We will continue from where we left off last chapter. There are a lot of things I needed to address since the first chapter, but I don't really know how to address them, so if you have any questions about the story please leave a review and ill answer it whenever I can. I do like getting comments so please do comment if you have anything to say whether its good or bad. Chapter release might slow down from now on since I have exams coming up but after that ill make sure to stick to it. Lmk what yall think of the story so far, I do plan to incorporate these guys into the lore so look out for that. Anyways thank you for reading and enjoy.

_

"Are you two perhaps related?" the young marine from before asked. "I noticed you both look quite alike, maybe brothers?"

Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances, then turned to the man, "I guess you could say that," Answered Shisui.

"Heh, you two are some brave kids, huh?" Another marine entered the conversation. "If I were stuck out in the middle of the ocean, I'd cry my eyes out until a sea king ate me up or something-" The man was immediately interrupted as the previous marine put a hand on his mouth.

Shisui's brows furrowed slightly at the mention of Sea Kings, his eyes widening with intrigue. "Sea kings? What are those?" he asked.

The marine nervously smiled at Shisui, "I-It's nothing you need to worry about. Just know that, while you're with us, you are safe from anything!" He said in an attempt to reassure them.

Shisui wanted to press further, but it seemed that their short trip was over as the boat finally reached the base of the marine battleship. "We're here." The man said, gesturing to a ladder of rope dropped from the top of the ship.

With the marines right behind them, the two boys left the rowboat behind and climbed up the ladder onto the main deck of the marine ship. There, they were greeted by the bustling activity of the crew, with privates scurrying about, tending to their various tasks along the ship's perimeter. Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the shift in their mission. From now on, they would need to approach this like an infiltration operation. As long as they avoided attracting attention, they could gather valuable intelligence, given the significance that these people exude.

A deft flick of Itachi's fingers, hidden at his side, grabbed Shisui's attention like a silent alert. A sequence of hand signs followed, a language they had honed through years of training in the shadows.

"Maintain a low profile, blend in as curious children. Search for any valuable information. Do not get caught," conveyed Itachi's message through his hand gestures.

Shisui acknowledged the directive with a slight tilt of his head, a silent affirmation of their shared understanding and trust. The bond forged in their past lives remained firm. With their objectives clear and their plan firmly in place, they seamlessly resumed their facade of innocence.

Amidst all the commotion in the ship, a towering figure approached them. His impressive height and stern expression served as proof of his authority on the ship. He wore the same marine attire, but with a distinctive white coat draped over his shoulders, his wavy brown hair falling freely without a cap like the other marines.

The group of marine privates accompanying the boys snapped to attention as the imposing man approached. His steely gaze swept over his crew before briefly flickering towards the two young boys.

"Private Fubuki, care to explain?" His voice boomed across the deck, demanding attention.

"Captain!" the young marine now identified as Fubuki responded. "We found these two kids on the intruding boat, sir. They appear to be lost orphans, sir!" With a sharp stomp on the metal floor and a salute, he relayed the situation to his superior.

The captain regarded Itachi and Shisui with a keen gaze, his demeanor reminiscent of a bull preparing to charge. His nostrils flared, emitting a visible gasp as he surveyed the two boys. After a tense moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Lost orphans, you say?" His tone was measured as he uttered those words. "Very well, Private Fubuki. Take them to the quarters below deck. I'll have a word with them later."

With a nod of acknowledgment, Fubuki motioned for Itachi and Shisui to follow him, eager to escape the captain's intense scrutiny. "Sorry about our captain..." he said to the two boys as they moved away. "He had a rough childhood that left him with trust issues, but he's still a good man. Once he understands your situation, he'll surely help you!"

Shisui's eyes widened with surprise. "Really? That's great!" He jumped up a little with excitement. "But, Fubuki-san, I've been meaning to ask since we got up here, what are those?" he pointed towards a rack of weapons, specifically a rifle hung on the wall.

"Oh, that... that's called a rifle. It's a weapon we use to fight off the bad guys," Fubuki explained enthusiastically.

"Fight off... the bad guys?" Shisui mused under his breath.

"And what does the rifle do?" Itachi joined the conversation.

"It shoots bullets!" Fubuki exclaimed, gesturing with his arms as if holding a rifle. "You pull the trigger, then BAM! A shot flies through the air at blinding speed towards the enemy. We use it to get rid of criminals and such. Cool, right?" His enthusiasm for his job was clear.

Itachi offered him a smile. "Yeah, it's cool," he said. Itachi held Fubuki in high regard; he seemed like a kind-hearted man who treated them well as kids. A respectful soldier, regardless of his strength or rank.

As Fubuki led Itachi and Shisui towards the quarters below deck, the ship's interior revealed itself to be a maze of narrow corridors and cramped living spaces. The air was thick with the scent of oil, in contrast to the open sea breeze outside. Privates continue to roam the place, each with their own duty in mind.

Shisui's eyes roamed the unfamiliar surroundings, taking in every nook and cranny of the ship's interior. This was his first time anywhere near a vessel of this kind, so his curiosity was understandable. Among his wandering glances, he caught sight of a staircase at the end of one corridor, its steps disappearing into darkness

'So there are lower levels...' He mused to himself.

They continued their way through the maze of corridors and until they reached a door that was significantly bigger than the others, trumping the two kids by a lot. On the door was a sign that said "Captain P. Jons". With a push from Fubuki, it creaked open, revealing a spacious room furnished with a large desk and several chairs. Sunlight filtered in through a small porthole window, casting a warm glow over the room.

"This is where you'll wait," Fubuki explained, gesturing for them to take a seat. "The captain will see you shortly. Make yourselves comfortable."

Itachi and Shisui nodded in understanding, taking a seat in one of the chairs. With a farewell from Fubuki, they found themselves alone in the room, the door closing with a soft click behind him. Instantly, the two boys exchanged glances, a silent conversation between comrades flowing with that single look. Itachi's Sharingan flickered to life, scanning beyond the closed door. A subtle chakra signature lingered outside, not Fubuki's, but undoubtedly placed there to keep watch over them. With a silent nod to Shisui, Itachi allowed his eyes to return to their natural state.

Meanwhile, Shisui scanned the room for any signs of surveillance devices. His keen senses detected no hidden bugs, cameras, or microphones. Once they were both satisfied that their conversation would remain private, it was time they discussed their current situation.

Shisui broke the silence first, his voice tinged with amusement. "Fubuki wasn't kidding about the captain's trust issues,"

While it seemed like this room was the captain's office, it lacked everything you would expect to see in one of them. No scrolls or maps lining shelves, no filing cabinets stuffed with mission dossiers. Even the desk stood empty, except a few scattered pens and some other useless things.

Itachi nodded. "It seems like we'll have to dig deeper to find anything worthwhile."

"And that's what I'm gonna do!" Shisui announced, pushing himself off the chair and heading to an emptier spot in the room. He weaved a few hand signs with practiced ease, and poof! A clone of himself appeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'll go check out the ship and see if I find anything noteworthy. The clone will stay here until I'm back," Shisui explained.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Why not just send the clone?"

A mischievous grin spread across Shisui's face. "Honestly, maybe it's because I'm a child again, but I'm itching for some action," he admitted, his hand unconsciously scratching his head as he spoke.

Itachi chuckled softly. "Suit yourself, just make sure you don't leave any loose ends."

"Don't worry, I got this," Shisui reassured him.

With that, the real Shisui strode towards the door, leaving his clone to keep Itachi company. As he opened the door, he came face to face with the marine standing guard outside — quite a big guy with stiff eyebrows that made him look naturally condescending.

Shisui stood before the marine guarding the door, his gaze remaining steady despite the man's imposing figure. "Um, excuse me, sir," Shisui began, continuing his facade as an innocent child. "I was wondering if I could, uh, use the restroom?"

The marine's brow furrowed in confusion, his stern expression momentarily faltering. He glanced around the corridor, observing the bustling activity of the crew members roaming around the place. He couldn't leave his post unattended, yet he also didn't want to keep the kid waiting.

"Err, I suppose I could take you there," the marine finally relented, his voice surprisingly gentle compared to his stern appearance. "Follow me, kid."

With a nod of gratitude, Shisui followed the marine down the corridor. The door shut with a hollow thud, instantly making the captain's room fall into deep silence.

With a nod of gratitude, Shisui followed the marine down the corridor. The door shut with a hollow thud, instantly making the captain's room fall into deep silence. Itachi and the clone exchanged a brief glance, acknowledging the absence of Shisui. The clone settled into a chair, mirroring Itachi's posture as they waited.

"By the way, how's your chakra reserves?" the clone asked, curiosity tinged in his tone.

Itachi considered the question for a moment before responding, his gaze shifting back to the clone. "They're not what they used to be," he admitted, "Smaller in volume, perhaps, but... different." He paused, searching for the right words to convey the sensation he felt. "More lively, I suppose. It feels... rejuvenated."

His eyes closed as he reflected on the changes within himself. After a moment's pause, he spoke up. "I may not be able to access all the jutsu I once could, but a large percentage of them, at least," he concluded, a sense of assurance underlying his words like he felt confident about his abilities.

The clone's brow furrowed as he nodded in understanding, his expression mirroring Itachi's contemplative demeanor. "I feel the same," The clone replied. "My reserves are just a fraction of what they used to be. I didn't truly notice until I attempted to use the shadow clone jutsu."

The wait continued soon after, and silence quickly fell over the room once again. Itachi's mind wandered, his thoughts drifting back to the crumpled piece of paper he had discovered earlier. With a sudden realization, he fumbled into his pocket, pulling out the crumpled paper.

"What's that?" the clone asked, leaning towards Itachi in curiosity, his interest piqued by the paper in his hand.

Itachi began to uncrumple the paper with deliberate care, the folds rustling as they were slowly unraveled. The clone shuffled closer, craning their neck to catch a glimpse of the mysterious document as Itachi revealed it.

Scattered across the page were a series of unfamiliar words, arranged haphazardly as if thrown together by chance. Itachi and the clone exchanged a puzzled glance, neither able to decipher the meaning behind the cryptic message.

Turning the paper over, their gaze fell upon a rough sketch, lines hastily drawn to outline what appeared to be a map. Five distinct land masses were depicted, each labeled with indecipherable markings. The five islands were separated with a line running through the page. But what caught Itachi's attention most was a small red dot on one of the islands, one which he immediately recognized as a dried blood stain.

Before he could further analyze the map, the door to the room swung open, interrupting their investigation. He quickly returned the paper into his pockets, then turned to lock eyes with Fubuki and the Captain as they entered the room.

The captain's voice echoed throughout the room, a blend of authority and intrigue. "Young ones," he began, his eyes flickering between Itachi and the clone, "I believe it's time for us to have a little chat."