"We're about two thousand meters away from that whale, right?"
The tidal surges created by the whale's exhalation could still generate waves nearly three meters high even at this distance. Such power was beyond even the most skilled water-style shinobi in the entire shinobi world.
"It's truly magnificent!"
Koyuki had stepped out of the cabin at some point. After marveling at the sight, she glanced at Kamizuki Hikari with admiration, respect, and awe.
To think he had managed to escape the maw of such a colossal beast with three young shinobi in tow—his strength must be extraordinary. With his current power, perhaps there was hope he could defeat Kazahana Dotō.
"It looks spectacular, but if I told you where this water came from, you wouldn't be so impressed!" Seeing the stunned expressions of the others, Hikari couldn't resist teasing them.
"If that's the case, Hikari-senpai, you should really keep those mood-killing thoughts to yourself!" Ino emerged from the cabin, freshly showered and changed into clean clothes, though her hair was still damp. She carefully toweled it dry as she spoke.
"Ino's right. If it's not something pleasant, there's no need to say it!" Koyuki agreed with her.
Rather than face the harsh truth, it was better to simply appreciate the beauty of nature. At least that way, life remained joyful—wasn't that right?
"As you wish."
Hikari didn't argue with the two girls. Standing on the deck, he watched the distant sea whale with inexplicable excitement.
'Such a huge fish... If I caught it, how long would it last as food? And even if we couldn't eat it all, I could sell it!'
Perhaps sensing his malicious thoughts, the whale suddenly rolled in the water—then began moving toward them.
"Wait... is that thing coming this way?"
"Yeah, I see it too!"
"Speed up! Speed up!"
"Hurry, get the ship moving!"
Faced with such a massive creature—especially in its natural habitat, the open sea—even the Hokage would have to flee, let alone a group of genin and chūnin.
"We're already going full speed, but that thing is just too big!" Asama Sandayū's voice came through the speaking tube, laced with unease and fear.
It was understandable. For an ordinary person, keeping their composure in the face of such a natural disaster was already an act of bravery.
Two kilometers was nothing for a beast hundreds of meters long. And with the ship relying on manual labor, there was no way they could outrun it.
In the short time they had been talking, the beast had already halved the distance between them. From the ship, it now loomed even larger, like a mountain crashing toward them.
"Hikari-senpai, should I use my Multi-Size Technique?" Chōji gritted his teeth, his face resolute.
Using the Multi-Size Technique on the open sea meant he wouldn't be able to avoid falling into the water—but if his sacrifice could buy the ship even a little more time, it would be worth it.
"What, are you trying to serve yourself up as a fat meat dumpling to make sure it's well-fed?"
Hikari waved him off, signaling for Chōji to stay quiet.
Chōji tried to argue, but Shikamaru pulled him back, shaking his head in warning.
"Sea whales are usually pretty docile, and this one just finished eating. There's no reason for it to chase after a measly few hundred kilograms of meat..." Hikari said, as the sea whale closed another five hundred meters.
From the ship, it now looked like a towering peak bearing down on them.
"Ino... I don't wanna die!"
"Koyuki-nee... me neither!"
The two girls clung to each other in terror.
Hikari couldn't help but think they were worried the whale wouldn't get a proper taste if it only ate one person, so they were making sure it got a bigger bite.
"Shikamaru... I don't wanna die either."
"Chōji, cut it out. You're being gross."
Unlike the girls, the two boys weren't exactly harmonizing in their fear.
"Alright, alright. Keep moving. I'll go have a chat with this big guy. Who knows? Maybe it's tired of living and wants to donate its body to us as food."
"Pfft—"
Koyuki, with her low threshold for laughter, couldn't hold back a giggle—before immediately realizing how inappropriate it was.
"Ah—sorry, sorry!"
"You all keep talking. I'll go negotiate with our whale friend. I'm sure it'll be happy to let us go."
Leaving behind a few shadow clones, Hikari's real body leaped toward the whale.
Watching his retreating figure, Chōji felt an inexplicable urge to cry.
"So... Hikari-senpai stopped me from sacrificing myself... because he planned to do it himself?"
"Such selfless bravery... I—"
*Whack!*
Shikamaru had finally had enough and smacked Chōji upside the head.
"Do you really think Hikari-senpai is the type to throw his life away?"
"Of course not!" Before Chōji could answer, Ino cut in. "Hikari-senpai is a cowardly, perverted, money-grubbing guy. There's no way he'd willingly die for someone else."
"Hey, Ino. Do you just pretend we clones don't exist?"
Ino turned to see several shadow clones glaring at her. She immediately buried her face in Koyuki's chest, comforted by the softness before daring to peek again.
"Alright, guys, no need to argue with a brat. Once we transfer our memories back, the real one can deal with her."
"Exactly. The boss is handling the sea whale. Our job is to push this ship farther away!"
"You three set up a defensive formation. I'll push the ship."
After a quick discussion, one clone jumped onto the water's surface.
"What's he doing?" Ino tried to lean over for a better look, but Shikamaru yanked her back toward the cabin door.
"You kids really aren't afraid of death, are you? If the boss wasn't here, that sea whale would make a snack out of all of you combined, and you'd still have the guts to go out there. I don't know if I should call you fearless or just plain stupid!"
One clone mercilessly mocked them before forming hand seals, the others following suit.
"Ninja Art: Heaven, Earth, and Man Formation!"
Three clones—one representing Heaven (mysterious and profound), one Earth (steadfast and natural), and one Man (bridging both realms)—created a translucent barrier that enveloped the entire ship.
"This barrier will block the whale's hearing, smell, and sight. Hold on tight—we're accelerating!"
No sooner had the clone warned them than the ship lurched violently. Then, as if equipped with a turbocharger, it shot forward, skimming across the water at breakneck speed.
Watching the scenery blur past, Ino and Koyuki's jaws nearly hit the deck.
"This... is the power of shinobi?"
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