Going out to sea was something Sakura had done several times now, but it seemed each experience was less than pleasant. Carrying the burlap sack of "potatoes" on her shoulder, she stood on the harbor pier and paid a boatman for passage, reserving a "deluxe room."
Truthfully, the vessel was primarily a cargo ship. The so-called "deluxe room" was merely slightly larger than standard cabins, perhaps with a few extra amenities. After all, ships in the shinobi world were mainly used for transporting goods; carrying passengers was usually a secondary function. Dedicated vessels for tourism simply didn't exist.
Still, the ticket price was genuinely steep, several times more expensive than her previous sea voyage. According to the boatman, there had been frequent troubles recently along the shipping routes between the Land of Sea and the Land of Water, causing prices for both cargo and passengers to skyrocket compared to usual.
Sakura didn't bother haggling or complaining; it wasn't her hard-earned money, so the expense didn't sting. Hoisting the sack of "potatoes," she entered the designated "deluxe" room. Seeing only one bed inside, she unceremoniously dumped the sack onto the floor.
After confirming the door was securely locked, Sakura untied the burlap sack, revealing Mei Terumi's form within. Seeing she was still asleep, Sakura felt puzzled. Mei had been unconscious since the oxygen deprivation incident the previous day, sleeping through the entire afternoon and night, and now well into the morning without waking.
Her vital signs were stable, and she hadn't sustained any new injuries beyond the initial hypoxia-induced coma. Why is she sleeping so long? Sakura couldn't detect anything wrong medically; everything seemed normal. Oh well, let her sleep if she wants to. As long as she doesn't die.
Mei being unconscious actually saved Sakura some trouble; no need to actively look after her for now. When she wakes up, I'll find a chance to talk things over, then probably just let her go. Dragging an uncooperative person around constantly wasn't sustainable. Besides, Mei's body was nearly fully healed now, though she, like Sakura herself, would likely bear an ugly scar on her abdomen.
The ship had departed in the morning and was scheduled to reach the Land of the Sea the following morning. With nothing else to do, Sakura decided to focus on training Seijutsu. She had enough dry rations, and planned to minimize leaving her room, maintaining as low a profile as possible. She assumed Kirigakure had most likely received intel from that ninja who escaped back in the forest.
Although she had beaten Hozuki Mangetsu quite badly, Sakura didn't necessarily think he would end up on Kiri's wanted list. Her plan remained: deal with Mei somehow, release her, and hopefully clear her own name of any suspicion regarding the Fourth Mizukage's assassination.
(What Sakura didn't know, of course, was that Mei Terumi already believed Sakura held no hostile intent towards Kirigakure, and furthermore, that Hozuki Mangetsu was dead. Had Sakura been aware of these two facts, she likely wouldn't have been feeling quite so leisurely about this boat trip.)
The morning passed uneventfully. Sakura made absolutely no progress with the first stage of Seijutsu and sighed in frustration. This failure was disheartening; previously, she had always been able to master any ninjutsu she put her mind and effort into. But Sage Arts… it felt like she had hit her Waterloo.
Sure, she currently possessed Sage Art chakra, but it was derived from an external source – the Gelel Stone – not refined through her own connection to natural energy. If she had a large supply of Gelel Stones, she could perhaps manage, but even back in Ikarus, such stones were now scarce.
Wait… There was another place with abundant Gelel Stones: the moving island containing Nerukui's legacy. But accessing it seemed utterly unrealistic now. Back when she encountered it, she hadn't even realized the stones stored natural energy. Only old Claire knew the island's location, and who knew where he had disappeared to now? Plus, reaching the island likely required that giant moving fortress, which was lost. The Gelel Book itself had been sealed within the ruins, which were now inaccessible. And opening the ruins required Ranke's bloodline, but Ranke was in Ikarus, and Sakura had no idea where Ikarus even was.
The more she thought about it, the more tangled and impossible the path seemed. Sakura decided it was far more practical to focus on earnestly training Seijutsu. Fulfilling all the conditions needed to access that other Gelel source seemed more difficult than gathering the Dragon Balls.
Taking out a rice ball, she decided to make it her lunch. They'd arrive tomorrow morning anyway; she could have a proper meal once they reached their destination.
"Nnngh…"
Just then, a soft groan came from the figure lying on the floor. Mei, who had been unconscious for nearly a full day and night, stirred. Sakura looked over in surprise, mixed with a touch of annoyance. She's waking up? Seriously? Couldn't she have just slept until tomorrow morning? What a hassle.
"Water…" Mei murmured, her eyelashes fluttering, lips slightly parted.
"Coming, coming!" Sakura replied automatically. Sitting on the room's only chair, she held her half-eaten rice ball in one hand. With the other, she extended a finger, used chakra nature transformation to generate a stream of pure water, and accurately directed the flow into Mei's slightly open, rosy lips.
"Gurgle, gurgle… cough, cough!" Mei choked suddenly, coughing violently a few times.
Watching the scene, Sakura felt a prickle of unease, a sense that something about this was… off. Then, like a flash of inspiration, inappropriate images from her previous life flooded her mind. Her face instantly flushed crimson. She abruptly stopped the flow of water. Wait… why am I blushing?!
Mei's eyelids trembled again, then slowly opened. Perhaps due to just waking up, her consciousness seemed muddled, her gaze unfocused. She stared blankly at Sakura, saying nothing.
Mei's vacant stare unnerved Sakura. Did she see that embarrassing display just now? But her eyes were closed! Forcing a bright, "friendly" smile, Sakura tried again. "You're awake! Would you like something to eat?"
Honestly, Sakura thought with a pang of pity, this future Fifth Mizukage has had a rough time, being tormented by me like this. Still, she reminded herself, Mei drugged me first. She brought this on herself. Hopefully, once Mei ascended to the Mizukage's seat, she wouldn't come looking to settle old scores.
"Who… who are you?" Mei finally spoke, her previously vacant gaze shifting to one of utter confusion. The question hit Sakura like a physical blow, making her heart lurch.
No… It can't be… Sakura's heart clenched tightly. She forced another strained smile. "You… you don't recognize me?" She pointed to her own face. "Think again. Are you sure you don't know who I am?"
Mei's confused expression slowly cleared somewhat, replaced by focused concentration. She studied Sakura intently for a long moment, then slowly shook her head. "I don't know you. Have… have we met before?"
Hearing Mei's definitive answer, Sakura froze, instantly petrified. Are you freaking kidding me?! The rice ball slipped from her numb fingers. She slid off the chair and crouched down on the floor, looking Mei directly in the eyes, her voice deadly serious. "Do you know who you are?"
"I… I am…" Mei began to answer, but suddenly her face contorted in agony. Clutching her head with both hands, she curled into a tight ball on the floor, letting out pained moans.
"Answer me! Who are you!!" Sakura panicked. Ignoring Mei's obvious distress, she grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to sit up, and stared intently into her eyes.
"I… I am!!!" Mei gasped, struggling for breath, fine beads of sweat popping out on her forehead. "I… I don't know! Who am I?" In the end, she looked back at Sakura, her eyes filled with desperate confusion, asking the question herself.
Sakura stared into Mei Terumi's lost, bewildered eyes. A bizarre, conflicting urge washed over her – an urge to both laugh hysterically and burst into tears. Kisame! she thought, a surge of furious, misplaced blame rising within her. Don't you EVER let me see you again! If I do, I swear I will personally chop you into pieces and make shark fin soup!