The ship sailed steadily out of the harbor. There seemed to be no precise destination along its route, as though it were simply drifting about. This was the first time the Five Great Ninja Villages had cooperated on such a large scale.
Besides, with their common interests and a shared mortal enemy, Kumogakure presumably would not do anything unnecessary or pointless. Still, Ueno Kei turned to the Kumogakure ninja on the ship named Motoi and asked with some confusion.
"May I ask where our destination is this time? It doesn't seem like we have any definite direction," Ueno Kei asked, looking puzzled.
"The area we're heading to isn't a specific location." Motoi paused before continuing, "It is one of Kumogakure's secret facilities—a moving fortress at sea!"
"A moving fortress?" Ueno Kei's brow furrowed slightly. Could it be one of those artificially made mechanical islands that could move? He had previously heard they were going somewhere out at sea, so he had assumed it was some hidden natural island. Was it actually made by Kumogakure?
Although he was somewhat unclear about this world's level of technology, he was certain that an artificial mechanical island capable of movement was absolutely not something that could be built in this era.
"No. Rather than an island, that secret base is actually a giant sea turtle that Kumogakure raised from a young age many years ago! It has now grown to a size comparable to Kumogakure itself. Generally, any confidential items in Kumogakure are kept on its back. It is an extremely secure location," Motoi explained.
Back during the era when the Five Great Ninja Villages had been hostile and at war, such village secrets would never have been disclosed to outsiders. Even within the village itself, only a select few would have known.
But