Ep 188: Mysterious, The Pursued Peddlers

The team discuss the possibility that they are still being pursued. Shun suggests splitting the team into two. He uses persimmons as an example but Naruto wants to change it to ramen. Shun explains that right now they are protecting an average of 3 ramen bowls each. But half the ramen have legs that can run fast and the other half run slow. If they split the group in two, the pursuers will be after the slower group. Then only 1 ninja is needed to protect the fast group and 2 to protect the slow group – an average of only 2.5 people to protect. Slow ramen represent the women and children to be protected by Chouji and Naruto while Hinata goes ahead with the fast group.

Naruto tells Chouji to go on ahead while he checks the area for traps, but Chouji notes that leaves the plan pointless. Naruto leaps ahead to the mountains and sees the area destroyed and wet. He then finds Kikusuke's body.

Chouji feels an enemy's thirst for blood. It starts to rain and he at first thinks the aura will disappear in the rain, but its not a natural rain. Chouji gathers the peddlers together but a bubble of water forms around them. The peddlers hide under the cart. Naruto returns with his clones who all throw explosive tags to blow up the bubble. Naruto senses the enemy has gone. The old lady explains that what they want is not here and they've moved on to the other group. Chouji orders everyone to leave everything and take only what they need. They try to catch up to Hinata.

Hinata camps now that it's getting dark while Naruto and Choji catch up. Chouji tells her someone in her group is hiding something. Naruto tells them Kikusuke was killed while dressed as a shinobi. Shun says it's none of their business, but Yurinoshin admits that Kikunojou is Kikusuke's real name and his real name is Yurinojou, and Shun is Nano Country's feudal lord's only daughter, Haruna. Naruto is shocked that Shun's a woman.

Yurinojou explains Nano Country was in the middle of a coup d’etat. It was a small, peaceful country, not prosperous, but the officials became corrupted. The Three Criminal Brothers came from across the ocean and took over.

Naruto realizes that the princess used the elders and kids as a decoy so she can escape. The princess admits it and says she is the only one left who bears the Nano Country's feudal lord bloodline. Naruto takes a swing at her and hits Yurinojou instead. Haruna says it's their mission to protect her, but Yorinojou and Hinata explain their mission is to protect the peddlers, only a D rank mission.

Later Yorinojou tells Naruto how Haruna was kept as a hostage when she was small and only returned recently. Hinata says there is a village 1 li (500m) away. Chouji goes ahead with the rest of the peddlers. Naruto and Hinata stay behind with the princess and Yurinojou. At night Hinata checks on the princess while Naruto gives Yurinojou his brother's kunai. Kikunojou was known as a flower ninja genius. Yurinojou was never able to beat his older brother. Naruto says if he beats the enemy then he would have beaten his brother.

They sense the enemy’s presence. Yurinojou perfoms seals for Hana Ninjutsu Hikari Fukou (Flower Ninja Arts Glittering Unhappiness) and shuriken of flowers fly toward the enemy but they’re deflected and kunai fly back.

Ruiga appears with his tonfa but finds the princess gone. He follows Naruto and Yurinojou to a clearing where they attack him from both sides, but he blocks their blows. Kunai from above are blocked by his water spheres. He does a cool move with his tonfa and sends the two flying back, then performs seals for suiton seibun houfutsu (water cannon replica). Naruto gets trapped in a water sphere. Then Ruiga summons a school of pirhanas!

Review: Good decoy strategy by the princess!

Notes:

Kikunojou = Kikusuke

Yurinojou = Yurinoshin

Hana Ninjutsu Hikari Fukou = Flower Ninja Arts Glittering Unhappiness

suiton seibun houfutsu = water cannon replica

Thoughts:

The piranhas are sustained in a water bubble. Actually an interesting concept for water summons though sort of silly.