Uchiha Natsu

Note: The main story will take place in the One Piece World, but the first arc will leave Konoha with a parting gift. That should take about sixteen chapters, and will also lay the groundwork for some of the trump cards the protagonist will have when he heads to the One Piece World later.

If any of you really don't want to read the first arc, you can skip ahead to around Chapter 16.

Second, this isn't a completely brainless power fantasy—just a partly brainless one. At first, the protagonist will use schemes and information to set things up, but the enemies he faces at each stage should still make for a satisfying power fantasy.

Third, I'm probably aiming to write this with no female lead. Even if there is one, it should be Uchiha Izumi, not someone from the One Piece World. The protagonist is an extreme egoist, and he won't let his little head control his big head. For example, if the Pirate Empress tried acting high and mighty in front of him, he'd kill her without hesitation.

Fourth: I've already completed one novel of over a million words and another of six hundred thousand. This novel, including the chapters I've stockpiled, is already around two hundred thousand words, so there's no need to worry that I'll abandon it.

Fifth: I'm not actually very familiar with One Piece. Some of what I know comes from searching online, so if you spot any mistakes, feel free to leave a comment and tag me. I'll correct them as soon as I can.

Sixth: One last thing. I want this novel to run for a long time, so some parts will be fairly detailed, but I'm really not padding it. It's a sort of ensemble story; the protagonist isn't omnipotent and will need to rely on his clan.

One more thing: I've collected a lot of your questions and complaints, and I've posted a special chapter after Chapter 78 to address them.

Year 54 of Konoha.

The Uchiha Clan's district was still shrouded in the morning mist. Dew dampened the flagstone paths, giving them a cool sheen.

"Lord Natsu!"

"Lord Natsu, are you going to see Clan Head Fugaku?"

Clan members along the way stopped to greet him with smiles.

The boy looked about eleven or twelve. He wore a light gray robe with an understated Uchiha Gunbai crest embroidered at the collar. At their greetings, he merely nodded, then continued toward the clan head's residence without breaking stride.

But as soon as he turned onto another street, he stopped short.

His eyes abruptly turned scarlet. Three black tomoe slowly revolved as his gaze locked precisely onto the shadow of a tower behind him.

On the tower, two Root members wearing animal masks stared down at his back. There was no attempt to hide the malice in their eyes.

"What are they so proud of? They're just a bunch of cursed scum." One of them spoke in a low voice, his words steeped in undisguised contempt. "Once Lord Danzo gives the order, not a single Uchiha will survive."

"Hmph. I'll never understand why Lord Hokage keeps stopping us." The other picked up, his hostility even more pronounced. "These people have always been Konoha's greatest source of trouble!"

The wind tore their conversation into fragments across the dozens of meters between them, but the Sharingan had already read every word from the movements of their lips.

Uchiha Natsu slowly clenched the hand hanging at his side, his knuckles turning white. The killing intent in his eyes flared like dry grass catching a spark.

How long had it been since Shisui died?

The village was monitoring the Uchiha so openly that it couldn't even be bothered with the pretense anymore.

This kind of nearly blatant surveillance—let alone the Uchiha Clan, whose reconnaissance capabilities were second only to the Hyūga Clan in all of Konoha—

Even the most ordinary reconnaissance shinobi could sense it with ease. It was practically as if the village had written, "I'm treating you like prisoners," across their faces!

But what could he do about it?

In terms of strength, he'd awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan early, but his eleven-year-old body was still growing. His Chakra reserves and physical stamina had both hit bottlenecks. At best, he could barely meet the threshold of an ordinary Jonin.

As for his standing, his parents had once been high-ranking members of the clan, but they'd died two years ago during a so-called border mission. That was the day their blood splattered across his face, and through the agony and hatred, he'd awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

His parents were gone now. Even though his aunt was Uchiha Mikoto, the clan head's wife, what could that family connection amount to in the face of the Konoha higher-ups' overwhelming suspicion?

He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a pale blue screen had appeared before him, visible only to him.

[Host: Uchiha Natsu]

[Strength: Jonin]

[Bloodline: Three-Tomoe Sharingan]

[Bound Clan: Uchiha]

[System Status: Inactive. Please complete the newbie mission as soon as possible to unlock it.]

[Newbie Mission: Keep a low profile and lie low—lead more than 70% of the Uchiha Clan to the New World and establish a new base.]

[Mission Reward: Full system unlocked, Newbie Gift Pack ×1]

The screen shimmered faintly before him. Natsu dug his fingertips into his palm.

Year 54 of Konoha.

Exactly one year remained before the Night of the Uchiha Massacre, destined to drown the clan in blood.

He'd tried every approach he could think of. Activating the system was now his last resort.

He'd already hinted to Uchiha Fugaku, both openly and indirectly, four times. And yet Fugaku still naively hoped for mercy from the Konoha higher-ups.

"Whew. This is the last time. If Fugaku still refuses, then even if I die, I'll take all of Konoha down with me!" When Uchiha Natsu opened his eyes again, it looked as though he'd made up his mind.

If he still couldn't convince Fugaku to lead the whole clan away and lie low, then Natsu would unhesitatingly detonate all the Explosive Tags he'd found—the ones Genno, the trap master from Blazing Sun Village during the Second Shinobi World War, had hidden throughout Konoha decades ago.

During this time, he'd used his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and the convenience of his position in the Konoha Police Force to locate every hidden cache of Explosive Tags throughout Konoha.

Uchiha Natsu's deep-seated need for revenge had led him to prepare for the worst.

Either he'd get Uchiha Fugaku to agree with him today, or he'd detonate the tags and gather his father's former followers to kill Uzumaki Naruto at any cost, release the Nine-Tails, and drag all of Konoha into the abyss.

He'd always been the kind of person who repaid every slight in full. That was a lesson etched into his bones in his previous life.

Since Konoha had already decided the Uchiha were a threat that had to be eliminated, he didn't mind making that "threat" a reality for them.

If people suspected you had a dangerous weapon, you'd better actually have one!

That was a memory Uchiha Natsu had carried deep in his bones from his previous life.

A few minutes later, the black lacquered door of the Uchiha Clan Head's residence was knocked on three times.

"Coming. Please wait a moment."

A gentle voice came from inside. A moment later, the door opened quietly.

Uchiha Mikoto stood behind it, her dark hair loosely gathered at the back of her head. Her simple kimono lent a gentle warmth to her features. In this clan district steeped in hostility, she was one of the few who carried not a trace of sharpness.

When she saw Natsu outside, delight spread across her eyes. She reached out and gently ruffled his hair, her fingertips carrying the fresh, fragrant scent of plums she'd just washed.

"Auntie." Natsu dipped his head slightly, his tone respectful.

"What is it? Here to discuss things with your uncle again?" Mikoto stepped aside to let him in, a hint of worry hidden in her eyes. Over the past half month, her nephew had come by four or five times. After every visit, Fugaku would sit in the tea room until the middle of the night, his brow never once relaxing.

Natsu lowered his eyes. His voice was quiet, but carried the certainty of a move that couldn't be taken back. "Yes. This should be the last time."

Mikoto's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but in the end, she didn't ask anything. She simply called into the house, "Fugaku, Natsu is here."

The sliding door opened, revealing the tea room.

Uchiha Fugaku sat on his knees before a low table, a stack of Police Force reports spread out in front of him. A cold cup of tea sat to one side. He'd clearly been sitting there for a long time.

When Natsu entered, he let out a heavy sigh. "Natsu, you're here."

Natsu acknowledged him and, at his gesture, knelt across from him at the low table.

The atmosphere was as heavy as ice. Mikoto spoke softly. "I'll brew you another pot of tea."

Fugaku didn't stop her, but Natsu calmly shook his head. "No need, Auntie. You should hear this too. There's no need to step away."

"Hm?"

At that, Fugaku's brow instantly knotted.

The previous times, no matter how harshly the boy spoke, he'd always made sure to keep Mikoto out of it. But today, he meant to lay everything bare, leaving no room to back down.

Fugaku already had a pretty good idea.

Over the course of four or five visits, Natsu had been saying the same thing in one way or another: he wanted Fugaku to take the whole clan and leave Konoha.

But leave? Easier said than done.

Konoha had been founded by the Uchiha and the Senju Clan. It was their home, their roots, the place they'd protected for fifty years.

How could they just leave?

As his thoughts churned, the boy across from him spoke, his voice turning cold, its edge honed like ice.

"Uncle, you know why I'm here today."

Fugaku fell silent for a long while, rubbing his fingers along the rim of the cold cup. At last, he rasped, "Is it... about leaving Konoha?"

Mikoto's face went deathly pale. The tea tray nearly slipped from her hands, but she looked at Natsu's tense profile and ultimately didn't interrupt.

She knew her nephew very well.

He'd been steady and independent since childhood, far more perceptive than a child his age should be. Ever since her brother and sister-in-law had died on that border mission two years ago, he'd grown even more withdrawn. There was always something heavy in his eyes that she couldn't understand.

"Uncle, after all this, you still have hope in Konoha?" Natsu looked up, fixing his gaze on Fugaku's face without the slightest hesitation.

Fugaku's voice remained low and measured, stubborn with a clan head's conviction. "The Uchiha Clan founded Konoha—"

"But there's no place for the Uchiha here anymore!" Natsu abruptly cut him off, his voice rising sharply.

"Natsu! You're being too extreme!"

"Am I being extreme, or are you being far too naive?!" Natsu refused to yield. His scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan blazed to life.

"Shisui is dead! I don't care whether you've hidden a Mangekyō Sharingan. To the outside world, among the entire Uchiha Clan, who besides you has a name other nations recognize and the presence to hold the room?!"

At this point, there was no need to hide anything.

Every reservation, every attempt at subtlety, would be torn away today.

"Natsu! What exactly are you trying to say?!" Fugaku's expression darkened. "Your brother Itachi has joined the Anbu. Lord Hokage—"

"Did he join the Anbu, or did they brainwash him?!" Natsu cut him off again, every word like a blade. "When was the last time you had a proper conversation with him? Do you know who he spends all his time with now, or what he's doing?!"

"Natsu! You've gone too far!"

"Uchiha Itachi has already decided to join forces with the Konoha higher-ups and wipe out the entire Uchiha Clan."

Natsu's voice was calm, but it crashed through the little tea room like a thunderclap.

"He's teamed up with that masked man. It won't be long before they move against the clan. That's the only way to save his precious little brother, Uchiha Sasuke."

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Fugaku shot to his feet and slammed his hand against the table. His scarlet Sharingan stared fixedly at Natsu as his chest heaved. "Natsu! Accuse Itachi of that again, and don't expect me to spare you just because we're family!"