The five of them gently placed their backpacks on the ground and sat around an antique wooden table in the spacious living room.
On the table, a scroll slowly unfurled. Yamato sat upright, his posture straight, meticulously arranging the upcoming mission plan.
"We have safely arrived in the Land of Waves, but apart from the information we got from the old man, we still don't know anything about Gato, including his residence and the industrial chain behind him."
"Do we really have to sleep on the streets to gather information?"
Chizhao glanced at Sai, his serious expression making her chuckle. She silently thought to herself:
Why do you have such a deep obsession with sleeping on the streets?
"That method could work, but the source of information would be too limited."
Fu Yamanaka politely raised his hand and offered his opinion:
"Perhaps we can infiltrate the economic sectors controlled by Gato, gather evidence of his illicit industries, and ascertain the enemy's numbers. That way, we can better plan the subsequent clean-up operation."
"Fu Yamanaka is right." Yamato nodded in agreement:
"So this time, we'll still split into three groups. I'll be in one group alone, Fu Yamanaka and 'Black Snake' in another...."
"Sai...." A calm voice suddenly interrupted Yamato.
Everyone looked at Sai, who had a gentle smile on his pale face. He narrowed his eyes and repeated it to Yamato again.
"Just call me Sai...."
Then he met Chizhao's eyes beside him and pointed to his heart.
"It told me, is this okay?"
His voice was soft, as if seeking her opinion, and Chizhao's face was reflected in his dark pupils.
"Of course...."
Just as she was about to answer him, Fu Yamanaka suddenly, and without warning, squeezed in between them from the other side.
Chizhao was forced to lean to the other side, and her hand, which was propped on the floor, accidentally pressed on Torune's hand.
Torune reflexively pulled his hand back quickly. Remembering his bandages, he subtly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sorry, Torune."
"It's fine...."
Fu Yamanaka, who had interjected into the conversation, completely captivated Sai's attention. He extended his right hand to him with a friendly expression:
"So that's your name, Sai, right? Please take care of me from now on."
Facing a smile that was no less intense than his own, Sai subtly sensed a hint of hostility.
But it was different from the hostility of taking a life, and he was curious about it for a moment. To figure out what it was, he slowly shook his hand back.
"Yes, please take care of me."
Seeing his team gradually developing in the direction he had hoped for, Yamato nodded with a look of relief.
"Then I'll say it again." He cleared his throat, his voice deep:
"Fu Yamanaka and Sai in one group, Chizhao and Torune in another. No matter what method you use, you each have three days to gather specific information about Gato. Also, we will summarize the information here every night. Understood?"
"Yes!"
After receiving a unified reply, Yamato looked at the sky outside the window and stood up from the ground.
"You are free to do as you please for the rest of the time, and familiarize yourselves with the environment on the island. But don't stay out too late; be back before dark, understood?"
The sunlight from outside the window shone on Yamato, and its warm glow covered his resolute face with a benevolent filter.
"Understood!!! Captain Yamato is the best!"
Chizhao jumped up and gave Yamato a big hug, then pulled the three still-dazed people and quickly pushed them out of the house, running towards the sea.
"We're going out!!!"
As Chizhao's voice faded into the distance, Yamato, with his circled eyes, stood rooted to the spot. He stiffly surveyed the empty room and, realizing he was all alone, lowered his head slightly dejected.
"Honestly, at least one person could have stayed with me."
Then he looked up again, smiling with resignation: "Well, never mind. It's a good opportunity for me to investigate the specific situation of this country myself."
Standing on the railing by the sea, the vast expanse of the ocean and sky merged into one before her, boundless, as if the end of the world converged there.
The clear, deep blue broadened her soul. Chizhao tightly gripped the railing, closed her eyes, and let the ocean's gentle murmur permeate every cell, feeling the sea's unique rhythm and cadence.
Before this unfamiliar azure, the other three boys, equally curious about the sea, were also deeply captivated by the scenery.
Sai slowly sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. He pulled out his portable sketchbook from his worn bag and began to draw something, head bowed.
"What are you drawing?" Torune, who was closest, bent slightly to look at his sketchbook.
"I don't know, but I just feel like I have to draw something." After speaking, Sai buried his head, his pen moving passionately across the white paper.
A seagull flew overhead, its white wings drawing a graceful arc between the blue sky and the clear sea, catching Torune's attention.
As his gaze followed its movement, Chizhao's figure suddenly entered his line of sight.
The girl wore worn-out clothes, her hair disheveled by the sea breeze.
When she suddenly turned to look at him, her emerald eyes, set against the backdrop of the sea, seemed like the color of life extracted from the ocean depths, radiating endless vitality and vigor.
"Torune! Come over here quickly, you'll see better from here!"
His heart skipped a beat, and he involuntarily took a step forward. But when he saw the bandages wrapped around his hand, his outstretched foot indifferently retreated.
"Never mind, I can see from here too."
Fu Yamanaka noticed Torune's apprehension and, leaning on the railing, encouraged him: "The view of the sea is better from here."
The boy's hesitant manner made Chizhao sigh involuntarily.
After jumping off the railing, she stepped towards him, took his bandaged hand, and pulled him closer to the sea.
The nervous Torune, however, focused all his attention on her hand, fearing that the Phosphorus Destruction Bugs within his body would harm her. He tried to pull his hand away, but she held on tighter.
"You're in great danger; let go of me quickly."
"Torune, close your eyes and count down ten seconds!"
"Huh? Why?" He looked at the girl in front of him, filled with confusion.
"Never mind, just do as I say."
Chizhao's voice carried a hint of firmness. Torune nervously swallowed, his hand still firmly clasped in hers.
Seeing her determined eyes, he had no choice. He obediently closed his eyes and began to count down.
"10, 9...."
As the darkness before him magnified his senses infinitely, he heard the whistling wind by his ears, accompanied by the cries of seagulls, dispelling the unease in his heart.
"6, 5..."
Through the bandages, he could feel the warmth and strength emanating from that hand.
"3, 2...."
His anxious heart gradually calmed down at this moment, as the final number ended.
He slowly opened his eyes. The sunlight was slightly dazzling, but soon, an endless expanse of blue filled his entire vision.
He saw the clear blue sea gently embracing him, along with the deadly nanobugs in his body, blending into this vast and boundless world.
The scent of the sea permeated around him, a hint of freshness mixed with the salty taste. He stood there quietly, an indescribable tranquility welling up in his heart.
"How is it? The sea is beautiful, isn't it?"
A crisp voice drifted into his ears. He slightly tilted his head, and his gaze fell upon Chizhao's bright smile.
The girl released his hand.
Withdrawing his gaze from her fair hand, Torune pressed his lips together, gripping the railing a little tighter, and whispered in a barely perceptible choked voice:
"Yes.... It's beautiful."
Fu Yamanaka patted Torune's shoulder, his eyes filled with an endless tenderness.
Sitting behind them, Sai silently watched the backs of the three poorly dressed individuals.
The sunlight spilled over them, simply outlining their bodies, their smiles merging with the blue sea. Everything seemed so unreal.
In that moment, he seemed to forget his identity as a Ninja.
On this vast expanse of sea, they were just ordinary children, as poor as he was.