Chapter 12 – The Driftwood Cathedral Part 1
I own nothing except my OCs
Could someone draw up some fanart for this fic? I appreciate it if you would!
NOTE: From now on, Obscuro's default human form from the past 2 chapters will be referred to as Ryōshi, while the demon/shadow form will be referred to as Obscuro.
Read and review! Constructive criticism is welcome!
" " – human speech/writing
' ' – human thought
' ' – demon thought
" " – demon speech
-Obscuro-
Naruto, Ajisai and Obscuro – no, Ryōshi – wandered the town for a few hours as they waited for the ship to be prepared. They checked out the local shops and stalls which, as expected of a port town, sold primarily travelling equipment and fish. They even purchased a couple of tools that the disguised demon thought that they would need.
The experience was somewhat ruined by Ryōshi's extremely detailed descriptions of seasickness, scurvy and hallucinations, but halfway through the nauseating tales Naruto managed to tune out anything that he said.
From what it looked like, Ajisai had managed to do so too.
Anyway, after several hours of exploring and shopping (with a small stop for a meal along the way), Ryōshi decided it was time to head to the actual port and look for their ship. A few minutes of walking later, they managed to find the ship amongst the cluster of vessels that crowded the port.
It wasn't anything dingy, but it sure was no warship either. It had two masts, one shorter than the other, each adorning black, folding sails proportionate to the mast's height. The body of the ship was a little worn down, with closed cannon hatches aligning the hull. It was colored a very dark brown with blue and green markings adorning the ridges. On the bow of the ship, "The Green Mizuchi" was written in dark-green paint. Befitting the name, there was a figure of a mizuchi on the bowsprit.
"Hey, good to see you!" The captain, Takeo, called out from the deck, where all the crewmen could be seen doing last-minute preparations. "You ready to leave?"
"Yes, we are. May we come aboard?" asked Ryōshi. A large ramp was lowered onto the docks. The trio walked onboard the ship where Takeo stood waiting for them. He wore a short-sleeved brown shirt over a white shirt, his moustache lifting upwards with his smile.
"Welcome to The Green Mizuchi! This girl has been in a whole lot of tough situations, from storms to pirates. I'll have one of my men show you to your cabins."
"How long will this trip take?" Takeo scrunched his forehead in thought.
"With no interruptions, it should take us 4-5 days, maybe less if the wind is good. It would normally take us three days, but we need to maneuverer around any potential attack sites."
"Very well. Anything else?"
"Not really. If you want anything else during our little voyage, ask me." He called out to one of the crewmen, a large, burly man with a bandana and a blue shirt. The man rushed over to them.
"This is Date. He'll show you to your cabins." Ryōshi nodded and followed the large man to the back of the ship, the two children following him. They descended into the hall and wandered the corridors there until they reached a door. Date opened it to reveal a modest, nearly spartan room with four bunks, a window and a stool. He grunted and left the three.
"You two will take the bottom bunks. It will provide less of a hassle for you to get up that way." Ryōshi didn't need sleep, but if he would need to pretend, he would just take the top bunk. That way he could keep an eye on whoever entered the room.
Naruto and Ajisai each took a bunk, just like he said, before placing their scrolls on the blanket. They waited for a few minutes, looking over the cabin (not that there was much to look at), when they heard a few cries from up the deck and the clanking of a heavy chain, most likely the anchor.
"We're leaving port. I hope none of you get seasick," Ryōshi said with a smirk. The two kids just scowled at him. It was his fault for making them think like that, dammit!
The ship rocked a bit as it started to turn away from the port. Within a few minutes, they were at sea.
As the boat sailed along the waters, Ryōshi started to feel odd. It was as though the inside of his body were shaking and stirring themselves around. He felt his connection to the shadows weaken as well; he could still feel it, but it was fainter than before. He went to sit down on Naruto's bunk when he heard snickering coming from the brats. He looked at them and saw that they were both muffling giggles from behind their hands, albeit Ajisai did a much better job of doing so.
The boat suddenly hit a wave and bumped, and Ryōshi held on to his stomach, something he had thought was impossible. He was a shadow-demon! Mere sickness could not affect him! Unfortunately, Naruto had burst into open laughter.
"W-what's wrong Ryōshi? Is the big bad shadow-demon a little seasick?" asked Naruto between laughs as he rolled on the bunk clutching his sides.
"Pfft. Mere sickness is beyond me. I am simply adjusting to the motions of this boat and trying to stabilize my powers," he growled. Naruto either didn't hear him or didn't care, because he was still laughing.
"If you do not shut up right now there will be no more lessons for the duration of this trip!" he hissed. Naruto immediately stopped laughing, although a large grin still sported his face.
"In regards to my previous statement, for some reason water disrupts my connection to the shadows. I cannot use my powers to their fullest efficiency while on a large source of water, and since the shadows are part of my being, they cause my form to feel uneasiness. But NOT sickness, that is for mortals."
'Whatever you say' thought Ajisai as she rolled her eyes. "You were with Naruto in Ame, right? You didn't seem…destabilized then" she pointed out.
"Rain does not count. It has to be a large mass of water, not scattered like rain" he raised an eyebrow at them and flared up some shadows. "Anything else you would like to point out?" he asked with a slight edge to his tone.
The two quickly shook their heads. The shadows dissipated and Ryōshi grinned. "Good, I had a feeling it would be like that."
The trio settled into a comfortable silence as they lounged around the cabin, listening to the waves. The sun had set by now and the stars were showing themselves, dotting the night sky in a shower of flickering lights.
Ryōshi saw that there was an oil lamp on the stool. "Would one of you pull out a match?"
Naruto unsealed a matchbox from a scroll, lit one up and handed it to the teen who used it to light up the lamp and hung it on a nearby nail.
"Do any of you have questions about this journey?"
Naruto raised his hand and the teen nodded. "What made you think that whatever we're looking for is in Water Country of all places?"
"Two reasons: One, the drawing I saw in your vision – perfectly life-like, by the way – depicted a murky beach with grey sand. The only place I could think of with beaches like that was Water Country. Two, the crags depicted there had a very specific rock formation. I presume you all listened when I asked if there was any limestone in Water?" The two nodded. "Well, limestone is rather rare in that country, even if it isn't used much, if at all. So there had to be few sites where limestone would be present in such an abundant manner. From what the captain told us, this island that we are venturing to has limestone that could be present in the manner I have seen in your vision."
Ajisai raised her hand. "What if we don't find whatever it is we are looking for there?"
"I have several other places in mind that could fit the place's background description, so if we don't find anything we have several more options. But I hardly believe that will be the case."
"We're looking for that weird house, right? What do you think it is?"
"Based on your vision, that 'weird house' as you dub it is what was known as a cathedral; a rather large and ornate stone temple built for groups of large people, or for the filthy rich. It was used as a site for monotheistic worship and often served as a landmark for whatever town it resided in. To think that there would be one this far east is surprising. As for what it actually is…I do not truly know yet, and I hate making assumptions on relatively few facts."
"What do you think will happen now in the village?" asked Ajisai. Naruto's expression became troubled as he recalled the massacre that had happened literally in his front yard, as well as the victims…or rather, cause of said massacre.
'Why? Why won't they just leave me alone? I didn't do anything to them. Do they hate the fox that much?'
Ajisai saw his crestfallen expression and moved to apologize but Ryōshi raised his hand in a stopping gesture.
"As morose as that subject may seem to you Naruto, she's brought up an interesting point. If what I had observed about your Hokage for the past 2 years is true, while he may bend over to that "Konoha Council" of his, he has a soft spot for you. If you also factor in his expression from last night, then I believe he will try and prevent any of those miserable humans from getting their hands on you. People will start to ask questions, ones that demand answers. That's why I deemed it best that we leave for a time, so that we can avoid any future incidents that may arise."
Seeing that Naruto still looked crestfallen, he continued. "I told you before, they cannot and will not harm you. That is precisely the reason why I am training you; so that not them or anyone else will be able to harm you ever again."
The blond calmed down at that last statement. The fact that it was said with such confidence and with no doubt strengthened his resolve. 'That's right. I'm going to get strong. Strong to enough to kill anyone who tries to harm me or use me. I will not be the world's punching bag again!'
He looked to Ajisai, whose greenish eyes stared back at him unflinchingly. 'Her too. People will try to harm me so they will try to harm her. I'll become strong enough to protect us both. I won't let them take what is mine!' he thought, unknowingly releasing a tiny growl.
Ajisai blinked at the noise that came from Naruto as he looked at her. Was it her imagination or did his eyes flash red for a moment there? "Uh Naruto, are you ok?"
Said boy blinked, shook himself and said "Y-yeah, it's nothing." He tried to steer the conversation away from the recent topic by asking "Hey Ryōshi, how can you do that? Turning into a human?"
Ryōshi chuckled and replied "As you probably know by now, my true form is made of shadow. As such, it can be molded however I see fit. This ability is more shapeshifting than transformation. By taking some human blood, I can morph into whoever that blood belonged to for a certain period of time."
"Then you can use someone's blood multiple times?"
"No, only one transformation for each time I take blood."
"Then what – "
"Oh this? This form is…special. That's all I'm willing to tell you for now."
Naruto pouted and took out a book. The trio fell into silence once more. Soon though, a knocking on the door was heard.
"Yes?"
"It's me, Captain Takeo. There's food in the mess hall if you're hungry."
Ryōshi looked at the children who nodded back. He got up and opened the door. "In that case, could you show us where it is?"
"Sure thing."
Takeo walked through the corridor with the trio following him. Eventually they arrived at a big room, with a large table, multiple seats and steam coming from an adjacent room. Seated at the table were most of the crewmen, numbering seven if you included the captain.
The trio and the captain all took empty seats with Takeo taking one at the head of the table. A few more minutes of muttering and waiting later, the cook came out with steaming plates of fish. Once all were served, they began to eat. After the first few bites, Takeo spoke up.
"So, Ryōshi was it? What would a teenager and two kids be going to Water Country of all places?"
"I am an…archaeologist and historian of sorts, and I am looking for lost artifacts and relics that have caught my interest. These two are my wards and apprentices, so I thought that this would be a new experience for them."
"Archaeologist? At your age?"
"If people become ninja at 12, who's to say that one can't become an archaeologist at a young age?"
"Touché. I know it's none of my business, but for curiosity's sake, what is it that you're hoping to find there?"
"According to my recent studies, there is a temple of sorts residing in an area that corresponds to that of Water's."
"What do you think is in there? Treasure?"
Ryōshi chuckled. "You could call it that…"
"I somehow get the feeling that we're thinking of two different things right now, are we?" Takeo asked wryly.
"One thing you should remember Captain, is that not all treasure is silver and gold."
"Oh? What else would it be then?" he asked as he propped his elbows on the table.
"Knowledge, Captain. Knowledge is a greater treasure than wealth."
Takeo raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"While wealth can supply you with ease and comfort, ultimately you become too reliant on it. You view it as a goal, you revolve your life around it when you fail to realize that it is nothing more than a tool, something to help you along your path; and when the time comes and you must fight for your life, you will find that all the material wealth in the world will not be able to save you.
Knowledge, however, is something that one can always rely on. You can use it to procure wealth, manage it, enrichen your spirit and prepare you for any troubles that may lie ahead. Through knowledge you gain understanding, through understanding you gain control, and through control you gain power. Knowledge can get you food, with the right knowledge you build a house. When your life is on the line, you can use the knowledge you have to save it and even triumph over your opponent. Even if you possess a weapon that was acquired by material wealth, you must study it, learn from it and understand it to use it. Without knowledge, a weapon is as good as a twig flying in the wind."
Silence reigned over the table as the two looked into each other's eyes, unwavering and refusing to back down. The crew gave Ryōshi befuddled expressions, although two of them had a small glint of understanding in their eyes.
Naruto and Ajisai had listened to the dialogue and were enraptured by it. Naruto himself strongly supported the disguised demon's way of thinking. Back when he had lived in the village, he had no money or really anything to call his own. As such, knowledge was the only thing he could acquire without the fear of having it taken from him. Money didn't help him survive, the knowledge he had acquired did; he had learned how to read and write all on his own, which streets to take to avoid being seen by the villagers, which stores he could steal from, etc.
Takeo had remained silent for a few minutes, his face expressionless. Then, he burst into a fit of laughter.
"Hahahahahaha! I like you even more kid! Not many have had the guts to argue with me like that before!" He managed to quell his laughter before resuming the conversation. "So, if I'm correct, then you follow the old saying of 'knowledge is power', right?" Ryōshi nodded.
"Well, how about 'power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'? If someone has too much knowledge, wouldn't it make them big-headed and paint a target on their backs?"
"Like I said before, knowledge can be dangerous if you do not know how to properly use it. But that is the whole point of knowledge; by knowing things, you gain control and if you utilize that knowledge correctly, you can learn how to not let it get to your head."
"How so?"
"Proper knowledge is truth, and sometimes the truth can hurt. Knowledge can be distorted by people, corrupting it and be made into a lie. Finally, and believe is the most important one of them all, is that there are some things that are simply not meant to be learnt, at least not until a time when you are ready. Keep these rules in mind and the world's your oyster."
Takeo let out a small hum as he raised his eyes up in thought. He then went back to his food, as did the rest of the them.
Soon enough, plates were cleared and bellies were satisfied. Ryōshi thanked the crew and went to the cabin with the two kids. They sat themselves on their bunks and he stretched a bit.
"I trust that you all listened to that little dialogue?" They nodded. "Good. What I said about those rules is true. Don't let knowledge consume you lest you find yourself sinking into an abyss that you may never return from. Speaking of knowledge, I would advise you to observe the crew for the duration of this voyage and maybe ask a few questions about how to use a boat. Water-walking can only get you so far and is sometimes not optimal for long or dangerous trips."
He clapped and pointed to the bunks. "Now, I do believe that you need to sleep. No point in waking up exhausted early in the morning. Off you go."
The two pouted a little before conceding and climbing into their bunks. Ryōshi climbed to the bunk above Naruto's and got himself comfortable. He may not need sleep, but he could see why humans enjoyed it. Besides, if someone tried to sneak in, he would know.
With those thoughts in mind, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
-Obscuro-
Naruto woke up to the bright sunlight that streamed through the window. He rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. Ajisai was still asleep and when he looked at the top bunk, he saw Ryōshi lying against the wall with his eyes closed. He heard footsteps from above him, indicating that the crewmen were awake and operating the ship.
Remembering the disguised demon's advice from the other night, he quietly opened the door and crept out into the hallway. He wandered around the corridors for a while, his thoughts flashing back to the dialogue between Ryōshi and Captain Takeo.
'I wonder though,' he thought 'was he trying to tell me something? The last topic maybe? About those rules. Is he hiding something from me? If so, is he doing so because he thinks I'm not ready?'
He tried to think of any possible thing that Ryōshi could be hiding from him, but unlike most situations where someone couldn't find anything that needed to be hidden, Naruto instead came up with too many possibilities that could be hidden from him. The shadow-demon was one walking mystery, after all.
He rummaged through the possibilities but eventually gave up. He sighed in irritation. 'Oh well, when he thinks I'm ready he'll tell me. His judgment hasn't failed me before.'
He then found himself standing in front of a ladder that upwards. He climbed up and found himself on the deck of the ship. The crew were scattered around the deck, some pulling ropes or gazing at the sea. He marched to deck's center where two of the men saw him and nodded before going back to their jobs.
The blond child observed the men and looked around the deck before stopping at the sight of the captain, his hands on the wheel and his eyes forward. If he was going to learn how to sail a ship, then he was Naruto's best bet.
He walked up stairs to the ship's bridge and the captain turned to face him with a surprised expression on his face. All the while his hands never leaving the wheel.
"You're up. What do you want, kid?" Takeo asked.
"I was just looking at how you work this ship. You seem very good."
A fond smile came over Takeo's face as his gaze drifted back to the wheel. "Of course I'm good. I've been sailing this beauty for ten good years. No one knows how to sail her better than I."
"Did you travel to a lot of places?"
"Sure have. From the rocky sea-cliffs of Lightning to the marshes of Water, I think I've travelled most of the eastern coastline. I know all the good ports, the best landing sites and most importantly, the places you should avoid."
"Avoid?"
"Yeah. Rapids, rocky archipelagos, hostile places. All of these places can wind up as a ship's graveyard."
"Did you see any new places?"
Takeo raised an eyebrow at that question. "Depends on what you call new, kid. For a sailor, every port they make can be considered new. No matter if you come back there several times, something is always different."
That was new to Naruto. Every time it seemed different?
Takeo must've seen something on Naruto's expression, because he continued. "But if you're talking about places where few people have ever gone, I did have a few experiences where I stumbled upon a cove or cave where no-one has been to. I even stumbled upon some ruins once."
Naruto perked his head up. "Ruins?"
"Heh-heh. That's right, you're apprenticed to an archaeologist, aren't you? Yeah, I was on a return voyage after making a small delivery when I got caught up in a whirlpool. It shook my ship good, but I managed to sail past it and I found myself in front of some really old ruins."
"What kind?"
"It looked like a village, one of those ninja villages, except that there was nothing but rubble there. I stayed for a day or two to patch up the ship and I sailed out of there. I never did see those ruins again though, and I've gone through that route several times since then." Naruto noted that his tone changed when he said "ninja", but he couldn't tell what to make of it.
"Where was it exactly?"
"I would say it was a little to the northeast of Fire Country. Couldn't really tell."
Naruto's curiosity grew even more. A ruined ninja village, just off Fire Country? Imagine what he could find there! He had to tell Ryōshi when he could.
He remembered his original purpose though, and stayed put. He tried to think of something else to ask when he remembered Takeo's momentarily change of tone.
"Do you have anything against ninja?"
Takeo tilted his head to side, thinking for a bit. Eventually he sighed and said, "I just think that people are over-reliant on them. I understand that they've always been around and that they serve a purpose, but it seems like they have too much power and think that they can do whatever they want."
Naruto wanted to ask more, but he saw that the subject was making Takeo uncomfortable, so he switched subjects. He pulled out his notebook and asked:
"How does a boat work?"
He must've asked the right question because the captain launched into a long, detailed explanation about a ship's parts, maintenance, rationing, etc. All the while Naruto wrote down whatever he said.
At some point, Ajisai and Ryōshi came up to the deck. The purple-haired girl joined in the lecture while the disguised demon just lounged around, away from the ship's ridges to Naruto's observation. When they were done, Naruto knew nearly everything about how to steer a boat with a wheel.
The next three days passed by in a similar fashion; Naruto or Ajisai would wake up and head out to the deck, where they would either observe or inquire the crew about their travels or ask for instructions in how to maintain a boat. All the while, Ryōshi would either listen in or lazily lounge around. They would sometimes spar a bit on the deck of the ship, and sometimes the crew spectated and gave them comments about their fighting. The rest of the time they played some of the games that the sailors played like Liar's Dice or cards (no actual betting though). During the evening everyone would descend to the mess hall and eat some fish or bird. Then, the trio would go back to their cabins and read for a little bit before going to sleep.
As the days passed by, the landscape changed as well; the sky became cloudier and mist became more frequent. Eventually the sea had grown completely dark, a heavy fog loomed over the waters and it was only thanks to Takeo and his crew that they were able to know if they were still on course. Sharp rocks sometime jutted out of the waters, making for hazardous obstacles along the watery path. Of course, they were all successfully avoided thanks to Takeo's superb sailing skills, but that was beside the point.
When Ajisai asked if they had intentionally sailed into the fog, Takeo had replied:
"Only an idiot would sail into open waters in such a powder keg of a territory, missy."
On the fifth and final day, at around roughly noon, they had arrived at an area where the fog lessened a bit. Up on the horizon Naruto could see the outline of an island approaching them.
"We're gonna arrive there soon ladies and gents! Just a little further!" Takeo called out.
As they approached the island, Naruto could see stone pillars protruding from the waters like silent sentinels, guarding the island against any who wished to approach. The Mizuchi passed by one up-close, and Naruto saw that the rock was shaped in a pattern of lines.
"That is limestone." Ryōshi said as he suddenly appeared near the blond. "I am getting surer at what I have said at the beginning of this voyage; we will find what we seek here."
Soon enough, they arrived at the island. They docked at a small boardwalk where they could see a town hidden in the mist.
"We're here. Welcome to Kakuri Port," said Takeo.
The trio and the captain waited as the men lowered the ramp on the docks. They descended and Takeo addressed Ryōshi. "We're gonna stop here for supplies and a break. If you can catch us before we leave, we'll give you a ride back."
Ryōshi nodded and handed the man the pouch of coins. "Thank you. You have assisted me greatly. I hope that we meet again."
Takeo smiled. "Anytime, and good luck at finding what you're looking for. Try maybe asking at the tavern." With those words, the trio headed out into the town.
Kakuri was similar to the port back in Fire Country, only that the houses were smaller and were more worn-down. The locals also seemed hardier, going about their business with tensed bodies and they gazed at the newcomers with suspicion. Their gazes were promptly ignored.
They soon reached a tavern, just like Takeo said. "Stick close to me" Ryōshi warned the children "We don't wish to attract any unnecessary attention."
They entered the tavern where they were greeted with cautious gazes, like the ones back in the streets. Unlike the previous tavern, this one didn't feel comforting or possessed a pleasant atmosphere; here, it was as though everyone was walking along a razor's edge.
"Now pay attention," whispered Ryōshi. "The place we are looking for is most likely mystical or supernatural in nature, so there has to be a story or two around here."
The teen walked to the bar where an old man sat, reading from a book. "Excuse me sir, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions."
The old man put his book down and looked at the stranger. "You asked one already, but ask away sonny. You're not from around here, are ya?"
"No, I'm not. I was wondering if there are any legends or folktales from this island."
"Well, there aren't that many, but there's the one about the Sailor's Wife, the Flying Fish, the – "
"I'm actually referring to any stories that involve disappearances or mirages."
The old man gave him a suspicious look. "Why are you asking this sonny? You have a point to all o' this?"
Ryōshi sighed and reached into his cloak. After finding what he needed, he pulled his hand, now a fist, back out and on the table. The old man looked at the fist intently, then grabbed a towel and set it near the fist. "Bar's dirty. Can't have that." Ryōshi carefully slipped the coin in his fist to the towel, ensuring that no one would see it. The old man discreetly grabbed the coin with the towel and slid it to his other hand.
"Well, now that you mention it…" he said with a thoughtful tone "…there is a story that goes around some of the fishermen here. When the evening mist rolls in, they go into the water with their boats and nets, hoping to catch some of the bigger ones. There are a few times when some of the fishermen wander a little to the east and get lost in the fog. They don't come back 'till morning, but when they do, they say that they saw a beach with a large, stone house. They try to get to the house, but the boat always seems to travel in the opposite direction."
"Has anyone tried looking for this house?" Ryōshi asked with an emotionless expression on his face.
"A couple of times. We circled the whole island and then some, but we found no such house."
"Is there anyone that's seen this house that you know?"
"Yeah, Kaigara. He runs a grocery stall just down the street. He's seen that house twice already."
"Hmm. Thank you." Ryōshi got up and headed for the exit. Naruto shortly followed him. Just before he opened the door though, the old man asked, "You wanna look for that house, sonny?"
Ryōshi turned to the old man and replied, "I like old stories." With that, he exited the bar, with Naruto and Ajisai following him.
They walked down the street, ignoring the constant suspicious looks. For Naruto it was a bit unsettling, since their stares were like the Konoha villagers' stares, albeit with more curiosity than hatred.
They arrived at a grocery stall, just like the old man said. Standing behind various vegetables was middle-aged man with a small stubble on his chin, brown eyes and dark-blue hair. "What can I get you?" he asked.
"Are you Kaigara the fisherman?" asked Ryōshi.
"That's my name, why?"
"I was hoping you could help me with something." Kaigara gave him an apprehensive look before motioning him to come behind the stall. Ryōshi looked down to Naruto. "Stay here," he ordered, then walked to the back of the stall.
Naruto and Ajisai waited for a few minutes as the teen and the fisherman talked. He tried to eavesdrop but they must have been talking in whispers, because he couldn't hear zilch.
Ryōshi soon walked out of the stall with a satisfied expression on his face and a grin. "I have good news. While he cannot take us there, Kaigara-san can lend us a rowboat so we can try looking for the cathedral tonight."
"So, is that house the one from Naruto's dream?" asked Ajisai.
Ryōshi's grin stretched. "Undoubtedly."
"But how do we even know that we'll find the place?" asked Naruto. After all, only a few fishermen actually saw the place.
"Leave that to me…" replied the teen in a mysterious tone. Naruto's eye twitched in irritation. Why did he have to act so mysterious, dammit!
The trio headed out to explore the island a little until the evening rolled in. The town of Kakuri was largely unimpressive and drab, if not depressing. The constantly grey sky didn't help in that regard either. The locals still looked at them with suspicion, although they did seem to soften their gazes as time passed. The forest behind Kakuri wasn't very impressive either, and Naruto's only interest in it were the two new herbs he had found there.
Five or six hours later, the sky darkened. The fishermen all started to prepare for the evening fishing. Boats were pulled out, nets and fishing rods were checked over, and empty buckets were swung around – all hoping to have at least a few fish by midnight. The two kids stood by a small boat with a lantern while Ryōshi conversed with Kaigara.
"I don't know why are you looking for that place. I get the creeps just by remembering it," said the fisherman with a grimace.
"I told you before, Kaigara-san, I am looking for something that might be found there," replied Ryōshi.
Kaigara just looked at the teen and sighed. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you." He pointed to the fog that began rolling from the east. "Row into that fog and move around a little bit. If you're lucky, you'll feel this weird sensation in your gut, like you missed a step and you're falling to the ground. If you feel that, then you should see the place shortly after."
Ryōshi bowed his head and said, "Thank you," before jumping aboard the rowboat. He gestured to the children and they jumped aboard too. Ryōshi grabbed the two oars at the bottom, set them in the water and began paddling.
Naruto gave him a confused stare. "You know how to row?"
"Yes, I paid attention to the lessons from the Mizuchi's crewmen and I have more than sufficient muscular strength to perform this task. Now look ahead and navigate" he replied with an impatient tone. Probably another sign that he didn't like water.
"Fine, fine. Sheesh," muttered Naruto. He looked to the horizon as Ryōshi kept rowing closer and closer to the fog.
'This is ridiculous,' he thought. 'What kind of places exists in a cloud of mist?'
(Bloodborne OST – Hunter's Dream)
As he kept thinking about the absurdity of the situation, the fog slowly swallowed the boat until they could no longer see the lights from Kakuri. All that Naruto could see was a black cloud all around him and the boat with its occupants in the light of the lantern. What was disturbing though, was something that Ajisai pointed out.
"The water. It's gone quiet."
Naruto turned to Ryōshi to ask what now, but he saw the disguised demon closing his eyes and began muttering something under his breath. Black shadow suddenly started to seep from the teen's body, forming a faint silhouette of Obscuro.
"Naruto? What's happening?" asked Ajisai.
But Naruto didn't answer. How could he when he didn't know himself?
As Ryōshi kept chanting, the black fog slowly shifted around them. Naruto inwardly started to panic. What the hell was going on!?
Suddenly, he felt as though he had stumbled. The fog began getting lighter and the sky seemed to brighten, although back to the day's cloudy grey. 'Just like that fisherman said.'
Ryōshi opened his eyes and said with an emotionless tone: "We have arrived."
The boat began to move again, but to Naruto's astonishment, Ryōshi wasn't rowing at all. The fog began slowly dissipating until a familiar sight was laid in front of Naruto's slack-jawed gaze: the building – cathedral – from his vision.
It looked just like the one in the white figure's book; age-worn stone towers flanking the mysterious symbol, trees climbing out of the windows and onto the ground, fallen trees and large pieces of driftwood lying on the ashen-grey sand surrounded by dark, rocky cliffs. The only difference was that there was no cloaked figure hovering nearby, or anywhere for that matter.
The boat slowly drifted towards the beach. All the while Naruto looked at the scenery with growing tension in his gut. What were they hoping to accomplish by finding this place?
He felt the boat stop and looked down to see sand. They had finally arrived. The trio got out of the boat and surveyed the area; Naruto had a worried expression, Ajisai looked confused, while Ryōshi…clutched his chest and fell down on one knee.
"Ryōshi!" the blond called out as he moved to hold the teen. "Hey? What's wrong?" The teen didn't answer though, and Naruto was about to shake him when the teen melted into a pool of shadow. He moved back, startled, but immediately the shadowy form of Obscuro rose from the pool.
The shadow-demon just gazed at the cathedral with his glowing red eyes. He then pointed to the two large doors at its entrance.
Naruto looked to Ajisai who just shrugged. "We've come this far, haven't we?" With that resolved, the trio marched to the entrance (or in Obscuro's case, floated). They reached the two doors and Naruto raised his fist to knock. But before he had the chance to, the doors swung open outwardly. Gulping, Naruto attempted to strengthen his resolved and entered, his two companions behind him.
He entered a large hallway, flanked by tall pillars and rows of wooden benches. Extremely faint light streamed from large glass windows, dying the whole chamber in an eerie grey glow. Large stone arches decorated the ceiling. Small statues and shrines were laid in aisles at the far walls of the cathedral. An altar stood at the far end of the hall, with a large statue behind it. As Naruto moved closer to the altar, he began to make out the statue's features; a hooded and cloaked figure with no face and two large, feathered wings holding a sword in its bony hands.
Naruto found himself facing the statue. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the statue terrified him. It was as though the stone figure was about to flap its wings and behead him in one fell swoop. Looking at the altar, he saw that it had the mysterious symbol carved onto it: a circle with two opposing spikes.
He reached out and touched it, only to feel the stone engraving. He turned to Ajisai and Obscuro and shrugged. "I don't see anything. Maybe we should – "
Suddenly, he felt very light-headed. The world started to fade around him and he felt as though he was sinking. He got down on the floor slowly clutching his aching head. He tried to speak, but no sound came out. He could barely make out Ajisai's form rushing towards him and calling his name. He tried holding out, but failed.
Then, he saw darkness.
-Obscuro-
Ta-da! New chapter! Cliffhanger, too!
What do you think of the dialogue between Takeo and Ryōshi? The scene when the cathedral appears?
Go check out my other stories and challenges and vote on my poll!
Read and Review. Review. RRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVIIIIIIEEEEEEWWWW!
Please?