Stealing a ship turned out to be surprisingly easy. We couldn't take anything large because a three-person crew on a merchant vessel would look suspicious and hard to navigate. It also had to be fast, seaworthy, and most of all, already supplied. In the end, we found a narrow fishing vessel tied to the pier with one mast and enough sail to move quickly without needing a full crew. Naturally, still in the middle of the night, the owner was nowhere in sight, so we took it.
As if being jinxed, just then, we heard steps coming towards us, so I sprang into action and, using my eyes, a simple, weak genjutsu kept the closest harbor watchman staring into the fog while we lowered the sail. Yep, nothing to see here, pal, just keep looking at your own shoes, admiring how big your toes are. Keep your eyes away from us, while Minato pushes us out from the pier using a boat hook. Good boy. Goood... Bye!
In just ten minutes, we were off and out in the ocean, hidden inside their own fog. No fuss, no alarms, nothing... A little disappointing, really.
"That was too easy," I whispered.
"When will you learn?" Jiraiya-sensei held the rudder, staring ahead, snorting, "Never say that during a mission, only when we are back home!"
I was about to say something, just for saying something, when a sudden wave struck the side of the boat, spraying me with freezing seawater.
"..." Minato tried not to laugh, turning away at once, and naturally, Jiraiya-sensei still looked straight ahead, but I could see the corner of his mouth moving.
"Okay, okay... Point taken," I muttered, shivering now.
"Get the forward line secured," Sensei ordered, clearing his throat from the laugh hiding in there.
As we kept sailing in the middle of the night and in the thick fog, I was beginning to understand why sailors were always portrayed as either drunk or angry. Those were the only reasonable reactions to have after spending time on the ocean, so no wonder Captain Jack was so unstable on solid ground. As for the duration of the trip, I remained near the mast, using my Sharingan in short intervals, checking for hidden traps or whatever else may lurk in the fog. Keeping it active through hours would tire my eyes too quickly, so we had to be smart about it.
I quickly realized that the fog wasn't uniform, and that some parts flowed naturally where the wind caught it, spreading and thinning with the wind. However, at some other spots, it remained too dense, resisting the current. I didn't need to see more to realize that Kiri teams were most likely maintaining it, and ships had to be hidden inside those parts.
"Chakra in the fog." I suddenly discovered, as we neared another, way-too-still part of the fog, "Can't pinpoint the proper shape... but it is there."
"Can you identify the source?" Sensei asked.
"No chance. The chakra spreads out too widely, and it could be a jutsu that is maintained by multiple people."
"Don't strain yourself."
"I know." I nodded and turned the Sharingan off and blinked away the faint sting.
It was how we kept moving, sometimes having to make long detours. But, as dawn was nearing, for the first several hours, we saw nobody. We kept away from the standard trade lanes as best as we could and followed the coordinates copied from Kiri's message, but in reverse. If they had positioned their screens to avoid Konoha patrols, then we could use the same gaps to reach Uzushiogakure. They did write it would be opened.... So... We should be fine? At least, that was the plan. The problem with using an enemy's secret route was that the enemy used it too, so... yeah.
It was already into the day when, in one moment, I activated my Sharingan and stared into the fog, and at first, I thought I caught the silhouette of an island. But islands don't move... I only had time to wave a hand when a tall mast emerged from the fog for my eyes, followed by a second one behind it. Then another... and three more.
We did not change course, as that would have been the fastest way to tell them we were guilty of something and that we noticed them way ahead of time. Instead, Jiraiya loosened the sail, reducing our speed, and began swearing under his breath like an actual fisherman who had gotten lost in the fog.
We followed suit, and a few minutes later, the first ship emerged fully, visible to everyone. It was painted dark gray, with no village emblem on its hull. Most of its sail had been furled, allowing it to drift almost silently, and of course, a dozen or so shinobi stood along the rail, watching us, wearing no identifiable uniforms or forehead protectors.
"Fishing vessel! Stop your sail!" Came the shout the next moment, and Jiraiya began hauling in the rope, lowering the sail with deliberate clumsiness coming from acting tired. Our boat slowed, rocking hard as the larger military vessel drew alongside us.
I could feel their eyes sweeping over the deck, and I had to play the frightened boy along with Minato.
"What are you doing in restricted waters?"
"Restricted?" Jiraiya shouted back, imitating the local accent, "Since when?! We were following fish, what else?! The current carried us... Wherever we are, this damn fog is too thick!"
"There are no fishing grounds here."
"Tell that to the fish!" He snorted, and I almost looked up, holding back a laugh, turning it into a cough.
"Which harbor are you from?" The man asked, making me start to sweat.
"Ishiguro."
"Registration?"
"You can read, no?" Jiraiya slapped the side of the boat, pointing toward a faded series of painted symbols near the bow. Ignoring his tone, the man glanced toward someone behind him, then another shinobi checked a narrow board, running one finger down a list.
"You have two boys aboard. Why?"
"My nephews," Jiraiya answered without thinking. "Their father died, and they eat way too much to just leave them home. They either work or go into the water!"
Do not laugh. Do not laugh. Do not laugh.
"You. Look up."
Damn it! I knew I would be checked... With a tremor, I wiped away all my humor and slowly raised my face, my eyes still trembling while I presented my best iteration of being scared.
"How old are you?"
"Twelve," I muttered, lying a little.
"Speak up!" Jiraiya struck the back of my head, walking up to me, "What are you afraid of? Ghosts?!"
"Ow!" I moaned, "Y-yes... Uncle..."
The Kiri shinobi snorted at that, then he looked at Minato next, who gave him a polite, nervous nod while holding a net in his hands.
"Put that down already!" Jiraiya groaned, yanking the net out of his hands, and Minato lost his balance and bumped into a barrel, making it roll across the deck. "What are you doing?!" Sensei snapped at him, "Both of you are worthless idiots, no wonder we got lost! I should have tossed you out, the Gods help me with my kind heart!"
While Jiraiya started shouting at both of us, the soldiers above watched for a few seconds, and finally one laughed while another told us to shut up. In the end, the officer finally raised one hand.
"Turn south. You are inside a military exercise zone. Get out, because next time, you will be sleeping with the fishes."
"Military exercise?" Jiraiya repeated with exactly the right amount of civilian curiosity, while also putting on a scared look.
"Nothing you need to know. Out. Now!"
"Understood!" Jiraiya said, bowing, and he raised the sail just enough to catch the current and turned us south.
Nobody breathed properly until we were gone, making us all sigh loudly.
"Sensei," I chortled, looking at him and giving Jiraiya a thumbs-up, "That was a perfect show."
"Let's hope we don't need to repeat it," He moaned, rubbing his face with one hand, "Because there is a high chance that next time, they will know that the boat is stolen."
Escaping the 'trap,' Jiraiya kept us moving south for nearly an hour before turning gradually west and then north again, making a wide circle around the hidden fleet. With this detour, we had to pick up speed, so Jiraiya pushed the vessel as hard as it could go. The sail groaned in the wind, which was working with us, blowing at just the right angle. As for me, I watched the sea once again with my Sharingan, searching for ships, chakra, traps, or the first signs of the Uzushiogakure's defensive currents.
It was like that, a day and a half passed. I was just waking up from my allocated period of sleep when Minato spoke up.
"We are getting close," he said.
"How can you tell?" I asked, yawning.
"The fog is thinning."
True, the fog was way thinner here, even broken apart at multiple spots, and somewhere, I may even have managed to see some... rocks? Cliffs? Are we there? That was when a deep horn sounded from somewhere ahead, and we all froze for a moment. Then a second horn sounded, and a ship appeared between two walls of water, as if rising from the sea's surface. The fuck? Are we getting Davy Jones'd or something?! Well... Hopefully not. It was smaller than the Kiri warships but moved far faster, and its hull was visibly reinforced with dark bands covered in sealing script, and the spiral crest of Uzushiogakure had been painted across its forward sail. Okay, we are safe... Especially after seeing the red-haired shinobi standing along the deck, looking at us.
Of course, several of our welcoming party already had weapons drawn, and then, without warning, a chain shot across the water and wrapped around the front of our boat, tightening hard enough to turn us sideways.
"Lower your sail!" someone shouted. "Hands visible! If you resist, we will sink you!"
"Keep calm," Jiraiya obeyed immediately, shouting back, "We are from Konohagakure! We are allies!"
"Anyone can say that!"
"Then send someone who can recognize me!" Jiraiya snorted, and there was a pause to my surprise.
Quickly, the Uzumaki patrol ship moved closer, its seals actually calming the water between us, carrying it along without the need of any wind. I could see perhaps ten shinobi aboard, along with a few sailors and a sensory specialist kneeling beside a formation carved into the deck. It was then I noticed him... Broad shoulders with muscular arms and red hair tied back in a short knot. I knew that face, with the seal tattoos running along both forearms. One of the guys we sparred against!
"No way." He recognized us, too, beginning to laugh.
"Hey! Big guy!" I waved at him, "Long time no see! Oh! We are Chūnin now!"
His face went blank for a moment, hearing that.
"Already?!"
"We grow quickly," Minato added, also smiling while the rest of the Uzumaki shinobi beside him looked between us, confused.
"You know these people, Genta?"
So that was his name. Good to know.
"Yeah, I do," He nodded, "They are proper Konoha shinobi, and that's their master, Jiraiya, one of the Sannin!" Then he turned to us again, as he examined our stolen boat, "What happened?"
"Kiri is preparing an invasion." It was Jiraiya's simple answer that rang out next, and they just straightened their backs like getting electrocuted.
"We had a guess..."
"It's not only them," I said seriously, "Iwa's forces are moving too, and Kumo is awaiting a signal to strike. We are in deep shit, so we have to get back to the island... Now."
Hearing that, Genta crossed the gap between our boats in one jump, landing hard enough to rock our little vessel, and his hand immediately went toward Jiraiya's coat.
"If you have proof or more information," he said in a hurry, "I can send it back to headquarters in a jiffy."
"Here," Jiraiya pulled out the sealed copy of the message, "Do it as fast as you can."
A woman on the other deck formed a hand sign, and when Genta threw it over, she activated the seal, and a jet of water caught it mid-air, beginning to 'fly' towards the island at a breakneck speed.
"Signal the others and the harbor! Highest priority! Tell them Jiraiya of Konoha has arrived with invasion intelligence!" Genta still kept shouting as the ships began turning around, "Come over to ours, it is faster than this shitty little dinghy."
None of us argued because we had already spent a day getting here... and time was running out.