"Whoa! The ocean!"
"This refreshing air! Where's my swimsuit? I'm going for a swim first!"
Killer Bee, finally at the seaside, couldn't contain his excitement. The next second, he grabbed his swimsuit and ran off to find a place to change.
Watching him, Motoi and the others felt their blood pressure skyrocket.
"You two keep an eye on him. Don't let him cause trouble."
"I'll go check on the current situation."
Motoi couldn't take it anymore. He felt like he might explode if he stayed any longer, so he slipped away under the pretext of scouting.
That left Mabui and Samui shaking their heads helplessly. Even these two young kunoichi couldn't stand Killer Bee's antics. He was like a wild horse finally let loose on the prairie—completely uncontrollable.
"Finally, you're here."
"Took you long enough."
Of course, their arrival didn't escape Kazuyama Gekkō's notice. He had been waiting impatiently for days.
"Kazuyama, you've got some nerve saying that."
"These past few days, you've been either vacationing in the Land of Birds or the Land of Frost."
"Man, giving you Shadow Clone was the worst. One clone gets to relax while the real you stays behind. Poor clone."
Chōmei's mocking voice made Kazuyama Gekkō burst out laughing. Being roasted by his brother was nothing new, and he couldn't care less. Who would really sit here waiting patiently? Better to enjoy himself.
"Kazuyama, what's your plan?"
"Planning to lure them out to sea?"
Chōmei was curious about his next move. They were up against the Eight-Tails, after all—it called for caution.
"We'll see what they do first."
"If it comes to a fight, we'll have to make Killer Bee go berserk. That way, neither he nor the Eight-Tails will remember anything."
"Are you sure you can handle the Eight-Tails?"
Kazuyama Gekkō had already decided to fight. It was only the Eight-Tails, not the Nine-Tails—what was there to be afraid of? Even at sea, he could maximize the power of his Water Release. He wasn't scared of Gyūki.
"Tch, confident? As if. That's the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, we're talking about."
"But fighting side by side—two against one—now that's interesting."
Chōmei knew he couldn't take on the Eight-Tails alone, but he wasn't alone. Fighting alongside Kazuyama Gekkō, he'd even dare to face the Nine-Tails, let alone the Eight-Tails.
The man and the beast exchanged a smile, both eager for the coming fight.
"So, those sea serpents are in the waters not far from the coast?"
"Yeah… last time someone went out to sea, they didn't make it far before being attacked."
"Alright. Village Chief, take your people and evacuate inland. Things might get rough."
Motoi glanced at the waves. If they were truly giant sea serpents, he might have to call upon the power of the Eight-Tails. That would make it unsafe for the villagers to stay.
The people of the Land of Lightning trusted Kumogakure's ninja. Soon, the Village Chief led his people inland. Coastal villages always had evacuation shelters. The sea was unpredictable—tsunamis and other disasters made precautions essential.
"Yo! Samui, Mabui, how do you like my swimsuit?"
Killer Bee returned in his new attire, proudly showing off his oversized octopus-brand beach shorts. Both Samui and Mabui immediately closed their eyes.
Unbearable. Truly unbearable. Too ugly to look at.
"Pfft!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Is this guy an idiot? That taste—just awful!"
Chōmei's uncontrollable laughter nearly deafened Kazuyama Gekkō. Even he couldn't help but chuckle—Killer Bee's shorts were… certainly unique.
"Bee! Did you seriously think we came here for a vacation?!"
"What the hell are you wearing?!"
"Samui, Mabui, I've secured the boat. Go get ready."
"You idiot! Bee! Change out of that right now!"
Motoi returned just in time to see Killer Bee in his beach shorts. His blood pressure shot through the roof. If he could redo this, he would never have agreed to a mission with Killer Bee. Pure torture.
"Out to sea! Just get us out to sea already!"
"Motoi, Konoaru, baga-yaru, you just don't get it!"
"Octopus beach shorts—the best!"
Killer Bee didn't care what Motoi thought. As long as he liked it, that was enough.
When the boat was finally ready, not all four set out together.
"Samui, Mabui, you stay here."
"If any sea serpents charge the shore, you handle them."
"The ones in the sea are ours."
"Summoning Technique!"
Motoi bit his finger and slammed a hand onto the ground. With a burst of smoke, a massive owl appeared before him.
"Old Owl, I'll be counting on you."
The owl gave him a look, then gripped his shoulders and lifted him into the air. Meanwhile, Killer Bee sailed alone toward the open sea.
"Oh? Splitting up?"
"Interesting. This actually makes things easier for me."
Kazuyama Gekkō grinned as he watched their division—one in the sky, one at sea. And the two kunoichi left behind on the shore? That was almost too convenient.
Mabui and Samui had already been his targets. Talents like them had to be taken to Takigakure.
No, better to send them to Orochimaru first for a little brainwashing. They were still Kumogakure ninja, bound to their village by loyalty. Without reconditioning, they'd never serve him.
Decision made, Kazuyama Gekkō didn't hesitate. Activating his Transparent Escape, he walked straight toward the two kunoichi at the shore.
Meanwhile, out at sea, Killer Bee and Motoi had already been greeted by the serpents.
"Boom!"
The water split open as four or five massive sea serpents surged forth, their towering bodies and glowing eyes exuding pure menace.
"They really are sea serpents. Judging by their size, could they be connected to Kirigakure?"
From above, Motoi's expression hardened as he watched the serpents rise.
A creature of that scale would take at least two squads to bring down. Out in the sea, they had the terrain advantage, making them even deadlier.
"Good thing Bee's here. Otherwise, the losses would be huge."