Disaster of the Giant Serpent!

This was a massive ship; its hull was made of wood, yet it emitted the roar of machinery, with steam venting continuously from a high tower overhead.

No wonder the speed was so great; it seemed to be a steamship.

Such shipbuilding quality could only be achieved by the nations of the sea.

The weather remained overcast, and I could already smell the heavy scent of rain; out on the boundless sea, it felt suffocating enough to make one gasp for air.

I did not know how long I had slept; there was no one on the deck, and even the guards had vanished. I walked along the gunwale, and gradually, where the sky met the water, I spotted a silhouette.

He sat slanted at the stern, his gaze fixed on the distance. His black hair was blown into a mess, and his black robes billowed silently in the gale. He looked like a night raven, almost blending into the dark hull of the ship.

It was Senior Hyuga Makoto!

My eyes lit up, and I quickened my pace to run toward him, but the ship suddenly lurched. Scattered sea spray was whipped up by the wind, drenching half the deck.

I was splashed as well, and the cold made me sneeze twice. Because the ship was rocking, I hurriedly grabbed the railing. By the time I wiped the seawater from my face and looked up, the figure at the stern remained motionless, as if he could not feel the icy chill of the sea, like a statue gazing into the distance.

"Senior!"

I ran over and found that the wind at the stern was immense, making it impossible to keep my eyes open or even stand steady. I called out several times, but he did not turn back; it was as if he hadn't heard my shouting, offering no response at all.

"Captain!"

I inched my way toward him, afraid he might snap at me, and quickly explained, "We hadn't seen you return for a long time, and since we didn't know the time, we risked coming out to find you."

As I spoke, I pulled the food the guards had given me from my robes and held it out.

"Captain, we haven't eaten anything on this journey, and you must be hungry too. This is what the guard uncle gave us; we've checked it, and it's edible."

Only then did Hyuga Makoto look at me, but he did not accept the food, saying coldly, "Go back and tell Kusama Shigeo that we make landfall tonight."

"..."

Hearing this, for the first time, I felt a sense of frustration at having no way to handle the situation—

How could this person be so impervious to reason!

My stubbornness flared up, and I plopped down beside him, refusing to leave.

Hmph, I'm not going back this time!

I had expected him to scold me, but to my surprise, Hyuga Makoto merely glanced at me, a flicker of confusion seemingly crossing his eyes, yet he said nothing and returned his gaze to the distance.

I let out a sigh of relief, my heart settling for the moment. As I gnawed on the dry rations, I followed his gaze, only to find that beyond the pitch-black sky, there was nothing to see.

Wasn't that the direction of Konoha?

Strange, what was there to look at in a sky like this?

"Senior, what are you looking at?"

He ignored me.

"Senior, are you hungry? Are you thirsty?"

No reply.

"Senior, why is there no one on deck? Did everyone go to rest?"

Still no words.

I was out of options, so I stared at Hyuga Makoto's profile again. Noticing his black mask, I suddenly remembered: "Senior, I have a friend who also wears a mask all the time. His name is Hatake Kakashi. Do you know him?" (Sorry, Kakashi, even though I don't know if you consider me a friend, let me borrow your name for a moment!)

"..."

Aside from the sound of the wind and the waves, there was no response.

I sighed inwardly, not even sure what I was doing myself—

Perhaps, I just wanted to repay something.

Kusama Shigeo said that people from the Military Headquarters were assassins trained by the upper echelons, tools that followed orders, things devoid of human warmth.

And this person, too, had accepted orders to protect us.

I carefully leaned over the railing, quietly observing the cut on Hyuga Makoto's face, feeling a bit sad.

But even if one is from the Military Headquarters, it still hurts when you get injured.

Above the dark, heavy sea and sky, the ship continued to move steadily. I quietly stretched my legs out over the railing, dangling them as they swayed, breathing in the damp sea breeze, feeling both thrilled and content!

Sure enough, whether it was sunny or overcast, as long as Kusama Shigeo wasn't around, everything looked pleasing to the eye!

"Senior, did you know, I have a younger brother!"

I giggled, stretching out my hands to imagine Itachi, gesturing with my fingers as I said excitedly, "He's probably this tall now. Maybe by the time I return to Konoha, he'll be calling me big brother!"

I did not notice that as I spoke joyfully about little Itachi, a rare, different expression appeared in Hyuga Makoto's eyes.

"Is that so."

Unexpectedly, I actually heard a reply!

I was stunned for a long time before I hurriedly answered, "Yes, y-yes, that's right! He's not even a year old yet, but he's super cute! He'll pester me to hold him, and he'll put the food he likes into my bowl. His only flaw is that he's too clingy; he wails if he can't see anyone! Actually, that's not really a flaw at all!"

I laughed foolishly as I talked for a long time, then suddenly realized something.

"Senior, do you have siblings too?"

As soon as these words left my mouth, I felt those white pupils sweep over me with lightning speed, like a blade scraping across my skin. It felt as if he were inspecting something, enough to break a person out in a cold sweat.

Is this... did I guess right?

My face turned pale, yet my heart felt a flicker of joy!

Not only from the Hyuga Clan, but a brother from the Hyuga Clan at that!

Looking at his demeanor, I wonder if he has an older brother or a younger one?

I wanted to know more, but judging by Hyuga Makoto's expression, he would absolutely never reveal it. I had no choice but to continue talking about little Itachi. Sure enough, his attitude softened noticeably once more.

It seems he has a younger brother!

I grinned, feeling a sense of kinship.

After all, having a younger brother is truly a wonderful thing!

"Senior, let me tell you, one time little Itachi insisted on eating my sticky rice. He can't eat those things yet, but if I didn't give it to him, he'd cry. I had no choice but to mix a bunch of onions into the rice, and to my surprise, he stubbornly cried while eating it all! Hahahaha, you wouldn't believe it, at the time my mother and I--" I was in the middle of counting off Uchiha Itachi's embarrassing moments one by one when, the next instant, the entire ship suddenly shuddered violently!

The impact was immense, as if the hull had slammed into a massive mountain! I lost my balance in an instant and nearly flipped over the railing into the sea! Fortunately, Hyuga Makoto was quick-witted and grabbed me, saving me from disaster!

"What's going on?"

The ship rocked incessantly. I channeled my chakra to barely keep my footing, clutching the railing with one hand, a bad premonition rising in my heart.

Sure enough, just as I finished speaking, the ship shuddered again with a fierce jolt! The great vessel's speed stalled, and it even began to tilt slightly! I could already faintly hear chaos erupting within the ship, accompanied by the screams of the crowd!

Immediately following, a terrifying sequence of events unfolded. I heard a deafening boom from the bottom of the ship, as if something indescribable had punched through the hull! It was accompanied by the desperate shrieks of the passengers!

However, the screaming lasted only a moment before it ceased, leaving behind a deathly silence in the air, broken only by the continuous sound of the waves.

What on earth happened?

At this moment, Hyuga Makoto sensed something. He stood up, activated his Byakugan to look downward, and his expression changed instantly!

"Senior, what's happening below? Did we hit something?" I asked hurriedly.

"There is... something under the ship."

Hyuga Makoto leaned over, the veins around his eyes bulging. His next words gave me a massive shock!

"The ship is going to sink."

"What? What did you say? The ship is sinking?"

A perfectly fine merchant ship, of such a large scale, carrying so many people—how could it just sink like that?

I didn't want to believe it, but the hull began to tremble, tilt, and submerge violently at that very moment!

I clearly heard the sound of wood being torn apart, accompanied by continuous screaming coming from the cabins below!

"There is a chakra signature under the water."

Hyuga Makoto stared into the pitch-black sea, frowning. "Stay here, I'm going to find Kusama Shigeo."

Before I could reply, he vanished from the spot using a Body Flicker technique.

I stood alone, bewildered, on the massive deck. Just as I gripped the railing, another loud crash echoed from the bottom of the merchant ship! Then came the sound of seawater rushing into the hull; in the middle of the boundless ocean, it made my scalp tingle!

"If... if the ship sinks here, what will we do?"

Although ninjas can use chakra to stay on the surface of the water, this is the open ocean! How long could our meager chakra reserves possibly last?

I leaned over the railing to look down, but amidst the constant waves, I saw people falling into the water one after another. Before they could even let out a scream, they vanished into the ink-black sea!

"Oh no!"

At that very moment, a bolt of white light streaked across the sky—it was the lightning and rain that had been suppressed for so long!

The wind and waves began to grow stronger!

"No, they aren't ninjas! They'll die if they fall in!"

I gripped the railing, remembered Hyuga Makoto's warning, hesitated for a moment, but bit the bullet and jumped down, channeling chakra into the soles of my feet to barely maintain my balance!

Only when I truly reached the sea did I realize how massive the waves were!

I stood on the surface of the water, rising and falling with the swells, feeling like a leaf that could be swallowed by the surging ocean at any moment!

"Help--!!!"

I heard countless cries for help from the other side of the waves and rushed over. Sure enough, I saw a large crowd of people in the water, bobbing up and down!

"Save me, save me!!"

Corpses floated beneath my feet. I reached out to pull the nearest person, completely unaware that something was surging beneath the seawater, moving to attack me!

The next instant, I was violently dragged down into the freezing sea by something!

My vision was filled with white bubbles. The air in my lungs rushed out as I sank, and the freezing liquid poured into my nasal cavity!

I struggled to look down, only to discover that my right foot was being coiled by something. Looking closely, they were writhing and swimming—they were...

Snakes!

A massive swarm of sea snakes! My pupils constricted!

Deep beneath the ocean, thousands upon thousands of dense, indistinct snakes were swimming! They were coiled around my ankles, slithering upward along my calves!

Why... why were there so many snakes here? It was as if I'd poked a snake's nest!

I stared intently, watching as the snakes surged out from the dark seabed in waves. Some darted directly into the hull, clinging to the ship in massive clusters!

My heart skipped a beat as a realization struck me: Could this be what sank the ship?

There was no time to think. The thin snakes around my ankles extended like tentacles, biting into my skin one after another, pulling me downward without a moment's pause!

Damn it, it hurts... I can't break free!

I held my breath, recalling the deduction I'd just made. My hands moved in a blur of seals, and chakra suddenly condensed across my skin—

Lightning Style: Body Piercer!

In an instant, a blue radiance erupted from the depths. Murasame cleaved through the seawater, and blood began to diffuse and spread!

Before I could even feel a sense of relief, more snakes swarmed up. Stimulated by the blood, they were even more numerous than before, dragging me toward the abyss like madmen!

"Ugh..." The light dimmed. I had already swallowed several mouthfuls of seawater. The lack of air made me dizzy. The sea snakes had already spread to my chest; everywhere I looked, there was no more seawater, only surging snake scales—

Damn it! You beasts!

Just as I was struggling like a madman, a hand suddenly broke through the mass of snakes, grabbed my arm, and yanked me out of the water!

I spat out a mouthful of seawater, my vision gradually clearing. I slowly made out the face of Hyuga Makoto, and the person he was carrying on his shoulder... the unconscious Kusama Shigeo.

"What happened to him?"

"He's injured." Hyuga Makoto carried Kusama Shigeo with one arm while steadying me with the other.

"The storm is coming; we have to leave this place."

"W-wait, Senior!" I stumbled and fell to the ground, suddenly realizing I couldn't feel my right foot! I looked down and saw that my ankle had changed color, turning a bruised purple, covered in bite marks!

"You've been poisoned..." Hyuga Makoto noticed immediately and frowned, saying, "Hold on to me."

"Wait... wait, Senior..." I struggled to stand up using his arm, but my gaze couldn't tear itself away from the capsized ship.

"Those people... what about them?"

"We... we came here on their ship... and that guard, what about him?"

Before Hyuga Makoto could reply, the seawater beneath our feet suddenly rippled. Accompanied by a deep, resonant sound, a massive shadow swept beneath us, as if something unfathomable was moving on the seabed!

"What is that?"

Seeing such a behemoth for the first time, I froze in place. I only saw that massive shadow move as fast as an arrow shot from a bow, slamming violently into the merchant ship. With a thunderous boom, the already precarious hull suffered a critical blow and began to sink faster!

In an instant, screams, shrieks, and the scent of blood filled the air. I could hear the sound of flesh being torn and the crunching of teeth spreading up from beneath the water!

I trembled, my mouth agape, almost unable to speak!

W-what is this thing!

Within a few breaths, the last human voice vanished. Dark red blood dispersed across the sea surface, while beneath the water lay a deep, abyss-like crimson. I felt something was wrong; the surroundings were deathly silent, as if something in the darkness was staring at you—

I had just gripped Murasame when I felt the ground shake. A snake head as thick as a dozen men suddenly broke through the water! It opened its massive maw and lunged at me!

M-monster!

I stood frozen, unable to move, but my waist was suddenly gripped! A tremendous force carried me flying backward, narrowly dodging the giant snake's strike!

Where we had just been standing, a massive splash erupted!

I looked up. Hyuga Makoto had grabbed me with one hand while carrying Kusama Shigeo on his shoulder. His white eyes took in the giant python, and without a moment's hesitation, he turned and fled!

"Senior... w-what on earth is that thing?"

Tucked under his arm, I spoke with a stutter, unable to stop my body from trembling.

A creature of that size was definitely not just a simple sea snake!

"Senior, it's chasing us!"

My sharp eyes caught a surge of black beneath the sea, spreading toward us at high speed!

Hyuga Makoto didn't speak, only leaping and dodging continuously. The waves overhead crashed down one after another, as massive as mountains, giving the feeling that they could capsize us at any moment. I was cold and soaked, my mouth and ears filled with water. My body was sometimes above the water, sometimes below. The black shadow behind us was like a ghost, sometimes closing in, sometimes vanishing, following us like a shadow!

Damn it, why is it chasing us so relentlessly!

"Senior, we're going to be caught!"

I had barely spoken when I gulped down more seawater. My eyes stung, and everything around me was a murky darkness; I could barely distinguish the sea from the sky!

"We're almost there, hold on."

Almost where?

In the howling wind and rain, I only felt the pain in my ankle growing worse. My vision was already beginning to blur, but suddenly, I sensed danger.

I struggled to open my eyes. A massive wave crashed down, and the entire world roared until only the sound of water remained. I seemed to see the snake-like shadow swimming beside me, fear following like a shadow!

But immediately after, a figure separated me from the monster. The water flow around me seemed to be manipulated by some power, wrapping around me and sweeping me away, instantly pulling me clear of the seabed!

The next moment, I was slammed hard onto the wet, soft sand. I rolled a few times, using all my strength to crawl toward the shore, coughing and vomiting seawater, before lying flat on the beach like a stranded fish. My chest heaved up and down, celebrating my survival.

I do not know how much time had passed, but when I finally regained a shred of strength, I struggled to my feet and looked toward the sea, only to suddenly see a person still floating ahead!

I rushed over in a hurry, and upon closer inspection, it was actually the unconscious Kusama Shigeo!

"Hey! Wake up!"

I grabbed his collar, doing my best to keep his head above the water, and labored to drag him through the waist-deep surf until I reached the shore, where I carefully leaned over him to check for breath.

"Still breathing, he's still alive!"

Just as I was rejoicing, the seawater behind me suddenly surged. I felt a chill run down my back, and upon closer look, what had been washed up this time were dense, swarming black snakes!

I panicked instantly, pulling and dragging Kusama Shigeo further up the shore, yet the unease in my heart grew heavier and heavier—

Because... because Hyuga Makoto had not come up yet!

"Senior!"

I struggled as I ran toward the shoreline, but the snakes beneath my feet instantly writhed, entangling my feet and calves, making it impossible to take a step.

"Hyuga Makoto!"

I roared at the raging sea. The water was already at my waist, making it nearly impossible to move another inch, and everywhere my eyes landed, there were only dense, writhing masses of black snakes!

I kept tearing through the black water with my hands until my upper body was nearly submerged by the snakes, only to be knocked back to the shore by a massive wave, my body too numb to stand.

"..."

I strained to turn my head, my gaze fixed on the unconscious Kusama Shigeo. A sharp pain twisted in my heart, and I struggled to crawl up again, stubbornly approaching the water's edge. The snakes covering the ground climbed up my wrists, but I no longer had the strength to shake them off—

"He should be here... he should be..."

My vision grew increasingly blurred, my arms went limp, and I plunged headfirst into the seawater, falling completely still.

The torrential rain never ceased.

Before me, the pitch-black ocean continued to roar. The surface of the sea held not a single other color; there was only the abyss-black water, rising and falling without a moment's rest, slowly and violently climbing the peaks before crashing down, washing over the child on the beach, inch by inch dragging him downward, ceaselessly devouring his body.

At this moment, a pair of hands reached out, plunging into the dense mass of black snakes, and effortlessly lifted the person up.

On the cliffside amidst the gale and rain, he hoisted the unconscious child onto his shoulder, picked up the youth beside him, and walked step by step toward the forest ahead.

However, just as he took his first step, a deep, low growl suddenly emanated from beneath the sea behind him, as if something in the dark, bottomless ocean were calling out, making one's hair stand on end.

Hyuga Makoto's expression did not change; he merely looked back and gave a slight bow to the sea, then his figure flickered, and he vanished from the spot with the two of them.