As soon as they arrived at the port, Kawamatsu eagerly led Rasa and his team to find a sailor and a ship. Being a familiar face in the area, he quickly found a sailor willing to take them to Forgotten Island.
The man was a dark-skinned, rugged-looking seafarer named Ootsu. According to him, he had ventured into the waters surrounding Forgotten Island before. At first, he was reluctant to go again since the dangers near the island were too great.
However, upon learning that Rasa's group consisted of shinobi and that they were offering a generous payment, he changed his mind.
As Ootsu put it, "With shinobi protecting us, maybe Forgotten Island isn't that dangerous after all."
But securing a sailor wasn't enough as they still needed a ship. Following Ootsu's recommendation, Rasa and his team made a decisive move: they directly purchased a ship.
With this, Sand Hawk and Sand Lizard no longer needed to stay in hiding. They boarded the newly acquired Sunagakure vessel openly.
Thus, with Kawamatsu's merchant ship leading the way and Rasa's newly bought ship following, the two vessels set sail into the vast ocean.
---
On the boundless ocean, one large and one small ship sailed side by side. Seagulls followed along, eagerly snatching up scraps of food tossed by the sailors.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the golden hues of the sunset bathed the entire ocean in shimmering light. For the shinobi of Sunagakure, the ocean was an entirely new and fascinating sight.
Even the well-traveled jōnin, who had seen many corners of the world, found themselves mesmerized by the breathtaking seascape.
Meanwhile, Rasa sat with Ootsu, engaging him in conversation to gather information about Forgotten Island.
"Ootsu-san, have you ever set foot on Forgotten Island?"
Ootsu steered the ship while chuckling sheepishly.
"No... I've only sailed near the island but I've never dared to set foot on it."
Rasa raised a brow.
"Why is that?"
"Because it's too dangerous."
Ootsu sighed.
"Rasa-dono, you may not know this, but the storms around Forgotten Island aren't the only threats. The giant creatures living on the island have an extremely strong territorial instinct. Their hunting grounds extend beyond the island itself and into the surrounding waters."
"I see… What kinds of giant creatures have you encountered?"
"From a distance, I once saw a massive crab that could spit out bubbles—it was huge, far larger than my ship. I've also spotted a sea serpent whose body alone was wider than this very vessel."
"Hasn't anyone ever tried to explore the island out of curiosity?"
Upon hearing Rasa's question, Ootsu's expression suddenly became mysterious.
"They have, Rasa-dono. But… they say that anyone who manages to return from the island loses all memories of their time there. That's why it's called 'Forgotten Island.'"
!!
Rasa was momentarily taken aback—he hadn't expected such a phenomenon.
"So, people say the island is haunted by the ghosts of the dead."
"Ghosts?"
At those words, tension filled the ship. Even the two jōnin onboard visibly stiffened.
Sand Lizard hesitated before asking, "You're joking… right?"
"No, I'm not!"
Ootsu's expression was serious.
"We sailors have seen ghosts before—ghost ships, even sea monsters! The ocean is full of things that defy reason."
Both shinobi's faces turned pale at the mention of ghosts.
Seeing this, Rasa raised an eyebrow and asked.
"As shinobi, are you really afraid of things like this?"
The two were startled and quickly waved their hands in denial.
"N-No, Rasa-sama! We're just... curious!"
Ootsu, seeing their reaction, chuckled.
"Relax! Our luck isn't that bad. Even for us sailors, encountering something supernatural is rare!"
Hearing that, everyone let out a sigh of relief. But while the others laughed and joked, Rasa fell into deep thought.
A memory surfaced—one of the final moments in the Naruto story.
When the Sage of the Six Paths, Hagoromo Ootsutsuki, summoned the spirits of past Kage from the Pure Land, bringing them to the real world to help Naruto and Sasuke escape Kaguya's dimension.
At the time, it didn't seem strange. But thinking back now, something about it didn't add up.
If it were just Minato Namikaze or Hiruzen Sarutobi—whose souls had been sealed in the Shinigami's belly by the Reaper Death Seal—it would make sense.
Even Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju could be explained, given their ties to Indra and Asura's reincarnation cycle.
But what about the other past Kage? Especially someone like Tobirama Senju, who had been dead for so long—why did his soul still exist?
And then there was Kabuto's Edo Tensei army. If even minor shinobi could be revived, did that mean every soul in this world remained after death? Was there really no reincarnation in this world?
Or…
Has the Sage of the Six Paths been keeping all souls trapped somewhere all along?
The more he thought about it, the more chilling the implications became.
And what about the Reaper Death Seal? What was that Shinigami?
Even Kurama, a Tailed Beast, had been powerless against it—instantly sealed away.
That thing wasn't just any jutsu, it was the only entity in this world explicitly called a "god."
No… there was one other.
Jashin, the deity that granted Hidan immortality. Perhaps… diving deeper into death and souls in this world wasn't a bad idea.
He could even ask Hana if she knew anything. Though, unfortunately, Hanabusa wasn't skilled in sealing jutsu. Maybe a trip to the Land of Whirlpools, to the ruins of the Uzumaki Clan, could provide some answers. Or even the Land of Demons, where the shrine maiden guarded against the demon Mōryō.
Yes—once this Forgotten Island mission was over, he would travel to the Land of Demons. There were still too many secrets hidden in this world.
But there was no rush. One step at a time.
---
Rasa retreated to his quarters to meditate on Senjutsu energy.
The journey to Forgotten Island would take two days, so he saw no point in lingering on deck, making the jōnin nervous.
However, he didn't remain in his room for long as soon, it was dinnertime.
Ootsu anchored the ship and took on the role of chef. Before long, a lavish seafood feast was ready.
"Rasa-dono, please try some! Since you're from Sunagakure, I imagine you've never had seafood like this before?"
Rasa smiled.
"Then I'll be sure to enjoy it."
Of course, as a shinobi, he remained cautious as the entire ship was under Sand Lizard's watchful eye.
Meanwhile, Thunder Blade and Wind Blade stayed on Kawamatsu's ship to protect the merchants. Just as everyone was happily digging into the feast, a sudden shout came from outside.
Before Rasa could even ask, Thunder Blade appeared in a flicker, his expression shocked.
"Kazekage-sama! A ghost ship has appeared!!!"
"WHAT?!"