Shiinake no Hitobito 16

[p001]

Ninja: Mountain Team here.
Ninja: With this, all the people living near Takamizawa Station have been put to sleep.

Ninja: River Team here. We have completed blockading the roads throughout the area.
(above hardhat ninja) I'm very sorry.

Ninja: Valley Team, same.
Ninja: Please fight to your hearts' content.

[p002]

(top) Chapter 16: That Disqualifies You as a Master!

[p003]

(Otoha): ---Understand? Shiina-kun.

Otoha: Right now, the enemy is likely panicking at this sudden turn of events.
Otoha: And yet we can't see any indication of it...

Otoha: They probably have some other trap set.

(Otoha): Don't become negligent just because we have an advantage.
Box: I have no intention of being negligent.

(Haruhiko): Please wait just a little longer, Otoha-san!!

[p004]

Haruhiko: Th...they fired tons of them at us!!
Yayoi: Hmph.
Yayoi: Using arrows as a diversion, huh.

Yayoi: There's a time limit on our side... if we go about this leisurely, we'll once again end up in a bad situation.

[p005]

Kunai: Strike while we have the upper hand!!

Kunai: We're breaking through!!!

Ninja: What impudence!! We'll kill you as you try!!

(Yayoi): Juunigesshuu Ninja Art--

[p006]

(right) Hinazutsumi!!

Hanajima: My daughter is entering the fray, so
娘が活躍してるというのだ

[p007]

(Hanajima): Once in a while, I have to show my fatherly side as well.

Hanajima: Don't worry.
Hanajima: I usually strike with the back of my sword.

Haruhiko: Hanajima-san!! Your back!! Your back!!!

[p008]

Haruhiko: That's incredible, everyone!! You're really pushing them back!!
Utsuki: No.

Utsuki: The Juunigesshuu have yet to appear!

???: Hmm...
???: It seems like I should add a little more poppy nectar, I guess~~?

[p009]

(right) Member of the Juunigesshuu
(left) Dog Faction's Shimotsuki

Yayoi: A physician, huh... so you were the one who made Otoha Kyouko's poison.

Shimo: Pretty much~~

[p010]

Yayoi: Then I'll make this short.
Yayoi: We'll be taking the antidote!
Yayoi: Though I don't really feel like helping her.

Shimo: My master has thaaat...
Shimo: Making it from scratch takes a super long time,
Shimo: and besides... I think I might have already won~~?

Yayoi: ...what?!

[p011]

Ninja: Ugh...

Hanajima: Humiliating...
Ninja: M-my body won't...

(Yayoi): Dammit... don't tell me these spasms are...
Yayoi: Poison!!!

???: That's right.
???: Combining Shimotsuki's poison with the weapons of our Snake Faction gives us an undeniable advantage.
???: If you are hit just once, the fight is over.

[p012]

???: My battle preparations are complete!
戦闘準備は整った!
???: There are still a large number of enemies. All of you, fall back to conserve your strength.

Ninja: Yes!!
(left of Shimo) I'll fall back too, kay~
Ninja: Minazuki-dono!!

[p013]

(Yayoi): When did he...?!!

Kunai: Don't take us so lightly!!

sfx bubble: Click

[p014]

(Mina): Juunigesshuu
(Mina): Ninja Art

(Mina): Fuuma Enyou!!
(lit. "summer wind demon")

[p015]

Kunai: Gu...
Kunai: agh.

Yayoi: Urg...

Haruhiko: K...
Haruhiko: Kunai-san!
Haruhiko: Yayoi-chan!!

Utsuki: You mustn't go out there, Haruhiko-sama.

[p016]

Utsuki: Minazuki seems to be a shinobi like me, who excels in projectile weapons, but
Utsuki: If my forte is "movement", then his is "stillness".
Utsuki: He attacks those who enter the area around him.
間合いに入る者を迎え撃ってきます

Utsuki: However, if we don't defeat Minazuki, we can't move forward.

Utsuki: Just to be sure, please take these so you will be able to escape.
Utsuki: They will create a smokescreen 2 seconds after you pull out the stopper.

[p017]

Haruhiko: Utsuki-chan!!
Utsuki: It's just a precaution.

Utsuki: Anyway, the life of my master's partner depends on it.
Utsuki: I won't lose.

Haruhiko: Eh?!
(right of Haruhiko) Partner?!

Mina: So, Utsuki.

Mina: There's no need for two specialists of the same type in the Juunigesshuu, don't you agree?

[p018]

Mina: How about we

Mina: settle it right here!!

[p019]

Mina: I'm not just limited to "counterattacks", you know.

[p020]

Mina: Oho~
(Mina): She fired off steel cutting thread back then!

[p021]

(Utsuki): Juunigesshuu Ninja Art

(Utsuki): Tsukuyo no Taki!
(lit. "waterfall of a moonlit night")

[p022]

Mina: Did you think
Mina: you could kill me with something like that? Utsuki.

Mina: How pitiful.
Mina: Let's see what you can do if I have a handicap.
Mina: How about something like "I'm not allowed to use Shimotsuki's poison"?

(Utsuki): No way...
(Utsuki): Even though I was completely in his blind spot...

[p023]

Utsuki: --ow!!
(Utsuki): When did he scatter these caltrops?!

[p024]

Haruhiko: Utsuki-chan!!

[p025]

(Utsuki): He's strong!!

(Utsuki): Even though I can see he is full of openings, he keeps dodging my attacks!
(Utsuki): It's as if he has eyes in the back of his head...

(Utsuki): But I absolutely can't lose!!

(Utsuki): For my master's sake!!

(Utsuki): Now's my chance!!

[p026]

Mina: This is all because I've become strong thanks to my master.
Mina: I can tell quite clearly what you plan to do.

Mina: Not just you,
Mina: but also that guy who entered my area in order to help you.

[p027]

(Utsuki): Haruhiko-sama!!

(Utsuki): Why is he over here?!
(Utsuki): This is bad!!

Mina: A good present to deliver to my master has appeared.
Mina: Prepare yourse-

[p028]

sfx: BOOM

Mina: What?!

Haruhiko: Are you alright, Utsuki-chan?!
Haruhiko: Th...there's something in your chest...!!

Utsuki: Haruhiko-sama...

Utsuki: Th...this is too dangerous! I didn't give you those so you could back me up!!
Haruhiko: S...sorry.

[p029]

Utsuki: Please hurry and get away from here! Minazuki will...!!
Haruhiko: If you mean him, we're probably fine.

Haruhiko: Look,
Haruhiko: he hasn't launched a full-on attack at you at all, right?

Utsuki: R...
Utsuki: Right.

Haruhiko: I noticed it, since I was watching from a distance.
Haruhiko: Minazuki has one huge weakness!

Haruhiko: I can't be completely sure, but...
Haruhiko: If you attack from that spot...

[p030]

(Mina): Tch...!!

[p031]

(Mina): There's no indication that they've escaped my range!!
Mina: Where are they?!

Mina: --Hazuki!

[p032]

Haruhiko: Damn...!!
Haruhiko: If we'd only had a little more time...!!

Utsuki: Ugh...!!

Mina: Hazuki...
Mina: How did you get here?
sfx bubbles: Sniff sniff
Hazuki: My subordinate "Kaidou" has a good sense of smell.
Hazuki: We followed the scent of Shiina's group and it brought us here.

Hazuki: What about our master?

Hazuki: Heh.
Hazuki: Like I thought, you aren't going to tell me anything...
Hazuki: Well, whatever.

[p033]

Hazuki: Shiina Haruhiko.
Hazuki: I've been watching since the beginning, but...

Hazuki: Just how much of an idiot are you.
Hazuki: I've never heard of a master doing the likes of a suicide attack.

Hazuki: A shinobi is someone who kills his emotions and follows, protects and carries out orders regardless of what sort of master he possesses.
Hazuki: All you need to know is that doing something which dishonors our pride as shinobi

Hazuki: disqualifies you as a master!!

[p034]

Haruhiko: I don't know if I'm qualified or not,
Haruhiko: but there is one thing I do know.

Haruhiko: A guy who would laugh and use someone's life as a bargaining chip...
Haruhiko: A guy who would go around sneakily hiding himself...
Haruhiko: There's no way someone like that should be able to force others to do his bidding!!

Hazuki: ...but the reality is that he has 3 pieces already.

Haruhiko: It's not just about how many he has!
Haruhiko: So, I'll ask, but...

Haruhiko: Is he suitable as a "master"?!

[p035]

(Shimo sfx): Yaaaawn

Hazuki: I was already defeated. I lost in the master dispute...
Hazuki: I'm just obeying the winner--
Hazuki: and seeing things through to the end!!

Haruhiko: I'm asking how you feel!!
Haruhiko: Is there merit in obeying to the extent of killing your emotions?!

Haruhiko: Even ninjas
Haruhiko: have "hearts", don't they?!

[p036]

Mina: Your name's Shiina, right...

Mina: Say whatever you like, but
Mina: right now, at least, you are less qualified as a master than my own.

Mina: That is what you're asking, isn't it?

???: No,
???: you're wrong.

[p037]

Utsuki: If you're talking about right now,
Utsuki: then in both this contest and his qualifications as a master, Haruhiko-sama is far superior.

Mina: How did you get over there?!

[p038]

(Utsuki): Juunigesshuu Ninja Art
(Utsuki): Tsukuyo no Taki!!

Mina: Guaah!!

Utsuki: Haruhiko-sama explained everything to me.

[p039]

Utsuki: Minazuki...
Utsuki: You fought by using cameras which had been installed overhead, and viewed the footage from them under your mask.

Utsuki: You intended to eliminate any blind spots, but...
Utsuki: Back then, you hadn't noticed that Haruhiko-sama was carrying something.

Utsuki: Once you understand the trick, there's no problem.
(under image) Blind spot zone
Utsuki: I simply crept up on you from below while that smokescreen clouded the air.

[p040]

Mina: Impossible!!
Mina: You were...
Mina: Captured... by that bear...

Utsuki: You know
Utsuki: the answer to that without me telling you.

[p041]

Haruhiko: You guys are all that's left!
Haruhiko: Are you still going to fight us?!

Shimo: Naah, no way.
Shimo: I've got a feeling we wouldn't win...

[p042]

Haruhiko: Where is
Haruhiko: your master, and Otoha-san's antidote?!

Shimo: Hmm...
Shimo: About that~

Shimo: He ran away...
Shimo: Before our fight...

Haruhiko: WHA?!

[p043]

Akira: Geez...
Akira: This is unbearable!
Small bubble: Wig
(left of Akira) It'll be a pain if they come all the way over here, too.
ここまで来りゃまいたも同然だろ

Akira: Shit, the headquarters I'd taken so long to make...
Akira: I'm definitely gonna beat the hell out of her! That woman!!
Akira: Well, as long as I've got these pieces, it's not like I've lost or anything.
Akira: I don't know whether we're winning or losing, but I make it a rule not to fool around!

Akira: Still, what if Minazuki and that lot won?!
Akira: Either way, hurry up and come report already!

(sfx) Drop

Akira: Ahh!! My precious save data!!

[p044]

Haruhiko: Here you go.

Akira: What the hell's with you?!
Akira: Don't just stare at me!

Akira: N...
Akira: No way...!!
Akira: How did you get here?!

sfx bubble: Sniff

[p045]

Hazuki: I don't believe it...
Hazuki: I... was used by a guy like this?

Haruhiko: Yayoi-chan, he's an ordinary person, so hold back a bit.
Yayoi: Hmph. Don't tell me to do such a difficult thing!

Akira: O...oi, hold on!!
Akira: I've got the antidote on me...

[p046]

(top) This time, it's a story that happened at the same time as chapter 13!
(star) Special omake manga
(bottom) [ Kasashita-ke no Hitobito ] 4
(The people of the Kasashita Household)

Hyouma: Oooi!
Hyouma: I bought ice creaaam~

Girl: It's really useful how you stand out in any kind of crowd, Hyouma-kun~
Hyouma: I'm not this tall because I want to be.

(sfx) Nom
Girl: Well, thanks for the hard work.
Hyouma: Oi! Yours was black sesame flavor, wasn't it?!

[p047]

(Hyouma): Dammiiiiiiit. Right about now, Master and Utsuki-dono are probably having fun at the ocean...
(Hyouma): ...and in comparison, I'm at the town pool babysitting these two...
(Hyouma): I wanna go somewhere with a bit of a better mood.

Girl: Oi, oi, this is my usual place, y'know!
Girl: Just having me here is enough, isn't it?!

Hyouma: In another 5 years, yeah.
Girl: Ooh! You mean when I could possibly become a gravure idol?!
(above Girl) Alriiight!
Hyouma: Idols don't say "alriiight" like that.

(Hyouma): Well, I appreciate just having you invite me.

Girl: Hey, Itsuki! Wait up!!
Girl: Hold on... any further and I won't be able to... ah!!

[p048]

Hyouma: You can't swim?!

Hyouma: E...excuse me, could someone please save these two!!
Box: Actually, I couldn't swim either.

(bottom, star) To be continued

[p049]

(top) Shiinake no Hitobito

(sfx) Shove
Hyouma: O...oi!!

[volume cover flap omake 1]

(Yayoi): ...You better remember this, Shiina Haruhiko!!

[volume cover flap omake 2]

Box: Right now, we're out buying swimsuits, but...
Haruhiko: I wonder which trunks I should go with...

Utsuki: Haruhiko-sama! What do you think of this?!
(sfx) PFFT

(Haruhiko): This is Utsuki-chan we're talking about, so...
gray bubble: A muffler
(above Utsuki) A new weapon
Haruhiko: Well... I think it's fine.

Utsuki: I went and asked him, Kusunosa-san. It seems that this fits Haruhiko-sama's swimsuit preferences.
Etsuko: R... r... really?!