Chapter 102: Departing for the Land of the Sea

Inside the Kazekage's office.

Looking at Rasa, who had returned to his seat, and Pakura, who sat there in a daze with flushed cheeks, the expressions of the other two present were somewhat strange.

As a woman, Sēramu could immediately sense the subtle tension in the air.

She made up her mind. When she got the chance, she would definitely remind her dear friend, Karura, about this.

As for Michikawa, though he was an older man, even he could tell that something was off just by looking at Pakura's absentminded state.

'But… the Kazekage already has a wife.'

Things seemed to be getting complicated. Meanwhile, Rasa sat in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table as he thought for a moment before looking up and saying,

"For now, stop training in the Eight Gates. Also, refrain from using Star Release chakra for the time being."

With those words, the atmosphere in the room returned to normal.

"Kazekage, do you mean…?"

Seeing Pakura still looking a bit lost, Michikawa decisively spoke up.

"Star Release chakra is powerful, but compared to Dragon Vein chakra (Sage Energy), it has more drawbacks than benefits. I haven't figured out a way to allow you to use Dragon Vein chakra yet, but I may have found a workaround. However, we'll discuss that after I return to the village."

Pakura immediately snapped out of her daze and asked,

"You're leaving the village?"

"Yes. The Anbu have reported the possible discovery of an island inhabited by many giant creatures. I need to check it out and see if these creatures can be tamed as summoning beasts. If they can, Sunagakure may gain access to a large number of powerful summoning creatures."

Both Pakura and Michikawa were surprised.

However—

"Wouldn't it be better to let the Anbu confirm it first?"

Pakura asked, her voice carrying a trace of concern.

"No… If such a place truly exists, we must secure it for Sunagakure as soon as possible. If word leaks out and other villages try to seize it, things will get complicated. That's why I need to handle this personally."

"Do you need us to accompany you?"

Pakura's last words carried her worries but Rasa shook his head and sighed slightly.

"No, I'll take the Anbu with me. Right now, the village still has too few shinobi capable of handling major responsibilities. Just in case, I need you both to stay here and respond to any situation that arises."

---

Three days passed quickly.

In the vast desert of the Land of Wind, a massive caravan of camels moved slowly across the sands. This was the merchant convoy departing from Sunagakure, preparing to return to the Land of the Sea.

Having made a fortune selling goods to Sunagakure and earning a great deal of gold, they had gone all out and issued a C-rank escort mission in Sunagakure to ensure their safe passage to the Land of the Sea. However, to their surprise, fortune smiled upon them.

Sunagakure upgraded their mission to B-rank for free and even assigned a high-class escort team consisting of one jōnin and two chūnin. The only condition? They had to take this jōnin to the legendary Island of Forgotten along the way.

Of course, they had no reason to refuse!

After all, while the waters around Forgotten Island were known to be dangerous, the shinobi from Sunagakure had reassured them that they didn't need to personally guide them there—hiring reliable sailors would suffice.

Even though the merchants had made a fortune this time, they still struggled with the scorching and arid climate of the Land of Wind. Coming from the humid Land of the Sea, they found it difficult to endure and had to take frequent breaks.

"Rasa-dono, would you like some water?"

Amidst a sea of camels resting on the desert sands, Kawamatsu, the leader of this merchant caravan from the Land of the Sea, held out a bottle of water to Rasa.

After spending the day together, Kawamatsu had come to realize that these shinobi weren't as intimidating as he had imagined.

Especially this Sunagakure jōnin named Rasa, he seemed very approachable. On the other hand, the two chūnin accompanying him were rather quiet.

Still, they were polite.

"Thank you."

Rasa accepted the water but didn't drink it right away. Instead, he asked,

"Kawamatsu-san, why are you taking the longer route to the western side of the Land of Wind? I don't recall there being any major port cities there."

The so-called western coast of the Land of Wind was the part of the country that bordered the sea. Normally, merchants would travel east—toward the Land of Rivers, which faced the Land of Fire.

Kawamatsu sighed helplessly.

"You may not be aware, Rasa-dono, but we would love to take the eastern route. However, there's a war going on. Not only is there a high risk of our goods being confiscated by the Land of Fire, but there are also more pirates on that side of the sea."

"Pirates?"

This was the first time Rasa had heard of pirates existing in the world of Naruto, and his interest was immediately piqued.

"Yes. The Land of the Sea consists of four main islands—Main Island, Dairō Island, Jirō Island, and Strange Island. Surrounding them are many smaller islands. Due to the difficulty of travel, these islands have become hiding places for many dangerous individuals. Most of them have turned to piracy, making a living by looting. In addition to that..."

At this point, Kawamatsu hesitated for a moment before continuing,

"There are also rumors that many rogue shinobi from Kirigakure disguise themselves as pirates to raid merchant convoys."

Rasa nodded in understanding. Kirigakure definitely seemed like a village that would conduct such an act and secure resources.

"I see. Don't worry, Kawamatsu-san. Even if we encounter shinobi from Kirigakure, we can protect you."

Hearing this, Kawamatsu took a deep breath of releaf.

"Hahaha, that puts my mind at ease. There aren't many places as safe and profitable as the Land of Wind these days. Oh, by the way, Rasa-dono, your destination is Forgotten Island, right?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure if it's along your route."

"It is, but we won't be sailing into those waters. However, don't worry. Once we reach the port, we'll help you find a sailor and a ship willing to take you there. Of course, you'll have to cover the cost yourself."

"That's only fair."

The group chatted casually as they traveled.

Sitting behind Rasa, the two jōnin from the Covert Mobile Unit—Thunder Blade and Wind Blade—watched their Kazekage interact so effortlessly with these merchants. They were somewhat surprised.

(AN: I can use their Japanese term but I am pretty sure I would forget them and so will you.)

In their minds, the Kazekage was supposed to be a stern and imposing figure. They hadn't expected him to be so approachable. Of course, the Kazekage wasn't just accompanied by them. Hidden in the shadows were Sand Hawk and Sand Lizard, keeping watch.

And so, despite the caravan's slow pace, they eventually reached the edge of the Land of Wind after three days of travel.

Gone was the endless desert. In its place was a lush green forest and an endless blue sea.

A small port town stood before them, with countless wooden ships docked along the coast. Dockworkers and sailors bustled about, busy loading and unloading cargo.