Casualties

After briefly sizing up the kid who had just popped out, Ringo Ameyuri said with a playful smile, "So, a brat from the Hyuga Clan, huh? Haha... how interesting."

At this moment, Genma Shiranui, who had been kicked flying, slowly pulled himself up by the railing. With a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, he wiped it away and coughed gently.

Genma then fished a senbon from his ninja tool pouch and bit down on it. With a grave expression, he said to Kamizuki, "This person is no simple matter. She is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, wielder of the Lightning Blade. Her body is also shrouded in something strange; you must be careful..."

Just as Genma was about to say more, Ringo Ameyuri suddenly raised the twin blades in her hands and crossed them. Sparks of lightning crackled over the steel as she chanted, "Lightning Blade Technique: Falling Thunder."

The arcs of electricity on the blades instantly detached, shooting straight toward Kamizuki and Genma, sealing off their paths to the left and right.

Kamizuki scanned the surrounding environment quickly; dodging was truly difficult, and with an injured Genma nearby, he did not hesitate to unleash the "Gentle Fist Art: Heaven Spin." Using the rotational force of the technique, he deflected the incoming lightning.

The moment Kamizuki stopped spinning after deflecting the bolts, Ringo Ameyuri flashed to a position not far in front of him and slashed down with her blade.

Kamizuki held his kunai and steadily blocked the strike. After catching the blow, he pivoted and unleashed a roundhouse kick toward Ringo Ameyuri's body.

Ringo Ameyuri's reaction was incredibly fast; she blocked the kick with the Lightning Blade in her left hand and simultaneously leaped back to put some distance between them.

Retreating about ten meters, Ringo Ameyuri came to a halt. She looked at Kamizuki and smiled, "As expected, the most delicious things must be saved for last!"

With that, she flashed away and vanished.

Hearing her words, Kamizuki was somewhat confused by her meaning. Seeing her flee, he didn't intend to pursue; their primary mission was to protect the Feudal Lord of the Land of Waves.

Kamizuki watched Ringo Ameyuri's figure disappear toward the bow of the ship. He truly didn't understand what she was there for. Wasn't her goal to assassinate or capture the Feudal Lord?

Kamizuki shook his muddled head; there was no point dwelling on what he couldn't figure out. He helped the injured Genma into the Feudal Lord's cabin, pulled the shivering Lord out from under the bed, and offered some comfort until the man finally snapped out of his state of extreme panic.

Just as Kamizuki finished calming the Feudal Lord and was about to sit down for a rest, a woman's sorrowful wail suddenly echoed from the bow of the ship.

Hearing the cry, both Kamizuki and Genma felt their spirits jolt, and the Feudal Lord, who had just been calmed, scrambled right back under the bed.

Kamizuki and Genma exchanged a glance. Genma signaled for Kamizuki to go check it out. Kamizuki nodded, bolted out of the cabin, and sprinted toward the bow.

In less than a minute, Kamizuki reached the bow. He saw the three enemies he had captured earlier lying dead on the deck, blood pooling beneath them.

In the center of the deck, Sakura Mangetsu, covered in blood, was kneeling on the planks, cradling a limp body in her arms.

As Kamizuki stepped closer, he saw Sakura Mangetsu sobbing silently, her face stained with blood. He shifted his gaze to the person in her arms.

The person in Mangetsu's arms was none other than Kato Taichi, who was in their same squad. A small, clean hole had been pierced through Taichi's chest, the edges charred by electricity, which was why no blood flowed from the wound.

Seeing Taichi in Mangetsu's arms, Kamizuki knew at a glance that there was no hope of saving him; he had sacrificed his life.

Kamizuki knelt before Mangetsu, silently watching Taichi in her arms, his face devoid of expression. Mangetsu continued to hold Taichi, tears falling silently onto his cooling face.

The two of them just watched as Taichi, now devoid of any life force, lay quietly in Mangetsu's arms.

About a quarter of an hour later, Sakura Mangetsu finally calmed her emotions slightly. She looked at Kamizuki's face and wiped the tears from her own.

Only then did she begin to recount what had happened between her and Taichi after Kamizuki left.

Through Mangetsu's narration, Kamizuki learned the sequence of events:

Right after Kamizuki went to the Feudal Lord's cabin, Mangetsu and Taichi had sat on the deck to rest for a moment before tying up the three enemies whose chakra pathways Kamizuki had sealed.

Just as they were planning to drag the three enemies into an empty cabin to hold them, disaster struck.

As they were about to enter the cabin with their captives, a woman wielding twin blades suddenly leaped down from the roof of the cabin. In that split second, the woman moved with a fluid, almost slow-motion grace; as the blades swept past, the three bound enemies collapsed, blood spraying everywhere. (Because of her extreme speed, it had appeared to the onlookers like slow motion.)

Because the woman appeared so suddenly and struck so quickly, she had taken down the three enemies in the blink of an eye.

Just as Taichi and Mangetsu reacted, Taichi saw a sharp blade flying straight toward Sakura Mangetsu. Without a second thought, acting on pure instinct, he threw his body in the way to block the strike meant for her.

After doing this, the woman with the twin blades had vanished without a word, wearing that same eerie smile.

Hearing Mangetsu's account, Kamizuki felt a pang of guilt. Who else could that woman with the twin blades be but Ringo Ameyuri, who had left after their fight? He regretted not pursuing her when he had the chance.