The Side Effects of the Long-Lived Species
Natsu picked up a clean towel from the bamboo basket under the eaves, slowly wiped her hands, and turned to look at Setsuna, who was standing quietly beside her. "Speak, what did you need me for?"
Hearing the Setsuna, he stepped forward and took out a neatly bound data summary file from his bosom. His expression was serious but not tense. "There is indeed something, not urgent military business, but a statistic on the current situation of the clan's population."
He steadily handed the file to Natsu, his tone tinged with helplessness and a touch of wry amusement. "Ever since the entire clan unlocked the Longevity Trait two years ago, significantly extending the lifespan of our clan members, our Uchiha's birth rate has been steadily declining. The number of newborns in the past two years is less than a fraction of what it used to be, an overall decrease of over 70%."
Seeing Natsu looking down at the files, he took the opportunity to explain softly.
It wasn't that the clan members were lazy or sluggish; the essence was that their longevity had completely changed the clan's rhythm of life.
In the past, the lifespan of the Uchiha clan was limited, much like that of ordinary humans. Reproducing and continuing their bloodline was an instinct and a sense of urgency ingrained in their bones.
However, the average lifespan of the entire tribe now starts at ten thousand years, and the long years have directly slowed down the physiological and survival cycle of the entire tribe.
"We clearly have stacked extremely good bloodline attributes." Setsuna spread her hands helplessly and continued, "The Thriving Population ' attribute increases the chance of conception by 80%, and the hidden danger of thin bloodline has been completely eliminated. With such a generous talent boost, we can only barely maintain the birth rate at about half that of the average human population."
Natsu gently traced the densely packed data on the paper with her fingertips, listening quietly without interrupting.
"However, overall, the situation is manageable." Setsuna quickly adjusted her mindset and added a reassuring remark.
"The birth rate may seem low, but we've only been settled here for a short time and have a solid foundation. In the few years since we moved here, the total number of newborns has exceeded 7,000, and the total population of our ethnic group has steadily surpassed 20,000."
"In an ordinary population, a 50% birth rate would indeed slow down the pace of development. But if we extend it to a lifespan of ten thousand years, this reproduction rate is actually not bad."
Natsu finished flipping through the last page of data, she gently placed the file on her lap, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and felt a slightly cool tea flavor spread through her throat.
"It's alright to go a little slower."
His tone was calm and insightful, revealing a remarkably long-term perspective. "Twenty thousand clansmen and seven thousand newborns are enough for the Uchiha to firmly establish themselves for hundreds of years. With a lifespan of ten thousand years before us, one generation of ours is enough to equal the hundreds of generations of ordinary clans."
In the past, the clan's fate was precarious, and their lives hung in the balance, so naturally they desperately tried to reproduce in order to survive. But now that the clan is stable and its people live long lives, why should they still compete for numbers quickly?
"From now on, there's no need to deliberately pursue a large number of people." Natsu looked up at Setsuna, her tone resolute. "Just focus entirely on education and character development. Each of these seven thousand children is the most solid foundation for the future of the Uchiha."
He paused briefly, then added calmly, "As I said before, once the first batch of children grows up and becomes successful, I will personally select a group for focused training. You can proceed with the arrangements steadily from here on out."
A sense of relief washed over him, and he solemnly nodded in agreement. The concerns that had weighed on his mind Setsuna so long vanished completely. He bowed to Natsu, turned and left, his steps, which had been somewhat heavy when he came, now much lighter.
As they approached the courtyard entrance, they happened to run into Quan, who was returning from retrieving his medicine.
Quan glanced at him sideways and asked softly, "Has the issue of the birth rate been settled?"
Setsuna smiled and nodded, her tone relaxed. "It's not a complete solution, but there's no need to rush. Young Master Natsu said we should take it slow."
Quan gazed at the tranquil breeze and lush vegetation in the courtyard, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Yes, for those of them who have a long life ahead of them, the one thing they have in abundance is time.
For three whole days, Jin roamed the boundless sea without ever stopping for a moment.
He set off from the devastated ruins of Coral Port, following the winding paths of the ocean currents, meticulously examining the entire sea area inch by inch.
He personally traversed and searched every deserted island, shoal, and reef area where Kaido's body might have drifted.
His sharp wings repeatedly cut through the biting sea wind, the rough airflow continuously rubbing against the wing membranes, a burning pain shooting through his spine, yet he never paused for a moment.
The moment Madara Uchiha's sword fell, Kaido's originally vigorous life force suddenly collapsed and rapidly dissipated.
The remaining traces of life are like a candle flickering in the wind, hanging by a thread.
It wasn't until dawn on the third day that the faint, almost extinguished last glimmer of life finally managed to anchor its direction, pointing to an extremely small, nameless, deserted island that even official nautical charts wouldn't bother to mark.
On the desolate beach strewn with reefs, Jin finally found the figure he had been searching for.
The Azure Dragon Overlord, who had dominated the New World for decades and suppressed a region of the sea, had now completely shed his domineering and fierce aura, collapsing listlessly in a pile of cold rubble in his human-beast form.
Its entire body was covered in dull, cracked blue-green scales, no longer possessing the luster and smoothness of its former self.
A gruesome, piercing wound slashed diagonally down from the shoulder, extending all the way to the waist and abdomen. The edges of the wound, having been soaked in seawater for a long time, had a pale, decaying color.
The Mythical Zoan's unique self-healing ability is clumsily and laboriously gnawing away at the necrotic tissue of the wound, slowly repairing this devastating injury that could overturn everything.
Kaido's breathing was so faint as to be almost imperceptible; it would be impossible to detect without careful attention.
But he is still alive.
Jin knelt quietly beside him, remaining motionless for a long time, checking again and again the steady rise and fall of the chest, confirming that the last breath of life had not been extinguished.
The huge weight that had been hanging over my heart for three days finally eased a little.
He bent down and steadily lifted the incredibly heavy Kaido from the pile of rubble, spread his wings, and sped towards the warship waiting in the distance.
In the Setsuna he took off, he caught a glimpse of Kaido's broken horn hanging down his shoulder.
The severed horn was clean and sharp, broken off by overwhelming brute force, silently testifying to the terrifying power of that sword strike.
Jin remained silent, only tightening his arms around the person on his shoulders, making the embrace even more secure and tighter.
The warship immediately weighed anchor, sped back at full speed, cutting through layers of waves, and raced towards Wano Country.
Kaido was properly placed on a sickbed in the captain's cabin, where a group of ship's doctors stayed up all night, doing their best to save him.
Blood transfusion, wound cleaning, suturing, and bandaging – the tedious treatment process lasted all night until dawn broke and the morning light pierced the sea. Only then did everyone finally stop and drag their exhausted bodies out of the cabin.
"I'm out of danger for now."