The coastline of the Land of the Sea emerged faintly through the morning mist.
It resembled a gray-white ribbon stitching the dark-blue sea to the leaden sky.
Teizawa stood at the bow of the ship, the sea breeze whipping his dark-gold robes behind him.
Temari stood nearby. The wind had tossed her blonde hair into disarray, but she made no attempt to fix it. She merely watched the distant land as it drew closer.
Several Anbu operatives waited inside the cabin, as silent and motionless as statues.
Orochimaru had sent the ship.
It was not especially large and had a four-sided canopy over its deck. Waterproof sealing formulas had been carved into the hull.
The boatman was a shinobi from Otogakure. He was a man of few words, occasionally muttering things Teizawa could not understand.
Teizawa did not care.
He merely continued looking forward.
The ruins of the Uzumaki Clan lay on an island within the former Land of Whirlpools.
That once-glorious clan had left behind nothing but crumbling walls, broken foundations, and the Mask Storage Temple concealed deep within its ruins.
By the time the ship reached the shore, Orochimaru was already waiting on the dock.
He wore a white kimono secured by a purple rope belt. His pale face bore his usual inscrutable smile.
Kabuto stood behind him.
His eyes narrowed slightly behind his round glasses, making him resemble a serpent waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Sasuke stood beside Orochimaru with his arms crossed.
The wind stirred his black hair.
His cold face was completely devoid of expression, but something was clearly churning within his dark eyes.
It resembled magma and fire, a mixture of fury and humiliation that had been suppressed for far too long.
From the moment Teizawa stepped off the ship, Sasuke stared at him without blinking.
He looked like a chained beast desperate to lunge forward and tear him apart.
That could not be helped.
His previous defeat at Teizawa's hands had been so humiliating that it had practically traumatized the boy.
Ever since then, Sasuke had been obsessed with defeating him and proving himself.
Teizawa did not even spare him a glance.
He walked straight toward Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, I hope I didn't keep you waiting."
Orochimaru smiled.
"You're too courteous, Kazekage-sama. I only arrived a short while ago."
His gaze swept over Teizawa, moved to Temari, then shifted away.
Temari remained silent.
"Let's go," Teizawa said, showing no interest in exchanging pleasantries. "Lead the way."
Orochimaru did not mind.
He turned and headed inland.
Kabuto followed behind him, carefully observing their surroundings.
Teizawa walked after them with Temari close behind.
The Anbu operatives remained at the dock to guard the ship.
The island's terrain was difficult to traverse.
Collapsed stone pillars and tangled vines covered the path. Thick layers of fallen leaves and moss blanketed the ground, yielding beneath their feet like cotton.
The damp odor of decay permeated the air, mingling with the scents of soil and vegetation.
Occasionally, startled birds burst from the undergrowth and flew into the sky with a frantic beating of wings.
Orochimaru led the way as he explained the situation.
"The Uzumaki Clan's ruins lie at the center of the island. Their defensive formations have deteriorated severely over the years."
"Those barriers pose no real problem for us."
He paused.
"However, several traps and seals remain active inside. We should proceed carefully."
Teizawa said nothing.
He merely followed behind him.
He could sense that none of those barriers or traps posed any threat.
His Magnetic Perception could detect everything around him.
There was simply no reason to mention it.
"Kazekage-sama..."
Sasuke's voice suddenly came from behind him, cold as ice.
"I haven't forgotten what happened last time."
Teizawa neither looked back nor slowed his pace.
"Oh."
The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched.
He quickened his pace until he was walking beside Teizawa.
His dark eyes bored into him.
"Last time, you said killing me would be as easy as slaughtering a chicken."
"I want to see whether you're really as powerful as you claim."
Teizawa finally turned and glanced at him.
His gaze was calm, as if he were looking at a child throwing a tantrum.
"You're no match for me."
He paused.
"Train for a few more years. You might have a chance then."
Sasuke's face turned crimson.
Veins bulged across his forehead as his hand closed around the hilt of the Kusanagi Sword at his waist.
"You..."
"Sasuke."
Orochimaru's voice came from ahead.
He did not speak loudly, but his tone carried an authority that brooked no argument.
"Do not be rude. Kazekage-sama is our guest."
Sasuke gritted his teeth, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.
However, he did not fall back.
He continued walking beside Teizawa like an enraged wolf ready to pounce at any moment.
Teizawa ignored him.
He had no desire to fight Sasuke.
The kid might be irritating, but Hagoromo could very well be standing behind him.
Teizawa decided it would be better not to stir up trouble too soon.
Besides, Sasuke might have been one of the protagonists, but he was still just an inexperienced brat.
Fighting him now would amount to bullying a child.
More importantly, Teizawa had no interest in him at present.
His targets were the Nine-Tails and the tailed-beast sealing techniques.
Sasuke had not even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan yet. He was still a minor figure who had not grown into his potential.
Teizawa could wait until he became worthy of attention.
Temari walked behind him, watching Sasuke grind his teeth in frustration.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
She had seen that expression countless times.
Everyone who had been utterly crushed by Teizawa wore the same look afterward.
The group passed through a dense forest.
The view ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a vast expanse of ruins.
Collapsed stone pillars, shattered statues, moss-covered walls, and stone slabs carved with sealing formulas stretched before them.
Every fragment testified to the Uzumaki Clan's former glory.
"We're here."
Orochimaru stopped.
Teizawa raised his head and surveyed the ruins.
He could feel it.
A powerful chakra fluctuation pulsed deep within the ruins.
It resembled a heartbeat, a slow breath, or the awakening of an ancient dragon.
The Mask Storage Temple was there.
The Reaper Mask was waiting inside.
Teizawa stepped deeper into the ruins.
Sasuke watched his retreating figure.
His fist tightened, then slowly relaxed.
"What's wrong?"
Kabuto walked over and adjusted his glasses.
"Nothing."
Sasuke turned and headed in another direction.
Kabuto watched him leave, a faint smile rising to his lips.
"Interesting."
A stone chamber stood half-hidden in the depths of the ruins.
Teizawa entered with Temari behind him.
Orochimaru and Kabuto followed at the rear.
Moss covered the stone slabs beneath their feet.
Most of the domed ceiling had collapsed, exposing the gray sky overhead.
An ancient and mysterious presence filled the air, causing everyone to soften their footsteps instinctively.
"It's here."
Orochimaru stopped and pointed at a tightly shut stone door.
Teizawa approached and placed one hand against it.
The door was extremely heavy, but it opened with the lightest push.
A small stone chamber lay beyond it.
Luminous pearls embedded in the walls cast a cold, ghostly light across the interior.
A stone altar stood at the center of the chamber.
A single mask rested upon it.
The mask was white.
Its expression was hideous, with hollow eyes and a mouth stretched almost to its ears, as though it were mocking the world.
The Reaper Mask.
Teizawa walked over and picked it up.
It was as light as if it had been made from paper, yet cold to the touch.
Holding it felt like touching death itself.
He turned it over several times and carefully inspected it.
There was no mistake.
"I found it."
His voice was soft.
Orochimaru approached and stood beside him, studying the mask.
"So this is the Reaper Mask?"
"Yes."
Teizawa stored the mask inside a sealing scroll.
"With this, we can undo the Dead Demon Consuming Seal."
Something flickered in Orochimaru's eyes.
"The Dead Demon Consuming Seal..."
Teizawa looked at him and smiled.
"When the time comes, you'll be able to restore your arms."
"I look forward to it."
Orochimaru's voice was low and hoarse.
Teizawa said nothing more.
He turned and headed out of the stone chamber.
"Let's go. There's nothing else here worth seeing."
Orochimaru followed him.
Kabuto and Temari came after them.
The four emerged from the ruins, and warm sunlight washed over their faces.
Their ship was still waiting at the dock.
Sasuke stood on the shore, gazing out across the sea.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Hearing their footsteps, he turned and looked at Teizawa.
The unwillingness churning within his dark eyes had not diminished in the slightest.
Teizawa ignored him and boarded the ship.
The vessel slowly pulled away from the shore and began sailing back the way it had come.
The island's ruins receded into the distance until they finally vanished from sight.
Teizawa stood at the bow, holding the sealing scroll in one hand.
The Reaper Mask was his.
His next step was to undo the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and extract the other half of the Nine-Tails from Minato.
Temari walked over and stopped beside him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Teizawa lowered his gaze to her green eyes and smiled.
"I was thinking about what we should eat when we get home. How about we treat ourselves to something special?"
Temari's face reddened.
She glared at him.
"You're hopeless."
(End of Chapter)
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