Woo—
The long, resonant horn mingled with the sound of seawater crashing in waves as the students enjoyed all kinds of fun activities on the deck.
A massive cruise ship sailed across the sea, its hull cutting through the vast surface and splitting the waves to either side.
The sky was as blue as the ocean, its reflection mirrored on the water. Seabirds skimmed the surface to catch fish, while a certain Boruto shamelessly ran across the sea.
His gaze was sharp and his movements clean. He aimed a kunai at the fish swimming beneath the water, targeting the larger ones that looked like they would make a fine meal.
Splash—
The instant Boruto threw his kunai, it struck its target. That was right—he had wrapped Lightning Release around the kunai, increasing its speed and giving the fish no chance to escape.
With another splash, Mitsuki emerged from the sea holding a large fish. His arms had stretched like rubber, tightly binding the fish and leaving it no chance to break free.
"Not bad, Mitsuki. You're almost as good at catching fish as I am." Boruto lifted a large fish and leaped onto the deck.
Mitsuki followed close behind.
On the deck, another Boruto sat beside Sumire Kakei by a specially designed swimming pool, chatting as they watched their classmates happily splash around in the water.
"...This is nice." Sumire leaned a little closer to Boruto and sighed sincerely.
The slanting sunlight shone over the shimmering water. The students joyfully cheered as they splashed one another, even egging each other on to see who could hold their breath the longest.
"Maybe. But this trip probably isn't just for fun," Boruto said softly.
His expression grew thoughtful as he watched the splashes on the water fall back down one after another, only to bloom again.
The droplets gathered the sunlight and looked crystal clear. Sumire saw tranquility and peace within them, but Boruto's eyes reflected a different sight... perhaps responsibility.
"Something is bound to happen on this trip to the Land of Water." Boruto suddenly spoke to Sumire. "If we're lucky, we might witness the gathering—and destruction—of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"Hm?" Sumire turned her head in confusion. Their bodies were very close, and even their reflections on the water pressed tightly together, as though they were embracing and intertwining.
Their eyes met. Sumire's cheeks flushed slightly. She panicked and wanted to turn away, but some unknown courage made her boldly meet Boruto's gaze again.
The sunlight was perfect, and the sea breeze was gentle and cool, carrying a faint salty scent.
Wave after wave still splashed over them, the cool water washing away Sumire's nervousness and longing. She nodded gently, looking expectant.
"Will there be danger?" she suddenly asked.
"No." Boruto shook his head. "I have other things to take care of, so I'll leave this side to you."
Sumire froze slightly, as if she had realized something. Then she immediately lowered her head. "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist represent the overall strength of the Land of Water. I'm afraid I won't be much help."
Boruto did not answer. Quietly, he scooped up a pool of water in his hands and tossed it into the sky before it could slip through his fingers.
Sumire stared blankly at the scene. Boruto said nothing, and naturally, she did not interrupt him. She simply watched.
Sunlight shone upon the spray once more. Suddenly, the droplets turned into bubbles and slowly floated into the air.
The surrounding students were having a great time. Their attention shifted when they saw the bubbles rising, and when they turned around, they saw the two standing close together by the poolside.
Boruto smiled, took Sumire's small hand, and said softly, "You still have its power."
The bubbles drifted through the air before popping and turning back into droplets, falling like rain and soaking everyone present.
"Yes! Revenge! Hehe!" Boruto laughed happily as he watched the entire class get drenched like drowned rats.
"Huh?" Sumire froze. Rain fell across the entire pool, yet only the spot where she and Boruto stood remained untouched, as though someone had opened an umbrella over them.
"Pfft... I didn't expect you to hold such a grudge." Sumire burst into laughter, completely failing to notice that he had raised her hand high.
"The class rep did all of this! Go get revenge on her!!" Boruto ran off as soon as he finished speaking.
"Boruto?!"
Sumire was utterly dumbfounded. Facing the malicious looks from her classmates, she stood rooted to the spot as huge splashes drenched her.
She ignored the waves washing over her like a tide and merely looked at her arm. A pattern had silently appeared there—a white mark, Higanbana!
On the other side of the ocean, the White-Robed Man pinched a slip of paper between his fingers and leisurely hummed a song. Behind him followed a cautious figure, sticking close like a little tagalong.
Along the way, Sarada asked curiously, "Why are we rushing to the Land of Water again? Isn't the closer Tailed Beast the Five-Tails, Kokuō?"
"Who knows? The mission says to capture Son Gokū, the Four-Tails. It's hiding on an island not far from the Land of Water and has named the place Water Curtain Cave."
Thinking of that, the White-Robed Man found it somewhat amusing. Son Gokū probably was not worthy of taking that name for itself.
Sarada fell silent. Beneath the blazing sun, she panted heavily as she followed behind, completely lagging far behind the White-Robed Man in speed.
It seemed deliberate.
The White-Robed Man acted as though he had not noticed and silently continued forward until the trees completely obscured him, reducing his retreating figure to a tiny dot in the distance.
Watching the White-Robed Man get farther and farther away, Sarada believed she had found an opportunity. After all their travels, she had secretly "bought" a map while passing through another village.
Now, she believed the chance had come. There was another small village not far away. Its population was large, probably numbering over ten thousand.
As long as she could blend in, no matter how powerful the Mangekyō's perception was, it could not possibly accomplish the feat of finding a needle in a haystack!
She ran excitedly in the complete opposite direction from the White-Robed Man. Even if he noticed, it would be too late to catch up.
"Finally... I shook him off!!" Sarada was thrilled.
Not daring to linger, she hurried toward the village. Her steps seemed to ride the wind, and perhaps even she had not expected her speed to improve so greatly.
Not only that, but her Chakra reserves were on an entirely different level from before.
The village's commercial street was bustling. The map roughly indicated that this area belonged to the Land of Birds, bordering the Lands of Earth and Wind. The village itself was prosperous.
She quickly settled down and casually found an inn to stay at. The money had been given to her by the White-Robed Man as spending money.
The exhaustion from the journey, combined with the excitement in her heart, left her drained. Excitement and anxiety kept crashing through her mind. Too tired even to wash up, she lay down on the prepared bed and fell asleep.
It seemed that whenever she usually bathed, the White-Robed Man would impatiently hit her with a simple, fast combination of Water Release and Wind Release.
Her clothes and body would be clean just like that!
She sank into a deep sleep. Mist gradually rose within her dream, and a faint glow shone from beneath her red cheongsam. Strands of Chakra invaded her body.
The Seven-Tails, Chōmei, forced its way into Sarada's dream.
Before you continue