The Sakura Legend

Waters near Red Shoal Island

The greatest difference between a ninja and an ordinary person is chakra – that blend of physical and spiritual energy which, once refined, elevates shinobi capabilities far beyond normal human limits. Chakra also nourishes the ninja's body, allowing them to exert superhuman strength. When a chakra-wielding ninja faces an ordinary person in combat, the latter has absolutely no chance of victory.

It was precisely because of this potent energy that the highly efficient ninja system eventually superseded the long-established samurai traditions in lands with hidden villages. However, without the correct training methods, extracting chakra is incredibly difficult for ordinary people. Thus, in nations lacking ninja villages, samurai still endure.

Feeling the sharp gust of wind from the sword slashing down from behind, Sakura shifted sideways with minimal effort, easily dodging the blow. The guard's strike hit nothing but air, causing him to lose his balance and stumble forward.

With feigned helpfulness, Sakura extended a leg, placing it against the guard's chest to halt his forward momentum. However, perhaps she used a bit too much force – the moment her leg made contact, the guard flew backward at an unnaturally high speed.

Hearing the commotion, other crew members immediately rushed over. Seeing the fallen guard on the deck, they hurried to help him up.

"Tatsuo! Are you alright?" two men asked as they supported him.

"I'm fine... damn it!" the guard, Tatsuo, spat out, glaring furiously at Sakura.

"What is the meaning of this?!" another young crewman demanded, stepping forward accusingly towards Sakura.

"Stand down!" barked a more senior crew member.

"Urk... Yes, sir," the younger man replied, retreating reluctantly back to Tatsuo's side.

The older crewman then approached Sakura, bowing deeply. "My sincerest apologies for the trouble. My name is Ryuichi. I am currently serving as the captain of this vessel, and I am also the head of Lord Chino's personal guard detail."

"Mm, hello," Sakura acknowledged coolly. "I'm fine, personally. I just hope you can keep your subordinates in line. Otherwise, it makes it very difficult for us to continue this mission." Seeing his polite attitude, she decided not to press the issue further, though technically, a client attacking a hired ninja was grounds for immediate contract termination.

"I will manage my men properly. Again, I am truly sorry. We should reach Red Shoal Island this afternoon. Until then, I ask for your continued diligence," Ryuichi replied, his demeanor respectful and composed.

"Understood," Sakura said. "But know this: if something like this happens again, we reserve the right to terminate the contract unilaterally." She directed a pointed look towards Tatsuo, who still looked ready to charge forward again.

"You two, keep an eye on Tatsuo," Ryuichi ordered, turning to the men still supporting the young guard.

"Yes, sir!" "Understood!"

Ryuichi offered Sakura another brief bow before excusing himself.

Observing the stark contrast between Ryuichi's deference and Tatsuo's audacity, Sakura made a small deduction. Ryuichi was likely a true professional guard, while Tatsuo probably held some kind of special status or connection that made him feel entitled to act so recklessly.

Not that it matters, Sakura thought dismissively. What good is status? I wouldn't flinch even facing a Daimyo. Ultimately, power dictates authority, and ninja are power. Nothing to be afraid of.

"Sakura, what happened?" Hinata asked, approaching with Kiba and Shino now that the situation seemed resolved.

"Nothing much. Just ran into a brainless idiot," Sakura said lightly. "Any discoveries last night, Hinata?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, Sakura-san. However, the fish here seem even larger and more numerous than yesterday," Hinata reported.

"Hm? Fish!" Hearing Hinata repeat her observation from the previous day suddenly sparked an idea in Sakura's mind.

Walking over to the ship's railing, Sakura gazed down at the water thoughtfully. She turned to Kiba. "Kiba, Akamaru knows how to swim, right?"

"Huh? Yeah, he does," Kiba confirmed.

"Then maybe you could get Akamaru to jump in and catch a few fish for us— uh, never mind," Sakura quickly backtracked, looking at Akamaru's small, trembling form. He was still just a pup.

"...?" Kiba blinked. "Awooo~" Akamaru let out a soft whimper.

"Haha, sorry. I'll just go ask the captain," Sakura said sheepishly, heading off to find Ryuichi, who was currently directing the ship's course.

When Sakura made her request, however, Ryuichi looked somewhat troubled.

"It's not that I don't want to help you, but... we don't have any fishing equipment on board," he explained.

"Eh? You mean you don't fish at all?"

"Ah... well, ever since cattle raising brought us such great wealth, very few people go out fishing anymore," Ryuichi elaborated. "Most fishermen converted their boats into cattle transports. The occasional fishing that still happens is mostly just to supply the restaurants in town."

"Ah, so that's why nearly every shop and restaurant I saw was selling something related to beef," Sakura mused, slightly disappointed.

"If you'd like to eat fish, you can certainly buy some once we reach Red Shoal Island," Ryuichi offered. "There are still quite a few fishermen there. The fish caught around the island are quite large, and they taste much fresher and more delicious than fish from other waters."

"Besides fishing and cattle raising, are there any other specialties or tasty things on the island?" Sakura asked, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Let me think..." Ryuichi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Honestly, not really. The island was originally very sparsely populated. Before we discovered it, the inhabitants were self-sufficient, living off their cattle and fishing. It's only in the last few decades, after Lord Chino developed Ise Town, that things started changing there, bringing in more goods and people. Without Lord Chino, that place would probably still be living like it was in ancient times."

"'Ancient times'?" Sakura latched onto Ryuichi's description, a strong sense of dissonance prickling at her. "Captain Ryuichi, could you tell me more about the island's situation?"

"Haha, certainly. Actually, I was the second person from Ise Town to set foot on that island. Lord Chino was the first to discover it," Ryuichi said with a hint of pride.

"Wait," Sakura interrupted, "How old is Lord Chino?" The timeline felt wrong. If he discovered the island decades ago, how could he look like he was only around thirty?

"Haha, you noticed," Ryuichi chuckled. "Actually, Lord Chino is fifty-six this year. He's ten years older than me. It's something only a handful of people know."

"Does Lord Chino practice ninjutsu?" Sakura asked bluntly.

"No, not at all," Ryuichi shook his head firmly. "The Lord is an ordinary man. He hasn't trained in any form of ninjutsu."

"Then why does he look so young?" Sakura pressed, deciding not to worry about whether it was a personal secret.

"That... I'm not entirely sure myself," Ryuichi replied, though his expression flickered slightly. "But we don't concern ourselves with it. For Ise Town, all that matters is that as long as Lord Chino is here, our prosperity won't decline."

"Alright then," Sakura conceded, sensing Ryuichi knew more than he was letting on but wouldn't reveal it. Damn, I wish Karin were here, she thought regretfully. At least then I'd know if he's lying. "In that case, please just tell me more about the island itself."

"Well, there isn't that much to tell, really," Ryuichi continued. "Lord Chino found it first, and soon after, he brought me along. When I first arrived, the people there lived like simple fishermen. Raising cattle was more of a side activity; fishing was their main livelihood. Their houses were built in a very old style, the kind you wouldn't see even among the most ancient architecture within the shinobi lands." Ryuichi paused there.

"Anything else? Besides the buildings?" Sakura prompted, finding this tidbit insufficient.

"Hmmm... How to put it... There really wasn't much else," Ryuichi said, scratching his head. "Their population was small, and they didn't have many unique possessions. It's just that the food there – the fish, the beef – it all tastes exceptionally good, and everything grows quite large. So, their lives were fairly simple and peaceful."

"I see. How did you communicate with them initially?" Sakura asked.

"Ah, that! Actually, I found it quite strange at the time," Ryuichi recalled. "Their spoken language wasn't very different from ours. They could understand us, and we could understand them. But it seemed... they didn't have any form of writing. They could only speak." He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh, I just remembered! They had a sort of ritual site, a place for worship. They seemed to worship a god, or maybe it was a person... even the locals weren't entirely sure. It was just an ancient tradition passed down, and they couldn't clearly explain its origin. That place was quite unique. It's gone now, though. Outsiders who came to the island built houses over it recently, and the locals didn't object. So, I suppose it wasn't that important to them."

"Captain Ryuichi," Sakura asked, feeling her heart beat a little faster, "do you know what or who they worshipped there?" This could be a clue to a hidden secret, or it could just be a slightly unusual local custom – a dead end.

"Hmm, let me think. It's been quite a while..." Ryuichi closed his eyes, concentrating.

Just as Sakura's patience was about to wear thin, Ryuichi's eyes snapped open. "Tsugami."

"Tsugami?"

"Yes, that's it! I remember now. The being they worshipped at that site seemed to be called Tsugami. Though, I vaguely recall conflicting accounts... some said Tsugami wasn't a god, but a person's name. I can't remember any more details than that. If you're interested, you could try asking some of the older locals on the island. The younger generation probably wouldn't know," Ryuichi suggested.

"Thank you very much for the information, Captain Ryuichi," Sakura said politely.

"Haha, think nothing of it! Ise Town is counting on you entirely this time," Ryuichi replied, displaying the smooth diplomacy that Tatsuo so clearly lacked.

Gazing out at the vast ocean, Sakura mentally processed the information Ryuichi had provided. This place, Red Shoal Island... it seemed to exist outside the sphere of the shinobi world, a relic perhaps, preserved from a much older era.

Tsugami... she mused. What could that possibly be...?