Naruto: My Hiddden Village-Chapter 46: Land of Water

The room was filled with tense silence, broken only by Nanami's soft sobs.

Ozora, after absorbing the heartbreaking explanation from the married couple, wanted to immediately say that they would definitely accept this mission without any hesitation.

He felt deep empathy for the parents' desperation.

However, before Ozora could even utter a word, he was stopped by Tsubasa.

"Wait a moment, Brother," Tsubasa said in a serious tone while looking at Yuuto with a sharp, probing gaze.

His calm yet analytical eyes focused on Yuuto. "I'd like to ask Yuuto-san something first."

"Yuuto-san, if I'm not mistaken, you're a ninja, aren't you? I can sense a fairly strong chakra from your body, even though you're hiding it quite well," Tsubasa continued, his gaze becoming sharper.

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"Why didn't you try to find your daughter yourself, and instead came to us?" Tsubasa asked with a slightly suspicious tone, a hint of doubt in his question.

When Nanami heard this fact, she was also quite surprised.

Her eyes widened, and she turned to her husband with an expression of disbelief.

"Is that true, Dear?" then she continued in a slightly disappointed tone, "Why have you been hiding this from me all this time?" There was a bitter tone in her voice, feeling betrayed by her husband's secret.

After a moment of shock as his secret was revealed, Yuuto finally took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

"Well, I apologize for hiding this from you, Nanami. But I didn't do it with bad intentions, I just wanted to live peacefully with the two of you, so I hid my ninja identity," Yuuto explained regretfully, looking into his wife's eyes with hope that she could understand.

"Also, my ninja clan was destroyed in a terrible war several years ago, leaving only a few people scattered throughout the ninja world. That's why I hate fighting and war, so I decided to stop being a ninja and seek a quiet life. That's when I met you and chose to live peacefully with you," Yuuto continued his explanation.

After explaining to his wife, Yuuto turned his attention back to Tsubasa, looking at him with great hope. "That's why I have chakra. Because you could find out my identity so easily, I have more faith in your abilities. I haven't been on a ninja mission for a long time, so I'm not sure I can find my daughter myself. My tracking and fighting skills might be rusty. That's why I humbly ask for your help," Yuuto explained his reasons sincerely, hoping Tsubasa could understand his situation.

Tsubasa nodded in understanding.

He could sense the sincerity in Yuuto's words. "In that case, since you were once a ninja, you must be able to use the Transformation Technique (Henge no Jutsu), right? Can you transform into your daughter, Yuuto-san?" Tsubasa asked in a serious tone, an idea forming in his mind.

"Of course, she is our daughter," Yuuto replied confidently while performing the necessary hand seals for the transformation technique.

Instantly, Yuuto's body was enveloped in a thin puff of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, in his place stood a small girl with blonde hair and innocent round eyes that somewhat resembled Nanami's face.

After seeing what Airi looked like, they all returned to the Hayasaka family's house to begin their investigation.

Upon arriving, they began searching for any traces that the perpetrator might have left behind inside and around the house.

They carefully examined every corner of the room, not missing a single detail that might have been overlooked.

With the experience from the various missions they had undertaken as the Yorozuya team, they finally found a small but important clue.

Near the open window in Airi's room, they found several strands of leaves that looked like they had been stepped on by someone in a hurry.

The leaves did not come from the plants around their house.

Tsubasa also sensed faint chakra traces that might belong to the kidnapper with his subtle perception ninjutsu.

As they were about to start following the trail to find Airi's location, Yuuto suddenly took the initiative to join them.

As a father, he felt he couldn't just stay at home and wait with a gripping feeling of anxiety.

He felt he had to actively participate in his daughter's rescue mission.

However, in the end, Tsubasa politely but firmly refused his request.

Tsubasa explained that Yuuto-san had left his ninja identity for too long.

His fighting skills might not be as sharp as before, and they didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.

"Yuuto-san, I really understand your feelings as a father. But this mission might be dangerous. Let us handle it. You can wait here with Nanami-san," Tsubasa said in a gentle but firm tone.

With a heavy heart, Yuuto finally gave in and allowed the Yorozuya team to leave without him.

He knew Tsubasa was right; he might become a burden if a fight broke out.

At this moment, he could only trust the abilities of the Yorozuya team and pray that Airi could be found safe and sound soon.

So, in the end, the Yorozuya team left the anxious couple and began following the trail of leaves left behind.

The trail led them closer and closer to the shoreline, where small waves broke the silence of the night with a gentle lapping sound.

"Ahh... it seems the culprit took Airi to the Land of Water by sea. This is going to be a troublesome mission," Benkei muttered while looking at the dark and vast ocean with a worried expression.

"Yeah, there are many islands in the Land of Water, right? We don't even know which island they went to," Ginga chimed in with a similar worried tone.

"Come on, we've already accepted this mission, so we have to do our best. We can't just give up," Tsubasa said in a determined tone, encouraging his comrades who were starting to look a little pessimistic. "We will find Airi, no matter what."

Meanwhile, Ozora and Kyoya were asking the boat owners around the beach to rent a boat that could take them to the Land of Water.

They asked from one boat owner to another, offering a decent payment.

Some boat owners politely declined their offer, reasoning that it was already late at night and the journey to the Land of Water was quite dangerous at night due to unpredictable waves and potential attacks from sea creatures or even enemy ninjas.

However, after searching for a while, with a bit of luck and persistent negotiation from Ozora, they finally found an old boat owner with a wrinkled face and wise eyes who was willing to take them in exchange for a large sum of money.

After finding a boat owner willing to take them, the Yorozuya team immediately prepared to depart.

They didn't want to waste any more time; every second was precious in this rescue mission.

With the meager supplies they had brought, the Yorozuya team finally set sail for the Land of Water from the Land of Waves in the cold and quiet middle of the night.

The calm sea waves and the star-studded night sky silently witnessed their journey.

On the gently creaking wooden boat, Tsubasa stood near the stern, gazing at the star-studded night sky.

His mind wandered, trying to formulate a plan for the rescue mission in the Land of Water.

But his focus shifted when he saw Ozora sitting nearby, his face looking gloomy and pensive.

"Are you still thinking about your power, Brother?" Tsubasa asked softly, without taking his eyes off the vast sky.

Ozora let out a long sigh, his voice sounding heavy. "How can I not think about it, Tsubasa? That power... it's like a part of me. Now, it feels like something is missing, a big hole that can't be filled."

"I know, Brother. But you mustn't give up. I'm sure you'll be able to get it back. Maybe it just needs time," Tsubasa comforted with a confident tone.

"Time? It's been months, Tsubasa. I've tried all sorts of ways, meditation, physical training, even trying to remember how I felt back then, but it still doesn't work," Ozora said with a clearly desperate tone.

"Maybe there's a reason why that power disappeared, Brother. Maybe there's something you need to learn first before you can use it again," Tsubasa said wisely.

"What reason? What do I have to learn?" Ozora asked with a cynical tone, slightly disbelieving his younger brother's words.

"Maybe... you need to learn to accept yourself as you are, with all your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe in your deepest heart, you still feel guilty or unworthy of that power because of the unusual way it awakened." Even though Tsubasa knew the real reason for Ozora's memory loss and lost power, he chose not to tell him now, waiting for the right time.

Ozora fell silent, pondering his younger brother's words.

He knew Tsubasa might be right.

He still hadn't fully accepted the process of him awakening that immense power when fighting Hachibi.

"Thank you, Tsubasa," Ozora finally said, with a thin and sincere smile on his lips.

"Maybe you're right," He felt a little calmer after talking to his younger brother.

Tsubasa smiled in relief; he knew his older brother was starting to accept his situation and look forward.

Meanwhile, in another part of the dark boat, Benkei and Kyoya were playing cards with the dim light from an oil lamp hanging near them.

Ginga sat near them, occasionally commenting on the progress of the game in a relaxed tone.

"Hahaha! Got you, Benkei! My card is higher!" Kyoya exclaimed mockingly while showing his trump card, an ace.

He laughed with satisfaction seeing Benkei's annoyed expression.

Benkei growled in annoyance, his teeth clenching. "Damn it! You're always lucky, Kyoya!"

"It's not luck, it's skill! My brain is sharper than yours, Benkei!" Kyoya retorted while laughing heartily.

"Skill my foot! You're just cheating! I bet you're hiding cards in your sleeves!" Benkei accused with a tone of disbelief.

"Hey! I'm not cheating! You're just not good at playing!" Kyoya argued while sticking out his tongue.

Ginga just shook his head while smiling amusedly at his two friends' antics.

They both always bickered like children, but at the same time, they were also very loyal to each other.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing like little kids," Ginga interjected with a patient tone. "It's better for us to rest and save our energy. Tomorrow we'll arrive in the Land of Water, and we don't know what awaits us there."

Benkei and Kyoya sighed and nodded in reluctant agreement.

They knew Ginga was right.

They had to save their energy for Airi's rescue mission tomorrow.

They both lay down on the deck of the boat, trying to sleep despite the sound of the waves and the creaking of the boat constantly accompanying them.

The next morning, as the sun began to rise on the eastern horizon, painting the sky with beautiful gradients of orange and pink, they finally arrived in the waters of the Land of Water.

From a distance, they could see several small islands that looked like green jewels floating on the blue ocean, shrouded in a thin mist that gave them a mysterious impression.

"Wow, the scenery is so beautiful!" Kyoya exclaimed in amazement, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the natural beauty of the Land of Water.

"Yeah, but we can't let our guard down just because the scenery is beautiful. The Land of Water is famous for its strong water ninjas, especially when they fight at sea. They can use their Suiton Ninjutsu very effectively here," Benkei reminded them in a serious tone.

"Don't worry, we'll be careful and always on alert," Ginga replied in a serious and confident tone.

They then got off the boat after thanking the old boat owner and paying him according to their agreement.

They set foot on one of the small islands that looked deserted.

They immediately dispersed, looking for information about Airi's whereabouts.

They asked several locals they encountered, but not a single one had seen a little girl with the characteristics they described.

"Looks like we have to search on our own," Ozora said in a slightly disappointed tone.

They then scattered in different directions, looking for clues in every corner of the island.