Chapter 199: Whirlpool and Long Blade

"Anyone? Does that include us?"

"Of course..." Natsume suddenly paused, lost in thought.

"Half a year ago, the Uchiha clone was created. If it's him, he might understand the original body's intentions. After all, before that, the original body was already tinkering with something mysterious."

"The Uchiha clone, huh." The white-haired girl sighed softly.

"It looks like we might be able to complete our mission soon."

"Who knows? Though I'm not as fanatical as Kitsu, I must admit, I'm looking forward to the moment we reunite with the original body." Natsume grinned, adding, "Sis, when the four of us siblings gather, and after being devoured to rebuild the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, imagine the original body standing on the Nine-Tails while holding Susano'o—that would be quite the spectacle, wouldn't it?"

Ruri chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. "If only that time could be tomorrow... Since the original body didn't give any special instructions, I'll just go with the flow and follow his arrangements."

"Whatever you wish, Sis. I estimate the original body will show up soon. He had me lure the Konoha shinobi over here; it's not like it was just for fun, right?"

Natsume laughed heartily, watching the slender figure of the white-haired girl until she disappeared into the darkness. Just before she vanished, he suddenly remembered something and said with a playful grin, "Oh, by the way, has Shisui awakened the Mangekyō yet? The Uchiha are in a much better situation than in the original timeline. How about we play the role of a little protector of the world line for once? We could kill Muta Aburame to trigger the Mangekyō awakening, hahaha..."

Though he was laughing, there wasn't a trace of lightheartedness or joy in Natsume's eyes. He calmly observed every detail of Ruri's body language.

The white-haired girl paused, shrugged her shoulders, and sighed.

"If it's for the sake of the original body's grand plan, then of course, anyone can be killed. How about tomorrow..."

"Hey, hey, it was just a joke. Why are you taking it seriously, Sis?" Natsume stuck out his tongue. "I was just trying to lighten the mood. Why would I kill an innocent disciple for no reason..."

"Why do you all act like crazy people?" Ruri glared at him before vanishing into the deep forest.

Natsume lay down on the ground with a thud, tore off a blade of grass, and held it in his mouth, remaining silent for a long time.

He thought about Kitsu and the Uchiha clone. Despite their significant differences in personality, all three clones—the Uzumaki, Senju, and Uchiha—expressed a strong desire to be devoured by the original body, himself included.

Natsume believed that while it might seem perverse, this was the most normal thought a clone could have. After all, would a shadow clone resist disappearing? Would Black Zetsu betray Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?

But... the Bone Clone had been around for so long—long enough to form bonds with Shisui and Muta.

Natsume was worried that the Bone Clone might cause complications, ruining his "beautiful fate of being devoured." So he had hinted at it.

Now it seemed like he was just overthinking things.

"Sigh, why do I worry so much... We're all clones from the same source; who wouldn't understand each other?"

"So what if there are bonds? I like hiding in the woods and treating people's wounds. We're all thinking beings; forming bonds with the outside world is perfectly normal."

"We're all clones. She must know her limits and won't go too far. There's no way she'd kiss Shisui and then die, right..."

Natsume slapped his own cheeks, let out a mischievous laugh, and, still grinning, laid down with his hands behind his head and drifted off to sleep.

...

Over the next few days, the three Konoha shinobi often pestered Natsume, each trying to pry information about Yuto from him.

But just as Natsume had said, he really didn't know anything.

"I don't know."

"My sensei never mentioned it."

"Huh? I forgot."

With three consecutive denials, the former members of Team Nine were left speechless.

In the end, Shisui and the others realized that Natsume genuinely didn't know where their sensei was. Helpless, they had to implement Plan B—leave the Land of the Sea immediately, report to the Hokage, and request that shinobi be stationed there permanently.

Of course, to avoid a "leaving before the enemy arrives" scenario, Muta was temporarily left behind. He acted decisively, building a stone hut right next to Natsume and prepared to hound him relentlessly.

After buying some local specialties like fish cakes, Shisui and Ruri boarded the ship back to the Land of Whirlpools.

As soon as they entered the cabin, Shisui gleefully scooped up a cup of seawater, tore up the fish cakes, and soaked them before gulping it all down in one go.

'...Is everyone in the Uchiha clan insane or something?' The white-haired girl frowned as she watched.

"Drinking seawater?"

"You don't understand, Ruri." Shisui proudly held up the small cup. "The fish cakes from the Land of the Sea can be soaked in anything—tea, seawater, well water—they taste great no matter what."

"Mm, I'll give you a basin of foot-washing water tomorrow, and you can enjoy that."

The Sharingan boy was about to retort instinctively but suddenly remembered something, causing him to fall silent and blush.

"Oh? Are you a pervert?" The white-haired girl teased.

"Good job! When we get back to the village, I'll spread the word that Shisui of the Body Flicker stays up late at night to peek at his female teammates' feet..."

"I didn't!"

"Heh, do you think anyone will believe you? What girl would joke about her own reputation?"

Shisui's eyes widened, his face turning red. He quickly drew his sword, trying to scare Ruri, but the white-haired girl reacted faster. She collapsed to the ground with a cry, reaching for the buttons on her chest, and said pitifully, "Don't kill me..."

"No, that's not it!" Shisui panicked and bowed his head in apology.

"Ruri, please stop joking. It's not easy for me to build up my reputation..."

With a loud bang, the ship shook. The white-haired girl, who had been teasing Shisui with a smile, was suddenly thrown into the air.

Shisui expertly caught her, his sword drawn, protecting the girl securely in his arms.

"What a huge wave..." Ruri frowned, stopped teasing her teammate, and stood up to gaze into the distance.

A massive whirlpool, several kilometers in diameter, roared in front of the ship. The storm and heavy rain raged simultaneously, painting the entire scene in darkness.

"So, this is the hurricane season..." Ruri frowned.

"It seems that if the village wants to station shinobi in the Land of the Sea, they'll need to bring expert sailors. Shisui, make sure to include this in your report."

"Huh? Oh, sure, sure..."

The Sharingan boy nodded repeatedly, unable to understand why the most beautiful girl in the world could change her mood so quickly—one moment playful, the next serious, more unpredictable than the sea itself.

However, what the young shinobi in the cabin didn't know was that far away, on a still-calm sea, a one-eyed masked man was already standing.

In his hand, he tightly gripped a long blade.

(End of Chapter)