One year later.
The Land of Whirlpools.
Ever since the Uzumaki Clan, the rulers of this nation, had been exterminated, this stretch of territory between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire had been left ungoverned.
It was a nation that should have faded into history.
Yet now, ships of all sizes were arriving one after another.
The weather was gloomy that day, and the currents were unusually turbulent. Thick fog even hung over the sea.
Under normal circumstances, no one would have put out to sea in weather like this. Experienced sailors would even have hauled their boats ashore to keep the coming waves from sweeping them away.
"Gulp."
An armored soldier standing atop the cabin swallowed, unable to stop himself from looking around at the other soldiers dressed just like him.
"What, nervous?"
"A-a little..." Seeing the veteran strike up a conversation, the young soldier hurriedly forced a smile. "Older Brother, aren't you scared? We're going to war."
"What's there to be scared of?"
"Come on, how could I not be? It's war! People die!"
The veteran looked at him and pointed off to the side disdainfully. "It won't be us dying. Look, there are several hundred men on this ship alone. I counted before we left. Our fleet has at least five hundred ships!"
Just as the veteran said, despite the fog, the silhouettes of ships stretched across the sea, one behind another, like long black dragons riding the waves. Their imposing presence was undeniable.
"Th-that many..."
"That's nothing. If they hadn't asked for only the elite this time, we could've mustered ten times as many." The veteran spoke with a touch of pride. "By the way, kid, how many years have you been a soldier?"
"To tell you the truth, Older Brother, I was