Natsuhane's words were not without reason. For some unknown reason, Orochimaru suddenly developed a keen interest in Natsuhane's ideals. Perhaps it was because she was carrying a child of the Uchiha clan; unconsciously, her obsession with the Uchiha had changed significantly.
Previously, her obsession was a craving and greed for the Uchiha's ocular powers. Now, her obsession was solely for the future of the Uchiha clan.
"Interesting..." Orochimaru's gaze towards Natsuhane softened considerably.
She lightly bit her finger and pressed her hand to the ground, "Summoning Jutsu."
A deep brown giant serpent with a scarf appeared before them. Orochimaru's serpent eyes flickered, and the giant serpent instantly understood her intention. It wriggled its body and opened its mouth wide, swallowing all the fallen pirates into its belly.
"Natsuhane, wherever this wind of yours blows, no matter the extent, I will be by your side to witness it..."
"For now, I will remain in the Land of the Sea. If you need my assistance, just let me know."
Leaving these words, Orochimaru leaped onto the serpent's head, controlled it to turn around, and slowly disappeared into the forest.
"Phew..." Natsuhane exhaled in relief.
This trip was worthwhile. He dealt with the pirates, solved the "Divine Disappearance" mystery, and had previously "handled" the mutated monster on the mother island. Natsuhane believed that his deeds would surely make him a hero of the Land of the Sea.
He picked a relatively decent pirate ship from the shore, removed the pirate flag, and sailed back to Dairo Island at full speed in the early morning light.
By midday, Natsuhane arrived safely at Dairo Island.
As he reached the shore, he coincidentally ran into Kaizan and his team, returning from their investigation of the mother island.
"Hey there, isn't this Natsuhane? Where did you go? Hard work, hard work..." Kaizan approached with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, his attitude a complete 180-degree turn from their first meeting.
Natsuhane gave him a cold glance, replying indifferently, "The 'Divine Disappearance' is resolved. From now on, there will be no more disappearances on Ghost Isle or nearby areas."
Kaizan was overjoyed, "As expected of Natsuhane! Your actions are truly extraordinary. Please forgive my previous behavior; I was blind to your greatness..."
"I just returned from investigating the mother island. That beast is indeed gone. My men and I searched the entire island and found nothing. Haha~ I will discuss with the daimyo to quickly set a date for moving back to the mother island."
Kaizan's smile was so wide it nearly split his face.
Initially, he intended to find faults on the mother island to try and withhold or reduce Natsuhane's reward. However, upon arriving, not only was the terrifying mutated monster nowhere to be found, but even the other dangerous summoned beasts were almost all gone.
Given the current situation, the mother island was perfectly habitable for the officials and citizens again. Finding faults was impossible.
Later, when Kaizan learned that Natsuhane had accepted fabric and manpower from the tailors as part of his reward, he felt even more relieved. As long as the financial issue was solved, everything else was manageable.
In the coming days, he just needed to keep this powerful young man pleased. If necessary, he could even offer more fabric. Having a reliable and strong protector for free was a deal he couldn't pass up.
"Natsuhane, come with me to meet the daimyo. You've done so much for the Land of the Sea, the daimyo will surely reward you generously."
"Alright, but before we go to the daimyo, you need to come with me somewhere first."
"Of course, wherever you want to go, I'll follow. Heh heh heh~"
With that, Natsuhane led the way with Kaizan following closely behind. Soon, they arrived at the place where Honoka was making clothes.
Seeing Honoka seriously directing the tailors, Natsuhane smiled in satisfaction and called out gently, "Honoka, I'm back~"
"Natsuhane!" Seeing him return safely, Honoka was overjoyed. She put down her work and rushed into his arms, "You're back so soon, just overnight."
"Tsk, how can you say I'm quick?"
"Hehe, slip of the tongue~ Did you handle everything?"
"Yes, it's all sorted. How about you? How's the clothing coming along?"
"We just started. Inyo is so huge that making clothes for her isn't easy. After working all night, the tailors and I only managed to make a pair of underwear. Come, I'll show you."
"Uh..." Before Natsuhane could speak, Honoka pulled him to the pile of fabric, instructing the tailors, "Show my husband what we made."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The tailors worked together to lift and display the massive piece of fabric.
"This is underwear?" Kaizan was stunned, "Girl, if you hadn't said so, I would've thought it was a sail. Who could wear that?"
"I can! Mind your own business," Honoka snapped, glaring at Kaizan.
Recalling Kaizan's previously repulsive attitude, Honoka held no goodwill towards him.
Kaizan, rather than getting angry, responded with a fawning smile, "Oh, it's for you? How fitting, very fitting~"
Honoka was puzzled and leaned towards Natsuhane, whispering, "What's with this old man? Why is he suddenly so polite?"
Natsuhane wrapped his arm around her waist, "He's been won over by your husband's strength~"
"No wonder..." Honoka glared at Kaizan with increasing disdain, "Natsuhane, don't get too close to such a two-faced person. People like him are the most dangerous and disgusting!"
Natsuhane nodded, "Don't worry. He's just a pawn. No matter how well he pretends, his title as one of the pillars of the Land of the Sea still holds some value..."
"Once he's outlived his usefulness, I'll make sure he pays the price. I guess he'll be a beast-man in his next life, or perhaps a human-beast."
"Beast-man? Human-beast? What do you mean?" Honoka blinked her large, curious eyes, hearing these terms for the first time.
"I'll explain it to you later. It's quite interesting."
"Hehe, alright..."
Watching Natsuhane and Honoka whispering intimately and occasionally glancing at him, Kaizan knew they were badmouthing him. But he had no choice; he had to endure it. A powerful ally like Natsuhane was hard to come by.
Just then, a tailor pointed towards the sea, shouting, "Look! It's the royal gold transport team's ship. Kaisei is back!"
"Hmm?" Kaizan squinted, recognizing the ship's shape and speed. It was undoubtedly the transport team's ship.
"Strange, why is Kaisei back so soon?"
Usually, the trip to Kirigakure took at least three days, but this time it took less than a day and a half. As everyone puzzled over this, a deafening alarm sounded from the approaching ship:
"Intruders! The Funato Clan is invading! Take cover immediately!"
...
Try my other work Naruto: Swarm System, which is my favorite fanfic.