บท 62: Chapter 62
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As they approached within a hundred miles of Fog Island, the Mist Village shinobi sensed their presence through some hidden technique.
"Can you confirm their identities up close?" came Kamikawa's sharp inquiry.
"Lord Kamikawa, they're still a bit too far from the island. We'd need to wait until they reach the island's shallows to confirm their exact identities."
"Understood. Stay on them, and keep a close watch on every move they make. Report back to me the instant something changes."
"Yes, Lord Kamikawa!"
Watching his subordinates retreat, Kamikawa's gaze darkened.
The Uzumaki clan's shinobi… they've been watching them closely—no, they've been watching. It wasn't just the Mist Village, either; there were others involved. If the intruders were truly from the Uzumaki, he'd have received intel about it long before they arrived.
So who, then, could these unexpected visitors be?
Hired mercenaries? Konoha's reinforcements?
As Kamikawa weighed the possibilities, dispatching more shinobi to prepare an ambush, Tetsuya, Jiraiya, and the others were already facing challenges of their own.
The closer they got to the island, the rougher the sea became. It was as if something sinister was churning the waters from deep below, creating monstrous waves that shook their small, aging boat.
---
"Are you alright, Tetsuya?"
Onboard their rocking vessel, Uchiha Mikoto steadied Tetsuya, her face full of concern as she noticed his pallor.
"I'm fine, Mikoto," he replied, gritting his teeth. "Just give me a bit of time—I'll get used to this."
Whether in his past life or his current one, Tetsuya had never experienced such violent motion on the sea. The fact that he hadn't lost his lunch overboard was practically a small miracle.
"Ha! Tetsuya, looks like you've got a lot left to learn!" Jiraiya called out, barely containing his laughter. "A true ninja has to be ready for any environment. And in that regard, this young lady from the Uchiha has you beat by a mile!"
Tetsuya shot him a glare, only to be met with Mikoto's gentle, springlike eyes. Her clear gaze and subtle fragrance stirred something within him, a strange feeling he couldn't name. He quickly averted his eyes, his cheeks tinged pink.
What was he doing? He was still three days shy of turning eight!
But in the instant he looked away, his eyes caught sight of something huge in the fog—a monstrous shadow, looming just beyond their boat like an island unto itself. Two glowing red eyes, as big as lanterns, cut through the mist, filled with a terrifying aura that rooted Tetsuya in place.
The Three-Tails.
It was the Three-Tails.
Though he couldn't make out the full form of the creature, something in his gut told him exactly what it was: Isobu, the Three-Tailed Beast controlled by the Mist Village. The true ruler of these waters.
Right now, the best move he could make was to warn Jiraiya and have him reverse summon them out of this danger zone. But even if he wanted to, he couldn't; his lungs felt compressed under the weight of the beast's silent pressure, every breath a struggle.
Then, just as silently as it appeared, the Three-Tails's blood-red eyes sank back into the ocean depths. The beast seemed to lose interest in them, likely deeming them insignificant.
Had it left because they were too weak to bother with?
"Tetsuya? What happened to you?"
His head snapped back to Mikoto, whose voice held a gentle warmth that loosened the knot of tension inside him. She noticed the redness in his eyes, and he quickly blinked away the tears that had almost fallen.
"I-I'm fine, Mikoto," he stammered, his voice steadier than he felt. "Just some sea wind got in my eyes. You don't have to hold on to me anymore—I'm good with the rocking now."
He hesitated, then turned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya-sama, could I talk to you privately for a moment?"
The encounter with the Three-Tails was too big to keep quiet. After a few seconds of consideration, Tetsuya decided to tell Jiraiya in confidence. What happened next was up to Jiraiya; after all, he was the team's leader. If he insisted they continue to Fog Island, Tetsuya, Shin, and Mikoto would have no say—that was the law of the shinobi world.
Jiraiya raised a brow, clearly unimpressed. "You serious, kid? The Three-Tails? Out here?"
"Even if I haven't seen it before, I'm sure of what I saw," Tetsuya insisted. "A massive creature with red eyes was right near our boat."
Jiraiya looked unconvinced, then cracked a smile. "Kid, try not to stress yourself out. Worst comes to worst, we'll ditch the mission if we have to. You think I'd let you guys get hurt? With me around, even if we have to drop everything, I'll make sure you all get back safely."
A faint chuckle escaped him as he placed a broad hand on Tetsuya's forehead, as if to check his temperature.
---
Back in the cave on Fog Island, Kamikawa's surveillance continued. The Mist shinobi kept their eyes fixed on the approaching intruders, waiting for them to reach the shallows so they could finally identify them.
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