Chapter 227: Changes in the Land of Water
At the Land of Whirlpool's docks, three fast boats had already cast off their moorings and stood ready to depart.
The boat carrying Sōji's party was the one in the middle. It had a long, slender hull and a shallow draft, with Kirigakure's village emblem painted on both sides and two small flags, representing the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning, planted at its bow.
Samui stood by the railing, her short blond hair stirring gently in the morning breeze. She wore a standard Hidden Cloud combat uniform, and the Red Scabbard at the back of her belt gleamed faintly in the morning light.
Seeing Sōji and Tsunade approach one after the other, she gave a slight nod, her expression as calm and professional as ever.
But her blue-green eyes lingered on Tsunade for a few seconds longer than usual.
Tsunade openly met her gaze, a frank smile rising to her lips as she nodded in response.
Neither exchanged any unnecessary words, but what passed between them in that glance was more complicated than words.
By then, Karin and Ye Tong were already aboard.
Karin sat on a wooden crate by the railing, her red hair fluttering gently in the sea breeze as she looked down through a manual on sealing techniques.
Ye Tong leaned against the mast nearby, her dark brown ponytail swaying in the wind as she rested with her eyes closed.
Shizune was the last to board, carrying Tonton. Tonton sneezed into the sea breeze, and Shizune wiped her nose clean with her sleeve.
When the fast boat left the Land of Whirlpool's docks, the sun had just risen fully above the horizon.
The thin ice on the sea broke into countless floating mirrors in the morning