The Storm over the Sea Country

The journey to the Sea Country proved more perilous than expected.

The ship Yamada had prepared was an ancient sailing vessel, its hull covered in Ōtsutsuki Runes. It could sail on its own even without wind. But this convenience came at a price—the space aboard seemed warped, sometimes as spacious as a palace, sometimes as cramped as a coffin, leaving everyone intensely dizzy.

"That's spatial folding technology." Yamada explained on the deck, his robe snapping in the sea breeze. "The Ōtsutsuki Clan excels at manipulating space. This ship is an ancient relic that can compress months of travel into three days."

"Three days?" Sarada clutched the railing, her face pale. She had already thrown up twice, and even her Sharingan couldn't focus amid the spatial distortions.

Boruto was faring better. The power of the Karma Seal gave him a natural adaptability to changes in space. But he noticed that as the journey went on, the Kāma inside him grew increasingly active, as if responding to some kind of summons.

"How much longer until we arrive?" he asked.

"Tomorrow at dawn." Yamada pointed toward the horizon. "See that bank of black clouds? That's the protective barrier around the ruins—the Eye of the Storm."

Boruto narrowed his eyes. The clouds didn't look naturally formed. They were some kind of massive Chakra conglomeration, streaked with lightning, and he could just make out the outlines of buildings within.

"That's where the remains of the Ōtsutsuki God are?"

"Only the outer perimeter." Yamada's expression grew serious. "The true core lies beneath the sea. We have to pass through three layers of barriers to reach it. Boruto, are you ready?"

"I've been ready."

That night, Boruto stood alone at the bow, watching the churning waves. Clouds hid the moonlight, and only the Runes on the hull