Several Star Ninja Village ninjas rushed forward at the scene to check his condition, and indeed, the boy who had nearly been unable to breathe just moments ago was now breathing smoothly.
"What's going on?" the lead ninja exclaimed, turning to look at Hyuga Shigeo.
Hyuga Shigeo sneered coldly. "It's not the kind of illness you think it is. He had food poisoning. Inducing vomiting was enough."
After saying that, he turned and left—the smell here was really awful!
Everyone was stunned. Food poisoning? Strange—why was it only this boy affected and no one else? It was truly baffling. But if the boy's claim was false, then at least he had indeed saved him; after all, the boy was alive and well now.
Later, Naoki learned that the boy's body was different from others, just as some people can eat wild mushrooms without consequence while others see little fairies after eating them.
For the next two days, aside from the boy Hyuga Shigeo had saved using the sock method, the other four ninjas treated him with noticeably more respect.
Especially the pretty girl named Kurenai, who often found excuses to talk to Hyuga Shigeo, which only made Furo (Tensei) even more jealous.
"Kurenai, come on, let's go back to the cabin!" Furo said, standing beside the two and glaring at them. Seeing that Kurenai had no intention of leaving, he quickly turned his gaze toward Hyuga Shigeo.
"You little brat, young as you are, yet scheming so much. In just two days, you've managed to charm everyone around me—you really are something."
"Are you naturally so narrow-minded? Everything has to turn into a conspiracy theory? Did you grow up in a persecuted environment or what?" Hyuga Shigeo frowned slightly as he spoke. Despite his young age, he regarded Furo like a pompous, overreacting chicken. Surely many in their village disliked him.
"What do you mean? I think you're narrow-minded! Why the hell did you shove a sock down my throat when there were plenty of other ways to induce vomiting? You did it to humiliate me, didn't you?" Furo squinted his small eyes, looking furious.
"Furo, stop. He saved you, so don't be ungrateful, okay?" Kurenai said.
"He saved me? If pirates appeared, I'd be the one saving him! He only helped me to cozy up with us, so that when we faced pirates, we could act and return the favor. I've lived sixteen years and still can't see through these schemes? Ridiculous!" Furo said, snorting as if he were some big shot of the ninja world.
Hyuga Shigeo couldn't help but laugh. "Yes! I did put a sock in your mouth to embarrass and get back at you, but I never intended to save you for that reason."
"Tch, just act tough. When pirates come, we'll see who cries and begs for help."
Then Furo suddenly leapt onto the mast, shouting toward the sea. "Pirates, come on! I'll hand over this unripe brat to you—flay him, tear him apart, bleed him out, do whatever you want!"
No sooner had he spoken than a Suiton (Water Release) flew toward him. He dodged and fell onto the deck safely.
The leader of these five ninjas immediately grabbed Furo by the collar. "Are you crazy? How dare you speak recklessly on the open sea? You've got a death wish!"
At the same time, Kurein ran out of the cabin with a few sailors. "How can you say such things here? This is the area near Sanretsu Island, pirates abound—"
He sighed heavily, then returned to the cabin, focusing on steering. On the sea, superstition ruled; reckless words were hated. If anything happened, it would be his curse.
"I just shouted once, it should be fine, right?" Furo muttered nervously, realizing that certain things were taboo at sea. He had indeed overstepped.
"I don't even know what to say to you. Watch your mouth!" Ninja leader Tenma said, turning to face the ocean.
Furo, full of anger, turned to Hyuga Shigeo. "It's all his fault! If he hadn't provoked me, I wouldn't have done this!"
Everyone frowned. From boarding until now, Furo had not stopped talking—truly irritating.
"Just wait, brat. I'll make you pay in blood!" he continued shouting.
Hyuga Shigeo ignored him, staring at the sea as he opened his eyes. Usually, his eyes were closed during the day. The sudden motion caught Kurenai's attention. She looked toward the sea and asked, "What is it? What are you looking at?"
"They're here!" Hyuga Shigeo said.
The moment he spoke, a thick fog rose across the ocean.
"Everyone, be careful!" experienced sailors shouted. Many rushed out of the cabin, weapons in hand, ready for action.
"Don't worry, with me here, eliminating pirates is no problem!" Suddenly, Furo, who had been shouting earlier, shouted happily again. "Finally, my moment to shine has come…"
The sailors remained silent. Hyuga Shigeo also stayed completely still.
Kurenai opened her mouth to ask a question, but he grabbed her finger and shook his head. "Shh!"
At that moment, a tentacle of a sea monster shot up from beneath the water and grabbed Furo, dragging him into the sea, leaving only his screams in the air.
The other four ninjas stood on alert while the remaining sailors trembled in fear.
Sailing sometimes relied on luck. The Conch had not encountered a powerful pirate in six months, but this time, it seemed they had!
"What's happening? Is it a Summoning Jutsu?" one ninja whispered.
Indeed, the enemy had a master among them, and one of them used a Summoning Jutsu to call forth a sea creature adapted to naval combat.
In the fog, a pair of glowing yellow eyes swam beneath the water. The entire surrounding sea was filled with a terrifying aura. Some sailors had already fallen on deck, others cried uncontrollably.
"Don't talk recklessly. Don't speak recklessly! Sailing the seas, you cannot say anything taboo. These ninjas actually summoned pirates. Now, they've called forth the strongest pirate trio! We're doomed!"
"What's the strongest pirate trio?" Hyuga Shigeo asked curiously.
(End of Chapter)
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