Chapter 163: The Undead Sea Monster
Sailing on the sea was a novelty at first; it was even possible to do some fishing. In reality, however, it was quite tedious, and Sasuke could only pass the time with continuous, hard training.
Fusing the Kekkei Genkai is quite difficult, he thought. It seems I must take a long-term approach.
Although he had made considerable progress with the fusion scroll he'd traded from Jōran, he still could not successfully fuse the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. Still, with his shadow clones working hard day by day, it seemed only a matter of time.
Meanwhile, the secret Yang Release bone marrow technique he had developed from Kaguya Baizhan's body had progressed rapidly. He hadn't developed the Shikotsumyaku, but rather a new secret art that used Yang Release chakra to temper the marrow, increasing the bone density throughout his body and thus enhancing his physical strength. In a short time, he had grown several centimeters, and his physical strength was steadily increasing, rivaling that of Might Duy.
One day, the fleet finally encountered an anomaly.
"Lord Sasuke, this is terrible! We've run into an undead sea monster!" the sailors on board cried out in panic. As regular seafarers, they had heard the terrifying legends of the undead sea monster in the Sea Country.
Undead sea monster? Sasuke frowned. Using his sonar radar, he determined that the underwater creature was nothing more than a special jōnin-level summoned beast. How could it threaten the entire fleet?
It turned out that this "monster" possessed a formidable immortality. It had existed for many years, causing trouble for a few days every year or two. The Hidden Mist Village had previously been sought for help in suppressing it, but often to no avail. Later, some sailors finally found a solution: offering sacrifices to the Umibōzu would ensure a safe journey.
Isn't this the Umibōzu? Sasuke thought, recognizing its appearance. Orochimaru probably hasn't built a lab in the Sea Country yet. Could it be that this thing is a naturally occurring summoned beast?
"Ninja corpses and gold are out of the question," Sasuke immediately refused the suggestion of a sacrifice. "Don't rush. I'll go down and take a look."
Carrying Samehada, he leaped into the sea. The Umibōzu immediately sensed his presence. Given the purity of his water-attribute chakra, it naturally welcomed such a sacrifice.
"Water Style: Great Water Prison!"
Sasuke directly released a huge water prison that enveloped the Umibōzu. Instead of anger, the creature rejoiced. It immediately gave up on devouring Sasuke and instead absorbed the binding water currents into its own body, growing even larger.
It seems water ninjutsu is ineffective, Sasuke realized. It was not only immune, but could use it to increase its own strength, reminiscent of Samehada.
"Spiral Wave!" he immediately unleashed a Wind attack.
"Roar!" Finally feeling the damage, the Umibōzu attacked Sasuke, who countered with a Rasengan, blasting a huge hole in the creature's body. But then he noticed that the shattered body was absorbing the scattered water, rapidly recovering. No wonder it's called the Undead Sea Monster; it's really formidable.
"Samehada, it's up to you," Sasuke said. Unable to contain itself, the great sword lunged. The Umibōzu had barely managed to envelop it when it immediately sensed something was wrong, finally feeling the threat of death. It spat Samehada out and fled, even sacrificing parts of itself to bind the sword and escape.
Wow! It can actually release clones, possessing slug-like abilities, Sasuke thought, instantly intrigued. He had originally wanted Samehada to kill it directly, but now it seemed to be a good research material.
Under the perception of his sonar, how could the Umibōzu escape? He and Samehada continued to pursue it and soon found it hiding in a huge, ancient shipwreck. He did not, however, go directly to capture it.
"With so many antiques, it would be a sin to damage any of them," he thought. Thanks to his sonar, he had discovered a large number of antiques hidden in the shipwreck, their value far greater than the gold and silver he had obtained from the Mist Ninja.
- - - - - -
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this chapter, I have great news. On my Patreon, I have over 150 advanced chapters ready for you to read.
@patreon/iLikeeMikee
Plus, subscribers get 5 daily chapters of all my novels. It's a great way to catch up and support my projects!