"Uncles, aunties, can I ask something? Just before I came here, did a pirate leave this place?"
Shigeo was now more concerned about finding Binshui's whereabouts.
"We don't know. Just now this whole place was pitch black—we didn't see anything. But what's a child like you doing asking about that? Hurry and get out of here! If those three demons who kill without blinking return, you'll lose your life!"
The group trembled all over, as if the murderous pirates might appear any second.
At that moment, a little girl's crying voice came from inside a cage.
"Uuuh… big brother, you better leave quickly. If the pirates come back, it'll be dangerous! Uuuh…"
Shigeo then noticed that, protected by several adults, was a little girl about four or five years old. Her features were delicate like carved jade, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears. With black hair cascading down, though she looked frail and sickly, she was still very cute.
"Shizuka-sama, please don't get agitated. Don't worry, we'll definitely bring you back safely to Nadeshiko Village!" the adults hurriedly comforted her.
"What? Nadeshiko Village? Didn't you say it was Kirigakure just now? Why is it Nadeshiko now?"
Shigeo's eyes widened as he looked at the little girl in the cage. The adults had just called her "Shizuka-sama"… Could she really be Nadeshiko Shizuka? The one with great figure, big eyes, strong ninjutsu, who—because of Jiraiya-sensei—would have a future marriage promise with Naruto?
"Kid, we said Nadeshiko Village earlier, you must have misheard," one of the adults replied.
Shigeo nodded, eyes falling back onto Shizuka.
"Don't worry, I'll come back to save you all soon. You must be hungry, right? Here, take these soldier pills. Oh, is there another exit here?"
As he spoke, Shigeo handed the military rations to the adults.
"Yes, yes. Follow this rock wall upward. When you feel the wind, just follow its direction—you'll find the entrance to the cave. But be careful, there are traps there!" someone replied.
"Kid, can you open this iron cage for us? If you help us, we'll give you a high reward!" an older man inside asked.
"I can, but not now. Hold on a little longer, I'll be back soon…" Shigeo said before turning and leaving.
Inside the cage, someone sighed.
"We were naïve, putting our hopes on a child. How could that be possible? If he gets out alive, that's already good enough. How could he possibly save us?"
Others sighed too.
"True… if we escape and are caught by those three pirates, we'll suffer a fate worse than death. Sigh… is this cave the end of our lives?"
They no longer had hope, instead passing around the soldier pills to sustain themselves. Though small, they would let them endure another two or three days.
Those three cruel pirates had already killed everyone else on the ship. Only these few survived thanks to their strong bodies and some ninjutsu. As for whether they could live to see freedom again—it was up to fate.
Shigeo found the exit. Ignoring the trap, he smashed the opening with a single punch and went out.
The Three-Split Islands lay ahead, three islets separated by sea. Shigeo stood on the shore, using his Mirror System to sense everything. Besides the people trapped in the cave, no one else was on the middle island. That meant Binshui must have gone to another.
With that thought, Shigeo performed a dimensional transfer and arrived at Island One. On the cliff stood two houses, but they were empty. He warped again, appearing on Island Three.
Soon, Shigeo sensed Binshui's presence. The pirate was busy inside a hidden cave.
Using Iwayōton no Jutsu (Hidden Rock Technique), Shigeo merged into the mountain.
Inside, piles of treasure rose into glittering hills. Gold and silver filled the cavern. Binshui nervously packed the loot into scrolls, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"No… I must take all my years of treasure with me. I can't leave anything for that monster. What kind of child was that? In all my life I've never seen a five or six-year-old with such strength… terrifying…"
Muttering, he sealed chest after chest into scrolls. After eight or nine dozen boxes were stored, he looked at the remaining piles of treasure, tears welling up in frustration.
"I never thought too much money could be such a burden. To leave it behind is regretful… but if I stay longer, that brat might come. I'm terrified…" He clutched his head, nearly breaking down, muttering over and over, then sighed and continued working.
Greed knew no bounds. As he worked feverishly, a cold draft swept the cave. Startled, Binshui hugged his scroll tightly and scanned the cave, but no one appeared. After rubbing his eyes and reassuring himself, he went back to work.
He worked harder and faster, sealing more jewels.
Unseen, a child hung upside down from the cave's ceiling. Shigeo's large eyes glared at the pirate, then he flipped, lounging casually on a jutting rock, yawning before closing his eyes.
Binshui thought he heard something, but in the dim firelight he saw nothing. "Don't be afraid… he couldn't possibly find this place. And the trap at the entrance hasn't gone off. He's not here. Keep going, keep going…" he muttered, working faster to calm himself.
Finally, after night fell and he'd changed torches three times, Binshui had sealed away every last coin—using dozens of scrolls. Even the silver hidden in rat holes was taken.
Exhausted, he collapsed, tears streaming, then stuffed the scrolls into his pack.
"Finally… I can leave. But before I go, I'll kill those people on the middle island. That brat wants our treasure? I'll make sure he doesn't get a single coin…"
(End of Chapter)
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