Happy New Year
[Bonus Chapter for the new year]
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Uchiha Kitaro now carried an energy entirely unlike his previously laid-back demeanor, his current confidence and ambition making him irresistibly captivating.
Caught in his charm, Gion (Momousagi) found herself momentarily lost in admiration.
With a playful flick to her forehead, Kitaro snapped her out of it. "Hey! What's that little head of yours thinking about? Staring at me like that... Don't tell me you're falling for me!"
"Ow!" Gion yelped, jolted from her trance. She turned bright red at his teasing. "Y-you're spouting nonsense! As if I'd ever fall for you! I'm only here because I was assigned to keep an eye on you!"
"Wow, not even trying to hide it anymore?" Kitaro smirked, pretending to clutch his chest in mock hurt. "I'm heartbroken! You're the only one I know in the Navy, and you wound me like this!"
With her hands on her hips, Gion replied smugly, "I've never hidden it! My mission is to monitor you and gather intel about Uchiha Kitaro and your clan. Simple as that."
"Oh? Monitoring and not seduction? That's a bit disappointing." Kitaro sighed theatrically.
At that, Gion's fists tightened.
He chuckled. "You know, I'm not that strong-willed. Especially when it comes to beautiful women like you. Try hard enough, and you just might get more intel out of me than you bargained for."
"Humph!"
Initially, Gion had indeed accepted this mission from Tsuru, aiming to keep tabs on Akira while gathering information about his older brother, Kitaro, and the mysterious Uchiha clan. After all, a woman could often lower a man's guard more easily than brute force.
But after spending time with Kitaro disguised as Akira, she discovered his undeniable charm, full of unexpected brilliance, and despite herself, her heart had started to waver.
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The Navy warship crossed the Red Line via the lift system, descending into the first half of the Grand Line. This was one of only two routes connecting the Grand Line to the New World, the other being the underwater passage through Fish-Man Island.
Once in the Grand Line, the warship sailed straight for the Calm Belt, leveraging the Navy's Sea Prism Stone technology to mimic the sea's natural currents and avoid detection by Sea Kings.
Unfortunately for Kitaro and Gion, they were anything but lucky.
"Hey! Are you cursed or something? How are we attracting this many Sea Kings?" Kitaro quipped after slaying yet another massive creature.
Gion, equally exasperated, shot back, "You're the unlucky one! I've never had this happen before. The moment you came aboard, the attacks started. It's definitely your fault!"
"Fine, fine. Blame me."
"What's with that tone?!" she snapped, glaring at him.
Before they could argue further, another colossal Sea King erupted from the water. With fluid teamwork, they swiftly dispatched the beast.
But the next moment, a monstrous Sea King, even larger than the last, lunged at Gion from behind. Her expression paled—she was mid-air with no footing, unable to evade in time.
Just as disaster seemed inevitable, Kitaro intervened. With a perfectly timed Giant Rasengan, he hurled it into the creature's gaping maw, obliterating its head in a thunderous explosion.
Gion found herself cradled in Kitaro's arms, trembling like a frightened rabbit. Standing on the ocean's surface, he gazed at her tenderly. Unable to resist, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
Frozen in shock, Gion's face turned crimson. "You... You...!"
"Yes, I kissed you. Because you're cute," Kitaro admitted with a grin.
"You... You're shameless!"
"Maybe, but I only act this way toward someone I like. I wouldn't bother with someone I didn't care about. And since you're here to spy on me, consider the kiss part of my payment for saving you."
"You're insufferable!" Gion's heart pounded uncontrollably. Despite rejecting countless suitors before—Tokikake known as Chaton among them—she had never felt this flustered.
When they returned to the warship, Gion quickly disentangled herself from Kitaro's arms.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi! Are you okay?" her subordinates asked, visibly shaken by her near-death encounter.
"All's well," she reassured them, brushing off their concern. "I was just caught off guard. Thanks to Vice Admiral Akira, I'm unharmed."
"Thank you, Vice Admiral Akira!"
"You're amazing, sir! Are all Uchiha men as powerful as you?"
"Could you introduce me to one of them?"
"Vice Admiral Akira, you're not married yet, right? What about me?"
Initially hesitant around the infamous Akira, the female crew quickly warmed to him, many even boldly flirting. Overwhelmed by their enthusiasm, he glanced helplessly at Gion.
"Alright, enough!" Gion barked, stepping in to rescue him. "You're proud Navy soldiers. Where's your discipline?"
The crew immediately quieted, but Gion's flushed cheeks betrayed her own inner turmoil.
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Advanced chapters at: patreon.com/_Coreal
Check my new novel btw, it has an amazing story, the best of all fanfic of crossover Pirate~Ninja worlds.
And Wishing you all a fantastic New Year! 🎆✨