Borderlands of the Land of Fire
Under the cloak of moonlight, Sakura led Hinata, Kiba, and Shino as they raced through the forest. Red Shoal Island was situated far from the established shinobi nations, a remote point in the distant sea, so it wasn't recorded on any standard maps. Ninja Academies typically only taught the geography of rival nations; places deemed to hold no strategic value weren't even included in textbooks. Only the Land of Tea, which maintained trade relations with Red Shoal Island, possessed information about the isle. In essence, it was a place existing outside the sphere of the shinobi world.
The Land of Tea was a peninsula nation located south of the Land of Fire, its northernmost border connecting with its larger neighbor. Ise Town, however, lay at the southernmost tip of Tea Country. Consequently, even after traveling through the night, Sakura and her team still hadn't reached their destination by daytime.
Fortunately, all four were formally trained shinobi, unlike the half-baked skills Karin possessed. They maintained a grueling pace without stopping, and finally, as afternoon approached, the team, panting heavily from exhaustion, arrived within the vicinity of Ise Town.
"Alright, let's stop here," Sakura called out, halting her team. "We'll proceed on foot. Ise Town is just ahead."
"Hah... hah... Okay, Sakura," Hinata replied breathlessly, slowing to a stop.
"So this is Ise Town, huh?" Kiba sniffed the air appreciatively. "The air's really humid here." Akamaru barked in agreement beside him.
"We're getting close to the sea; damp air is unavoidable," Sakura commented, glancing at Ise Town's position on her map.
"This environment is highly suitable for insects," Shino noted, adjusting his glasses.
"I'm not a huge fan," Kiba grumbled. "The humidity messes with scents. Right, Akamaru?"
"Woof!"
"Man, I still can't believe you're the only one from our year who made Chunin," Kiba remarked, walking with his hands laced behind his head. "Didn't you get knocked out in the prelims?"
"The Chunin Exams aren't about crowning a final winner," Sakura replied distractedly, her eyes still scanning the map. "Promotion depends on your performance throughout the entire exam."
The maps available to shinobi only detailed the Five Great Nations and the surrounding smaller countries. Anything beyond that known territory was unrecorded. Sakura found herself wondering what lay in those uncharted regions. Why, after so many years, had no one ventured beyond this known continent? They merely squabbled over resources within this limited patch of land. The fact that Tea Country had contact with an island outside the shinobi world proved that people did live beyond their borders. So why hadn't any nation attempted exploration?
"Sakura, look! So many pastures!" Hinata's voice pulled Sakura from her thoughts.
Following Hinata's pointed finger, Sakura couldn't help but feel impressed. They had emerged from the forest, and before them stretched vast fields of grass enclosed by fences. Large, sturdy cattle roamed freely within. It truly lived up to its reputation as the source of the finest beef in the shinobi world.
"Let's go," Sakura directed, leading the team towards a town nestled amidst the grasslands. "First, we need to pay our respects to the local lord."
As expected, they were stopped at the town gate.
"Please present your identification," a guard stated, his face impassive.
"We are Konoha shinobi, here at the request of the Lord of Ise Town," Sakura explained, producing a scroll and handing it to the guard.
After reading the scroll's contents, the guard's expression brightened noticeably. "Ah, please come this way! I'll lead you to the Lord."
"Thank you, we appreciate the trouble," Sakura replied politely.
Following the guard into the town, Sakura was surprised to find it even more bustling than Konoha. The streets teemed with people, lined with various shops, food stalls, and restaurants – almost all of which seemed to feature beef prominently.
The young guard seemed to notice their astonishment. "Don't let the current prosperity fool you," he said as he led the way. "A long time ago, this place was quite underdeveloped. Our only commodity was cattle."
"Huh? But you're so close to the sea here. Why didn't you trade in seafood?" Kiba asked curiously.
"That's because the entire Land of Tea is coastal," the guard explained. "Being in the far south, Ise Town couldn't compete with the northern towns when it came to fishing. We had fewer visitors, so any fish we caught, we mostly just ate ourselves."
He continued, "Honestly, even our cattle were initially just for our own consumption. But decades ago, some fishermen sailing out discovered Red Shoal Island. They found people living there who also raised cattle, but the quality of their beef was far superior to ours. Later, it was discovered that the grass growing on that island drastically improves the meat quality. Relying on these cattle with improved meat, our town finally began to flourish."
"I heard you ship calves to the island to be raised, then transport them back. Why don't you just grow that grass here in Ise Town?" Sakura voiced the question that had occurred to her earlier. "Though, if it's inconvenient to say, please don't worry about it." She figured it might be a trade secret they wouldn't share with outsiders.
"Well..." The guard hesitated slightly. "It's not really a secret, actually. Anyone involved in cattle raising could find out easily enough. The reason is... the grass on that island is just ordinary pasture grass."
"Then why does it improve the beef quality?" Kiba pressed eagerly.
"We don't know," the guard admitted with a shrug. "We have no idea why. All we know is that the grass only has this effect when it grows on Red Shoal Island. If you try to cultivate it anywhere else, it doesn't work. Over time, this unique situation led to the trade relationship we have with Red Shoal Island. Besides, the scenery there is even better than Ise Town's. Quite a few people from here have actually settled down there."
"Thank you for telling us all this," Sakura said, noting the guard's initial hesitation. She suspected the information wasn't exactly public knowledge, and he likely shared it because they were shinobi sent to help.
"It's nothing! If you can help us resolve this incident, you'll be doing us a massive favor," the guard replied quickly. "Ah, here we are. This is the Lord's residence. Please wait here a moment while I announce your arrival."
Sakura's team waited outside for a short while before the guard emerged.
"Please follow me." He led the way forward.
After navigating several corridors within the residence, the guard stopped before a room. He gestured towards it. "This is the room. You may enter; the Lord is waiting for you inside."
With that, the guard bowed and retreated. Sakura eyed the traditional tatami mats with resigned annoyance. She reluctantly slipped off her sandals, padding onto the mats in her bare feet. She truly disliked these traditional rooms, but there was no helping it.
The four shinobi entered the room. Seated formally in the center was a middle-aged man. He regarded them with a serious expression. "Please, sit. Shinobi of Konoha."
Looking at the zabuton cushions laid out, Sakura felt a headache coming on. It was obvious they were expected to sit in seiza. As a kunoichi, it was basic etiquette, especially now. They were representing Konoha in a foreign land; she couldn't afford to be as lax as she might be back in the village.
As Sakura settled awkwardly into the kneeling position, she glanced at Hinata, who sat with perfect, unruffled posture. Sakura felt a pang of admiration – truly the bearing of a girl from a prominent clan. After Sakura shifted uncomfortably on her heels, the Lord began to speak.
"Thank you all for coming. I am Chino Tatsuo, the Lord of Ise Town," Lord Chino stated.
"Lord Chino, thank you for receiving us," Sakura responded, taking the lead as captain. "I am Chunin Haruno Sakura, leader of this mission. These are Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino. If it's alright, we'd prefer to keep formalities brief and discuss the mission details so we can begin as soon as possible."
"Mm, very well, Captain Haruno," Lord Chino agreed readily. "However, forgive me for observing, Captain Haruno seems rather young. I must inquire if you are truly capable of handling this task."
"You needn't worry, Lord Chino," Sakura replied calmly, refusing to take offense. The Lord didn't seem condescending, merely genuinely concerned about the mission's success. "If Lady Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, didn't have confidence in my abilities, she would not have sent me."
"Very well, I won't press the matter further," Lord Chino conceded. "I presume the guard who escorted you provided some background on our situation, so I won't repeat it unnecessarily. Currently, our transport ships carrying cattle are frequently attacked by some kind of monster. Because this creature uses ninjutsu, we are unable to deal with it ourselves. That is why we requested your assistance."
"Can you describe the monster's characteristics? The request scroll didn't include specifics," Sakura asked directly.
"It's not that we withheld information, but rather that we don't know," Lord Chino said, his expression turning grim. "Every ship that has been attacked... there have been no survivors. The monster doesn't just strike at sea; it has also appeared on Red Shoal Island itself." His tone clearly implied the creature didn't just eat cattle; it preyed on humans too.
"If the monster has been sighted on the island, surely someone has seen it?" Sakura pressed.
"That is the strangest part," Lord Chino replied. "Although people have seen it, afterward, none of them can recall what the monster looked like. Our pastures on Red Shoal Island have already suffered significant losses. If this continues, the supply of Ise Beef will inevitably be disrupted."
"I see... Has the monster ever made landfall here in Ise Town?"
"No, and that is also peculiar. It has only appeared at sea and on Red Shoal Island, never here on the mainland," Lord Chino confirmed.
"Which means our only course of action is to go to Red Shoal Island," Sakura concluded.
"Indeed. Please rest here for today. I will arrange for a ship to take you to Red Shoal Island first thing tomorrow morning."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Chino."
"Not at all. You've had a long journey. There isn't much we can offer by way of entertainment, but tonight, please allow us to host a banquet. You may eat your fill of beef – if there's one thing we have in abundance here, it's beef." Having laid out the arrangements, Lord Chino seemed to relax slightly.
Heh heh, that's what I was waiting for! Sakura thought, swallowing unconsciously at the delicious prospect.
Since there was still time before evening, Sakura and her team took their leave of the Lord and decided to explore the town. With its pleasant scenery and distance from the shinobi world's conflicts, it seemed like a rather nice place for a vacation, circumstances notwithstanding.