Pirate World

"All right, as long as everyone recognizes their own weakness, that's enough. I won't blame anyone."

Seeing that the clan members were still agitated, Yoru waved a hand to reassure them.

"The clan head is wise!"

"We must break through to the Mangekyo too and fight our way back to Konoha!"

"We'll cultivate for the rise of the Uchiha!"

Amid the uproar, Yoru began issuing orders. "Elder Fugaku, please oversee the construction of the camp and the distribution of supplies. Shisui, you know the clan members well. Help calm them down, and take charge of the initial guard patrols. Yashiro, lead a squad of elites to scout outward from the valley for at least fifty li. Draw up a map and assess the environment and potential risks."

"Yes!" they answered in unison.

The Uchiha Clan's formidable efficiency was on display once again.

Under Fugaku's command, the camp became neat and orderly at a visible pace.

Shisui's return filled many clan members with renewed drive.

After all, he was a powerful ninja who had risen to prominence during the brutal Third Great War. To some extent, Shisui's prestige even surpassed Yoru's as clan head. In the hearts of many clan members, he was the strongest Uchiha.

Moreover, unlike Itachi, who had not even bothered to hide his support for Konoha, Shisui had always been a beacon-like figure in the hearts of many clan members.

And now there was this newly risen beacon as well.

Well, the Uchiha now had two beacons.

The future was promising!

Yashiro immediately selected several skilled scouts proficient in stealth and reconnaissance. Their figures swiftly vanished into the forest as they began their scouting mission.

As night deepened, a massive bonfire was lit in the center of the valley.

"Sigh, Yoru, although you've temporarily persuaded the clan members, they won't be able to stay in a place this deserted for long before resentment starts building."

Fugaku sighed from the side.

Though Yoru's speech during the day had been excellent and had stirred the blood of many clan members, while helping them build the camp, Fugaku had still heard quite a few ordinary clan members voicing grievances against Yoru.

The Uchiha had over a thousand members. Not everyone was a ninja; most were merely ordinary people.

They had little interest in the conflict between the village and the clan. All they knew was that Uchiha Yoru, their clan head, had inexplicably tricked them out of prosperous Konoha and brought them to this godforsaken forest.

They only knew that their homes and wealth had all been left behind in Konoha forever, and that everyone had become destitute.

Such an enormous disparity made it impossible for them not to resent the clan head who had deceived them.

"Who said this place is deserted?"

Yoru, who was busy snatching the last piece of roasted meat from Sasuke's plate as the boy puffed out his cheeks, froze at those words. He looked up at his father, surprise in his voice. "Father, have you misunderstood something?"

"This so-called New World... has people living in it?" Fugaku frowned, realizing that he seemed to have misunderstood all along.

He had always thought that the world Yoru had opened was similar to Mount Myōboku—a hidden sacred land within the Ninja World, unknown to ordinary people due to the Barrier's protection.

But in essence, it was still an undeveloped stretch of land.

Yet judging from Yoru's tone, this place did not seem to be what he had imagined.

"That's two questions. First, there are people on this island. Second, of course there are many people in this world."

"Mm, I'm not sure of the exact number, but this world probably has several hundred million people."

Yoru calculated silently. A major nation like Alabasta already had a population exceeding ten million. The World Government had 170 member nations; adding non-member nations and special regions, several hundred million was a conservative estimate.

"Sev... several hundred million people?"

Sasuke, who had just been sulking over having his roasted meat stolen, was instantly captivated by that enormous number.

He lowered his head and tried hard to count on his fingers, but quickly gave up. All he could do was tug innocently at Itachi's sleeve. "Second Brother, how many people are several hundred million?"

Itachi was deeply shaken by the number as well. The total population of the five great nations of the Ninja World, along with all the smaller nations, likely did not even come close to reaching one hundred million.

Just what kind of vast world had Big Brother brought the Uchiha to?

"In any case, Father," Yoru said, wiping the grease from his hands as his tone turned serious, "this isn't a barren no-man's land. It's far larger and far more exciting than Konoha, than the Land of Fire, even than our entire Ninja World. Here, the Uchiha will have a much broader stage."

He swept his gaze across the faces of the clan members illuminated by the bonfire and added meaningfully, "Also, the island beneath everyone's feet is a foothold I carefully selected. It isn't some isolated deserted island. Everyone should eat as much as you can tonight and get some proper rest. I estimate that... tomorrow, we won't have such leisurely moments anymore!"

"Yoru, stop being cryptic. Are there enemies in this area?"

Fugaku was slightly dissatisfied with his eldest son's words. He did not quite understand Yoru's cryptic manner.

All he knew was that if there were enemies nearby, they should remain vigilant at all times, rather than deliberately maintaining an air of mystery.

"Uh, Father, I'm not doing it on purpose. It's just that many things are difficult to explain. Only when everyone truly encounters them will you understand."

Yoru waved a hand, still offering no specific explanation.

The next morning, when the sky had only just begun to brighten, Uchiha Yashiro led four carefully selected subordinates swiftly through the dense jungle.

Everyone was on high alert, their Sharingan flickering in the dim light as they carefully recorded the terrain, vegetation, and any suspicious traces.

"Senior Yashiro, the trees here are excessively tall, and there are many plants we've never seen before," one subordinate said quietly.

"Mm. Stay vigilant. This world is unfamiliar."

Yashiro replied in a deep voice. This forest was vastly different from the ones around Konoha.

They had only made a brief sweep of the area, yet they had already encountered quite a few enormous creatures—giant boars, giant pythons, giant insects, and more.

Although these creatures were not particularly dangerous, their massive size still kept Yashiro from letting down his guard.

Suddenly, a rustling came from the bushes ahead, accompanied by several sharp shouts.

"Who goes there?!"

"How dare you trespass into Kuja's forbidden grounds!"

Five agile figures leaped out from the forest, blocking Yashiro's squad.

They were five female warriors dressed in matching fitted outfits, carrying bows or other weapons. Their faces were lovely, their bodies toned, and their sharp gazes were filled with wildness and vigilance.

The warrior at the front was tall and carried an especially icy air about her. A large red snake with its tongue flicking out was coiled around her waist. She was Kikyo, captain of Kuja Island's Imperial Guards.

They had noticed plumes of smoke rising from the northern forest the previous night, as though someone had entered the island.

To be safe, Kikyo had brought the Imperial Guards to investigate early that morning, and sure enough, they had encountered unknown intruders.

Uchiha Yashiro and the others instantly entered combat stance. Their Sharingan activated at once, the Three Tomoe slowly spinning.

They, too, warily watched the suddenly appearing women, who were scantily clad and openly hostile.

"Women?"

Yashiro frowned. He had expected to encounter wild beasts or unknown monsters, not an all-female group that looked so strange!