Uchiha Fugaku's Considerations

Back in Konoha, he had served as clan head for over a decade, enduring step by step and yielding at every turn. Yet in the end, he had still nearly led the entire clan into the abyss of extermination.

It was this boy, only eleven years old, who had single-handedly planned the entire evacuation, leading the whole clan out of Konoha's cage and finding this land where the displaced Uchiha could settle down and make a life for themselves.

What was more, in this utterly unfamiliar world, whether it was the power system, the rules of survival, or the road ahead, Natsu saw them more clearly than he did and possessed greater decisiveness.

Rather than clinging to the little illusory power in his hands, perhaps letting Natsu lead the entire clan forward was the best choice for the Uchiha.

When Natsu returned to the camp, Uchiha Yakumi and Yashiro were leaning beneath a tree, wiping down their kunai. Hearing Natsu call out, the two rose almost instantly. Without a single unnecessary question, they simply nodded crisply, slung their ninja tool pouches over their shoulders, and followed Natsu.

The three headed down along a gentle slope through the woods. The salty tang of the sea breeze grew stronger and stronger, while the rich black soil beneath their feet gradually turned into sandy tidal flats.

Ancient trees still blotted out the sky on both sides. Every now and then, enormous unknown birds swept over the canopy, their spread wings measuring three or four meters across. Yakumi instinctively pressed a hand to the kunai at his waist, only slowly relaxing after seeing that the giant bird was merely circling away into the distance.

They had just rounded a dense thicket when they ran into Uchiha Kei and his group returning from the other direction.

Several of them were covered in forest dew and bits of leaves. Kei, at the head of the group, was even carrying a bloodstained beast bone. The moment he saw Natsu, he hurried over and bowed.

"Young Master Natsu."

"Uncle Kei, how did the scouting go?" Natsu stopped and asked.

"We just finished checking the eastern area." Kei straightened, his tone carrying a measure of certainty. "We haven't found any signs of human activity anywhere on the island. We didn't even see abandoned camps or villages. There are only wild animals all over the mountains and plains."

At this point, an astonished look crept onto his face as he added, "It's strange, though. The animals on this island are absurdly huge.

"We ran into a tiger in a river valley just now. From head to tail, it was nearly ten meters long, and when it stood up, it was taller than a two-story building. I've lived for over thirty years, but I've never seen a beast that big. At first glance, I thought it was some clan's summoned beast."

One of the Jonin beside him could not help cutting in. "At first, we thought it was like a ninja beast, with chakra in its body, so we were ready for a hard fight. But once we clashed, we realized it only looked frightening. Its strength was about the same as a newly promoted Chunin's. Other than having thick hide and tough flesh, it had no special abilities. We took it down in two moves."

Uchiha Yashiro raised an eyebrow, his face full of disbelief. "A ten-meter tiger? That's twice the size of the biggest tiger ninja beast in the Ninja World, and it was only that strong?"

"That's simply how this world is." Natsu chuckled, his tone calm. "Most creatures here are like that. Their sizes are outrageously exaggerated, but most of them don't have any special abilities. They only look scary."

He turned to Kei and instructed, "Keep a closer eye out while scouting. Don't be intimidated by their size, but don't let your guard down either. Safety comes first. If you run into something you can't handle, send a signal and retreat immediately. Don't force a fight."

"Yes, I understand!" Kei immediately bowed in acknowledgment.

Natsu did not linger any longer. He nodded to them, then led Yakumi and Yashiro onward toward the source of the sea breeze.

After passing through the final stretch of dense forest, their view suddenly opened up. The vast blue sea, rolling with white waves, spread out before the three of them without warning.

The boundless azure ocean stretched out before them. Waves crashed against the golden beach, rolling up fine white foam, while the salty sea wind, laden with moisture, rushed into their faces.

Natsu turned to Yakumi and Yashiro beside him and gave a slight nod. The next second, fine chakra firmly adhered to the soles of his feet.

Without the slightest pause, his figure flashed as he charged straight toward the churning sea.

Yakumi and Yashiro exchanged a glance, then activated their chakra almost simultaneously and followed close behind. Two afterimages skimmed over the sea, firmly keeping pace behind Natsu.

Water-walking was a basic compulsory skill for ninjas. For battle-hardened Elite Jonin like them, it was instinct long etched into their bones.

Never mind these calm coastal waters—even on the raging rivers of the Ninja World, they could walk on chakra as if treading level ground.

In this world ruled by the sea, where Devil Fruit users viewed seawater as their natural enemy, three Uchiha elites ran freely across the ocean's endless surface as though no one else existed.

The waves churned beneath their feet without dampening even the hems of their clothes. Every step sent only a circle of fine ripples spreading across the water, while their figures shot toward the deep sea like arrows loosed from a bow.

A little over ten nautical miles from the waters where Natsu and the other two raced, on a fixed merchant route between the East and West Blue, the noon sun glittered across the sea.

Upon the calm waters, a three-masted merchant ship flying the blue-and-white sail flag of a trading company drifted lazily forward with the current.

The sailors on deck were busy sorting the ropes. The captain of the Guard Corps leaned against the railing, polishing his saber as he joked with his men that they had sailed this route dozens of times and had never encountered pirates foolish enough to cause trouble.

But before his words had even faded, the lookout's scream from the mast tore through the calm. "Behind us! A pirate ship is catching up! It's moving fast!"

Everyone spun around sharply. At the edge of the horizon, a single-masted fast ship flying a bloodied skull flag was cutting through the waves and closing in at high speed like a bloodthirsty shark.

Its hull was shorter than the merchant ship's, but it carried six broadside cannons. The deck was covered in marks from blades and axes, making it clear at a glance that these were hardened killers who had fought at sea for years.

On the bow deck, a group of vicious-looking pirates with bare chests and backs howled as they waved their blades and spears. At their head stood a burly man with a gruesome scar slashed across his face, gripping a serrated greatsword. He was Har "Sawtooth," infamous throughout the nearby waters, with a bounty of 8 million Beli.

"Fire! Stop them for me!" Har's roar carried across the sea breeze. The next second, all six cannons thundered at once. The cannonballs shrieked through the air and struck the waters around the merchant ship, blasting up columns of water several meters high.

The entire merchant ship rocked violently in the Shockwave, and the sailors on deck instantly descended into chaos.