One hour wasn't long enough to rest, even if Ryouma's surging adrenaline allowed. With the meal cleaned up and their gear packed, they gathered in little knots by the fire again, to strip down and grease up. The cool breeze off the sea turned cold. Ryouma shivered as he scooped thick handfuls of dark grease out of the jar and smeared it over his bruise-tender skin.

Just beyond him, Genma was helping Raidou with the blind spot down his spine. The captain said something, in a low voice; Genma almost snickered, but held it in. His long, raw-boned hands dipped into the small of Raidou's back. Ryouma looked away.

Kakashi'd kept his tank top on again, but his legs were pale and lean under the thick coating of grease. He seemed to have finished while the others were still fumbling with jar lids. He went to the mouth of the cave, walking carefully barefoot, and stared out into the darkness.

After a moment he said, "Taichou."

Raidou's head came up like a hunting hound's. Genma tossed the grease jar to Ginta. They both joined Kakashi at the rock-tumbled entrance, while Ryouma trailed behind.

The tide was rising, washing higher against a narrow sandy strand. The gibbous moon lit a long silver pathway across black water, toward the massive shadow of an island on the horizon.

A low crescent shape cut through the moon-path, and vanished again beneath the waves.

Genma said hollowly, "Of course there're more sharks."

"They're probably holding the giant squid in reserve." Raidou looked back into the cave. "How's Abe's leg?"

"He was changing the bandage. Bleeding seems to have stopped." Ryouma wiped his last palmful of grease off on his thigh. "I'm guessing it's just an old wives' tale about sharks only attacking when there's blood in the water, huh."

"These are trained ninja attack sharks," Ginta said, directly behind him.

Ryouma twisted around. Ginta looked up at him, narrow face perfectly serious behind its thick coating of grease. His darkened hair swooped stylishly. "They probably sense our chakra. That's why they're so close to shore."

That — actually made a disturbing amount of sense. Even if trained ninja attack sharks sounded like something out of a kids' cartoon. Ryouma hesitated. "We've been concealing our chakra, but we did cliff-walk and use the sealing scrolls…"

"Sharks are extremely sensitive chakra sensors," Ginta said. "They can also detect one drop of blood in a million drops of water, or smell blood from a kilometer away."

That strait probably wasn't much more than five kilometers wide.

"Stop scaring my rookie," Genma said.

Ginta blinked up at Ryouma. "Are you scared?"

"No," Ryouma said stiffly.

Ginta chuckled. Genma looked like he was going to say something more, but a muted pulse of chakra, far down the beach, distracted them.

Kakashi had wandered away, down the angling edge of the beach under cliffs. He threw something out into the water with the faintest of splashes, and came jogging back with a bloody hand. "Heal this, sensei?"

Out in the water, another low sleek shape cut across the moon-path towards the splash. And another.

"What did you throw?" Ryouma demanded.

"Rock." Kakashi wiggled his red-stained fingers. "With a good luck seal on it."

Genma clicked his tongue disapprovingly, but he seized Kakashi's hand and towed him back into the firelight. His own hands were already glowing green.

Ginta stared at Ryouma, wide-eyed. "Wait, I was right?"

Raidou turned sharply. Ryouma's jaw dropped. "You—"

"Kidding, kidding." Ginta cackled, waving a greasy hand in quick deflection. "Fukuda told me about the sharks on the boat ride over." He looked after Kakashi, and the firelight caught a thoughtful narrowing of his blue eyes. "Hatake's got more smarts than just his mouth."

Raidou grunted. He pushed past Ginta, back into the cave. "Vice, Usagi, we've got a complication. Need to move before it comes back."