Naruto: The Legend of Red Haired Shanks

The so-called Rikudou Sennin level was far beyond that of an ordinary sage. 

If Jiraiya's imperfect Sage Mode was considered lower-tier among sage techniques, then Rikudou Sennin was at the very top of the upper tier. 

Sage Mode itself was a path of evolution for all life in the ninja world, representing the world's own will. 

Its benefits were obvious. 

For example, someone who reached the level of Rikudou Sennin could still maintain their chakra even if their physical body was destroyed. Their immense mental strength would keep it locked in place. 

And because Sage Mode aligned perfectly with the world's natural system, sages in this state could continue to "exist" for a long time. 

This was true survival—not like Indra and Ashura's chakra reincarnations. 

The way Indra and Ashura's chakra was passed down wasn't exactly logical. The only reason it worked was because they had an absurdly powerful father. 

Even Rikudou Sennin himself couldn't truly reincarnate his two sons—he could only pass down their chakra. 

Of course, to him, it didn't really matter. The ninja teachings he founded were all about "bonds" created through chakra. Who inherited the chakra wasn't important. 

But no one in the ninja world knew any of this. 

By that time, Rikudou Sennin's power had already far surpassed the understanding of the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage. They weren't even on the same level. 

Still, having once come into contact with such immense power, they at least had the ability to recognize it. 

Right now, Jiraiya was walking his own path—one that had branched off from the original. 

Sage Mode was something that all living beings in the ninja world could, in theory, train in. 

But very few could actually do it. Even fewer could reach Jiraiya's current level. 

"His mental power is so strong that he can summon things directly with it." 

"Back then, Senju Hashirama almost reached this level too. But in the end, he was still locked within his own era." 

The White Snake Sage sighed. 

Hashirama had been a genius, so talented that he could perform most ninjutsu and even senjutsu without hand signs. He could just clap his hands and make things happen. 

Compared to Jiraiya, Hashirama's advantage lay in his natural gifts—his chakra reserves were far beyond an average person's, and his body itself was special. 

If this were some kind of cultivation novel, Hashirama's physique would be something like the "Nine Yang Battle Body" or "Innate Pure Yang Physique"—one of those overpowered traits. 

Basically, Hashirama was born with maxed-out potential. He mastered Sage Mode and even started to surpass the normal limits of it, reaching toward a higher-tier Sage Mode. 

But he never fully succeeded—he was trapped in his own time. 

"What exactly did Jiraiya go through? Or… is this just the nature of this new era? The one Shanks created?" 

The Great Toad Sage shook his head and turned to leave. The White Snake Sage also stopped thinking about it. 

It just didn't make sense. 

How could someone as gifted as Hashirama fail, while Jiraiya succeeded? 

Just looking at the flames Jiraiya summoned with his mental power was enough to tell—it was true Sage Mode, fully in tune with the world. 

But whatever. 

The White Snake Sage thought about Jiraiya. As unbelievable as it was, at least his training system was normal. 

Then he thought about Orochimaru, who had come from his own Ryuchi Cave. Now that guy was truly outrageous. 

Once you accepted the fact that a legendary being like Orochimaru existed, Jiraiya's situation didn't even seem surprising anymore. 

At least Jiraiya's power made sense. Compared to the monsters from the pirate world, his abilities were nothing. 

As the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage left, the pressure surrounding Jiraiya slowly faded. He withdrew from Sage Mode. 

A sharp pain shot through his chest, and cold sweat dripped down his body. 

"Ugh!!" 

A violent cough wracked his frame, sending pain through every part of his body. Patterns spread across his skin, and in the next moment, countless blades of light burst out from him. 

The dense glow surrounded him completely—but not a single blade harmed him. 

"So strong... This isn't just about strength anymore. No, Shanks is on a completely different level." 

Jiraiya squinted his eyes, his face contorted in pain. With trembling hands, he pulled open his clothes. 

A sword wound, less than ten centimeters long, stretched across his chest. Blood seeped out from the cut. 

Sweat covered Jiraiya's forehead. It was clear he had just been through a brutal fight. 

"How did Orochimaru even manage to deal with Shanks? They're not even in the same league..." 

Jiraiya couldn't wrap his head around it. Even if Orochimaru had powered up, the gap between them was just too big. 

He had struggled like hell just to drag Shanks down inside his own consciousness. 

Yes, dragged him down. 

Because as long as that guy had even a sliver of energy left, he could keep pushing himself beyond his limits. He never got weaker. 

It was unnatural. 

Jiraiya stopped thinking about it. He had more pressing matters to deal with. 

A few days later, deep in the desert of the Land of Wind... 

Jiraiya returned to the prison, where a group of people was already waiting for him. 

"Jiraiya-sama, you're finally back." 

The warden, Mui, spoke politely, though his face remained cold and expressionless. 

"So that's just his natural face? I guess he wasn't glaring at us on purpose." 

"Looks like Guy-sensei got mad at him for no reason." 

"Jiraiya-sama!" 

"Jiraiya-sama, you're finally here!" 

Behind Mui, the younger ninja from Konohagakure cheered excitedly. Now that Jiraiya had arrived, they could finally begin their mission. 

"Ah, sorry about that, hahaha. Ran into a little trouble on the way, but it's nothing serious. Thanks for waiting." 

Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly. He hadn't expected his recovery to take this long. 

"Jiraiya-sama, we're counting on you from here on out." 

Guy stepped forward. He was the leader of this mission and responsible for these young ninja. 

But the training in the Land of Wind was Jiraiya's domain. Guy knew his own limits—Jiraiya was the best teacher for them. 

Not just the best in Konohagakure, but in the entire ninja world. 

"But... we don't have much time. We only have one month. 

In one month, the high-value prisoners here will be transferred to Hozuki Castle in the middle of the sea. That's also when you'll leave the Land of Wind and head for the ocean." 

"Of course, it won't be just you." 

Jiraiya spoke to the group, while Mui stood silently beside him, having waited for Jiraiya's return. 

Every prisoner here was extremely dangerous, especially the high-profile pirates locked away in the deeper cells. Mui didn't have the ability to oversee their transport. 

"One month?" 

"One month is more than enough. The real training happens at sea." 

"Yeah… Thinking about it, this might be one of the last peaceful moments we have." 

Shikamaru stretched lazily. His tone was casual, but there was no trace of his usual slacker attitude. He knew things were about to get serious. 

But a person's aura—now that's not something that can be changed easily. 

As Jiraiya looked at the young talents of Konohagakure, he felt a sense of loss, but at the same time, relief. At least the village still had so many promising ninjas. 

"Sigh… Sensei…" 

Jiraiya didn't even know what to say. Even if Hiruzen was his teacher, when it came to the Third Hokage and Danzo… 

"Wait, Jiraiya-sama, since you just returned from the sacred land, does that mean you can teach us Sage Mode directly?" 

Ino suddenly thought of something. 

She had originally planned to check on Sakura and Sasuke, but it turned out that Sakura had already set sail with Naruto and Sasuke. 

The more she thought about how far ahead they were in strength, the more frustrated she felt. 

If she didn't put in more effort, she'd have no chance of catching up. 

"Ha, Ino! That's Sage Mode we're talking about. It's not something just anyone can learn!" 

"Can't I at least imagine it?" 

Ino pouted, while Mui, standing nearby, watched with envy, jealousy, and frustration. 

So this was what it meant to be a ninja from a major village? The resources they had access to were truly enviable. 

"If you want to learn, you can. But since you've all eaten Devil Fruits and can't use chakra, you won't be able to learn the Sage Mode of the Three Great Sacred Lands." 

Jiraiya smiled as he spoke, not rejecting the idea outright. 

Shikamaru, however, caught onto something in Jiraiya's words. 

"Jiraiya-sama, are you saying… there's another kind of power similar to Sage Mode that we can learn?" 

"Yeah. Even if you can't use Sage Mode, you can still learn the Reverse Sage Mode that Shanks developed. 

Only by mastering Reverse Sage Mode can you unlock the legendary Conqueror's Haki." 

At this point, Jiraiya was probably the person who understood Shanks' training system the best. 

"Wait… all of us?" 

"Jiraiya-sama, does that mean I can do it too?" 

Guy's eyes lit up with excitement. Was this finally the golden age for Taijutsu users? 

"Yeah, of course you can. 

Anyone can. All you have to do is enter Sage Mode first, then reverse-engineer it. Even though you guys can't train in Sage Mode properly, you can still enter it." 

"Once the natural energy interacts with the leftover chakra in your bodies, it will form Senjutsu chakra and affect your physical state. 

Of course, since you can't control Senjutsu chakra, your Sage Mode will fail. But that failure will actually create the perfect chance for you to awaken Conqueror's Haki." 

 After hearing Jiraiya's explanation, everyone stared at him in admiration. 

As expected of Jiraiya-sama—he knew so much. 

Was this the power of the legendary Sannin? 

Why did it feel like the Hokage in the village didn't know anything compared to him? 

"Jiraiya-sama, what happens if someone fails to awaken Conqueror's Haki during training?" 

"They die. If you fail Sage Mode, you die." 

Jiraiya grinned. He had already planned how to mess with these kids. 

Shanks' training method was far harder than regular Sage Mode. 

Ordinary people simply couldn't do it. 

In fact, the essence of Shanks' "Reverse Sage Mode" was actually a "Reverse Life Mode." 

But most people couldn't even unlock their most primal survival instincts, let alone surpass them. 

"..." 

The atmosphere instantly turned cold. 

"Maybe I should just focus on developing my Devil Fruit powers instead." 

"I think so too." 

Meanwhile, out at sea, the ships carrying Shanks and Zabuza finally reached Starfall Island. 

As soon as they entered the island's territory, everyone could feel a powerful life force in the air. 

"The energy here is completely chaotic. The plants on this island grow in strange, unnatural ways. No wonder people get lost here." 

Looking at the oddly shaped plants all around, Amado immediately understood what was going on. 

"Do we just need to come here and do nothing else?" 

Beside him, Haku confirmed their plan again. But the truth was, they didn't seem to have much of a plan at all. 

Other than materials for upgrading the ship and some lab equipment, most of the supplies they had bought were just daily necessities. 

"Yeah, in theory, we don't need to do anything. 

The power of the Dragon Veins has already been fully awakened. The will of the world is stirring. Even without our interference, the Dragon Veins' energy will start leaking out on its own." 

"Our presence here only speeds up the process, making the world's will more active and accelerating the energy release." 

Shisui nodded. In other words, they were basically here to throw a party. 

As long as they stayed at a Dragon Vein location for a while, the world's will would settle in that area, helping the energy disperse faster. 

Of course, there were faster and more efficient ways to do this, but Shanks didn't want to be seen as some kind of world-destroying terrorist again. 

After speaking, Shisui glanced toward the ship's mast as if sensing something. 

"Squawk! Squawk!" 

A seabird was perched on the mast, carrying a scroll. 

"Another report from Itachi?" 

Crows couldn't fly over the open ocean, but seabirds were everywhere. Itachi had no choice but to switch his messengers from crows to seagulls. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world… 

"Itachi is sending intelligence to Shisui. Looks like Nagato has contacted Shanks again." 

Obito's voice carried a sense of urgency. The situation in the Land of Wind had barely settled, and now Shanks had moved out to sea. 

"I got my hands on a navigation pointer. If my guess is right, Shanks' plan is even crazier than we thought." 

At this moment, Black Zetsu was also panicking. If all three hundred Dragon Veins erupted at once, the entire ninja world would be destroyed. 

Shanks and Nagato had lost their minds. 

"We don't have much time left." 

"Just the two of us aren't enough anymore, Black Zetsu. 

We need more people on our side. We have to stop Shanks and Nagato before it's too late." 

Obito spoke firmly. Neither he nor Black Zetsu were exactly good guys, but they definitely didn't want the world to be wiped out. 

But looking at Shanks and Nagato's plan… those two were seriously about to blow up the entire ninja world. 

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