Finding Myself [Rewrite]

ch. 22: Land of Waves pt. 3

There was a bright light in the center of a murky body of water, held by chains underneath the surface. The light called those who noticed it into the depths, those would answer would simply parish.

The light, as lonely as it was, could only continue to call and drown those who wished to see it.

One day, a man crossed the body of water on a boat. This man heard the call of the light, but rather than simply diving in, he used a net to fish out the light, broke its chains with a cheap hammer, and let it float through the empty cosmos. The man felt pity for the poor light whom he had never met... Pity from experience, for he was also alone.

The light was grateful to be freed from its prison and offered the man one wish. The man wished for nothing, but a friend to walk through time with.... And so, the light and the man were never alone again...

Together, they built a sanctuary for beings like the light, inviting any and all to the place for protection... Or maybe it was a place for the man to show off to others, to humans.

The man became famous for having tamed such strange creatures, and as more of them gathered in the protected space, the more famous he became.

Eventually, the man began taking the creatures from the sanctuary and having them put on stage showes... Then private shows... And one day, the creatures stopped returning to the sanctuary, where the light resided.

The light asked the man for the return of his kind, but the man would always tell the light "they will return later"... Later would never come.

After more than half the sanctuary's residents vanished without a trace, the light went to investigate one of these shows, and what it saw was horrific. Barbaric even.

Hurt and betrayed by his friend's actions, he confronted the man and asked him for the reason behind selling the defenseless people.

The man simply responded...

_____

There was a brief period of peace. Well, if one calls hearing the devastating story of a diabolical businessman doing what they do.

Smuggling, taking over cities and towns, killing those who get in the way of his plans. What were his plans exactly? No body could tell, but he wanted the Land of Waves, and building a bridge between lands would hinder his plans immensely.

If the bridge was built, the shady business man by the name of Gato would not be able to hold control of the island or it's people. He wouldn't be able to keep them isolated in the way he wished.

The bridge had to be completed, for the sake of all the citizens in that country.

This was the understanding the young ninja came to as Tazuna finished his explanation. Gato's men would stop at nothing to get Tazuna to stop building the bridge...

Gato has money and power- but the citizens of this country were poor, they could hardly take care of themselves.

Something about that was oddly familiar to Minaki, who was only half listening as her precious butterflies spread out in the mist.

"What are you thinking about?" Naruto asked her once he noticed she was in her own little world.

Minaki just shrugged her shoulders. Even if she wanted to tell him everything going through her mind, she really couldn't put it into words.

Naruto glanced at the little lion by their feet, who offered a shake of his fluffy head. Just when the blonde was about to speak, Mina pointed ahead.

"Almost there." She muttered as the ferryman nodded.