The next morning, the royal gold transport team finally arrived at the Ghost Isle. Throughout the journey, since Orochimaru's departure, they encountered several more pirates, all of whom Natsuhane effortlessly subdued.
When the ship docked at the Ghost Isle's shore, Natsuhane leaped onto the beach and instructed Kaisei, "Have your men throw all the captured pirates here. After that, you can head to the Land of Water. Leave all the captured pirate ships to me as well."
"Understood!" Kaisei immediately directed the crew to unload the prisoners onto the beach.
"Natsuhane, the responsibility of solving the 'Divine Disappearance' of Ghost Isle is in your hands. If you can resolve this, our Land of the Sea will revere you as a hero for eternity!"
"Yeah, yeah, instead of reverence, I'd prefer more compensation," Natsuhane dismissed their praises with a wave, eager to be left alone. Kaisei and his men finally departed.
Once on board, the gold transport team activated full speed mode and quickly disappeared from sight. Without Natsuhane's protection, they dared not linger for fear of pirate attacks.
Natsuhane took a seat on a raised stone, calling out to the seemingly empty surroundings, "Stop hiding, Orochimaru. This is your territory. I know you've already sensed me..."
As soon as he spoke, a gust of wind blew, and a shadow emerged from the small forest, drifting before Natsuhane.
"What do you want this time?" Orochimaru asked, visibly displeased.
"Nothing much, just brought you some fresh test subjects," Natsuhane replied, pointing to the cluster of captives on the ground.
Orochimaru's tone dripped with sarcasm, "Heh, your efficiency far surpasses that of my subordinates..."
"But seriously, Natsuhane, what's your real purpose in the Land of the Sea? It can't be just to play bodyguard for those useless officials. You're not exactly fond of money..."
A sly grin spread across Natsuhane's face, making Orochimaru uneasy. This look was familiar and brought back unsettling memories.
The last time Natsuhane wore this expression, she ended up pregnant due to his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Curious and slightly irritated, Orochimaru pressed, "Spill it. What scheme are you hatching?"
Natsuhane raised an eyebrow and countered, "Orochimaru, considering the number of wives I have and the current trend, how many offspring do you think I'll have in two or three years?"
Orochimaru thought for a moment, "I'd say... tens of thousands."
"And what about in ten years?" Natsuhane continued.
"Probably hundreds of thousands, if not more... Wait, why are you asking me this?" Orochimaru asked, growing agitated.
Seeing Orochimaru's frustration, Natsuhane chuckled and decided to reveal his plan, "When I first came to the Land of the Sea, I thought it was a nice place. To ensure my children live high-quality lives, as their father, it's my duty to build them a grand seaside mansion..."
"As for the size of this mansion, it should be about the same as the entire Land of the Sea."
"What do you think of my idea? Most wealthy families build artificial lakes in their yards, but my Uchiha seaside mansion will have a real sea, along with four islands."
Orochimaru was taken aback, "You want to turn the Land of the Sea into Uchiha territory?"
Natsuhane nodded, "No, no, just a large house that can accommodate tens of thousands of people. It's not exactly a territory."
"But what about the Uchiha compound in Konoha? Isn't it impractical to have the clan spread across two places, especially with the distance between the Land of Fire and here?"
"Far? Not really. It's just the distance from one seaside mansion to an inland one. A boat ride will do..." Natsuhane said nonchalantly.
"???" Orochimaru was stunned by Natsuhane's casual tone. She finally understood Natsuhane's ambition.
"Tsk, tsk... Natsuhane, your ambition surpasses even mine. Are you planning to turn the entire world into Uchiha territory?"
"Yes, that's the plan."
"Hmph, you're dreaming. Do you even realize what that entails? Unifying this world! Even the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, couldn't do that. Do you think you can?" Orochimaru scoffed.
"Why not?" Natsuhane replied confidently, "First, I can reproduce more than Hashirama. My reproductive capacity alone rivals an entire village. No one else can achieve world unification through procreation like I can."
"Second, my power is substantial. I've studied Hashirama's life. It's not that he lacked the ability to unify the world; he just didn't have the ambition. He didn't, but I do!"
"These are my advantages..."
Seeing the logic in Natsuhane's words, Orochimaru's mocking smile faded. "Are you serious?"
"Absolutely. I'll start with the Land of the Sea."
"If everything goes well, I'll soon become a hero of the Land of the Sea. I want not just land but the people's hearts. I don't intend to conquer by force. The lives of these citizens are valuable for the diversity of the Uchiha bloodline's future."
"Currently, I'm the only one extending the Uchiha bloodline. To achieve this grand plan, I can't do it alone."
"In the future, my sons will marry outsiders, and my daughters will do the same. Over generations, the Uchiha genes will spread, but the bloodline will remain. Every child born will possess the Sharingan..."
Orochimaru was speechless, realizing the extent of Natsuhane's vision.
"It seems you're very serious..."
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