Chapter 141: The Mermaid Princess
"In this moment, amidst this scenery, I feel like reciting a poem."
Jiraiya stood by the seaside, unable to help but sigh with emotion. "Oh, great sea, you're just full of water!"
"So poetic! Truly worthy of your status."
Naruto flattered him casually, his words dripping with perfunctory insincerity.
En Yui looked at Jiraiya, then at Naruto.
The ginger is indeed spicier when aged; I am far inferior when it comes to lying through my teeth.
Naruto scanned the shore, found a random fisherman's house, and bought a small boat at a premium.
There were only three of them anyway, so they didn't need a large ship.
The Land of Fire faces the sea to the east, and across that sea lies the Land of Water.
The Land of Water possesses numerous islands, but hasn't occupied them all; the rest belong to various small nations.
The Land of Sea was one of them.
Its area wasn't large, but its name was quite domineering.
On the boat, Naruto and Jiraiya stared at each other.
"You do it."
"Vile disciple, what did you say?"
"You do it!"
"Do you even understand the concept of respecting your teacher?!"
"Maybe I should do it?" En Yui asked weakly.
"No, your time is very valuable; it can't be wasted on rowing," Naruto shook his head and refused.
En Yui had too much to learn, and her time was already insufficient.
Naruto already intended to teach her the Shadow Clone Jutsu first.
But her Chakra was still a bit lacking.
After all, she had only been learning for a week.
"Is my time not valuable then? I still have to work on my manuscript; the deadline is almost here!"
Jiraiya shouted in a rage, his neck straining, "Everyone is still waiting for the second season of my 'interspecies reviewers guide'!"
"..."
Naruto's brow furrowed tightly.
If you mention that book one more time, believe it or not, I'll throw you overboard!
"Forget it, let a Shadow Clone do it."
Naruto formed a hand seal and created a Shadow Clone. There was no point in arguing further. He threw the oar to the clone and said, "You row."
The Shadow Clone took one look and said, "I don't need an oar to row, and besides, it's too slow."
He turned around, stood at the stern, and raised his right hand. As Chakra gathered, a Rasenganappeared.
"..."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched.
Holy mother of...!
Is that how you use the Rasengan?
Minato would probably jump out of his grave to beat his rebellious son to death.
Under the propulsion of the Rasengan, the wooden boat became ridiculously fast, like an assault boat from Naruto's past life.
Naruto glanced at the trembling En Yui. She was clutching the boat, her hair whipping back so violently she looked like a female ghost.
He used Chakra to construct a protective barrier.
Otherwise, En Yui wouldn't even be able to practice.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya—whether he was truly serious or just pretending—pulled out a stack of manuscript paper and started writing his novel.
Naruto was a bit curious and peeked over, catching a glimpse of some content.
"...She sat down with a light laugh, her outer garments vanishing into thin air. Nine fox tails roamed over her human body... the tails coiled like a deathly embrace, her ears pricking up with excitement and pleasure, fluttering in the wind..."
"What are you looking at?!"
Jiraiya noticed his gaze and waved him away dismissively, saying, "Is this something someone your age should be reading? Wait a few more years."
"..."
Naruto rolled his eyes.
Tsk, if Kushina knew you wrote my name on the title page of some novel, you'd be whipped like a spinning top by her Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Besides, what haven't I seen in my past life? Your writing isn't even that great.
It's your loss for not letting an old pro like me give you some feedback.
"Lord Jiraiya, what are you writing?"
En Yui witnessed this scene, her large eyes filled with curiosity.
"What are you looking at?! Is this something someone your age should be asking? Get back to your studies!"
Naruto followed suit and glared at her.
"..."
En Yui pouted.
Fine, you're the senior, you're right.
And so, the three generations of master and disciples sat harmoniously on the boat.
Except for the occasional sound of the Rasengan.
After two hours, Jiraiya threw his pen aside and slumped on the boat.
"No inspiration. I want to go out and gather material."
He gazed at the white clouds in the sky, tears of longing leaking from the corners of his mouth.
Naruto couldn't help but kick him: "Your grand-disciple is right here, watch your influence."
"Where do I have a grand-disciple?" Jiraiya asked subconsciously.
"???" En Yui looked up with a face full of resentment.
"Oh, sorry."
Jiraiya wiped his drool. It was mainly because he had always practiced a hands-off policy and had forgotten there was also a princess.
En Yui began drawing angry circles in her book.
Naruto scratched his head and asked, "Forget it, you should just tell us what our specific mission is."
At the mention of Orochimaru, Jiraiya perked up, his face full of excitement.
"Orochimaru set up an experimental base in the Land of Sea years ago, and he was recently discovered to have returned here."
"Experimental base?"
Naruto felt like this plot sounded a bit familiar.
Oh, Anko.
The teenage Anko, led by an Orochimaru who hadn't yet defected, came to the Land of Sea's experimental base.
Here, she saw the mad scientist Tenchi's research on the fusion of man and beast.
Well, a literal fusion of man and beast.
Not the pseudo-fusion like Akamaru and Kiba.
It was about giving humans the abilities of beasts.
Commonly known as orcs.
Or perhaps... furries?
So, beware of furries.jpg.
Ahem.
Anko learned Orochimaru's secret, couldn't accept it, and was then forcibly branded with a Cursed Seal.
To be fair, Orochimaru still had a bit of master-disciple affection for her.
After she survived the Cursed Seal, he didn't force her to serve him.
Instead, he asked: "If I had an extra boat ticket, would you come with me?"
Anko replied: "No."
Orochimaru simply erased her memory and left her behind.
Time passed.
The Sea Monster created by Tenchi began wreaking havoc.
The Land of Sea applied to Konoha for an escort mission for their official gold transport ship.
After Tsunade accepted, she sent a team led by Anko.
Naruto stroked his chin.
Could it be his own influence?
Now the big sister Anko was gone, replaced by a crusty old man, Jiraiya.
But what about the escort mission?
The Land of Sea's position was awkward, right next to a giant like the Land of Water.
The gold transport ship was a gift for the Land of Water.
There was no reason for it to be missing.
He also wanted to complete an achievement.
"The experimental base should be on Demon Island."
Jiraiya recounted the intelligence sent by Tsunade, "There's a legend in the Land of Sea that those who go to Demon Island never return. And the time the legend started coincides with Orochimaru's movements years ago."
"Do you know where Demon Island is?" Narutoasked.
"I don't," Jiraiya shook his head. "So we'll first go to Mother Island, the center of the Land of Sea, to find a young girl. She's the only one who has been to Demon Island and come back alive."
Naruto nodded.
It should be Isaribi.
The poor little girl who was modified into a mermaid.
Under the propulsion of the Shadow Clone's Rasengan, they soon arrived at Mother Island.
Naruto's brow twitched slightly as he turned to look at the reed bed to his left.
A strange presence.
But it was moving away.
"Everyone, though I've seen you off for a thousand miles, we must eventually part."
The Shadow Clone stood on the boat with a look of determination, "Your secrets will be guarded by me. Go in peace!"
After saying that, he performed the live act of swallowing a Rasengan on the spot.
"..."
Naruto pressed his hand to his forehead as he received the clone's death memories.
You bastard!
You even had to add drama to this?
Jiraiya and En Yui watched, dumbfounded.
"Teacher, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Naruto waved his hand; this bit of pain was nothing.
He had long since grown used to it.
Due to Isaribi's great fame, they quickly found her home.
It was on a beach.
The tiny house was covered in malicious graffiti.
"How can they be like this?"
En Yui looked indignant.
As a princess, she had a strong sense of justice.
"She is one who returned from the'spirited away'."
Jiraiya sighed and said, "Everyone else disappeared, and only she came back. People are afraid of what is different."
En Yui immediately puffed up her cheeks like a hamster in anger.
Naruto smiled and turned to look toward the sea.
Isaribi wasn't home.
In that case, the presence he had sensed earlier must have been hers.
She was observing passing ships according to Tenchi's orders.
His group would definitely have been seen.
Add to that the Shadow Clone's absurd way of rowing, it would be more strange if they weren't noticed.
But it had to be said that after her modification, Isaribi could completely submerge and hide in the sea.
Naruto didn't sense her presence until they reached the shore.
Tenchi originally wanted to create an amphibious fishman army for landing operations.
The results were actually quite good.
But it was an affront to the heavens.
Naruto didn't need such things.
He preferred to build a colossal fleet.
While waiting, with nothing to do.
Naruto suddenly thought of Cat Nanbei.
He pressed his hand to the ground and summoned it.
Previously, it had refused to board the ship no matter what.
It probably disliked the smell of seawater.
Naruto had no choice but to send it to Konoha to be with Hanabi.
Well, Hinata wasn't home.
Hanabi was quite happy about it.
The summoned Cat Nanbei was covered in soap bubbles, its eyes full of confusion.
It had been taking a bath with Hanabi.
Suddenly, it was at the seaside.
Naruto froze for a moment, then sent Cat Nanbeiback.
Although he made the fix quickly, he guessed Hanabi was already throwing a fit.
Great, he finally got a cat, only for it to be seized by his sister-in-law.
There's no justice.
A moment later, Isaribi, with a bandage wrapped around her forehead, returned.
She saw the three people in front of her house and froze.
She had just gone to report to Lord Tenchi, and hadn't expected them to be waiting at her doorstep.
"You must be Isaribi."
Jiraiya tried his best to show a kind smile.
But with his face, he looked like a creepy old man no matter how you sliced it.
Isaribi instinctively took half a step back.
Jiraiya's smile froze.
Low damage, but extremely insulting.
Naruto suppressed a laugh.
Seeing Jiraiya humiliated made him very happy.
He walked up to Isaribi and said, "Can you take us to Demon Island?"
"Demon Island?"
Isaribi's expression changed abruptly, and she asked, "Who are you people? Why do you want to go to Demon Island?"
"There's a strange presence about you."
Naruto didn't intend to waste time; he raised his hand.
Isaribi tried to dodge, but found her body unable to move.
"You..."
"Don't worry, it won't hurt."
Naruto unwrapped her bandage, saw the fish scales on her face, and said, "We can help you return to being a normal human."
Jiraiya's brow furrowed, and a surge of anger rose in his heart.
He hadn't known what kind of experiments Orochimaru was doing before, but seeing these scales, he basically had a guess now.
That guy!
He really doesn't do anything human!
Isaribi's body trembled upon hearing those words.
Her greatest wish was to escape this half-human, half-fish body.
But she quickly shook her head: "I don't trust you. Lord Tenchi has already promised me that after I do one last thing, he will help me."
What a standard line.
Little girl, do you know what a 'death flag' is?
Go ask those big shots who intended to wash their hands of crime after 'one last job'.
Which one of them survived?
Not to mention you.
"Do you really believe he can help you?" Narutoasked.
A moment of hesitation appeared on Isaribi's face.
She truly wasn't sure.
But she had no other choice.
"How about this, you take us to see him, but you don't get close yourself, as long as you aren't discovered by him."
Naruto chose a middle-ground approach and said, "In that case, you'll have an extra option, won't you?"
Isaribi fell silent.
She wasn't stupid.
If Naruto didn't intend to keep his promise, then those words were just a lie.
"Do you know Konoha?" Naruto asked again.
"I do," Isaribi nodded.
The Five Great Villages were famous throughout the Ninja World; even in the most remote places, one would hear of them.
"He is one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, Jiraiya."
Naruto pointed at Jiraiya and said, "With his reputation as a guarantee, we won't lie to you."
Jiraiya puffed out his chest at those words.
Isaribi asked suspiciously: "Is he really Jiraiya?"
She felt a sense of shattered illusions.
"..."
Jiraiya was once again so angry he could spit blood.
"Yes."
En Yui reached out, stroked her head, and said softly, "Don't worry, little sister, we won't lie to you."
Her voice was very close.
Her tone was gentler than it had ever been.
Isaribi looked at this princess, who was pretty to a fault, and felt a bit dazed.
A moment later, she gritted her teeth and said, "I'll take you to the vicinity of Demon Island."
It was mainly because Tenchi usually ordered her around with an extremely foul attitude.
She would rather trust strangers than him.
Isaribi walked into the sea, and her body underwent a startling transformation.
Fins sprouted from her head, and her limbs also displayed fish-like characteristics.
She looked worriedly at En Yui and the other two.
But there was no reaction of strangeness or disgust.
Isaribi was stunned.
In all her life, this seemed to be the first time she had seen anyone witness her fish-form without any reaction.
Even Tenchi looked at her with a gaze full of contempt and disdain.
"I'm definitely going to beat this guy up!"
En Yui clenched her small fists, "How despicable! To do such a thing to a girl!"
Isaribi's eyes suddenly became a bit moist.
She sank into the depths of the sea.
A fish's tears are known only to the water.
"Fine, I'll leave Tenchi to you at the end," Narutosaid.
The path she had to walk was long; she had to learn to take action when the time was right.
He would use this opportunity to let her get used to blood in advance.
"Eh?" En Yui's aggressive momentum immediately wilted a bit, "Teacher, I... might not be able to beat him."
"It's fine, I'll beat him half to death first," Narutolaughed.
"Okay!"
En Yui immediately regained her confidence. She took a large stride and said, "Let's go, Isaribi, watch as your big sister gets revenge for you!"
Naruto brought over the boat from before.
He and Jiraiya could walk on the water's surface.
But En Yui couldn't.
Isaribi led the way in front, and the group headed toward Demon Island.
Halfway there, Naruto checked the time and said, "Let's take a break and have some lunch."
He pulled out a sealing scroll and shook out a large amount of food.
Isaribi sat by the boat, and En Yui handed her some snacks.
"This kid isn't bad."
Seeing this, Jiraiya took a sip of wine and commented.
Naruto nodded.
Even if he wanted to complete an achievement, he wouldn't just pick anyone.
Otherwise, it would be bad if he were backstabbed in the future.
[Congratulations to the host for achieving the 'Mermaid Princess' achievement, gaining one normal card draw.]
Naruto's movement of eating a rice ball paused.
A mermaid plus a princess makes a Mermaid Princess?
Wow.
So it turns out these were two people.
But isn't it missing the classic plot of trading a voice for a pair of legs?
He had accumulated two card draws now.
Naruto looked at Isaribi and En Yui; surely the Mermaid Princess should bring good luck.
Thanks to book friend 20200102135255961 for the tip.