Chapter 246: The Universe Always Delivers Just When You Want It

The squad captain nodded and explained, "According to the intelligence we've received from the outpost near the remains of Uzushio, the attackers are definitely from the Mist Village. The ships were attacked after being shrouded in a thick, heavy mist."

Although Mist Village was nearby, Nawaki couldn't help but speculate, "It might be Cloud Village pulling something sneaky. They're notorious for their dirty tricks."

Cloud Village did have a reputation for underhanded tactics, and they weren't above framing others for their deeds. But the thick mist pointed more towards Mist Village's involvement.

"I understand. Our team will cover the shipping lanes near the Land of Hot Water, and another team can handle the routes to the Land of Craftsmen. Does that sound good?" Takuya asked, looking at the map.

It wasn't practical for one team to guard both routes. They had to choose one, and since most incidents were happening near the Land of Hot Water, that's where they'd focus their efforts. Only by hitting back hard could they make the enemy retreat and pull back their claws.

Given its isolation across the ocean, intel on the Mist Village was limited. As the squad settled aboard their ship, Nawaki flipped through the mission reports over and over before voicing his confusion.

"Why does everyone from the Land of Water look... strange?"

Takuya laughed, "Be more confident. It's not just a feeling—they really do look strange, especially the ninja from the Mist Village."

Much like Konoha, the Mist Village was home to many bloodline clans. Ironically, several of them were originally driven out of the Land of Fire after being beaten by the Uchiha and Senju during the Warring States period. Many fled to the Land of Water.

Despite having a variety of powerful bloodline limits, the Mist Village's brutal regime led to many of these clans wiping themselves out in internal conflicts. So Nawaki wasn't wrong. A lot of the Mist Village's ninjas did look rather... abstract.

For Takuya, they were downright bizarre. You only needed to look at the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to get the idea—sharp fangs, wicked smiles.

Minato, meanwhile, was carefully reading through the intel on Mist Village as well. "The ninjas from that village are known for their assassination skills. If we encounter them, we need to stay on high alert."

The squad's mission wasn't too complicated. All they had to do was accompany and guard the merchant ships for two months. If enemies attacked, they were to handle it. Other than that, there wasn't much for them to worry about.

Without enemies, things were downright relaxing. Takuya even pulled out a fishing rod to pass the time. As for studying enemy intel… he figured he knew more about the Mist Village than Konoha did, anyway.

Minato noticed how laid-back Takuya was, barely even glancing at the reports, and that made him a little uneasy. But with nothing happening at sea, Minato soon found himself joining in with the fishing.

Mist Village had been targeting Konoha's sea routes for some time, but their recent actions had been bolder than usual. That's why the village had assigned elite jonin squads to protect the merchant ships.

Half a month passed since their team started guarding the shipping lanes, and everything remained calm. No incidents. But the mission wasn't over yet.

"The weather doesn't look too good today," Minato remarked, standing on deck. The sea was blanketed in thick mist, far thicker than what Minato had expected from his rare visits to the coast.

Visibility was reduced to barely ten meters, the horizon swallowed by a dense, white fog. It was as if the sea and sky had merged into a single cloud of mist, obscuring everything.

"I heard from the helmsman that this happens a few days every month," Nawaki said casually, though his words made Takuya choke on air.

That just made it sound like the ocean had its own 'special time of the month.' Every month, there were always a few days like this.

"Oh yeah, I haven't seen Snowy around lately," Nawaki asked, suddenly curious. "Did you stash her away somewhere, Takuya?"

"She's reached a growth stage, so she needs to hibernate for a while. I'm not sure how long she'll be asleep, though," Takuya explained.

Snowy, his trusty companion, went through several stages of growth, and each one required a period of hibernation. The later the stage, the longer the hibernation. This time, Snowy had already been sleeping for over two months.

Without Snowy's 'Tailed Beast Radar,' Takuya had to rely on his own sharp senses for vigilance. Luckily, his perception skills were excellent, and Minato wasn't far behind, so the squad wasn't too worried about ambushes.

As their ship sailed deeper into the ocean, visibility continued to worsen. Soon, they could barely see more than a few meters in any direction. Takuya admired the sailors who braved these conditions. If they weren't familiar with the sea, they could easily crash into hidden rocks before they even realized it.

"The fog's getting even thicker," Minato noted, his tone growing serious. Something didn't feel right.

Nawaki's expression turned serious as well. "Do you hear that? The sound of waves… but not from our ship or the merchant vessels. It's coming from somewhere farther off."

Minato pressed his ear to the side of the ship, listening closely. But before he could focus, Takuya gave him a pat on the shoulder. "No need to listen. Get ready for battle—our target's here."

The universe was clearly on Takuya's side. He'd been wondering when he'd finally run into Fuguki Suikazan, and here he was, just half a month into the mission. Right on time.

"Fuguki is mine. Nawaki, you stay with the merchant ship. Minato, you cover us."

Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique made him the perfect candidate for backup, able to zip around the battlefield as needed.

Nawaki pointed at himself in confusion. "I'm watching the ships? You guys get to fight while I babysit?"

Takuya's eyes narrowed playfully. "Unless you want to switch? You can go out there, bring me the enemy's head, and don't forget to grab his weapon while you're at it. How about that?"

If Nawaki agreed, Takuya would happily trade places. He loved it when someone else did the work and he still reaped the rewards.

"Uhh..." Nawaki rubbed his face, clearly frustrated. "Fine, you go. If that guy slips away, I won't be able to find you another Shark Skin sword."

The Mist Village ninjas had the advantage in sea combat, and if they escaped underwater, pursuing them would be a nightmare. If Fuguki Suikazan got away, Takuya would definitely make Nawaki pay for it.

Takuya gave Nawaki a knowing smile before jumping off the ship and walking across the water, disappearing into the mist.

It was a shame, Takuya thought, that Hoshigaki Kisame was still a young kid at this point. Otherwise, he wouldn't mind taking this 'tailless tailed beast' back to the village to raise for himself.

Meanwhile, on one of the Mist Village's warships, Fuguki Suikazan stood at the bow, leading his crew as they drew closer to the Konoha merchant vessels.

Aside from Fuguki, the ship carried two full squads of Mist ninja, all of them eagerly waiting for the signal to attack and destroy the merchant ships.

"If there's anything valuable, take it. Kill everyone else," Fuguki growled, his sharp teeth gleaming as he grinned.

With his already strange appearance, Fuguki's grin was downright terrifying. If he popped out at night, he'd scare the hell out of anyone.

As for the Konoha escort ships, he didn't even consider them a threat. Compared to Mist Village's warships, Konoha's ships were practically toys. And he wasn't the least bit worried about Konoha's protective squad.

"Yes, sir!" the Mist ninjas responded eagerly, gearing up for battle.

But just then, a sudden flash of blue light pierced through the thick mist. It shot straight toward Fuguki at the bow like a bolt of lightning.

Blue light?

Not good. Danger!

That's lightning chakra!

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