It didn't take long for Naruto to find the three women. Anko and Sakura were leading the panicked Koyuki towards the lower decks. But with the crowd ahead and time running out, it was clear they wouldn't make it.
Naruto sheathed his sword and dropped down from the wall, landing right beside them. He kicked open a door and shouted to Anko and Sakura.
"Quick! The giant wave is about to hit, it's too late to reach the bottom of the ship! Get in here and hide!"
Anko was stunned for a moment, but before she could react, she had been pulled in by Sakura. Koyuki was also forcibly dragged into the room. With the four of them inside, the room felt cramped, but fortunately, there were straps fixed to the walls for securing their bodies.
During his two weeks at sea, Naruto had thoroughly explored all the rooms and their functions on the ship.
This was a... well, a 404 room he had discovered by chance during his patrols.
But at this moment, those straps nailed to the walls served a vital purpose. As the ship braced for impact, at least there was something they could grab onto to stabilize themselves.
"Just hold on to it, don't tie your body up, or you'll get strangled." Naruto warned, "If the ship gets pulled underwater and you can't undo the straps, you'll definitely die!"
Sakura wasn't familiar with these unusual straps, but Anko and Koyuki belatedly recognized them. Fortunately, now was a matter of life and death, and all conventional concerns were meaningless.
The most important thing is to survive.
Naruto pressed his face against the porthole, still muttering about something. Then, he stood beside Sakura and grabbed the straps on the walls. The three of them formed a protective triangle around Koyuki, determined to protect her no matter what.
Grabbing the straps wasn't just for themselves, and they also made sure Koyuki did the same.
Naruto, Sakura, and Anko are all Shinobi, and their Chakra allowed them to adhere firmly to the floor with just their feet. As long as they weren't directly hit by the massive wave, hiding here would be relatively safe. The main concern was for Koyuki, the only ordinary person among them.
The deafening sound of the approaching wave shook the air, and the entire ship trembled violently. The atmosphere in the small room was incredibly tense.
"Here it comes!" Anko called in a low voice, "The wave is coming! Hold on tight!"
With a thunderous crash, the ship's hull was split apart. In that instant, the sound was like lightning striking right next to their ears, like a car traveling at 180 miles per hour crashing into a solid concrete wall, smashing it to pieces like clay.
Against the roaring deep sea, human strength and Ninjutsu were utterly powerless and insignificant, with all hope pinned on the ship.
The immense impact shattered the small room and the porthole burst out like a cannonball under the tremendous pressure. Naruto tilted his head with difficulty and barely avoided being hit by the flying glass.
The moment the porthole burst, seawater rushed in crazily. Anko grabbed Koyuki immediately, while Naruto and Sakura also rushed over instantly, protecting their target tightly.
It wasn't that they were fearless, it's just that this is part of the Shinobi's duty.
No matter what unexpected events occurred, as long as the mission continued and no orders to abort were given by the team leader, the life of the target was the top priority.
Sakura positioned herself in front of the target and tried to grab onto one of the straps on the wall, but a sudden surge of water slammed into her, like being struck by a hammer. Her arm instantly went numb and wouldn't respond.
Then, half her body went limp, and she began to lose consciousness.
Before she blacked out completely, she felt herself being grabbed. Through her fading vision, she saw a pair of deep blue eyes.
Things got worse as the entire ship was pulled underwater. The cabin filled with seawater, and the available air was dwindling.
At this moment, only Anko and Naruto remained conscious.
Sakura had been knocked unconscious, and there was no time to check if she had any injuries, so they could only carry her and escape first. There were only a couple of centimeters of air left at the top of the room, so Naruto and Anko floated to the surface to take a quick breath, exchanging a brief but understanding glance.
Without a word, they each grabbed one person and dove down. Exiting the room through the door, they quickly reached the flooded corridor, where some small spaces still held pockets of air.
In an upward-sloping triangular space, Anko and Naruto resurfaced, pulling the unconscious Sakura and Koyuki out of the water with them.
"Is she alive?" Naruto checked Sakura's breathing and pulse, then asked Anko.
"She's alive." Anko answered simply and concisely.
"Rest for ten seconds, don't die! Once we're out, you can do whatever you want!" Anko shouted loudly, "Head for the deck and follow me!"
These words sounded like the last word of dying person, and Naruto didn't know what to say. The ten seconds felt incredibly slow, with every heartbeat marked by a deep look exchanged between Naruto and Anko.
This has nothing to do with deep affection. If they really were going to die, everyone would prefer to see something alive before the end. Ideally, it would be a beautiful member of the opposite sex, as even if they die accidentally, they can still comfort themselves.
In the last second before diving, Naruto's pupils dilated slightly.
Together with Anko, he dove deeply, with Kyubi's Chakra slowly coursing through his body. A cabin door that wouldn't open underwater was kicked open by Naruto.
There were all kinds of bodies and camera equipment lying on the bottom of the water. Almost everyone was dead, smashed to pieces by the huge waves.
Naruto and Anko struggled in the chaotic underwater currents, each dragging a burden.
The storm on the surface wreaked havoc below, affecting the waters even ten meters deep. Feeling the pressure in his lungs, Naruto knew they were likely deeper than ten meters.
After finally escaping from the sunken ship, they found themselves in pitch-black water again. Seeing how Anko was struggling, Naruto gritted his teeth.
Diving deeper, he grabbed the unconscious Sakura with one hand and Princess Koyuki with the other. Anko was slightly stunned for a moment but, with her load lightened, easily caught up to Naruto.
At this point, carrying two was extremely exhausting. Naruto felt his body nearly reach its limit instantly. His chest felt like it was on fire, burning and stinging.
But carrying two was still better than three. If Anko fainted, things would truly become problematic.
If it really came to that, he would likely only bring Anko and Sakura to the surface. After all, professionally and personally, saving Anko had a higher priority than saving Koyuki.
Anko swam rapidly, her agile form moving like a sea serpent as she quickly reached Naruto's side.
Just as he was about to collapse from exhaustion, Anko grabbed Koyuki's other wrist, lightening Naruto's load as if in a relay.
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