"Sensei," Naruto said, lazily leaning over the side of the boat as the water gently lapped against the hull. "After this river… there's the sea, right?"
Tazuna nodded, arms folded as he looked out toward the horizon. "Yeah. That's exactly why I'm building the bridge—to connect Nami no Kuni to the mainland. We're an island, remember? Without that bridge, we're cut off, isolated."
Sasuke, sitting at the edge of the boat with the oar in hand, gave a light grunt as he continued rowing. The motion was steady, rhythmic. They had been taking turns—Karin had outright refused to row, claiming she was "strategically supervising from a seated position," which basically meant "absolutely not."
"The sea breeze feels different," Naruto muttered, closing his eyes and letting the wind play with his hair. "Feels... like it's calling."
"Maybe it's calling you to finally do some rowing," Sasuke said dryly.
Naruto cracked a grin. "Nah, it's probably calling you to row harder."
Tazuna chuckled under his breath. "You kids are something else."
As the boat glided toward the distant outline of the island, the sunlight broke through the trees above, scattering golden reflections across the water like drifting memories. For a brief moment, everything was still—no enemies, no tension, just the quiet promise of what was waiting ahead.
The mist around them began to thicken, curling like ghostly fingers over the boat and swallowing the distant shoreline.
"Don't worry," Tazuna said with a calm smile. "The denser the mist, the closer we are to my home."
"Sensei," Naruto piped up, curiosity flickering in his tone, "what kind of island is it, exactly?"
"Yeah," Karin chimed in, trailing her fingers through the cool water before flicking a splash at Naruto with a playful grin. "Even an elite jonin came after you—it's gotta be something special."
Naruto blinked as the splash of cold water hit his cheek. "Oi! That was uncalled for!" he laughed, flicking a few droplets back at Karin in retaliation.
Karin grinned, clearly enjoying herself. "That's for pretending to be all serious when I know you were half-asleep five minutes ago."
Tazuna chuckled, watching the playful banter as the boat cut through the thickening mist. "You two sure have energy to spare."
Sasuke rolled his eyes but didn't say anything—though if one looked closely, there was a faint tug at the corner of his lips. Progress.
"The island," Tazuna began, tone shifting just a bit more serious, "isn't like the rest of the Land of Fire. It's quieter. Poorer. Simple. We're surrounded by sea on all sides, and we've been cut off from proper trade for years. That's what made us vulnerable to Gato and his men."
Naruto leaned forward, elbows on his knees, listening intently. "But it's still your home."
Tazuna nodded. "It is. There's something peaceful about it—even if we're struggling. The people are kind. They share what little they have. And they believe in hard work. That's why I took on the bridge. Not for me. For them."
Karin stopped splashing and looked at the mist creeping in, now swirling like ghostly fingers around the boat. "That's why someone like Zabuza was sent after you? Because you're trying to give your people hope?"
Tazuna's jaw clenched, his gaze forward. "Hope is dangerous to people who profit off fear."
A hush settled over the boat. The only sound was the creaking of wood and the soft splash of oars slicing through water. Naruto stared into the mist, eyes narrowing with resolve.
"Well," he said finally, voice firm, "then let's finish what we started. We'll protect your hope, Tazuna-san. No matter what."
Karin smiled proudly while Sasuke gave a quiet, approving nod.
The mist thickened further—but now, it wasn't just mist.
It was the veil to something greater, something that awaited beyond the fog… the island of Nami no Kuni.
After hours of rowing, the boat gently rocked as they pushed through the misty waters. At some point, Naruto had taken over rowing, noticing Sasuke was nearly running on fumes.
"Nii-san, I see land!" Karin called out, eyes sparkling as she pointed ahead.
Naruto followed her gaze. "Yeah… let's pick up the pace," he said, digging the oars into the water with renewed energy.
Before long, the boat scraped softly against the shoreline.
Naruto hopped out first, landing with a satisfying thud on solid ground. "Ah, finally—land!" he grinned, stretching his arms wide as if embracing the island itself. "I was starting to think I'd turn into a fish."
Tazuna stepped off the boat last, taking in the familiar coastline with a gentle smile. "Welcome to Nami no Kuni."
Before them lay a path leading through a sparse forest, with the silhouette of buildings barely visible in the distance. The air was thick with salt, the mist still curling lazily between the trees.
Karin took a deep breath. "It's… humble."
Tazuna nodded. "We don't have much. But we have people who care. That's why I'm glad you're here. I know it's risky, but… I believe the bridge will be the start of something better."
Naruto patted Tazuna's back with a confident smile. "Then we're not just gonna finish it. We're gonna protect it with everything we've got."
Sasuke stood, stretching his arms behind his back. "So… how far is the town?"
Tazuna scratched his beard. "About an hour's walk."
Naruto groaned dramatically. "Another hour?!"
"Wanna row back instead?" Sasuke shot back.
Naruto immediately turned and started walking. "Nope. Onward!"
Karin just laughed and followed after him, her eyes lighting up at the sight of birds flying overhead—signs of life and peace. For now.
The real storm, they all knew, was still ahead. But for this brief moment, they were just kids on a path through the woods, walking into a mist-covered world of quiet strength and quiet hope.
Naruto froze mid-step, eyes wide. "Hold up—where's Kakashi-sensei?!"
Everyone paused.
Karin slapped her forehead. "Oops… we forgot about him."
Naruto turned so fast that he nearly twisted his ankle. "YOU FORGOT HIM?! That man nearly died for us!"
Sasuke, already spinning on his heel, muttered, "You kissed through half his fight."
"That's... that's slander!" Naruto shouted, pointing dramatically as Karin tried to whistle innocently.
Without another word, Sasuke dashed back toward the boat, his footsteps crunching against gravel and wet earth.
Naruto groaned. "Man's gonna wake up and think we left him to be boat sushi."
Karin sighed, then nudged Naruto with her elbow. "Well, at least he didn't wake up and see what we were doing."
Naruto flushed slightly. "Can you not say it like that?"
Tazuna just shook his head with a long-suffering sigh. "How did the Konoha think this was the dream team?"
A few minutes later, Sasuke came back, panting slightly and carrying Kakashi on his back again.
"Never… letting you row or lead again," Sasuke grunted.
"Fair," Naruto nodded. "Very fair."
And with that, Team 7 resumed their walk to Nami no Kuni—this time, with all members accounted for.
After half an hour, the scenery shifted—the dense forest gave way to open grasslands dotted with small homes. The path widened, and signs of life slowly emerged. Villagers peeked out from behind doorways and fences, eyes tracking the group with quiet curiosity.
But as soon as they recognized Tazuna, their expressions changed. One by one, they turned away, retreating into their homes or walking off hurriedly, as if trying to pretend they hadn't seen him.
Naruto furrowed his brows. "Sensei… am I tripping, or are they avoiding you? I thought you were a legend here. Shouldn't they be, I don't know, throwing flower petals or something?"
His tone was half-joking, but the confusion in his voice was real.
Tazuna scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile forming. "Ah… yeah, about that…"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That's not the answer of an innocent man, Tazuna-sensei."
Even Karin chimed in, crossing her arms. "You look more like a shady merchant who owes everyone sake money."
"I do not!" Tazuna blurted out, then paused. "…Okay, maybe just a few. But that's not the point."
Sasuke, still carrying Kakashi like a grumpy backpack, side-eyed him. "Then what is the point?"
Tazuna sighed, a hint of frustration slipping into his voice. "These people… they've been living in fear. Gato's men have been terrorizing the village ever since he took control. They've lost hope in the bridge, in me—even in each other. So yeah, they're avoiding me. Not out of hate… out of despair."
Naruto's expression shifted. That fire in his eyes, the same one that refused to back down to Zabuza, flickered brighter.
"Then it's time we give them a reason to hope again," he said.
Karin smiled softly. "A bridge… not just between lands, huh?"
Tazuna looked at them—these kids from Konoha, dragging an unconscious Jonin and cracking jokes—and for the first time in weeks, he let himself believe.
"Let's go," he said. "My house isn't far."
Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Good. I'm starving. And if we're inspiring a village, I wanna do it on a full stomach."