บท 312: 303. The Cursed Ghost Ship
A/N:- With this I have resumed the story after an entire year. Lots of things happened during this time. I graduated from college, completed my research project, got covid positive twice, had an surgery to remove my gall bladder due to gallstones and much more. I hope all of you are doing well. I will start slowly with 5-6 chapters per week and will gradually increase the number to 8-10 eventually. With that being said, "I AM BACK!"
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"Don't make things worse for me!"
Izuna helplessly turns to Kanami.
"Explain!"
Ayaka crosses her hand in front of her chest and taps her foot on the ground.
Kanami hugs Izuna and speaks.
"Izuna-kun and I hugged while naked to warm each other."
Fwish…
Izuna pushes her aside and chides her.
"Don't speak such misleading words."
He turns to Ayaka and explains.
"This is a very old incident from my childhood. Before the third shinobi war, the village tasked me to trade some herbs on the Benisu island."
Izuna recalls some old memories from his childhood.
"Benisu Island?!"
The girls curiously stare at him.
"I have never heard of it!"
Yakumo and Hanabi shake their head.
"Me too!" Ayaka also tries to recall the name but fails.
"Benisu Island is an island nation in the Mist Sea. It's a small island situated between the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning."
Izuna starts his geography lessons.
"Benisu island is a paradise for traders, merchants, and business people. This island is rich in resources with various sea products and commodities."
Izuna turns to Ayaka and remarks.
"Your favorite Catla carp is also fished out and supplied from the Benisu island. It's such a treasure trove of resources that the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning attempted to annex this island.
However, there are various whirlpools and rock beds around the island which prevent any invasion from the sea."
Izuna draws an island on the beach and marks various circles and squares on the island, representing whirlpools and rock beds.
"Then how do the people of the Benisu island leave for trade?"
Hanabi curiously asks him.
"Like this…"
Izuna draws a passage in front of the rocks.
"There is a small passage in front of the island. The people of the Benisu island cleared out the rocks and created a passage for the sea trade.
This passage is heavily guarded by the shinobis of the Benisu island. Despite being a small island country, Benisu Island still raised a batch of shinobis through its wealth. These shinobis are called 'Sailor Shinobis' by other nations."
Izuna points towards Kanami.
"Kanami is one such sailor shinobi. She is often tasked with the escort missions of the shipment from Benisu Island.
Back then, during the third shinobi war, she escorted a very important shipment to the Land of Fire. Konoha dispatched me and Shisui's team to escort the shipment back to the Benisu island."
Izuna closes his eyes as the memories of Kazuko and Mami flash in his mind. Izuna is lost in grief as he recalls their names and faces.
"SENSEI!"
The shout of the girls breaks him from his stupor. He shakes his head to dispel such thoughts and continues.
"During our return trip, we were hit by a very powerful storm and the entire ship was wrecked in that storm. Kanami and I grabbed the planks of the broken ships and drifted into the sea for three days. On the fourth day, we managed to drift to a small iceberg at the boundary of the Mist Sea and Polar Sea. All of our clothes were wet and there wasn't any mean to dry them and keep ourself warm. So, we have to…"
Izuna turns to Kanami and coughs slightly.
"…"
The girls roll their eyes as Izuna pushes Kanami aside.
Kanami hides her embarrassment and retorts.
"Still, Izuna-kun! You are so mean. You took advantage of me and you didn't even invite me to your wedding." She complains.
"I did!"
Izuna helplessly turns to her.
"But you were on escort duty to the Moon Island. Also, I had no other means to communicate with you."
"Alright! Alright! Get aboard on the ship and set sail for the Benisu island."
Kanami issues orders to the rest of the crew.
The group boards the ship as it lifts the anchor.
Ayaka and the rest of the girls curiously look around as it's their first time traveling on the sea.
"We will arrive at Benisu island by tomorrow night. So, enjoy your sea journey." Kanami remarks.
Izuna takes out his deck chair and lazily lies down on the ship. Ayaka and the rest of the girls sit beside him and silently practices their jutsu.
After an hour,
"Ah… Mo! I am so bored!"
Ayaka closes the Fuinjutsu scroll in frustration. She turns towards Izuna, who is sleeping on his chair.
"He is sleeping like a log! Let me check the ship."
Ayaka pockets her scroll and frolics around on the ship.
Bzzzt…
Suddenly,
Black clouds appear in the sky and block the sunlight.
Bzzt…
Lightning crackles through the clouds as it discharges one bolt after another.
Large waves rise in the sea as the ship sways wildly.
"Everyone! Grab hold of the sail. We will steer against the storm!"
Kanami instructs the rest of the sailors as the rest of the crew handles the situation. She turns towards the girls and orders them.
"You three! Go and take shelter in the cabin until the situation calms down."
Swoosh…
Izuna waves his hand and forms a wind barrier around himself as he silently remarks.
'What's a sea journey without a storm! If it comes to worst, I will butt in.' With that he closes his eyes.
After another hour,
The waves calm down slightly as the sail becomes steady.
Phew…
Kanami heaves a sigh of relief and rests against the mast.
Ayaka and the rest of the girls also walk out of the cabin.
"Is the sea journey always like this?"
Yakumo turns towards Kanami.
"The sea journey is full of the perilous journey like this. Especially the journey through the Mist Sea. There is always a chance of capsizing. Also, there is a strange rumor that strange chakra flows through the sea bed of the Mist Sea.
Sometimes, it will exert a very powerful gravitational pull and drown a ship, and other times it creates a very powerful repulsive force which will create gigantic waves." Kanami answers her.
Hmm…
Izuna opens his eyes as he gazes at the sea.
'This Mist Sea is the place where the Sage of Six Path and the Ten-tails fought against each other. The Sage used a massive chunk of this land to form the moon, leaving a bottomless pit behind. Later, this place became the Mist Sea.'
Ayaka and the girls attentively listen to Kanami's tales.
"Oh!"
Seeing the girls hooked up to her story, an evil smile appears on Kanami's face as she remarks.
"The Mist Sea is full of mysteries. The tale of the Cursed Ghost Ship and the Giant Corpse Crab are a few of such stories."
Kanami smiles at the girls.
Bzzt… BOOM…
A bolt of lightning flashes in the sky, lighting up her evil smile.
Gulp…
Hanabi gulps her saliva and hugs Ayaka's arm.
"Ayaka! I… I don't like ghost stories. They are so scary."
"It will be alright!" Ayaka pats her head, but her expression is also ugly.
Yawn…
Izuna yawns and walks inside the ship.
"It's nighttime already! I am feeling sleepy."
He stretches his arm and walks into his cabin.
Hmph…
Kanami angrily harrumphs at him, but he ignores her.
"Kanami-san!"
Yakumo tugs on her sleeves.
"Can you tell me more about the cursed ship and the corpse crab?!" Yakumo has a curious expression.
"Of course!"
Kanami nods her head, much to Ayaka's and Hanabi's dislike.
"The cursed ghost ship is a very mysterious ship which sails through Mist's waters. Only a very lucky few or unlucky few came across this ship."
Kanami has a mysterious expression as her tone turns heavy.
"This Cursed Ghost ship only appears during thick fogs."
"Is it like this one?"
Hanabi points towards their surroundings with a trembling finger.
Hmm…
Yakumo and the rest of the crew who are indulged in Kanami's story look around.
"Strange!"
Ayaka and Hanabi stare at the surrounding mist.
"How come there is such a thick fog all of a sudden?"
Hanabi asks in trepidation.
"I have no idea!" Ayaka shakes her head as she hugs Hanabi.
"This fog is no big deal!"
Kanami waves her hand.
"Usually, after such a heavy downpour is followed by thick mist. After all, the Mist Sea is known for its thick fogs."
"I… I see!" Hanabi nods her head as Kanami continues her story.
"The ghost ship is followed by a flock of crows. The crew of the ship is entirely composed of ugly ghosts."
Haha…
The entire crew bursts out in laughter.
"That's one pleasant story!"
The crew members shrug their shoulders and return to their work.
"We have to steer carefully through this fog or we might bump into an iceberg or a rock formation."
Swish… Swish…
Hanabi silently tugs on Ayaka's sleeves.
"A… Ayaka! Llll… look over there!"
Hmm…
"What's the matter?"
Ayaka turns towards the direction pointed by Hanabi.
"I can't see anything!" She shakes her head.
"Llll… look closely!"
Hanabi continues to point in the direction with trembling hands.
"Ok! Let me see!"
Ayaka narrows her eyes to take a closer look.
"This is…"
Her eyes widen in shock.
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