With Hizashi Hyuga's matter settled, Kenya had planted a major asset in Konoha ahead of time.
The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan network would definitely be a great help when reorganizing Konoha in the future.
But that was all two years away.
His top priority now was to find somewhere quiet and fully integrate the Garp template and Wood Release Cells.
To push his Taijutsu to a higher level.
Three days later.
Off the coast of the Land of Waves.
A dangerous stretch of sea shrouded in thick fog year-round.
It was said to be riddled with hidden reefs and prowling sea beasts. Even the most experienced old fishermen dared not approach lightly.
At that moment, on that deathly silent sea.
A small wooden boat crudely pieced together from black ironwood slowly cut through the fog, moving forward.
Bare-chested, Kenya held a sharpened wooden stick and paddled listlessly.
"This damn fog is way too thick. No wonder nobody dares come here."
He muttered, casually slapping a giant piranha that tried to leap out of the water and attack him into pulp.
His Observation Haki pierced the layers of fog.
In his perception, a sizable island lay not far ahead.
There were no signs of human activity on the island.
Instead, there were countless savage, bloodthirsty beast presences.
"This is the place."
Kenya nodded in satisfaction.
The boat soon reached shore, a black beach covered in jagged, bizarre rocks.
Kenya had just jumped off the boat.
"Roar!"
A deafening roar came from the dense forest ahead.
The ground began to shake violently.
A saber-toothed tiger the size of a small hill, with two fangs as sharp as blades, suddenly leaped from the trees.
Its scarlet eyes fixed on Kenya. Drool dripped from its fangs, corroding the rocks on the ground.
Clearly, it considered this uninvited intruder in its territory today's afternoon snack.
"Pretty big. Just wonder if the meat's tough."
Kenya rubbed his chin. He happened to be a little hungry.
But before the saber-toothed tiger could pounce.
The dense forest behind it suddenly churned violently like ocean waves.
"Hiss..."
The sound of a flicking tongue sent chills down the spine.
An azure python a hundred meters long, its body thicker than a water vat, slithered out.
Cold killing intent gleamed in the python's inverted triangular pupils.
It had clearly set its sights on Kenya too.
The two overlords of the deserted island actually confronted each other on the beach over their food.
"Hey, do you two even understand first come, first served?"
Kenya tapped the wooden stick in his hand in displeasure.
"I'm in a hurry to build a house. Come at me together."
Upon hearing this provocation.
The saber-toothed tiger and azure python seemed to suffer a tremendous insult. Both abandoned their confrontation and turned their attention to Kenya.
"Roar!"
The saber-toothed tiger pushed off hard with its hind legs, lunging like a cannonball.
Its two enormous fangs stabbed straight toward Kenya's chest, trailing a rank gust.
The python opened its bloody maw and spewed a cloud of highly poisonous green miasma, trying to envelop Kenya.
Faced with the two ferocious beasts' pincer attack.
Kenya could not even be bothered to use Armament Haki.
He merely crouched slightly and clenched his right fist.
Bang!
A ring of white air burst outward.
Rather than retreating, Kenya advanced, meeting the saber-toothed tiger's pounce with a straight punch.
That seemingly frail human fist slammed into the tiger's skull, which was harder than steel.
Crack!
The sound of shattering bone rang out crisply.
The saber-toothed tiger did not even get to scream. Its enormous body was like a rag doll struck by a train.
It flew hundreds of meters backward, smashing through more than a dozen towering trees before falling completely still.
An instant kill with one punch!
Seeing this, the azure python beside him showed a flicker of almost human terror in its inverted triangular pupils.
It realized that the human before it was no food, but an even more terrifying monster!
It hurriedly shut its mouth and twisted its enormous body, trying to flee into the forest.
"Trying to run now? Too late!"
Kenya sneered. His figure flashed, and he instantly appeared above the python's head.
He raised his right leg and brought it crashing down like a battle-axe!
"Tempest Kick: Heavy Stomp!"
Boom!
That kick drove the python's head, thicker than a water vat, straight into the black beach.
The terrifying impact even blasted a crater dozens of meters across into the sand.
The python's enormous body convulsed violently a few times, then soon showed no signs of life either.
"Too weak. That didn't even count as a warm-up."
Kenya shook his head, a little disappointed.
He walked over to the python and grabbed its tail with one hand.
As though dragging a dead loach, he easily hauled the hundred-meter-long beast deep into the forest.
The island's other beasts had originally wanted to seize the chance to get a share.
But at this sight, they all fled into their dens with their tails tucked, too frightened even to breathe loudly.
Dragging the python, Kenya made his way to the center of the island.
A granite peak towered into the clouds here.
Steep and made of incredibly hard rock, the peak was the island's highest landmark.
"I'll make this my base. Nice view, and it'll keep out tsunamis too."
Kenya surveyed the peak in satisfaction.
But soon, he frowned again.
"Only problem is that pointy summit. Not easy to build a house on."
Kenya rubbed his chin and thought for a few seconds.
"Got it."
He stepped back a few paces and drew a deep breath.
The blood and vitality within him surged wildly like boiling magma.
Ink-black Armament Haki instantly enveloped his right arm, faintly radiating a heart-pounding pressure.
Kenya leaped up and adjusted his posture in midair.
He unleashed a heavy, powerful straight punch at the towering granite peak!
"Fist Bone: Mountain Splitter!"
Boom!!!
An earth-shattering explosion rang out, as though the entire world would be shaken apart.
The savage wind of his punch became a black shock wave visible to the naked eye.
It slammed directly into the top of the peak.
Under that punch, the incredibly hard granite was as fragile as crumbled tofu.
Kenya had actually blasted the enormous mountaintop flat!
Countless massive chunks of rock rained down in all directions like a meteor shower.
The blow blasted out a flat, broad foundation halfway up the mountain, as large as several soccer fields!
Terrifying aftershocks swept in every direction.
The entire deserted island shook violently, as though struck by a magnitude-eight earthquake.
The vicious birds and fierce beasts hiding in the shadows were all scared out of their wits.
Just then.
A dark red wave of energy suddenly erupted from Kenya's body!
Conqueror's Haki!
Although it had only just awakened, and he could not yet control it at will.
This terrifying will, supremely domineering and reigning over all.
Swept across the entire island in an instant like a storm!
"Whimper..."
Those beasts, already scared out of their wits.
Upon feeling the pressure of this Conqueror's Haki, their eyes rolled back, and they fainted with foam spilling from their mouths.
Within a radius of several kilometers, not a single creature dared make a sound.
The deserted island had submitted completely!
Kenya landed steadily on the newly cleared, level foundation.
Looking at the vast platform around him, spotless and without a single weed, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad. That's a pretty solid foundation."
He casually chopped down a few trees and put together a simple roasting rack.
He skinned and removed the tendons from the hundred-meter-long python, cut it into large pieces, and set them over the fire to roast.
Before long, the rich aroma of meat filled the entire mountaintop.
Kenya ate great mouthfuls of roast meat, replenishing his strength.
After eating and drinking his fill.
He lay straight down on the flat granite ground.
With both hands behind his head, he gazed at the sky full of stars.