Naruto: The Legend of Red Haired Shanks

At that instant, Orochimaru felt a deep fear from the core of his being. 

This wasn't an attack that could be blocked by physical strength alone. This attack had already surpassed the limits of the body. 

Orochimaru's pupils shrank. His vision narrowed, locking onto Shanks. And for a brief moment, behind Shanks, he saw an endless abyss tearing open. 

As Shanks' blade moved, that terrifying abyss seemed to be splitting apart. At the same time, Orochimaru's tail lashed out, colliding with Shanks' blade. In that instant— 

 The scales that had once withstood attacks from Susano'o were ripped apart. Beneath them, his muscles—tough as steel—were torn open, and scorching-hot blood splattered everywhere. 

"Shanks!!!" 

A terrifying surge of *Conqueror's Haki* exploded from Orochimaru. Black and red lightning filled his vision, and his *Observation Haki* was completely suppressed by Shanks. 

The abyss Orochimaru had seen—it wasn't a vision of death. It was the future being cut away by Shanks' sword! 

In this desperate situation, Orochimaru unleashed all of his power. 

Forcing his body to twist, he barely managed to pull his tail back from Shanks' attack. 

As the sword light shot into the sky, it sliced through the dark clouds above, splitting them apart. Sunlight pierced through the opening. 

Golden rays poured down from the sky—along with a rain of fresh, crimson blood. 

"Boom!!" 

Half of Orochimaru's tail slammed into the ground, soaked in blood. A chilling, steel-like aura still lingered on the severed flesh. 

Orochimaru was drenched in cold sweat. If he hadn't dodged that strike, half of his body would have been gone. 

"So this is Shanks' true power?" 

"No… it might be even greater than this. This man is terrifying." 

Orochimaru was no fool. At that moment, he could clearly feel the enormous gap between himself and Shanks. 

It was hard to describe, but one thing was obvious—right now, he was no match for Shanks. 

At least, not with his current strength. 

"I've already broken past the world's limits… so why… why is this happening!?" 

The bleeding from Orochimaru's severed tail had already stopped, and new flesh was beginning to grow. 

This kind of injury meant nothing to him. But if he hadn't dodged earlier, it wouldn't have been just a minor wound. 

Shanks' sword strike shattered Orochimaru's understanding of the gap between them. If he had recklessly charged forward, his body would have been sliced clean in half. 

This kind of terrifying slash wasn't something that could simply be blocked. 

Of course, Shanks' attack didn't just cut down Orochimaru's rising ambitions—it also shattered the beliefs of everyone watching from the battlefield's edge. 

"What a terrifying sword strike… this kind of power!!" 

Kakashi gritted his teeth, his body trembling slightly. That slash just now—it wasn't a matter of whether it could be blocked. It *had* to be dodged. 

Kakashi's swordsmanship was strong. In fact, in the ninja world today, his skill with the blade was second only to Shanks. 

That was the gift of a true genius. 

But even with his extraordinary talent, Kakashi had only barely been able to catch a glimpse of Shanks' attack. 

Under that kind of slash, weaker people probably wouldn't even have the ability to dodge. 

"Kamui… It doesn't mean even gods have to avoid it. It means *only* gods are worthy of avoiding it!" 

Kakashi muttered in shock. Sasuke and Naruto, standing beside him, were just as shaken by what they had just witnessed. 

"So that's the move that killed the Eight-Tails in one hit?" 

Sasuke found it unbelievable. Could a human really wield such power? 

"That's right. But the true power of that attack isn't just enough to kill the Eight-Tails… To be exact, it didn't even land a full hit back then—it only sliced through part of the Eight-Tails' chakra." 

"But… if you can't dodge it, you die." 

Kakashi spoke calmly. Even now, he had only barely begun to understand a fraction of this technique, the same one that had once slain the sealed Eight-Tails. 

"So that dragon…" 

Naruto glanced into the distance at Orochimaru. Shanks' slash—he had dodged it. 

At that moment, even Kurama couldn't help but comment inside Naruto's mind. 

"That guy is really something… A move only gods are worthy of dodging?" 

"But then again, dragons have always been legendary creatures said to rival gods. If you look at it that way, it kinda makes sense." 

Kurama's eyes were sharp and clear now. 

And really, could anyone blame him? Just moments ago, Orochimaru and Shisui had been fighting like savage beasts. But the moment Shanks appeared, Orochimaru's eyes looked much clearer, didn't they? 

"Looking at it this way… this is the third time I've managed to survive a battlefield where Shanks showed up. Even a legendary dragon nearly died at that guy's hands." 

Kurama thought back to his own experiences. The Eight-Tails? That thing was nothing. The other Tailed Beasts were all trash compared to him. 

Wait—no. Even if dragons were legendary creatures, *he* was a legend too! Was he really weaker than a dragon? 

At that moment, Kurama had his own thoughts. 

"If things keep going like this, the Shinobi World is only going to get messier from here on out." 

 "That brat Naruto… He may not be as gifted as the other Uzumakis, but he's still not bad." 

Kurama had started to think more about Naruto. At first, he had completely looked down on him. 

But the more he learned, the more he realized Naruto's identity was anything but ordinary. 

Besides, back when Naruto was just a kid, being sealed inside him wasn't Naruto's choice. 

A kid, clueless about the world, carrying a seal for fun… Would the great Nine-Tails really hold a grudge against a child? 

 While Kurama was lost in thought, others were also having their own realizations. 

"The strongest creature… Even the strongest creature couldn't face Shanks' slash head-on!" 

"That was Shanks' attack, after all." 

"But, boss, didn't you just say that if we got a stronger Devil Fruit, we wouldn't be any weaker than Shanks?" 

Hearing his crew member's words, the captain narrowed his eyes slightly. A calm yet confident look appeared in his gaze—one only the strong possessed. 

 "Who said that? No matter how powerful a Devil Fruit is, if it falls into the hands of a weakling, it's still weak." 

"Only the strong can truly master a Devil Fruit. And real powerhouses—no matter what ability they have—are never weak." 

When Orochimaru appeared, everyone had been shaken by the terrifying power of that mythical Devil Fruit. 

A legendary dragon, a creature from myths, had come to life. 

At that moment, countless people felt ashamed of their own weak Devil Fruits—some even started to regret everything. 

After Shanks appeared, the pirates believed he could win, but they never expected him to do it this way. 

The legendary "dragon" couldn't even withstand a single slash from Shanks. 

"Looks like it's not just about the power of a Devil Fruit—it depends on whose hands it's in." 

"Compared to those soldiers and ninjas, I think we pirates can bring out the full potential of a Devil Fruit." 

Ross Jess and Kagero stood at the bow of their ship. At this moment, their pursuit was no longer just about gaining Devil Fruit powers. 

Just having a Devil Fruit wasn't enough—far from enough. 

That man had made them all realize one thing: power depends on who wields it. 

"It seems that weapons don't mean much to the truly strong." 

Kagero looked at the weapons on his ship, feeling a bit conflicted. 

"Weapons also depend on who uses them. As far as I know, Shanks' weapon is nothing more than an ordinary samurai sword." 

Ross Jess simply shook his head. 

"The road ahead is long. We still have a long way to go." 

On the other side, after witnessing Shanks' terrifying attack, Zabuza felt a chill run down his spine. 

Thankfully, despite his arrogance and cold nature back then, he had never considered fighting Shanks. 

"Captain… could you block that attack?" 

 "Block? With what, my head?" 

"Normally, there's no way to stop that kind of attack. Even a Logia-type Devil Fruit user might not be able to block it." 

Standing nearby, Haku shook his head. 

He had developed his Devil Fruit abilities quite well, and he was confident he could escape even from that dragon. 

But if he had to face Shanks… there would be no escape, only death. 

"The gap is too big… the difference between us and those two." 

Haku muttered to himself, while Zabuza naturally understood—just because someone dodged didn't mean they were weak. It just meant Shanks was too strong. 

Meanwhile, Kidomaru and the others, still running, quickened their pace. 

"Orochimaru-sama will be okay, right?" 

"He'll be fine. Before I left, I made sure he was prepared." 

Kabuto, standing nearby, opened the scroll that Orochimaru had given to Kimimaro. It was nothing more than an order to spread information about the Land of Wind's Dragon Vein—drawing more people there. 

The only purpose of this plan was to distract Shisui and Itachi, but who could have guessed that all of them would become Devil Fruit users? 

Kabuto looked at his severed arm and urged them forward. 

"Hurry up and find Dark. We need to get out of here." 

"Orochimaru-sama will be fine, but even with the power we prepared, defeating Shanks is unlikely." 

Kabuto spoke calmly. 

Behind his glasses, his gaze was icy cold. It wasn't just that defeating Shanks was unlikely—it was impossible. 

But this was Orochimaru's only chance. Kabuto didn't believe Orochimaru would give it up. Now that he had become the "strongest creature," he would undoubtedly fight for the title of "strongest." 

Meanwhile, at the Gelel Stone mines… 

Haido and Temujin had just arrived at the mining site. 

"Didn't expect things to go this smoothly this time." 

"As long as we don't run into any pirates, we can open the mine and finally put an end to the war in the Land of Wind, Temujin." 

There was a greedy glint in Haido's eyes, completely undisguised. 

As for the thunder and lightning in the sky, neither of them cared about it. 

But just then, a figure descended from above. 

"Haido!!" 

Dark looked at Haido and the young Temujin in the distance. Temujin had a wary expression as he stared at Dark. 

"Haido-sama, that guy is strong. I'll hold him off for you." 

Dark only had one thought when facing Haido and Temujin—how to lose to them so that Temujin could fully activate the mine. 

As for what was happening in the Land of Wind, it was no longer Dark's concern. 

Likewise, Haido and Temujin didn't care about the Land of Wind either. To them, dealing with Dark was the most important thing right now. 

At the same time, almost all the strongest warriors in the Land of Wind, including the Kage from the Five Great Ninja Villages, had received word and were heading toward Roran. 

Meanwhile, Kimimaro and his group were moving toward the Gelel Stone mine. The entire ninja world was in chaos. 

At the heart of the battlefield, Orochimaru unwillingly looked at Shanks. 

Kabuto was right—this was his only chance, the only opportunity in his lifetime. 

He had thought that becoming a dragon would make him an equal to Shanks. But what he never expected was that the gap between them was so vast. 

Clang!! 

Shanks' blade let out a sharp hum as its dark surface was slowly sheathed. 

"The limit you've broken through is the limit of this world, not mine." 

Shanks looked up at the sky. Right now, Orochimaru had merely earned the right to challenge him. But that so-called "right" was just an entry point. 

"Your limit is my starting point. As for my limit… I hope you can show it to me, Orochimaru." 

Sunlight shone down on Shanks, his face calm and without a trace of arrogance, as if he were stating something unimportant. 

Yet it was this very calmness that reflected his true dominance. 

And he wasn't lying. Even Shanks himself didn't know where his limits lay. 

"A world with only one Four Emperors is far too boring. I hope you can rise to that level, Orochimaru." 

"But right now, you're not even qualified to reach for that position." 

Shanks spoke in an even tone, his presence no longer radiating any pressure. 

"Hahaha… Is that so, Shanks?" 

Sunlight fell on Orochimaru's head, but his face remained in the shadows, looking even more battered. 

That once majestic and powerful form now appeared dim and broken. 

"But this may be the only chance I'll ever have. No matter what it takes, even if I have to use every underhanded trick, I will put everything on the line… to defeat you, Shanks!!" 

Orochimaru roared. 

In the next moment, the white entities near the Dragon Vein suddenly seemed to come to life. These white "snake skins" leaped into the chakra erupting from the Dragon Vein. 

This wasn't Orochimaru's power—it was Kabuto's final move, prepared for him before leaving. 

If relying only on Devil Fruit powers isn't enough, then let's see what happens when we combine them with the Dragon Cave's Sage Arts! 

"By any means necessary, huh?" 

"Good. That's exactly how a powerhouse in the New World should be!!" 

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Shanks didn't look down on him at all. Instead, there was admiration in his eyes. 

A true warrior of the New World should be like this. Let him, Shanks, witness it firsthand. 

 "Come on, Shanks!!" 

"Don't die, Orochimaru!!" 

As the power of the Dragon Vein surged into Orochimaru's body, Shanks unsheathed his sword once again. 

"Who do you think you're underestimating, Shanks!!" 

Orochimaru's body swelled again, and with a furious swipe of his massive claws, he smashed Shanks straight into the ground. 

At this moment, Orochimaru had fully connected himself to the power of the Dragon Vein, making him even stronger!!