítulo 197: Chapter 196: The Outskirts of Civilization

"Please, board the ship." The sailor in a simple short-sleeved shirt handed the key to Shisui.

"The private cabin you reserved is very quiet. The drunken ronin usually won't go there... By the way, does anyone in your group get seasick?"

The teenagers all shook their heads. Shinobi have well-developed physical reflexes and can adjust their metabolism with chakra, so they are typically not bothered by motion sickness.

The sailor breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good. Recently, the seas have been rough in the middle of the ocean. We're in for a few tough days. It's good that none of you get seasick; it'll save you some suffering."

Shisui smiled and thanked him, but after the sailor left, he didn't enter the cabin. Instead, he and his companions leaned against the railing, gazing at the harbor.

The port was bustling with activity, with laborers busily loading and unloading goods. The lively atmosphere permeated the entire dock. However, if you looked farther out, you would see a stark contrast that would leave you speechless.

In the distance, buildings eroded by acid rain and microorganisms stood in ruins, countless broken walls and dilapidated structures. If your eyesight was exceptional, you might even glimpse the pale bones buried in the soil.

—That was the ruins of Uzushiogakure!

Whenever Konoha shinobi boarded ships here, they always felt uneasy when they saw the remnants of Uzushiogakure in the distance.

The Uzumaki and the Senju clans were very close. When Mito Uzumaki married Hashirama Senju, the dowry included scrolls of fuinjutsu that had to be transported by a team of horse-drawn carriages. To showcase the long-standing friendship between the Uzumaki and the Senju clans, the classic green combat uniforms of Konoha even had the Uzumaki clan's crest printed on the back!

Even setting aside the close relationship with the Senju, the Uzumaki were a powerful and ancient clan, strong enough to establish both Uzushiogakure and the Land of Whirlpools on their own.

Yet such a brilliant clan and country were destroyed overnight.

Their nation was ruined, their clan members scattered across the world, their accumulated wealth and knowledge plundered, and because of the past battles, the land was no longer suitable for farming.

"Why did Uzushiogakure and the Land of Whirlpools fall so quickly, and which forces were responsible?" Very few people in the shinobi world knew the answers anymore. Those secrets were locked away even more securely than the fact that the Nine-Tails was controlled by a Sharingan—a thousand times more tightly guarded.

The few lines in history books, which had altered the course of countless lives, had long been buried under the sands of time.

However, due to its advantageous geographical location, the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools had been transformed into a large port. The daily profits were enormous, and it's said that the construction was funded by an underground bounty station, with the Land of Fire also holding a stake.

The large ship set sail, leaving the harbor. After some time, the silhouette of the mainland became blurred, eventually disappearing over the horizon.

The original Team 9 trio spent some time enjoying the sea breeze on the deck before returning to their cabin.

Life at sea was dull and monotonous. Everything looked the same, whether it was the old ship's body or the endless ocean. The initial novelty wore off quickly, leaving little to do.

It's worth mentioning that the sailor was indeed correct. When they reached the central part of the ocean, the winds and waves were intense. Even the well-built ship swayed uncontrollably in the storm, powerless against the might of nature.

After enduring some hardships, the sea eventually calmed down. Several more days and nights passed before the ship gradually slowed down, finally docking at the port.

—They had arrived in the Land of the Sea.

The three Konoha shinobi disembarked. After many days, they were finally back on solid ground.

This place was entirely different from the Land of Fire. It was a country far from the world's center, and on the world map at the ninja academy, the Land of the Sea was just on the edge, truly the outskirts of civilization.

As for what lay beyond the map, it was likely uninhabited, barren land.

Stepping onto the beach, Shisui took a deep breath. His eyes suddenly turned scarlet, and the three tomoe in his Sharingan began to spin slowly.

The air was humid and slightly salty, and the sun was scorching... Chakra was nearly non-existent.

"Conserve your chakra," Shisui said, glancing at the tattered Kirigakure banner stuck in the sand, as he walked ahead.

Although the Land of the Sea was on the outskirts of the civilized world, its natural resources were abundant. The fishing industry was highly developed, and the country had many special products that sold well across the shinobi world. Even after deducting taxes, the Land of the Sea made a considerable profit.

What truly earned the Land of the Sea the derogatory nickname of "remote fishing village" was that the people in this region were unable to combine physical and spiritual energy to produce chakra!

This wasn't a difference in innate talent but rather a deeper curse—one that affected not just the Land of the Sea but other remote areas as well.

However, regardless of the reason, the result was the same: without chakra, they couldn't produce shinobi and were excluded from the mainstream nations, making self-defense difficult.

In the past, to guard against rogue shinobi, the Land of the Sea would hire Kirigakure shinobi. The Land of Water even had a department specifically responsible for the Land of the Sea's security. The two nations had a very close relationship, like fish and water.

But a few years ago, Kirigakure suddenly shut its doors, becoming increasingly isolated. Shinobi had a hard time leaving the village, and as a result, the Land of the Sea and the Land of Water gradually drifted apart.

Now, in this remote corner of civilization, shinobi had become a rare sight.

It was the first time the three members of the original Team 9 had visited the Land of the Sea, and they were curious about everything they saw. They weren't in a hurry to search for Yuto but instead took their time, exploring and familiarizing themselves with the local customs, guided by the intelligence Konoha had provided.

The Konoha shinobi were used to the Land of Fire and subconsciously assumed that the Land of the Sea would be backward, like a primitive tribe where fishermen fought giant fish with spears, leading hard lives.

But as they walked along, the trio was surprised to discover that this country's way of life was quite... civilized.

They had carved out the cliffs by the sea and inserted enormous gears into the water, channeling rivers to drive the gears. Using some peculiar chemical methods, they lured schools of fish, and a ten-meter diameter fishing gear could yield hundreds of tons of fish in a single day.

The Land of the Sea's terrain was steep, so it was impossible to sell all the caught fish immediately. Most had to be processed into dried fish or fish cakes, things that were easier to preserve. Therefore, on both sides of the road, conveyor belts had been built. Workers loaded the fish into boxes, and the boxes were automatically lifted to processing points in higher areas, greatly reducing labor.

Shisui, puzzled by the source of this contraption's power, couldn't help but activate his Sharingan to observe closely. He discovered that many of these devices were connected to the island's center, drawing power from there. As for what lay at the center—whether it was an underwater vortex or a volcano—Shisui couldn't guess.

Although they couldn't see it, the three young Konoha shinobi understood. Despite lacking chakra, the people of the Land of the Sea had ingeniously harnessed the energy of nature. They were living well... In fact, judging by the residents' attire, their standard of living likely exceeded that of most Land of Fire civilians.

So-called outskirts, they realized, referred only to the outskirts of "shinobi civilization."

(End of Chapter)