Pirates

The ship was a steam-powered vessel. Hidden in the cargo hold, they could hear the steam engine rumbling below, along with the occasional hiss of released steam.

At first, the noise was a little irritating. But after listening to it for long enough, it became like white noise, and they couldn't help growing drowsy.

There were more than a dozen people in the cargo hold. At that moment, most of them were fast asleep.

On a dull journey, sleep was always the best way to pass the time.

Sasuke wasn't asleep. He had hidden his hands in his sleeves and was practicing his Hand Seals.

He didn't want to waste a single second. One day, he would avenge his family with his own hands.

Lin Qing sat beside Sasuke, legs crossed. His chest rose and fell in a special rhythm. With each breath, the dim cargo hold seemed to grow a little brighter.

The passengers only felt a pleasant warmth spread through their bodies. Their taut nerves relaxed, and they slept even more soundly.

Sasuke sat closest to him and felt it most clearly.

"Brother Qing, have you mastered it?"

Lin Qing nodded slightly.

It had been over a month since he obtained Ripple Qigong. Whether eating, sleeping, or walking, Lin Qing had always practiced according to the breathing technique's requirements.

Perhaps it was because of the Uchiha's talent, or perhaps Lin Qing was naturally gifted at it. From the very beginning of his training, he had clearly felt a ripple stirring within him with every breath.

At first, it was very faint, like a dragonfly landing on duckweed and making the water ripple ever so slightly.

Now, Lin Qing could finally control the ripples, guiding them along his blood vessels and skin and releasing them into the outside world to affect reality.

When he activated the breathing technique, Lin Qing's muscle strength rose to three to five times that of an ordinary person. He could shatter rocks with his bare hands.

As a weapon, the ripples he released could become an invisible, searing blade. As a means of defense, they could help him withstand sudden impacts. Even if he was injured, he could use them to heal himself.

And the power was different from what shinobi cultivated.

Shinobi used relatively aggressive methods to gain power.

It was like Muay Thai: a fighter might be ferocious in his youth, only to end up riddled with injuries in old age.

Throughout the training process, the breathing technique would continually nourish Lin Qing's internal organs and extend his lifespan.

Noticing the envy in Sasuke's eyes, Lin Qing ruffled his hair.

"Once we get off the ship, I'll teach you."

"Yeah!"

Sasuke nodded eagerly, beaming.

Suddenly, he lurched to one side and nearly fell. Fortunately, Lin Qing caught him in time.

The other passengers weren't so lucky. Cries of pain rang out as more than a dozen people tumbled around the cargo hold.

The ship had stopped.

Still bleary-eyed, Xiaotao asked groggily, "Mom, have we arrived?"

Xiaotao's mother looked toward the cargo hold's ventilation opening. Naturally, she couldn't see anything through the narrow window. She stroked her daughter's head.

"The ship's stopped. We must have arrived."

Xiaotao's sleepiness vanished. She blinked. "Yay! We'll get to see Grandma and Grandpa!"

The Land of Water had sealed its ports, and most of the passengers were going there to visit family. Xiaotao and her mother were among them.

Lin Qing frowned slightly.

The timing was wrong.

The trip by ship from the Land of Waves to the Land of Water should take at least three days.

Although they were confined to the cargo hold and had little sense of time, Lin Qing had been keeping track.

They had only been sailing for two days. There should still be another day left.

They were still out in the vast ocean.

"Could Danzo's people have caught up with us?"

As Lin Qing wondered, he gave Sasuke a look.

Sasuke nodded and quietly drew a Kunai, hiding it in his sleeve as he prepared for any danger.

Whoosh—

The cargo hold doors, closed for two days, swung open.

The sunlight pouring in made Lin Qing squint slightly. He saw the silhouettes of three people.

A bald samurai and two sailors.

The three stood at the entrance. The bald samurai strode unsteadily into the hold.

A thin man asked, "Sir, have we arrived?"

"Sorry, everyone. A little hitch has come up on our journey."

An old woman huddled in a corner asked, "W-what kind of hitch?"

The bald samurai rested a hand on his sword hilt and swayed from side to side. The scabbard knocked against the cargo hold walls, its clacking echoing through the space. The passengers felt as if their hearts were being squeezed.

"We ran into pirates. But don't worry. After I talked them around, they agreed to let you go, on the condition that you hand over anything valuable you have... to buy your lives."

The two sailors carried bags and strode up to the passengers. Without even asking for permission, they reached for their luggage and packs.

"No! You can't take that! It's all I have left—"

The thin man who had spoken first tried to snatch his belongings back, but one of the sailors kicked him to the floor. As the man tried to get up, a blade flashed out and stopped in front of him.

"Move again, and I'll cut you down!"

The passengers finally saw the truth. What pirates?

Or rather, the samurai from the Land of Waves and the sailors standing before them were the pirates!

They were at the mercy of others. Staying alive mattered more than anything, so one by one, the passengers reluctantly handed over their luggage.

"Don't touch me!"

A scream rang out.

The bald samurai had spotted Xiaotao's mother. She had a curvy figure and a lovely face, and she was someone's wife. Lustful thoughts entered his mind. He put an arm around her waist with a lecherous laugh and spoke crudely:

"With breasts that big, let me see if you've got anything hidden in them!"

"Let go of my mom!"

Xiaotao rushed at him and punched the bald samurai in the groin.

"Get lost!"

The bald samurai doubled over in pain, then flew into a rage. He swung his arm back and slapped toward Xiaotao's face.

"Ah—"

A scream rang through the cargo hold.

But it didn't come from Xiaotao.

A black, icy Kunai pierced the bald samurai's palm and pinned it to the cargo hold wall. Blood ran down the wall.

Xiaotao looked in the direction the Kunai had come from.

She saw Sasuke, his expression cold.

At that moment, Sasuke understood what Lin Qing had meant by "when you feel you need to."

No one needed to remind him. He had thrown the Kunai instinctively.

His strength, speed, and accuracy all far surpassed what they had been during practice.

Because that strike had been infused with a power called "emotion."

A hand settled gently on Sasuke's shoulder. He came back to his senses, the fierceness in his expression giving way to panic.

"I'm sorry. I acted on my own..."

Sasuke had learned shinobi tracking techniques. An expert tracker could often tell which hidden village a shinobi came from just by studying the way they threw a Kunai.

What he had just done was no different from revealing his identity. It could point Konoha's pursuers—and Danzo's—straight toward them.

"You don't have to apologize. You did well."

What was the point of cultivating strength if, when faced with injustice and the anger welling up inside, you hesitated and couldn't even find the courage to act?

You might as well go back and farm.

"I'll kill you!"

The bald samurai pulled the Kunai out of his hand and tossed it aside, then drew the single-edged sword at his waist. A faint blue glow appeared along the blade.

Samurai and shinobi followed two different paths of cultivation. The former was simpler and more direct. All their skill was focused in a single blade, and they followed the path of cutting through all techniques with one strike.

Lin Qing stood and pulled Sasuke behind him.

"Leave the rest to me."

Everyone in the cargo hold turned to look at Lin Qing.

"You're a shinobi?!" the bald samurai demanded.

"No," Lin Qing replied honestly.

The bald samurai gripped his sword tightly with both hands, fury flashing in his eyes. "Whether you are or not, you're going to die today!"

Xiaotao was held in her mother's arms, terror filling her eyes.

"Die!"

The bald samurai shouted as he swung his sword down in an overhead cut aimed at Lin Qing's face.

Lin Qing flicked up the Kunai lying on the ground with his toe, caught it, and raised it to meet the descending blade.

A bloodthirsty excitement flashed in the bald samurai's eyes.

How could the sword he swung with both hands be stopped by Lin Qing holding a Kunai in one hand?

This wasn't some cheap action movie.

Xiaotao's mother couldn't bear to watch and covered her daughter's eyes.

Clang—

The crisp clash of weapons rang through the cargo hold, like ripples spreading outward in wave after wave.

"W-what?!"

The bald samurai stared at what had happened in disbelief.

It wasn't just him. The two sailors, who had been waiting for blood to spill, and all the passengers stared with their eyes wide.

The Kunai had firmly stopped the sword.

If Lin Qing had merely blocked it, people might have chalked it up to his natural strength.

But Lin Qing had met the edge of the blade with the Kunai's tip. He was perfectly steady, without a hint of misalignment or a tremor. The two of them seemed to have rehearsed the move beforehand, frozen in place.

This was the power of Ripple Qigong.

It enhanced speed, strength, and reflexes across the board.

Lin Qing was now like a smaller version of Star Platinum.

"Sir? What are you doing? Hurry up and cut him down!"

One of the sailors shouted.

The bald samurai was panicking. Did he think he didn't want to?

His sword seemed to be stuck in place. He couldn't pull it free at all.

What kind of ninjutsu was this?!

"Zzz—"

A wisp of smoke rose from the bald samurai's palm. The foul stench of charred meat spread through the air.

"Ah!"

The bald samurai screamed. He wanted to drop the scorching sword, but both his hands were locked in place and he couldn't move. Fury and terror filled his face.

"Everyone here will be buried because of what you've done! Remember, they'll die because of you!"

Lin Qing looked at him calmly.

"That kind of militaristic, bandit logic will do nothing but hasten your death... Any last words?"

"I'll fuck your—"

Before he could finish the word "mother," Star Platinum's fist, as big as a clay pot, slammed into the bald samurai's face.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Three heavy blows landed in succession.

The bald samurai and the two sailors were hurled out like torn sacks. They crashed into seven or eight sailors who were moving cargo, then slammed heavily onto the deck, their fates unknown.

"Sir! Sir!"

"What happened?!"

Seeing the samurai fall, the sailors panicked. One after another, they rushed over and pressed on the bald samurai's philtrum.

Just then, they heard footsteps behind them.

Lin Qing walked out of the cargo hold and picked up a bag of "white powder" scattered on the ground. His voice was cold.

"So this is what you people in the Land of Waves sell?"