It was a woman in her fifties, her skin darkened by years of sea wind and sun, her face deeply lined with wrinkles that told of a life spent battling the elements.
"Tsunade-sama, you've arrived."
Captain Shimahui jumped down from the ship and bowed respectfully.
"The ship is fully prepared, supplies are sufficient, and we can depart at any time."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Tsunade nodded slightly.
"This is Captain Shimahui. She will be responsible for the voyage from here on."
The group exchanged greetings.
Captain Shimahui's gaze swept across them one by one, pausing ever so slightly when it landed on Rin.
Rin looked the youngest among them, her demeanor gentle and soft, not at all like a seasoned shinobi.
But the captain asked no questions.
Having sailed the seas for decades, she understood well that the world of shinobi was unfathomable, and appearances were often deceiving.
"Everyone, please board the ship. If we leave early, we can reach the first stop before evening."
The five of them boarded the Seagull.
The vessel was not particularly large, but it was well designed, with a spacious deck and several separate cabins divided within the hull.
Tsunade and Shizune shared one room, Kurenai and Rin took another, while Kiyohara chose a single cabin near the bow.
That location offered the best view, making it convenient to observe the sea.
Captain Shimahui and her three crew members quickly got to work. Raising the sails, untying the moorings, adjusting the rudder, every movement was practiced and fluid.
The sailboat slowly departed the harbor and entered the open sea.
The surface of the ocean was calm, the wind moderate, and the ship moved steadily toward the southeast.
Rin stood by the railing on the deck, gazing curiously at the vast expanse before her.
The azure sea stretched endlessly to the horizon, blending seamlessly with the sky.
Seagulls circled behind the ship, their crisp cries echoing through the air.
"So beautiful…"
She murmured softly.
"Yes, the sea always has a way of broadening one's heart."
Kurenai walked up beside her.
"But don't be fooled by appearances. The ocean is beautiful, but it is also dangerous. Storms, hidden reefs, sea beasts… on the sea, accidents can happen at any moment."
"Have you sailed often, Kurenai?"
"Not much, but I do have some experience."
Kurenai shook her head as she spoke, her gaze drifting toward the bow.
Kiyohara stood there, eyes closed, as though engaged in some kind of cultivation.
In truth, he was indeed training.
He was conversing with Toad Kiyohara about matters related to natural energy, asking whether there were places besides the Three Great Sage Lands where natural energy was abundant.
To outsiders, however, it simply looked like he was lost in thought.
He was attempting to apply the natural energy perception techniques taught by Toad Kiyohara to the marine environment.
Unlike on land, the flow of natural energy in the ocean was far more complex.
The tides, the currents, the topography of the seabed… all of these factors influenced the distribution of natural energy.
"In the shinobi world, the ocean covers at least sixty to seventy percent of the surface, yet the Three Great Sage Lands are all on land rather than in the sea. Could it be that the natural energy in the ocean is inferior to that on land?"
Kiyohara posed the question.
This was indeed a blind spot.
Mount Myoboku was a range of mountains, Ryuchi Cave was a snake-infested cavern, and although Shikkotsu Forest had never clearly revealed its exact environment, judging from the habits of slugs, it was likely a dark and damp place, perhaps something between a cavern and a forest, possibly a vast woodland filled with dense undergrowth.
But no matter how one looked at it, none of them were in the ocean.
"I'm not too sure about that either, croak."
Toad Kiyohara folded his forelimbs and shook his head.
He rarely ventured into the sea himself.
"I see."
Kiyohara stroked his chin thoughtfully.
From what he remembered of the original story, there were indeed not many powerful creatures in the ocean.
At that moment, he sensed something unusual.
About one kilometer ahead to the left of the ship, the seabed terrain suddenly became complex.
It should have been a flat ocean floor, yet there were numerous irregular protrusions, almost like structures built by intelligent hands.
Even stranger, a large number of lifeforms had gathered around those structures.
They were not ordinary marine creatures, but something… hybrid.
They had human-like outlines, yet possessed the features of fish.
Some swam among the reefs, others lurked within the shadows, all oriented toward the ship.
Kiyohara opened his Sharingan and saw chakra flowing within their bodies, glowing faintly like fireflies in the distance.
"Sensei."
Kiyohara opened his eyes and turned, walking toward Tsunade.
She was inside the cabin studying a map of the Land of the Sea and looked up when she heard his voice.
"What is it?"
"One kilometer ahead on the left, there is an anomaly beneath the sea."
Kiyohara briefly explained what he had sensed.
"A large number of unknown creatures are gathering. Their target may be us."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade immediately stood up.
"Notify everyone. Prepare for battle. Shizune, inform Captain Shimahui and have her prepare to evade."
"Yes!"
Shizune quickly left the cabin.
Soon, everyone gathered on the deck.
Captain Shimahui also arrived, her expression grave.
"Tsunade-sama, should we change course?"
"Let's observe first."
Tsunade walked to the bow, looking into the distance.
At first, the sea remained calm and undisturbed.
But within seconds, she saw them.
Dark green shadows began to rise from beneath the surface, their scales reflecting sunlight with a cold gleam.
"That is…"
She narrowed her eyes.
The shapes grew clearer.
They had human limbs and torsos, yet their bodies were covered in dark green scales.
Webbing stretched between their fingers and toes, their faces retained human features, but their eyes were larger, lidless, their noses flattened, and their mouths split wide to the ears, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
Half human, half fish.
"Sea monsters…"
Captain Shimahui sucked in a sharp breath.
"They really are sea monsters. There have been rumors these past few years about creatures attacking fishing boats in this area. So it was true…"
Tsunade lowered her hand seal, her expression serious.
"They are not natural creatures. Their body structure… resembles the result of artificial modification."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
Both he and Tsunade, along with Shizune, were trained in medical ninjutsu.
They could immediately recognize the abnormalities in these creatures.
At this point, Kiyohara had already concluded that this was Orochimaru's handiwork.
Most likely, stimulated by Kiyohara's earlier actions, Orochimaru had begun developing the Cursed Seal ahead of time.
As a result, these fish-men had appeared earlier than they had in the original timeline.
"All units, prepare for combat. There are quite a number of these creatures, at least thirty."
Tsunade ordered.
"Tsunade-sama, I can use Water jutsu to control the surface of the sea and restrict their movements."
Rin stepped forward.
On her own, her chakra might not be sufficient for such a feat, but with the assistance of Tailed Beast chakra, it would be a different matter entirely.
"Good. We'll proceed with that plan."
Tsunade clenched her fist.
"Captain Shimahui, take your crew into the cabin. No matter what happens, do not come out."
"U-Understood!"
The captain hurriedly led her crew away.
Only the five shinobi remained on the deck.
The sea breeze suddenly turned cold, and the distant waters began to churn as the dark green figures advanced at an astonishing speed.
"They're coming."
Kiyohara drew his shinobi blade.
The first creature leapt out of the water.
It traced a high arc through the air, rising at least ten meters before crashing heavily onto the deck.
The wooden planks dented under the impact, yet the creature stood up completely unharmed.
At close range, its appearance was even more grotesque.
Dark green scales covered its entire body, glistening wetly under the sunlight. Its eyes were a murky yellow, devoid of pupils, nothing but a chaotic haze filling them.
When it opened its mouth, two rows of serrated teeth could be seen, along with a forked tongue that flicked in and out like that of a serpent.
"Hiss—"
The monster let out a snake-like hiss and lunged straight toward Kurenai the nearest target.
Kurenai did not retreat. Her hands moved rapidly through hand seals as she cast her technique. "Demonic Illusion: Servant Fog Technique!"
Her figure instantly blurred and split into three indistinct afterimages.
The monster's attack missed, its claws tearing through nothing but an illusion.
At the same time, Shizune made her move.
With a flick of both hands, dozens of senbon needles coated in poison shot forward.
They struck the monster's joints and vital points.
Clang, clang, clang!
Unfortunately, although the needles hit their target, they all bounced off the creature's scales.
"Those scales are incredibly tough!"
Shizune cried out in surprise.
The monster turned and lunged at her, moving even faster than before.
Shizune hastily retreated, but the creature's claws were already closing in on her.
At that very moment, a flash of blade light cut through the air.
Kiyohara appeared in front of Shizune, his shinobi sword sweeping horizontally.
The blade collided with the monster's claws, producing a harsh metallic screech.
The creature was strong, but Kiyohara was stronger.
Slash!
His sword cut through the scales and bit deeply into the monster's shoulder.
Dark green blood gushed out, carrying a thick, nauseating stench.
The monster let out a pained hiss, yet it did not fall. Ignoring its own injury entirely, it swung its other claw toward Kiyohara's heart.
Kiyohara sidestepped the attack. With a flick of his blade, he severed the monster's entire arm.
Then came another strike, clean and decisive, severing its neck.
The creature's head rolled across the deck. Its body twitched a few times before finally going still.
But that was only the beginning.
More monsters leapt onto the deck. One, two, five, ten, and in the blink of an eye, more than twenty half-fish creatures had gathered.
They surrounded the five shinobi from all directions, their yellow eyes locked onto them, hissing incessantly.
"There are too many…"
Kurenai frowned slightly. She specialized in genjutsu, but these creatures seemed to lack complete consciousness, making her illusions far less effective.
"Rin, use a defensive Water Release jutsu!"
Kiyohara called out.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Rin slammed her hands onto the deck.
The surrounding seawater suddenly surged upward, forming four thick walls of water that enclosed the entire ship.
The leaping monsters slammed into the water barrier, their momentum noticeably slowed.
But they quickly adjusted, tearing through the water walls with their claws and continuing forward.
"It's no use. Their scales are too hard. Ordinary attacks won't work!"
Shizune launched another volley of senbon, but once again, every single one was deflected.
Tsunade stood at the center of the group, her brows tightly furrowed.
She feared blood. Even though the blood here was green, it still placed a heavy burden on her.
She had no choice but to close her eyes and rely solely on her chakra perception.
It did not take long for her to notice something.
Although the monsters' attacks were ferocious, they lacked coordination.
They fought individually, even hindering one another at times.
Moreover, their eyes seemed sensitive to light, instinctively avoiding areas where sunlight shone directly.
Seeing that a large number of sea monsters had already climbed aboard, Kiyohara realized that eliminating them one by one would be far too inefficient.
He decided to use a wide-area attack instead.
His earlier instruction for Rin to cast a defensive water technique had also been to ensure that his own attack would not accidentally damage the ship.
Kiyohara sheathed his blade and formed the "Horse" hand seal.
He took a deep breath, his chest expanding, then exhaled forcefully.
Blazing flames poured forth like a waterfall, instantly engulfing the entire deck.
The heat was intense, distorting the air itself.
The monsters at the front were swallowed by the flames, letting out shrill, agonized screams.
Their scales rapidly blackened, curled, and peeled away under the heat. Their flesh burned and charred, releasing a sickening scorched odor.
With this single attack, most of the sea monsters were wiped out.
Only two or three at the rear managed to escape by diving back into the ocean.
"You won't get away."
Kurenai formed hand seals once more.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"
The escaping monsters suddenly froze.
Within their illusion, thick vines erupted from the surrounding sea, wrapping tightly around their bodies.
Although the genjutsu would not last long, it was enough to buy precious time.
Shizune seized the opportunity. She pulled several small bottles from her medical kit and hurled them toward the monsters.
The bottles shattered midair, releasing their contents, which vaporized upon contact with the air into a faint purple mist.
This was her specially formulated neurotoxin, absorbed through both respiration and skin.
After inhaling the mist, the monsters' movements became noticeably sluggish, some even beginning to sway unsteadily.
"It's working!"
Shizune's eyes lit up.
But at that moment, another wave of sea monsters arrived from the distance. Among them was one particularly large creature that broke through the defensive line.
It was larger than the others, its scales a deep blue, with a sharp bony spike protruding from its forehead.
This one was clearly more intelligent. It avoided both the flames and the poison mist, leaping directly from the sea surface toward what appeared to be the weakest target, Rin.
But just as its claws were about to touch her, a surge of red chakra burst forth from her body, burning like flames.
A tail formed behind her, composed entirely of chakra, swaying slowly.
Rin's eyes transformed into vertical slits like those of a beast, and red markings appeared across her face.
She raised her hand.
Boom!
The attacking monster seemed to collide with an invisible wall and was sent flying back at even greater speed, crashing violently into the ship's railing and shattering it.
The remaining monsters seemed to sense the shift in danger and launched another assault.
But this time, their offensive was noticeably weaker, some even beginning to retreat.
"They're trying to escape!"
Shizune shouted.
"We can't let them go back and report!"
Kiyohara nodded, watching the newly arrived creatures.
If they all retreated into the sea, his Fire Release jutsus would become much less effective.
The best option would be to use Lightning Release and simply blast them in the water.
But this time, Kiyohara wanted to try something different.
He raised his right hand, palm facing upward.
Blue chakra began to gather and spin, forming a rapidly rotating sphere.
Rasengan.
But that alone was not enough.
Kiyohara refined fire-natured chakra and slowly infused it into the Rasengan.
This process was extremely dangerous.
The Rasengan represented the pinnacle of pure chakra shape transformation, and adding nature transformation required precise control.
Any imbalance could cause the chakra to destabilize and explode.
Kiyohara could feel the fire chakra merging with the Rasengan, the two distinct energies colliding and intertwining within his palm.
A scorching aura began to spread. The Rasengan's color gradually shifted from blue to a fiery orange-red, flame-like patterns appearing across its surface.
The surrounding temperature rose sharply, and visible heat distortions shimmered in the air.
"What is that…"
Kurenai widened her eyes as she watched the newly developed technique.
"Fire Release: Micro Wave, Great Flame Rasengan!"
Kiyohara opened his eyes. The sphere in his palm had completely transformed into a blazing fireball.
It was no longer merely wrapped in flames. The Rasengan itself had become fire.
He thrust it forward toward the densest cluster of monsters.
The moment the fireball left his hand, the temperature on the deck rose by more than ten degrees.
The sea wind warped under the heat, letting out a roaring sound.
The monsters seemed to sense the fatal danger. They hissed in terror and scattered in all directions.
But it was too late.
The Great Flame Rasengan traced an orange-red arc through the air before crashing down onto the sea surface.
BOOOM!
The scale of the explosion exceeded everyone's expectations.
It was not just a simple blast of shockwave and fire. It was the combination of the Rasengan's rotational destructive force and the searing heat of the flames.
From the point of impact, flames spread outward in a circular ring.
Where the ring of fire passed, the monsters did not even have time to scream before being torn apart and burned to cinders by the combined forces.
When the flames dissipated, a depression had formed directly in the sea surface.
Only after a moment did the surrounding water rush back in, gradually filling the hollow.
Afterward, Kiyohara and the others began cleaning up the battlefield.
Once most of the bloodstains had been dealt with, Kiyohara allowed Tsunade to open her eyes.
"Sensei, during the fight, I noticed one creature that never joined the attack. It stayed at a distance observing, and the moment the battle ended, it fled."
"It escaped?"
Kurenai frowned.
"Could it go back and report?"
"That's very likely."
Tsunade nodded.
"Then we need to increase our speed. Captain Shimahui!"
The captain and her crew emerged from the cabin trembling. When they saw the devastation on the deck, they all sucked in sharp breaths.
"Th-this… this…"
"Enough of that. Clean the deck and move at full speed!"
Tsunade ordered.
"We must reach the Land of the Sea before they can react!"
"Y-Yes!"
The crew hurried to comply.
Meanwhile, Kiyohara leapt into the air and flew toward the distance.
He had deliberately spared that one sea monster earlier in order to follow it back to its lair.
However, after observing it for a while, he noticed something strange.
As the fleeing monster continued to escape, the color of its scales began to change, fading from dark green and revealing pale skin underneath.
The entire creature floated up onto the surface of the sea.
Its scales began to fall away one by one, exposing human skin beneath.
The webbing between its fingers and toes vanished, its claws shrank, and the fish-like features on its face receded.
Within minutes, what lay before him was no longer a monster, but a human woman.
She appeared to be in her twenties, with long black hair and delicate features, though her complexion was pale as paper.
She wore tattered cloth garments, torn in many places where scales had once burst through.
The most striking feature was her neck, where a black curse mark was etched, shaped like a coiled serpent.
Kiyohara looked at her carefully and found that she bore a strong resemblance to Yugao from the original story.
Without hesitation, he picked her up and returned to the deck.
"Sensei, come take a look at this."
Tsunade walked over, raising an eyebrow when she saw her.
"She's still alive?"
"Yes, and… she seems to be reverting to human form."
Just as Kiyohara had said, the transformation was still ongoing.
(End of Chapter)