At first, sailing the open seas had been exciting—even relaxing, with the occasional deep-sea fishing.
But in reality, it quickly became mind-numbingly dull. To pass the time, Umino Yoru threw himself into relentless training.
"Fusing bloodline limits is tougher than I thought. Guess I'll have to take it slow."
Ever since acquiring the Bloodline Fusion Secret Scroll from Shakutō Hōjō, he'd been studying it obsessively. Though he'd made progress, achieving Ice Release still eluded him.
Still, with enough shadow clones grinding day and night, it was only a matter of time.
Where one door closed, another opened.
The Marrow Yang Release Secret Technique, reverse-engineered from Hagoromo Hyakusen's abilities, progressed at an astonishing rate.
He hadn't replicated the Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) bloodline, but he had developed a new technique—using Yang chakra to nourish bone marrow, increasing skeletal density and physical strength.
In just weeks, his height had grown several centimeters, his raw power now rivaling Might Dai's.
Since marrow governed blood production, his overall stamina had also surged.
For now, Marrow Yang Release boosted his physique faster than Wind Breathing Techniques.
But he didn't neglect the latter—while Yang Release was potent, Wind Breathing's long-term potential was far greater.
The Sea Monster Awakens
Just as Yoru lost himself in training, the fleet's lookout screamed:
"Lord Yoru! It's the Immortal Sea Monster!"
The seasoned sailors panicked. In the Land of the Sea, the creature's legend was synonymous with doom.
The crew begged Yoru to offer a sacrifice—gold and corpses—or risk annihilation.
"Immortal Sea Monster?"
Yoru frowned. His Sonic Radar Technique detected only a special jonin-level summon. How could that threaten an entire fleet?
Its chakra was slightly above Hakujō's, hardly a major threat.
But after questioning the crew, he understood:
This creature had true immortality. Even Mist jonin had failed to kill it.
"Wait… isn't this the Umibōzu?"
Its form matched the folklore—a massive, shadowy water entity.
"Wasn't this Orochimaru's creation?"
But Orochimaru hadn't established his Land of the Sea lab yet. This Umibōzu was a natural phenomenon, terrorizing the region for decades.
Every few years, it emerged, slaughtering ships. The Mist had tried exterminating it—but even when found, it was unkillable.
Sailors eventually learned: Sacrifices bought safe passage.
"I'm not wasting corpses or gold."
Shinobi corpses were valuable—especially now that he had the Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade), which needed blood to regenerate. Even dried corpses fetched high prices on the black market.
"Stand down. I'll handle this."
Gripping Samehada, Yoru dove into the depths.
Battle in the Abyss
The Umibōzu sensed him instantly—his pure water-natured chakra made him an ideal "sacrifice."
"Water Release: Great Water Prison!"
A colossal sphere of water trapped the monster.
But instead of struggling, it absorbed the technique, swelling in size—now rivaling Gamabunta.
"Water jutsu are useless?"
The Umibōzu didn't absorb chakra like Samehada—it assimilated water itself, growing stronger.
"Then try this!"
"Spiral Piercing Wave!"
A wind-based drill shot forth, piercing the creature's body.
"ROAR—!"
Enraged, it lunged. Yoru retaliated with an underwater Rasengan, blasting a hole through its form.
But the damage repaired instantly—scattered water particles reforming.
"No wonder it's called immortal."
Only high-level fire or lightning could vaporize it entirely.
"Samehada. Your turn."
The sentient blade shot forward, eager to feast.
The Umibōzu engulfed it—then recoiled in terror, sensing death. It spat Samehada out, fleeing while shedding a chunk of its body as a decoy.
"A split-body technique? Like Katsuyu?"
Yoru's eyes gleamed.
He'd planned to let Samehada kill it—but now, it was a priceless research subject.
A summon capable of physical division? That was worth studying.
Tracking it with Sonic Radar, he soon cornered it near a sunken shipwreck.
"Huh. Antiques?"
The vessel was packed with ancient artifacts—likely worth more than the Mist's plunder.
"Better not damage these…"
A single broken vase could mean lost millions.
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