Setting Sail for the Land of Whirlpools!

Mist Harbor, the docks.

The sea breeze, heavy with the scent of salt and brine, swept in from the harbor, causing the sails hanging from the masts to snap and flutter violently.

On the distant sea, mist and clouds wove together into a gray-white canopy, while a few seagulls circled in the low sky, letting out sharp, piercing cries.

The docks were bustling with people; the rhythmic chants of the stevedores mingled with the chatter of travelers, creating a scene that was both noisy and vibrant.

A medium-sized ship was already moored alongside the pier, its hull rocking gently with the waves, the mooring lines tied to stone bollards on the shore, emitting faint, creaking friction sounds.

Mei Terumi stood at the edge of the pier, one hand resting on a stone bollard, her emerald eyes fixed on the direction in which Uchiha Kou and Jiraiya had disappeared.

Still haven't returned...

Her brows were slightly furrowed, her beautiful eyes filled with worry.

The opponent is Jiraiya, one of the Sannin after all. Even for that Uchiha Kou, I fear...

Mei Terumi pondered calmly in her heart, her cold, stunning face etched with gravity.

As I thought, would it be better to follow them and see?

She whispered to herself, a flicker of resolve flashing through her emerald eyes.

Although she didn't care at all about the safety of that annoying guy Uchiha Kou—if he suffered, it would be heaven's justice, a wonderful thing that would make her happy all day!

That shameless bastard, wasting such a handsome face—it would serve him right to suffer a little!

But if he were to fail because of the mission she had entrusted to him, that was another matter entirely.

After all, no matter how much she disliked him, they were currently "companions."

Setting aside her own needs, Uchiha Kou was facing the Sannin alone for the sake of her mission.

If not for the mission, he could have easily shaken off the powerful threat of Jiraiya with his speed.

She looked toward the direction Kou had left, a complex emotion flashing in her emerald eyes:

"After all... he is the man who carved out the title of 'Black Lightning' on the Kumogakure battlefield during the Third Ninja World War."

But even for an Uchiha Kou who had made a name for himself in the Third Ninja World War, he was still somewhat out of his depth when facing Jiraiya, a veteran powerhouse of the ninja world.

A flash of determination crossed Mei Terumi's eyes.

Although it was because of the mission, they could indeed be called "companions" now.

"Never abandon a companion"—this was what Sora had said to her when he proposed trying to persuade Zabuza to join them.

In the Mist Village, in the Village of the Bloody Mist, companions were expendable, pawns to be discarded when necessary, tools to be thrown away once a mission was completed.

This was the "truth" that every Mist ninja had been indoctrinated with since childhood.

But Sora had changed this "truth"; he had changed many people, he... had changed the Mist Village.

"Protecting companions"—this was something she now recognized from the bottom of her heart as what the future of the Mist Village should be.

"Yes... there is nothing to hesitate about."

She whispered in her heart, her emerald eyes gradually becoming firm.

She lifted her hand from the stone bollard and clenched it into a fist:

"Abandoning a companion? I don't understand that."

She made her decision, and just as she was about to take a step, a loud, exuberant voice suddenly rang out beside her:

"Woohoo!! Made it just in time!!!"

Accompanied by a flash of lightning, Kou's figure instantly dropped in front of Mei Terumi, who had just begun to step forward.

The lightning flashed before her, blinding her for a moment.

A black shadow descended from the sky, landing steadily three paces in front of her.

The hem of his Black Cloak with Red Clouds fluttered in the wind, his black, messy hair swayed over his forehead, and a roguish, handsome smile hung on his face.

"Waaah!!!"

Mei Terumi was startled by this sudden appearance and let out an involuntary, loud shriek.

Before her consciousness could catch up, the instinctual reflexes of a Mist Village elite took over.

Her pupils contracted, her slender fingers lifted rapidly, and her pink lips immediately pursed, ready to spit a mouthful of Lava Release into the face of the "enemy" before her.

Kou was taken aback by her exaggerated reaction; he saw those pursed lips, realized what was happening, and thought to himself that things were going south.

Relying on his superior reflexes, Kou reached out even faster, accurately pinching Mei Terumi's pursed cheeks.

"Why are you yelling so loudly!!!"

Kou looked at the Mei Terumi before him and said, sounding rather annoyed.

His hand pinched her cheeks; the sensation was soft and warm, like a flattened steamed bun.

Hearing Kou's annoyed tone, the guard in Mei Terumi's eyes faded rapidly, replaced by a hint of guilt.

"Sorry, it was just a reflex..."

She lowered her hands from the hand seals, her voice muffled by the grip Kou had on her mouth.

"Fine, I forgive you."

Kou grunted irritably and released his hold on Mei Terumi's face.

He understood well enough that his sudden appearance had triggered her defensive instincts.

After all, they were both survivors of the Third Ninja World War; he knew all too well the instincts carved into their very bones.

Mei Terumi rubbed her slightly reddened cheeks, her emerald eyes filled with surprise.

She looked Kou up and down.

Aside from a bit of dust on his clothes and a few loose strands of hair, he was almost completely unscathed.

"You... you managed to get away?"

Her voice was laced with unconcealable astonishment.

Kou didn't answer her question; instead, he gave a thumbs-up and flashed a smile identical to the one Might Guy often wore.

The grin was radiant, his teeth reflecting the light, and he radiated an aura of pure confidence.

Watching him strike such a ridiculous pose, the corner of Mei Terumi's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

But she clearly had no time to mock him for it; her emerald eyes were filled with disbelief as she couldn't help but ask:

"How did you do it? That was Jiraiya of the Sannin!"

Kou, naturally, wasn't about to spill the beans about Pain.

He glanced toward the distant direction where Jiraiya and Pain were located and replied in a perfunctory tone:

"Oh, I spent ninety-eight bucks at a roadside stall to buy him a giant crab. Once he was satisfied with the meal, he just waved me off and let me go."

Mei Terumi: ▼_▼

"...Do I look that easy to fool?"

She muttered with dissatisfaction, but didn't press the issue further.

After all, they weren't that close; it was merely a temporary relationship between an employer and a mercenary.

Unless necessary, there was no need to get to the bottom of questions the other party didn't want to answer.

To ensure cooperation in future missions, maintaining a sense of distance was necessary.

Mei Terumi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the mountain of questions in her mind.

She nodded helplessly, her expression returning to a state of calm.

She then turned around, facing the ship ahead, and spoke seriously to Kou behind her:

"Since the trouble is resolved, let's set sail."

"...Yeah."

Kou responded casually.

His voice was lazy, as if he were acknowledging something trivial.

But the moment Mei Terumi turned away, his gaze shifted toward a shop not far off.

It was a small store selling dried seafood, with several strings of dried fish hanging at the entrance, swaying gently in the breeze.

In the shadows of the doorway, a man who looked exactly like him stood there, nodding at him.

It was his Shadow Clone.

Kou glanced once more at the direction of Jiraiya and Pain, then took a final look at the fog-shrouded harbor:

"Though it's unlikely, if those two really get carried away and start fighting for real, that would be bad. The impact on the ninja world goes without saying, but if the ordinary people living here were caught in the crossfire, that would..."

Kou's gaze lingered on the shop entrance for a moment; the Shadow Clone had already vanished into the shadows, suppressing its presence to the absolute minimum.

Even though he didn't consider himself a good person, he preferred to avoid causing innocent people to suffer because of his own actions whenever possible.

After all, he himself had been deeply harmed by those who never cared about the impact their actions had on others...

Kou whispered to himself in his heart:

"Leaving a Shadow Clone here will give me some peace of mind... and it'll be a good way to see how those two resolve things later."

"Uchiha Kou! What are you daydreaming about? Get on the ship!!"

Mei Terumi's shout came from the vessel.

The voice was crisp and loud, piercing through the noise of the pier and reaching his ears.

Kou's thoughts were pulled back; he withdrew his gaze, and that roguish, handsome smile returned to his face:

"Coming!"

The ship's mooring lines were cast off, the sailors hoisted the sails, and the hull began to move slowly.

The waves slapped against the hull, producing a rhythmic splashing sound.

The sounds from the shore gradually faded, and the crowd on the pier grew smaller and smaller; those houses and the mountain shadows looming in the mist were all swallowed bit by bit by the sea.

"Woo—"

With a long blast of the steam whistle, a medium-sized vessel departed from Mist Harbor, sailing toward the expanse of gray-white sea.

The destination—the Land of Whirlpools.

The bow of the ship broke through the waves, kicking up white spray.

Mei Terumi stood at the prow, her emerald eyes gazing into the distance, toward the endless horizon shrouded in mist.

Her long hair fluttered in the wind, her robes whipped about, and she stood like a statue anchored to the bow.

Kou leaned against the railing, his black eyes fixed on the direction of the stern.

There, the harbor had already shrunk to a tiny speck, swallowed bit by bit by the mist until it finally vanished at the junction of sea and sky.

His gaze pierced through the fog, landing on a place much further away.

That was the direction where his Shadow Clone was located.

The rest is up to you.

He whispered in his heart, then withdrew his gaze.

On the sea, the wind and waves began to rise.

The ship carried two people, each harboring their own thoughts, as it sailed toward unknown waters.

(Regarding Pain and Jiraiya, I am thinking of skipping them and mentioning it later when the Shadow Clone is recalled. What does everyone think?)