Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 166 Diving

The ninja known as Mr. He, upon hearing the captain's request, waved his hand and granted it. However, the fleet's primary task was to bring the giant squid leg and the bodies of the victims back to shore, so not all ships could travel together. In the end, only three ships broke away from the fleet and headed towards the coral reefs in the nearshore waters.

"Isn't this too much trouble...?" Naruto thought it was outrageous after hearing the captain's request. Wasn't it too extravagant to send three ships out to sea to collect seashells just to find a second black pearl to give to the hero?

"What's so troublesome about that? We used to fish every day. We fished from dawn till dusk, or we'd get beaten up." The captain inadvertently revealed something serious, causing Sasuke to frown.

"That ninja forced you?" Sasuke's hands were itching. He hadn't put in much effort when fighting Yugito; Naruto had been the one to turn the tide. Finding a reason to fight that person wouldn't be bad.

"No, no, no! Mr. He saved us! If it weren't for him, my mother would have died! Our whole village is extremely grateful to him!" The captain waved his hands repeatedly, using his entire body to express his denial. "I was talking about the previous village chief, no, he was an evil landlord who has already been executed!"

"Oh, I see." Sasuke wasn't particularly interested in whether the villain was dead or not; as soon as he heard there was no more fighting, he lost interest. Of course, he did have a tiny bit of sympathy, but he would never show it to strangers—that was something only Naruto would do.

Sure enough, Naruto's interest was piqued, and he asked, "You used to go to sea every day? What about now?"

“Pearl oysters are hard to find now, and the pearls they produce aren’t very big. Mr. He said it’s because they were harvested too frequently before, which caused the population of pearl oysters to decline… I don’t really understand. Anyway, we need Mr. He’s approval to harvest oysters now, so we can support our families without having to spend every day at sea.” The captain was tying a rope around his waist. His clothes were already to the side, revealing a thin, but still muscular physique. His back was covered with light-colored spots that stood out against his bronze skin.

Naruto lowered his eyes slightly, concealing a trace of heartache in them. He could tell how the scars commonly seen on ordinary people were caused with just a glance.

"That's a sunburn. Can you get a sunburn in the sea?" Sasuke suddenly asked.

"Huh? You actually recognize him!" Naruto was genuinely shocked. In both his lives, he had never seen Sasuke involved with medical ninjutsu. When the two of them teamed up, Kurama was always the one responsible for healing.

"You don't want to know why." Sasuke didn't want to answer; he had already seen enough bizarre injuries from Orochimaru.

If Naruto thought about where Sasuke was right now, he would roughly understand why he didn't want to talk about it. But... he doesn't seem to have ever actually gone underwater, right? Getting knocked into the water doesn't count!

"Why don't we go into the water and give it a try? Practice makes perfect!"

...Did this idiot really come up with this sentence?

Meeting those expectant eyes, even averting his gaze, Sasuke couldn't think of a reason to refuse. He was thus unwittingly strapped with a lifeline, fitted with goggles, and weighted. There was also a very rudimentary scuba tank, but both ninjas who could circulate their chakra internally for a period of time declined. Before going into the water, Sasuke felt no pressure; instead, he looked up at the guy who had suddenly come up with the idea, dazzled by his bright smile. Naruto was very curious; he was always enthusiastic about new things, and at the same time, he was very sentimental, capable of cherishing something for a long time.

How long had it been since he'd seen that smile since leaving Konoha? That eager, confident smile—it appeared during their sparring sessions, when they were choosing books in the library, and in battles against formidable foes. Yet, just a day ago, when they fought Yugito, that smile was absent. Naruto was still smiling, of course, but his smile was calm and composed, the smile of a powerful figure who had complete control of the situation.

They seem to be growing further and further apart.

"What are you daydreaming about, Sasuke? Get ready to go into the sea!" Naruto's adult sense of shame wouldn't allow him to strip naked. He took off his jacket, revealing a fishnet shirt underneath. This thin, breathable fabric would dry quickly even if wet, only needing to be cleaned of the seawater's salt. Because Sasuke was so composed, Naruto didn't notice anything and jumped off the boat first.

The sea is both tranquil and noisy; the water naturally drowns out everything, including outside sounds. It's around four in the afternoon, and the seawater temperature isn't low. Once you get used to it, you might even find it quite pleasant to float in the sea.

This was Sasuke's first time seeing coral in the sea, and the living coral reefs were clearly more breathtaking than the eternal beauty of the dead. The fish here weren't afraid of people; their vibrant colors swam and leaped around them. Countless sea sprites lurked on the seabed, some blending seamlessly into their environment, others fearlessly embracing deadly poison. Several times, Sasuke couldn't resist touching the yellow anemones that swayed like silk, because they looked a bit like someone's hair, but Naruto yanked them away. Naruto blew a bubble in his face, shaking his head disapprovingly, his long strands of hair bobbing in the water, making Sasuke look like he was being teased. For the first time, he realized that a bubble on his face felt like a caress; everything in the sea seemed to slow down, and his mind raced as if it had been submerged in water, yet he couldn't understand what he was thinking.

He saw light stream through Naruto's frizzy hair, making him appear softer than usual with his headband removed. Even behind his goggles, his blue eyes shone brightly. And his lips, pursing air, were tightly pressed together, yet he had clearly seen them open and close. Damn it, had his Sharingan involuntarily activated? Why did he remember even the curve of his lips so clearly? They looked soft and warm; what would they taste like? No, what was he thinking?! Why was he even curious about the lips of such a complete idiot?!

And at this crucial moment when he should have cut his losses, his mind, which had been stuck, suddenly became uncontrollable, and the deepest, most suppressed memories surged up. It was the streets of Konoha, not long after returning to the village from a mission. Sakura suggested they all go out for a meal, and she asked Naruto how about Ichiraku Ramen? But Naruto was completely lost in thought, so much so that when he was woken up, he didn't immediately notice the child running around, and he didn't know why he hadn't dodged. Then they collided, solidly, perfectly...

Ah, I remember now, it tastes like ramen.