I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Arriving at the Land of Whirlpool

The Flying Thunder God Technique is a space-time ninjutsu that allows instantaneous teleportation to a pre-marked location. However, if the user's spatial coordinates are miscalculated or the destination is obstructed, the technique can result in an accident, such as phasing into solid objects.

The Dead Demon Consuming Seal is a forbidden sealing jutsu that summons the Shinigami, demanding the user's soul as payment while sealing the enemy's soul for eternity.

Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, was well aware of the dangers of these techniques. Though he rarely joked, he playfully teased Naruto about them. However, his son showed little interest in Minato's attempt at humor.

Seeing Naruto's indifference, Minato gave a helpless smile.

Of course, Minato knew how to break the seals on the Scroll of Seals. With his unparalleled mastery of Fūinjutsu, he could bypass most restrictions within half an hour at most. However, he was unwilling to help Naruto unseal it.

As a former Hokage, Minato deeply understood the destructive potential of the forbidden techniques within the scroll. If Naruto carelessly used them, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Regardless of Naruto's maturity and combat prowess, he was still just a child.

He had a long way to go before becoming a true shinobi. When the time was right, Minato would personally teach him the advanced jutsu he had mastered. But now was not the time.

Naruto, perceptive as always, somewhat understood Minato's thoughts but chose not to dwell on them.

The forbidden techniques in the Scroll of Seals could be useful, but they were just tools. With Kurama's chakra mode, he was confident in facing at least five Kage-level opponents simultaneously. His only real concern was an overwhelming siege.

However, few in the ninja world could rally so many Kage-level fighters against him.

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The Journey to the Land of Whirlpool

As sunlight pierced through the carriage's curtains the next morning, Naruto stirred awake.

Stretching, he lifted the fabric and looked out. In the distance, the endless ocean stretched before him. The salty breeze stung his nose, reminding him that he wasn't used to coastal climates.

By midday, the convoy reached a bustling port city within the Land of Fire.

After stepping off the carriage, Naruto politely declined the convoy leader's invitation to rest. Under the watchful eyes of samurai guards and passing travelers, he slipped into the crowd and disappeared.

A few hours later, Naruto secured two weeks' worth of supplies and sealed them within a storage scroll. He then made his way to the docks, searching for a ferry to the Land of Whirlpool.

Although he could traverse water with chakra, the Land of Whirlpool was several hundred kilometers away. Crossing such a distance unaided would be reckless—even for him. More importantly, he couldn't afford to exhaust his chakra reserves unnecessarily.

After inquiring at the docks, Naruto learned that no merchant ships traveled directly to the Land of Whirlpool. Most captains avoided the island entirely, preferring longer routes over potential danger.

The reason was simple—after Uzushiogakure's destruction over thirty years ago, the island had become a lawless refuge for criminals and rogue shinobi. Pirates and outlaws frequently raided passing ships, making the waters treacherous.

Only desperate or fearless individuals—mainly fishermen—dared to approach the island.

Determined, Naruto continued questioning boat operators. Eventually, he found a fisherman willing to take passengers—for a price. After paying in advance, he boarded the old vessel.

The boatman checked the weather, then started the engine and set sail.

The vast ocean, where sky and sea merged into one, was monotonous. As boredom settled in, Naruto decided to gather more intelligence.

Turning to the boatman, he casually asked, "What's the current situation in the Land of Whirlpool?"

The man hesitated, but when Naruto discreetly slid a few extra coins his way, the sailor relented.

"The Land of Whirlpool was destroyed more than thirty years ago. Now, it's just a haven for bandits and rogue ninjas."

"If you're not a shinobi, you'd best stay away. It's not a place for ordinary folk."

Naruto smirked. "If it's so dangerous, why risk taking passengers there? Judging by how well you know these waters, you've been around here for a while."

The boatman sighed. "You must come from a clan. You wouldn't understand what it's like for commoners like us."

Naruto raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead, within the sealed space of his mind, he awakened Minato, as if preparing to tease him again.

The boatman continued, "Taxes from the major territories are getting worse. In the wars before, we ran from the shinobi. Now, we run from bandits."

"Nobody fishes near the Land of Whirlpool unless they have no choice."

A bitter chuckle escaped the boatman's lips. "But I guess it's still better than the last Shinobi World War..." His voice trailed off, as if lost in thought.

Minato, accustomed to Naruto's antics, sighed. However, hearing the boatman's struggles made the former Hokage frown.

Half a day later, a massive island loomed on the horizon.

The closer they got, the more Naruto realized—the Land of Whirlpool was far larger than he expected. That was good. If he was planning to establish a base here, the extra landmass would be useful.

When they were just a few kilometers from shore, Naruto turned to the boatman.

"That's close enough," he said. "No need to go all the way in."

The boatman looked at him in surprise. "Guest, the waves here are dangerous. Swimming several kilometers won't be easy. And if someone spots you from the shore, you could be in trouble."

Naruto considered his words, then smiled. "In that case, just take me straight to your 'boss.'"

The boatman's expression shifted. "I... don't understand what you mean. I am the boat's captain. If you don't want to land, we can just turn back."

Naruto's smirk deepened. "I once read somewhere that there's little difference between fishermen and pirates. Fishing is fishing. Kidnapping is just another type of catch."

With that, Naruto casually stepped off the boat—his feet touching the ocean's surface as he stood above the waves, unfazed.

The boatman's face paled. He now realized Naruto wasn't just any traveler—he was a shinobi.

Exhaling in defeat, the old sailor forced a wry smile. "Had I known you were a ninja, I wouldn't have taken your money in the first place. No need to bully an old man like me."

"It's not about bullying," Naruto replied. "I just need information—about the island, about the rogue ninjas there, about everything."

The boatman hesitated, then sighed. The sea breeze tousled his hair as he murmured, "We finally got a few years of peace... and now the shinobi villages are stirring again. Are they preparing for the next war?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, sensing the man's concealed emotions. Activating his chakra perception, he realized the boatman wasn't just a simple fisherman.

He possessed chakra—but at a low level, even weaker than an academy student. More tellingly, he lacked the ability to perform even basic shinobi skills like tree-walking or water-walking.

If even a man like this had residual chakra, it meant one thing—

Once Naruto set foot on the island, he was walking into a battlefield unlike any before.

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