The captain and his guards did not show much surprise, only nodding gratefully to me, and we all began to follow the pirates. A few minutes later, when it became difficult to make out details even with chakra, one ship literally jumped out of the water from a monstrous blow from below and fell on its side. Then, the same fate befell the second. Five minutes later, the horizon was clear, and it was safe to say that not a single pirate had survived.
"I hope that's the only obstacle we'll encounter," I grunted, turning to our vehicle and catching the respectful glances of the shinobi.
"I think so," agreed the captain, continuing, 'and the crew of the Swift could really use an experienced ninjutsu specialist with suiton.
"Life on the water isn't for me,' I shook my head, "but I'll keep it in mind.
***
The next few days of sailing passed quietly, with no more pirate attacks, allowing me to devote all my free time to meditation, except that the weather began to change for the worse, the further we moved away from the coast of the Land of Fire.
Living in Konoha, I was used to warm weather and sunshine almost all year round. Even in winter, the temperature only dropped a few degrees and there was only slightly more rain, so the sudden cold snap came as a surprise.
It was good that the fuin on the cloak could work in reverse, creating comfortable conditions not only in the heat but also in the cold, so that the cloudy weather and the morning frost outside the cabin were only a reminder that it was now the second half of autumn and winter was just around the corner, but did not cause any particular inconvenience.
After bypassing the first large island of the Water Country and the main island, Captain Iero stopped at a small port on the second island, wanting to sell some of his goods, replenish his water supplies, and give his crew a chance to stretch their legs after ten days at sea.
The small settlement adjacent to the port could not even be called a town, but rather an overgrown village, and it was no match for the port city that had served as the starting point for my sea voyage. The one-story houses, built not even of stone or wood, but of something resembling clay, roads submerged in mud after the recent rain, unpaved, although this would be a piece of cake for any dockworker, and the poorly dressed locals completed the picture of the country's dire state, even in such a trading post, where there should have been money and work.
However, only our ship was moored at the pier, not counting the fishing boats, although it could accommodate six large ships at the same time, which clearly indicated the state of international trade in this place.
Most of the crew went ashore, choosing to visit a local tavern or a building with red lanterns, but all the shinobi in the crew preferred to stay on board. Deciding to take a walk around the first settlement of a country I had never been to before, it quickly became clear why — the locals did not like ninja.
More precisely, they really disliked and feared them. As soon as they noticed the distinctive clothing and piece of metal, they tried hard not to show their feelings, but it was difficult not to notice the piercing glances, as well as the sky-high prices in the shops as soon as I showed any interest in something on the counter.
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