"Don't be so sensitive. I was just asking," Natsuhane smirked mischievously. He raised his right hand, and with a swift motion, slapped Orochimaru's pert rear.
Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock, her face pale. "Natsuhane, what do you think you're doing?"
Having been kissed by Natsuhane last time and now being openly groped, Orochimaru was furious. "You pervert! You will pay for this!"
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
With a swift movement, several dark serpents shot out from Orochimaru's sleeves. Natsuhane dodged smoothly, a playful expression on his face.
"Relax, this is all just an illusion! It's not real! Your real body is perfectly fine in the real world..."
Orochimaru, her face flushed with anger, shouted, "Even if it's an illusion, it doesn't matter! If you dare tell anyone about this, I'll kill you!"
"Don't worry, I won't say a word. What man would go around discussing his private flirting techniques with his wife?" Natsuhane teased.
"Who's flirting with you? Shut up!" Orochimaru's serpents lunged again, but Natsuhane's eyes flashed, and their consciousness returned to reality.
Despite their lengthy conversation in the illusionary space, only a second had passed outside.
"Huh? Lady Orochimaru, your face is so red. Are you feeling unwell?" a concerned subordinate asked.
"Don't worry about it! Just take these people lying on the ground and let's go..." Orochimaru ordered.
She shot Natsuhane a resentful glance before transforming into a cluster of small snakes and scattering.
Her subordinates, not daring to delay, quickly gathered the unconscious Funato Clan members and followed Orochimaru.
"Finally..." Kaisei and the crew let out a collective sigh of relief once the dangerous group was gone.
"Natsuhane, your wife is... quite something. And very beautiful. You two really are a perfect match," Kaisei commented, still in awe.
Orochimaru's current attire and demeanor were incredibly feminine, and her beauty was undeniable.
"Oh, she's just here on vacation," Natsuhane replied casually.
"Vacation? But she and her subordinates seem more like pirates..." Kaisei hesitated.
"No, she's just a tourist. Trust me," Natsuhane insisted.
"...Alright." Seeing Natsuhane's firm stance, Kaisei chose not to press further. He couldn't afford to anger Natsuhane, as the future of the Land of the Sea depended on him.
After a brief cleanup, the gold transport team resumed their journey.
Meanwhile, on an isolated island at the boundary between the Land of the Sea and the Land of Water...
This was one of the Funato Clan's strongholds.
A young man with blond hair stood at the highest point, surveying the calm sea with his hands behind his back.
This young man was Funato Arakai, a rising star within the Funato Clan and the most powerful member, even surpassing his father, the clan leader.
"Lord Arakai! We have a problem!" A bald subordinate rushed to him, reporting urgently. "The patrol squad we sent to the Land of the Sea has lost contact. Sensor ninja have confirmed their chakras have vanished. They're likely dead."
"What?" Arakai roared, "Who did this?"
The subordinate, sweating profusely, stammered, "I... I don't know. With our reputation, who would dare oppose us? Maybe they encountered a tsunami."
"Nonsense! With our clan's skill and strength, a mere tsunami wouldn't kill them!" Arakai seethed.
"Then... I'm not sure," the subordinate admitted.
"Hmph!" Arakai clenched his fists, glaring towards the Land of the Sea. "If this happened in the Land of the Sea, it must be connected to its people. Signal our forces! Gather all Funato Clan members near the Land of the Sea. Leave no one behind! We will find out who did this!"
"Understood!" The subordinate prepared to leave but was stopped by Arakai's gesture.
"Wait!" Arakai ordered.
"What else, Lord Arakai?"
Arakai's face darkened with a sinister smile. "Prepare the ships! I'm going too. This is an opportunity. We should use this incident to overthrow the Land of the Sea and claim their territory for the Funato Clan."
"But, Lord Arakai, this might provoke the Mist Village. If we take over, the Mist ninjas will come after us!" the subordinate cautioned.
Arakai sneered, "It doesn't matter. Our hatred with the Mist Village is already deep. This won't change much. With the Land of the Sea as our base, we can develop further, establish a village and a nation. The Funato Clan could become the sixth great nation, and we won't have to roam the seas anymore."
"Understood! I'll prepare the ships immediately!" the subordinate replied, rushing to execute the orders.
Note: You can read until chapter 210 at my patreon.com/Betek if interested.