Another Wave
"Be careful not to damage the employer's ship," Shuichi's voice came from behind Anko. "Also, it's best not to let them escape. If I were to intervene, you'd only get a failing grade this time."
"Ugh, I know!" Anko complained, carefully calculating her remaining chakra. She then decisively sent Might Guy ahead while she followed closely behind, her hands rapidly Hand Seals. "Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Many Snake Hands!"
As Might Guy collided with a member of the Extreme Evil Gang, several thick, brown snakes quickly coiled around the bodies of the others, the timing was perfect.
Although Might Guy's limbs were a little weak, he knew that the opportunity was hard-won. He mustered his spirits and swung his Nunchucks, first striking the enemy's temple with a powerful swing, then quickly flipping to the side and kicking out, directly hitting another person between the legs.
Two screams rang out instantly. Even though the members of the Extreme Evil Gang were physically strong, their vital points and weaknesses were no different from those of ordinary people, making it difficult for them to endure such astonishing pain.
Anko didn't let them off the Kunai, and promptly followed up with two kunai, hitting the enemy's throat with great precision. Her movements were indeed somewhat similar to Shuichi's.
However, she was not yet capable of multitasking. Due to a decline in her Ninjutsu control, the last enemy used brute force to break free from the giant python's entanglement, rushed to the edge of the ship with all her might, and leaped into the air. Her leaping posture looked quite graceful, much like that of a large bird.
But he didn't know what kind of creature he was about to face. Knowing his seasickness had caused Anko a lot of trouble, Might Guy immediately shouted and chased after her, "I absolutely won't let you escape!"
"Whoosh!" The green figure leaped up like a frog, grabbed the legs of the Extreme Evil Gang member in mid-air, and pulled him back to the ship's location with all its might.
This person never expected this Konoha Ninja to be so eccentric. With nowhere to put his weight on, he flailed his limbs in the air, and just as he was about to fall, two Shuriken precisely pierced his eyes.
Seeing this, Anko didn't let him go. She quickly followed up and attacked again, successfully annihilating all the pirates of the Extreme Evil Gang.
As a faint smell of blood filled the cabin, the crew remained in a state of fear. The sounds of fighting outside had ceased, but they dared not go out to take a look, unsure of the outcome.
"Get your asses out here and get rid of these people right now!"
Upon hearing Lady Kyoka's roar, many people immediately breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Konoha Ninja were indeed reliable, having dealt with the Extreme Evil Gang in such a short time.
As the crew cleaned up the battlefield, Lady Kyoka looked at Shuichi with admiration, "Kenshin is indeed amazing. He's on a completely different level from the Mist Ninja I've hired before. It seems I've really struck gold this time; I definitely couldn't afford a master like you under normal circumstances with that bounty."
"You flatter me Sister Kyoka," Shuichi said modestly. "Speaking of the Mist Ninja, judging from your tone, you've cooperated with them quite often before, so why didn't you contact them again this time?"
Kyoka couldn't help but complain after hearing this, "Sigh, there's nothing I can do. The Land of Water has become increasingly chaotic these past two years, making it much harder for us merchants to hire reliable ninjas..."
From her, Shuichi learned roughly about the current situation in the Land of Land of Water.
First, they were defeated in the Third Shinobi War Konoha War, which not only failed to alleviate the various internal conflicts within Kirigakure, but also made the situation more serious.
Fewer and fewer ninjas are willing to take on high-difficulty missions, as the elite forces of various clans have suffered repeated defeats, greatly damaging the confidence of the village's ninjas.
The many Kirigakure, who retain their bloodthirsty and belligerent traits, have no other outlet for their pent-up frustrations. Often, even a few high-value missions will spark competition and conflict, and some may even secretly plot against their fellow villagers.
This caused Kirigakure's reputation to plummet, and the quest market in the Land of Water became a mixed bag, with even Rogue Ninja, samurai, and gang members getting involved.
Employers like Lady Kyoka are in a very difficult position. Paying high prices would significantly increase costs, while hiring people at normal prices is often unreliable and could potentially usurp the caravan, robbing them of both money and women.
Even if she just talks a lot of nonsense, it's still disgusting to her, considering that the sea voyage takes more than a month.
"I see, it seems you've had a tough time..." Shuichi expressed his understanding, but this was a good thing for Konoha. He immediately began to promote business for the village, "Since you're Uncle Danza's friend, you can come to Konoha to post requests more often. When I have time, I'll personally help you select suitable personnel."
"I know many powerful young geniuses whose value for money far surpasses that of ordinary ninjas from other villages. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Lady Kyoka beamed with joy upon hearing this. This was wonderful! With Shuichi overseeing things, her caravan had finally opened up a new channel for commissions. It seemed they could do more trade with the Land of Fire in the future.
Since encountering the Extreme Evil Gang, the fleet had been traveling relatively smoothly for more than half a month.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered some petty pirates, Anko and Might Guy dealt with them on the high seas during their training breaks, preventing them from even getting close.
A few days later, a crew member approached Lady Kyoka again to inquire about sailing options, "Boss, we'll be reaching our destination in a few days. Following the coastline might be risky, while taking a longer route will only take more time. What do you plan to do...?"
The fleet is currently sailing on the northern sea of Land of Water, and the destination port is located on the eastern coast. At this time, sailing close to the coast will provide a shorter route and a clearer direction.
However, this also makes them easily visible from the coast, making them very vulnerable to attacks by robbery gangs. Robbers can gather a large number of people first and then bring several boats to carry out their mission together.
"Brother Kenshin, look..."
"Just take the shortcut, I guarantee no enemies can get close," Shuichi said confidently.
Having spent more than a month at sea, he was getting a little tired of it and certainly wouldn't take the long way around anymore.
Lady Kyoka naturally had complete confidence in him, so the fleet boldly approached the land, turned south, and sped off to the destination via the shortest route.
Perhaps because of this unexpected choice, they sailed for several more days without incident, and soon they were about to approach their destination port. They did not encounter another ship along the entire route, which was almost too peaceful.
"I didn't expect the situation to worsen so much recently. I remember there used to be several trading companies operating around here, but they've probably all changed their routes now." Although nothing happened along the way, Kyoka's expression wasn't very good.
The environment of the entire Land of Water is deteriorating, and those who suffer the most are families like theirs who run small businesses. Lacking their own military strength, they can only rely on hiring people, and every trip they take carries considerable risks.
"Boss, something's wrong! More people are coming at us, and this time there are even more of them on the other side!"
The crew members on the high vantage point suddenly changed their expressions. Several black dots appeared in their field of vision, rapidly approaching them from the coast near the dock. As they moved towards each other, the distance between them decreased at an extremely fast pace.