The little boat sped onward as all four of them rowed with all their might. Lookout Island shrank behind them until it finally vanished between sea and sky.
Only when the outline of land appeared again did the tension on the boat begin to ease.
"Good thing you were quick on your feet, kid. Otherwise, we'd really have been in trouble this time," Jiraiya said, still shaken. "I didn't know you could use Water Release."
Sen replied casually, "I just picked it up."
He changed the subject and glanced back at the turbulent sea. "Are we just giving up on Lookout Island?"
"Just for now," Jiraiya explained as he rowed. "Kirigakure has never been that strong. They even sent out a Jonin this young, so they must have known Konoha was fighting other villages and thought they could take advantage of the situation.
"Once we've had a chance to regroup, we can take it back whenever we want."
He paused, then added, "This was your first official mission. Things went a little wrong, but you completed it in the end. When we get back, you'll have a long break. Take a few days to rest."
At the words "time off," the three of them rowed with renewed vigor.
The battle to the death they'd just been through was the first time they'd ever truly faced bloodshed. Even now, remembering it left them shaken.
Only Sen furrowed his brow, privately regretting what had happened.
That had been such a good opportunity. If only he'd managed to kill a few more Mist Ninja and let them contribute to the great cause of restoring the Uchiha clan.
At the same time, on another island shrouded in mist,
With Samehada's help, Suikazan Fuguki dragged his gravely wounded body out of the waves, looking utterly disheveled.
The island was clearly within Konoha's territory, yet dozens of Mist Ninja were already waiting there.
"Suikazan Fuguki, where's your squad?" A tall, thin figure stood atop a boulder, his voice sharp and cold, like a needle piercing the air.
At the sound of that voice, Fuguki's hand trembled around Samehada.
He looked up. The man wore a mask and had long yellow hair. In his hand, he toyed with a needle-like weapon: Nuibari.
It was Kushimaru Kuriarare!
The way he toyed with Nuibari was clearly a prelude to killing someone.
"Nuibari isn't for using on your own teammates, Kushimaru." Another voice rang out from the darkness, steadier and clearly displeased with Kushimaru's behavior.
"The battle for the islands isn't over. We still need him. We'll leave the decision to the Mizukage when we return to the village."
Kushimaru spun Nuibari around in his hand a few times, then finally put it away. His voice carried a hint of resentment. "Yes, Jūzō... Captain."
Fuguki had just breathed a sigh of relief when a tall figure carrying Kubikiribōchō emerged from the shadows. It was Jūzō Biwa, another of the future Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"So many people died. What about the intel?" Jūzō asked, his voice tinged with weariness and irritation.
"Their team had a Jonin named Jiraiya, with white hair. The other three..." Fuguki didn't dare hide anything. He quickly recounted the battle.
He'd expected to be berated, but Jūzō merely nodded. "It wasn't entirely a waste. At least we learned something useful about the mission."
Kushimaru asked, "You mean that mission Shimura Danzō requested?"
Fuguki was utterly confused. Since when had his village gotten involved with Konoha High Command?
Seeing the others' confusion, Jūzō casually explained, "Shimura Danzō of Konoha gave us a secret mission: kill that black-haired kid named Uchiha Sen.
"As for the other two, just cripple them and send them back to Konoha.
"The Mizukage's plan is to play along and tell the other side that Danzō paid us to slaughter his own comrades. That should stir up some trouble within Konoha.
"For us, it's killing two birds with one stone."
Fuguki ground his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment and frustration. "Captain Jūzō, what do we do now?"
He knew that if he couldn't make up for his failure, what awaited him would be a punishment worse than death!
Jūzō casually swung Kubikiribōchō from his back as if it were a toy. "We'll start by taking this island. Konoha's reinforcements will be here soon.
"That Uchiha Sen brat will surely be among them. Then we'll work with our main force from within and without, and take back all the islands at once."
A bloodthirsty gleam flashed in his eyes. "Get ready. We move tonight."
The Mist Ninja immediately bowed their heads and answered, "Yes!"
Sen had no idea that a deadly trap had already been laid for him.
All he wanted was to make the most of his rare break and get some rest.
The beach beneath his feet was right on Konoha's border, where security was fairly good. Many shinobi came here to unwind after completing missions.
The four members of Team Seven had also set up camp there, preparing for a seafood barbecue party.
Sen was in charge of making his secret garlic sauce, Minato was preparing the seafood and starting the fire, and Kushina...
was in charge of sneaking bites.
Soon, the garlic sauce began to sizzle in the pot, sending its rich aroma drifting through the air.
"Sen, we're the same age. How come you know how to do everything?" Minato asked, sitting beside the grill and tending the coals as he swallowed.
"Maybe I learned it in a dream in my previous life." Sen tapped Kushina on the head as she tried to sneak a bite.
"It's getting late. Go invite Teacher Jiraiya and Senior Orochimaru to eat with us."
Kushina clutched her head, stuck out her tongue, and darted off.
A little over ten minutes later, everyone had arrived. Even Orochimaru and his subordinates had been drawn over by the smell.
"Help yourselves. We don't get many chances to rest."
With their chef's permission, everyone finally gave in and started eating. Their praises soon filled the air.
"Sen, you're amazing! This seafood was a little fishy before, and I could never get used to it. But the way you made it not only covered the fishy taste, it brought out the freshness!"
"Yeah, and I've never seen it cooked like this. You really are a genius, Sen!"
Hearing everyone praise him, Jiraiya felt proud too. "Looks like you really did a good job. They've stopped calling you 'kid' and started using your name."
Sen laughed. "You should be thanking Minato. He caught all these crabs, lobsters, oysters, and everything else. He's gotten a whole shade darker from the sun."
Minato looked up from his lobster, gazing at Sen with a wounded expression.
Everyone looked at his dark face and couldn't help laughing.
Minato, let's hope your nickname doesn't become something like the Black Flash.
When everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Sen brought out an even larger grill. On it sat many neatly cut, long strips of white meat.
He poured garlic sauce over them, and soon another tempting aroma of meat filled the air.
"Come on, everyone, take a guess. What kind of meat is this?"
A few shinobi gathered around, pointing at it as they speculated.
"Looks like the spinal meat of some kind of sea fish. Maybe it's conger eel."
"Whatever, I'll try some first!" One shinobi picked up a piece and chewed. "Weird. It's a little like chicken, but more tender. The bones are tiny, and they're crisp and fragrant from grilling. Delicious!"
Seeing that, Kushina picked up a piece too and stuffed it into her mouth. As soon as she finished one, she grabbed another and asked through a mouthful, "Sen, what kind of meat is this? It doesn't look like eel. It's so long."
Sen shook his head, thinking, Kushina, eating anything and everything will only get you into trouble!
He looked at Orochimaru and called softly, "Orochimaru, take a guess. What is this?"
Orochimaru set down his glass and walked over to the grill.
He glanced at the nearly fat-free meat, and understanding flickered in his eyes.
He gave Sen a helpless look before picking up a piece and tasting it carefully.
"Average."
After saying that, he expressionlessly picked up a second piece and put it in his mouth.
"Senior Orochimaru, what is it?" Kushina pressed.
Orochimaru finished his third piece, then spoke in his distinctive, hoarse voice. "It's soft and wriggles around everywhere. At any rate, it tastes pretty good."
He summed it up with a mischievous smile. "Eat some more. You'll like it."
Before you continue