Back in Konoha, he had served as clan head for over a decade, enduring humiliation at every step and yielding at every turn. Yet in the end, he had nearly led the entire clan into the abyss of extinction.
It was this boy, only eleven years old, who had planned the entire evacuation and led the clan out of Konoha's cage, finding this land where the displaced Uchiha could settle down and build their lives.
What was more, in this completely unfamiliar world, whether it was the power system, the rules of survival, or the path ahead, Natsu saw things more clearly than he did and was more decisive.
Rather than stubbornly clinging to the little meaningless authority 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. At Natsu's call, 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 made their way down a gentle slope through the forest. The salty tang of the sea breeze grew stronger, while the rich black earth beneath their feet gradually turned into tidal flats mixed with fine sand.
Ancient trees still towered overhead on both sides, blocking out the sky. Occasionally, 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 once he saw that the giant bird was merely circling away into the distance.
They had just rounded a dense patch of brush when they ran into Uchiha Kei and his group returning from their scouting.
Their bodies were covered in forest dew and bits of broken branches. Kei, who led the group, was even carrying a bloodstained beast bone in one hand. The moment he saw Natsu, he quickly stepped forward 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, certainty in his voice. "There are currently no signs of human activity anywhere on the island. We didn't even see abandoned camps or villages—only wild animals covering the mountains and plains."
At this point, a trace of astonishment appeared on his face as he added, "It's strange, though. The animals on this island are ridiculously huge.
"We encountered a tiger in a river valley just now. It was nearly ten meters long from head to tail, 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 large. At first glance, I thought it was some clan's summoned beast."
One of the Jonin beside him could not help but interject, "At first, we thought it was like a ninja beast, protected by Chakra, so we were ready for a hard fight. But once we clashed, we realized that despite looking terrifying, it was only about as strong as a newly promoted Chunin. Aside from its thick hide and tough flesh, it had no special abilities. We took it down in two moves."
Uchiha Yashiro raised his brows, his face full of disbelief. "A tiger ten meters long? That's twice the size of the largest tiger ninja beast in the Ninja World, and it was only that strong?"
"That's simply how this world is." Natsu chuckled softly, his tone calm. "Most creatures here are like that. Their size is absurdly exaggerated, but most of them have no special abilities. They just look frightening."
He turned to Kei and instructed him, "Keep an eye out while you continue scouting. Don't be intimidated by their size, but don't let your guard down either. Safety comes first. If you encounter 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 the group, then led Yakumi and Yashiro toward the direction from which the sea breeze came.
After passing through the final stretch of dense forest, their view suddenly opened up. The vast blue ocean, churning with white waves, spread out before the three of them without warning.
The endless azure sea stretched before their eyes. Waves crashed against the golden beach, rolling up fine white foam as the salty, mist-laden breeze rushed toward them.
Natsu turned toward Yakumi and Yashiro beside him and gave a slight nod. The next moment, dense Chakra steadily adhered to the soles of his feet.
Without pausing for even a moment, his figure flashed as he charged straight toward the surging sea.
Yakumi and Yashiro exchanged a glance, then activated their Chakra almost at the same time. They followed close behind, two afterimages skimming across the sea as they firmly kept pace with Natsu.
Walking on water was a basic required skill for ninja. For battle-hardened Elite Jonin like them, it was instinct long engraved into their bones.
Not to mention these calm coastal waters—even on the raging rivers of the Ninja World, they could tread on Chakra as if walking on level ground.
In this world ruled by the sea, where Devil Fruit users regarded seawater as their natural enemy, the three Uchiha elites raced freely across the boundless ocean as if no one else existed.
The waves churned beneath their feet, yet did not even wet the corners of their clothes. Every step created only a ring of fine ripples on the surface, while their figures shot toward the deep sea like arrows loosed from a bow.
Just over a dozen nautical miles from the waters where Natsu and the other two raced, the midday sun glittered across the sea along a fixed trade route between the East and West Blue.
Upon the calm sea, a three-masted merchant ship flying the blue-and-white sail emblem of a trading company drifted leisurely along with the current.
The sailors on deck were busy sorting ropes. The captain of the Guard Corps leaned against the rail, polishing his saber while joking with his men that he had traveled this route dozens of times and had never encountered any 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 fast!"
Everyone whipped around. At the edge of the horizon, a single-masted fast ship flying a bloodstained skull flag was cutting through the waves and rapidly closing in like a bloodthirsty shark.
Its hull was shorter than the merchant ship's, but it carried a full six broadside cannons. Its deck was covered in marks left by blades and axes, making it clear at a glance that it was a vicious vessel seasoned by years of fighting at sea.
On the bow deck, a group of fierce-looking pirates with bare chests and backs howled as they waved their weapons. At their head stood a burly man with a hideous scar running across his face, gripping a serrated broadsword. He was "Sawtooth" Har, infamous throughout the nearby waters, with a bounty of 8 million Beli.
"Fire! Stop them!" Har's roar carried across the sea breeze. The next second, all six cannons thundered at once. The cannonballs tore through the air with shrill whistles 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.
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