"No way…"
"What are those… giants?"
"Am I dreaming? Humans with fins? Humans with four arms? A humanoid hyena…"
"Gods, how can there be humans so tall—are they even humans!?"
"They're like living mountains…"
"Where did these monsters come from? How can they be so huge…"
—
Near the border of the Land of Fire, countless commoners craned their necks at the passing pirates, cries of shock rising one after another.
Having lived their entire lives in the shinobi world—many never even stepping outside the Land of Fire—they had never witnessed such terrifying beings.
When a giant more than twenty meters tall stepped down and crushed seven or eight towering trees beneath his foot, the civilians shrieked, scattering in panic:
"Quick, notify the shinobi!"
"Hurry, contact the Land of Fire and send shinobi here!"
"These creatures came from the Land of Rice Fields. I thought only a small village, Otogakure, was there. How could there be so many monsters…?"
"Are they going to invade the Land of Fire!?"
Their terrified voices echoed, but none dared to stand in the way of these pirates.
"Lord Naruto, how much further?" asked a twenty-meter-tall giant pirate, looking respectfully toward the blond youth perched on his shoulder.
Naruto sat cross-legged, gazing toward the border of the Land of Fire, speaking calmly:
"Once we cross this border, we're there."
Oto lay in the Land of Rice Fields, surrounded by the Lands of Fire, Hot Water, and Frost. To reach the Land of Rain, they could either cut through the small nations of Frost, Waterfall, and Grass—or take the shortest route: straight through the Land of Fire.
Naruto had naturally chosen the straight path, though it meant drawing the suspicion of both the Land of Fire and Konoha itself.
"Oh!" the giant pirate nodded, glancing at the endless landscape. "Unbelievable… To think such a massive land exists beyond the seas. I've never seen an island this vast."
The other pirates murmured in agreement.
In their world, land was nothing but islands—never a continent so immense.
Shisui, however, frowned.
"Lord Naruto, if we march through the Land of Fire like this, won't Konoha shinobi intervene?"
"No kidding!" Suigetsu scoffed, arms crossed. "With a commotion this big, unless their eyes are blind, Konoha shinobi will definitely come to check."
"But…" Shisui still looked uneasy.
Naruto chuckled.
"Shisui, are you really worried Konoha will take action against us?"
Shisui hesitated.
"We're marching through the Land of Fire with a massive force. By rights—"
Naruto cut him off with a shake of his head.
"You're overthinking it. With Hiruzen Sarutobi's personality, unless a blade's pressed to his throat, he won't lift a hand against us."
Shisui blinked in disbelief.
An invading army was something no nation could tolerate. How could Naruto be so certain?
Naruto turned to Robin.
"Robin, explain it to them."
Closing her book, Robin smiled gently.
"Lord Naruto once told me of Konoha and of Hiruzen Sarutobi. From what I've learned, the old man is weak-willed."
"He values his reputation and position too much to start a war. Years ago, when shinobi from the Hidden Cloud infiltrated Konoha and abducted a girl from the Hyūga clan…"
"That should have sparked war. Yet that old man sold out one of his own shinobi to appease the Cloud's wrath."
Robin's analysis left Shisui stunned. Slowly, he let out a bitter smile.
"To think that I, a shinobi of Konoha, understand him less than someone who has never even been there…"
Robin chuckled softly, lowering her eyes back to the pages filled with shinobi history.
Naruto stretched, rising to stand atop the giant's shoulder, eyes scanning the green horizon of the Land of Fire.
Though Konoha itself was not in sight, in his mind's eye he saw the Hokage Tower, and the old man working inside it.
His lips curled into a smirk as he turned toward Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, see? Even this pirate girl, who's never set foot in Konoha, understands Hiruzen's weakness better than you. Do you really think Konoha has a future under him?"
"You should be grateful. Because of me, Konoha has avoided the fate of destruction."
Dressed in a maid outfit, Tsunade gritted her teeth, snarling:
"Brat, stop spouting nonsense! It's because of you that Konoha is doomed! You can still turn back!"
"Heh." Naruto only laughed, eyes narrowing.
"And you, who abandoned Konoha for over ten years, ignoring even the Third Great Shinobi War while countless Konoha shinobi died—you think you have the right to judge me?"
Tsunade's chest heaved with anger, but words failed her.
He was right. She had left for over a decade, indifferent even as her comrades fell. Were it not for her lineage, Konoha might well have branded her a rogue ninja.
Seeing Naruto's resolve, she lowered her voice, changing the subject.
"Uzumaki Naruto… if you insist on waging war against Konoha, then at least release me back to Fishman Island…"
As the last heir of the Senju clan, even hidden away for years, she still carried great prestige.
If shinobi saw her collared and enslaved, the shame brought to the Senju name would be unbearable.
"No way." Naruto's smile widened as he pulled Tsunade into his arms.
"How could the Senju princess run away before battle? Impossible. You're my slave now, and I'll be using your name to make my point."
Tsunade's face flushed crimson, fury blazing as she raised her fist to strike him.
Though her blows barely hurt, Naruto chuckled mischievously:
"If you don't behave, I'll strip you naked, hang you on the Hokage Rock, and carve 'Senju Princess' across your body."
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]