Over the endless blue ocean, two figures streaked across the sky on flying devices, white tails of exhaust trailing behind them. Their passage startled flocks of seabirds into the air as they headed steadily toward their assigned heading.
"The number of islands is increasing."
"And there are more and more signs of life."
The two ninja, both wearing the Leaf insignia and trained as combat–plus–sensor specialists, chatted casually as they flew.
"At this rate, it's only a matter of time before we find traces of human activity. Hopefully we get the honor of first contact."
"That's up to luck. No one knows exactly where this 'other continent' lies yet. All we have are Mist's ocean-current readings and the strategist squad's calculations—using island patterns and fish migration to estimate direction."
Of the two jōnin-level shinobi, one bore the Uzumaki spiral, the other the Hyūga crest.
Superb sensing and unparalleled vision—if not for the limited range and charge of the flying devices, the two of them alone could have covered most of the distant seas. This was, in fact, the standard configuration for long-range aerial exploration teams in the Far-Seas Fleet.
In a single day, a team like theirs could scout nearly two hundred kilometers of ocean. With three carrier groups fanning outward and twenty-four flight teams eliminating overlap, the total area scanned each day reached into the thousands of kilometers.
Back in the Hokage Tower's military strategy office, a massive sea chart covered an entire wall—updated every night, expanded every day.
Uchiha Shihou and Uzumaki Mito reviewed it each morning. The increasingly dense constellation of islands drawn across the parchment made both high-ranking Konoha leaders burn with a quiet, ambitious heat.
No one disliked fertile land. Land meant resources.
Resources meant wealth.
"Over there!"
On the open sea, beneath a clear sky, the Uzumaki ninja suddenly shouted, pointing ahead. The Hyūga beside him narrowed his Byakugan in that direction.
"Contact. Ship sighted!"
Within his sight—about twenty kilometers out—floated a wooden sailing vessel roughly thirty meters long, rocking gently on the waves. On deck, several figures moved—men who, at first glance, looked very similar to ordinary humans from the shinobi world.
Fishermen.
The two Konoha nin's expressions sharpened.
The Uzumaki formed a hand seal and summoned a messenger hawk, tying a scroll to its leg and sending it back toward the carrier group with the news.
The Hyūga adjusted their course, eyes remaining fully activated as they descended.
A short while later, both shinobi dropped toward the sea's surface.
"None of them possess chakra. Judging from their movements and physical strength, they're weaker than most of our genin."
"Yeah. Their life force isn't remarkable either, from what I can sense."
"Let's take them down together."
With jōnin-level strength and fully aligned objectives, the decision took only a second.
They stepped lightly onto the sea surface.
In the stunned gazes of the fishermen, the two shinobi moved. In just a few fluid motions, they restrained everyone on board who tried to resist.
A few men in armor—guards, most likely—launched clumsy counterattacks and were promptly knocked to the deck.
The words that spilled from their mouths were completely foreign, incomprehensible—nothing like any language from the shinobi world.
That alone made immediate interrogation pointless.
An hour and a half later, three aircraft carriers appeared on the horizon, enormous shadows swallowing the sea.
On the main deck, the three Uchiha brothers—the "Uchiha Trio"—were waiting.
"You two did well. Go rest. You'll be rewarded properly."
Uchiha Rai clapped both scouts on the arm, excitement plain in his voice, then turned to the waiting Yamanaka squads.
"They're yours. I want every scrap of memory they've got."
"Yes, sir!"
Under the terrified stares of the otherworld natives, three full squads of Yamanaka ninja stepped forward.
Hokage Tower, Sixth Floor.
The sudden good news caused the Shadow Clone occupying the Hokage's seat to dispel itself at once—summoning the real Uchiha Soren away from the "gentle battlefield" he'd only just escaped.
He arrived still bearing faint lipstick marks on his face.
Uzumaki Mito rolled her eyes and sat primly where Kaori usually did, her posture impeccable.
"Hokage-sama, even if we're the only ones in the office, basic appearance still matters."
Uzumaki Minako, eyes flashing with a mix of admiration and envy, produced a handkerchief and gently wiped the lipstick from Soren's cheek.
The intimacy of the gesture made Mito's expression grow more complex. She tapped the desk with one finger, her tone mild—but edged.
"Minako. You and I both count as 'outsiders,' you know."
Time had left no visible marks on Uzumaki Mito.
If anything, the years had deepened her calm dignity. The springtime softness of her youth had ripened into mature grace—beauty rich with experience.
"Hokage-sama is Tsunade's teacher," Minako said smoothly. "Hardly an outsider."
Under Mito's gaze, she sped up slightly, gifting Soren a tender look before returning to her own seat.
"You really do look like siblings sometimes," Mito remarked, voice light.
For three years now, under Tsunade's name and pretext, Soren and Minako's "teacher–student" closeness had deepened, step by wary step.
Mito knew better.
She'd seen Soren's ambitions firsthand—and she'd been anything but pleased. While consciously keeping her distance, she'd also done everything in her power to shield Minako, the "white lamb," from the wolf's reach.
She knew all too well the loneliness that came without a husband.
She also knew what it meant when her daughter-in-law put up sealing barriers at night.
She suspected the reasons—but refused to think deeper about them.
Soren smiled, eyes glinting.
"So then… will Lady Mito count as my honored mother-in-law in the future?"
The weight behind his gaze made Mito's heart skip a beat as she remembered three years' worth of his testing and probing.
She cleared her throat.
"Enough about that. Let's discuss the fleet's discovery."
Soren straightened instantly, smile fading into focused attention.
Mito began her report.
"Nine thousand kilometers from the shinobi continent, the Far-Seas Fleet intercepted a wooden fishing vessel from the other continent. The ship is a sailboat, roughly thirty meters long, carrying twenty-three locals."
"All twenty-three have already had their minds examined by our Yamanaka operatives."
"Due to cultural gaps and the language barrier, there is some distortion in the information—but nothing fundamentally inaccurate. Our ninja are already studying the other continent's language; we expect progress by the end of the day."
She passed him a scroll bearing the fleet's seal.
"The fishermen's knowledge is limited, so we could only extract a rough outline. Their memories fall into two main categories."
"First—their homeland. It appears to be a port city in a coastal kingdom on the other continent. Its main industry is maritime fishing. Most residents are blond and blue-eyed."
"What's notable is this—within their memories, we discovered non-human creatures. The scroll includes sketches."
Soren unrolled the scroll and studied the drawings: squat, ugly figures with dark green skin and beady red eyes.
He couldn't help but smile.
Minako leaned forward.
"Hokage-sama, you know what they are?"
"No," Soren said. "I just know they look like something that deserves extermination."
"…Oh."
The brief exchange ended there. Mito continued.
"Second—their method of gaining strength differs completely from our ninjutsu system. Their elites rely on two paths: martial techniques and magic."
"Judging by these memories, and the daily lives of the two armored men on the ship—who seemed to enjoy considerable respect—their combat power isn't impressive by our standards."
"However, given that non-human beings exist in their world, we should not be careless. We'll gather intelligence carefully until we fully understand them."
Soren set the scroll down.
"This matter is yours," he said. "Take charge of it."
"Also, send word to Uchiha Rai."
His eyes sharpened.
"Remind him there's no need to act timid. Let him respond boldly and adapt on the fly."
"If that port city's defenses are poor—and if their people can't even tell a transformed ninja from one of their own—then he's to take it over."
"Turn that coastal city into the shinobi world's first bridgehead on the other continent."
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