Naruto: The Legend of Red Haired Shanks

Shanks wasn't comfortable leaving everything in Zabuza's hands, but with Shisui, Haku, and Amado there, he felt at ease. 

Everyone on his crew had brains. He could just let them handle it. 

As for Zabuza? That guy was just here for the fun. 

Shanks still needed to carefully go through the intel they got from Sandai Tsuchikata. 

It looked like the ninja world had undergone a major update. 

He had to check the patch notes in advance. 

Shanks knew his role very well—rely on sheer strength to set the course. 

As for the details? Those were for the smart ones, like Shisui and Haku, to figure out. 

He'd rather spend his time throwing banquets and enjoying life. 

As long as there were no major problems, why stress?

Zabuza and his group finally opened the intelligence scroll about Rikudou Sennin, and everyone fell silent. 

Shanks had written more about Ashura and Indra, focusing on their seemingly fated battle—a never-ending cycle of conflict and reincarnation. 

The task Shanks assigned to them was simple: figure out how the reincarnation system in the ninja world worked. But for Amado and Shisui, this was a complete mystery. 

As for Zabuza and Haku, they were even more clueless. Haku knew little about Ninjutsu, and Zabuza wasn't much better. Despite being an elite Jonin, he lacked both background and influence, meaning his knowledge of Ninjutsu was quite limited. 

Shanks had clearly overestimated their expertise in Ninjutsu, assuming that all ninjas studied it deeply. 

What research? If Shanks hadn't mentioned it, they wouldn't have even known that chakra could reincarnate. 

"…" 

"Who was it that just said we should leave everything to them?" 

Amado adjusted his glasses and looked at Zabuza, the lenses reflecting a cold glint. 

No one doubted the accuracy of Shanks' information. Even though he was easygoing, he never made things up. He wouldn't even deceive an enemy, let alone his allies. 

Some people just have unshakable integrity. 

Many in the ninja world wanted Shanks dead so they could take his place, yet everyone trusted him completely. 

Feeling Amado's skeptical gaze, Zabuza swallowed hard. 

Now he understood why Shanks had given them this task—because Shanks' approach to Ninjutsu research was completely different from the norm. 

But even if they had the information, they still didn't know what to do with it. 

"I never knew chakra could reincarnate either, but at least this confirms that our target is Rikudou Sennin." 

"As long as we start from that point, we'll find a way to solve this." 

Zabuza thought for a moment. He hadn't completely figured things out yet, but he had a rough idea. 

Meanwhile, Shisui and Haku had already come to some conclusions. Zabuza's earlier words had helped them break free from their old way of thinking. They weren't just ordinary ninjas—they were among the strongest of their time. 

Instead of worrying, Shisui now felt more at ease. He glanced at Haku meaningfully and nodded. 

"As expected of Haku. At this rate, the name 'Aokiji' will soon be yours. Among the younger generation, you might be the strongest of this era." 

Shisui spoke with admiration. To figure out a solution so quickly—Haku's intelligence and strength made him undoubtedly the top among the younger generation. 

"Shisui, you're amazing too. We're around the same age, so I wouldn't say I'm the strongest." 

Haku spoke humbly. Competing with others of his generation wasn't his goal. Now that he was on this path, he wanted to witness the new era with his own eyes. 

This era would remember his name. 

"Hah, you guys are so proud of yourselves. I'd better work harder, or I'll be left behind." 

Shisui chuckled and ruffled Haku's hair. 

Meanwhile, Zabuza was still thinking when, suddenly, something clicked. 

"Rikudou Sennin's sons can reincarnate endlessly in this world. If Shanks' target is Rikudou Sennin, then why don't we just use his own method? 

Rikudou Sennin only had two sons reincarnating, but if we use Edo Tensei, we could bring countless powerful warriors from history back to life!" 

Zabuza's eyes lit up. He wasn't the smartest, but his experience gave him insight. 

Back in Konoha, he had heard about what Orochimaru had done—resurrecting the First and Second Hokage. 

That battle had left the Third Hokage ashamed, unable to face his predecessors. 

Now that he thought about it, Edo Tensei's potential went far beyond that. It turned out Shanks had predicted all of this long ago. 

Zabuza's words caught the attention of the others. Shisui and Haku both nodded in agreement. 

"It's a reasonable idea. By taking advantage of Rikudou Sennin's past plans, we could completely break the limits of this era. 

But even though Shanks' target is Rikudou Sennin, the problem he gave us is about the reincarnation of Indra and Ashura. If we can't break that cycle, then the root of the problem will still remain."

"But what's the point of breaking the cycle of reincarnation? I mean… the real goal." 

Amado asked. 

Zabuza had the same doubts. Why was Shanks so obsessed with breaking reincarnation? 

"It's simple. Shanks already told us. But this isn't something we can interfere with too much." 

Shisui pointed at the image of the Sage of Six Paths on the scroll, scanning the group with his eyes. 

"We all have a rough idea of Sandai Tsuchikata's strength. 

But the Sage of Six Paths… he's the strongest sage in the ninja world. On top of normal sage abilities, he also controls the power of reincarnation. The cycle of Indra and Asura must be connected to him. 

So… if Indra and Asura can reincarnate, then why… couldn't the Sage of Six Paths?" 

Shisui's voice was calm, but the moment he said this, a chill ran through everyone. A creeping sense of dread washed over them. 

Back in history, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito pretending to be Madara had already struck fear into the strongest ninjas of the world. 

And now, it wasn't someone like Uchiha Madara coming back—it was the Sage of Six Paths himself! 

Even Zabuza felt his hands trembling. 

"The Sage of Six Paths… is still alive?!" 

The sheer horror of that thought was overwhelming. Zabuza had always been a practical ninja. 

He might not be one anymore, but deep down, every ninja in the world carried some belief—some superstition—about the Sage of Six Paths. 

And now, out of nowhere, they were being told that the old legend was still alive? No, not just an old legend—this was the Sage of Six Paths. 

"If Lord Shanks was just dealing with a dead man, he wouldn't need to go through this much trouble. 

That means there's only one possibility—the Sage of Six Paths is too strong. But more than that, he's hidden himself within history. 

No one knows just how powerful he really is." 

"The Poneglyphs are important, but what really matters… is that Shanks needs to find information about the Sage of Six Paths from them." 

Haku added this final piece, and even someone like Zabuza finally understood. 

From the very beginning, everything Shanks had said pointed to the Sage of Six Paths. He had never been focused on the ninja world itself. 

His eyes had been set on the founder of all ninjas. 

To change the world, he had to completely shatter the rules that held it together. And if anyone tried to stop him, they would be taken down along with it. 

"Shanks never cared about the Five Great Nations or the Five Ninja Villages." 

"We knew he was after the world, but now… it's not just the world. It's the ruler of this world." 

"The Sage of Six Paths has controlled the ninja world for thousands of years. In this situation, Shanks isn't just fighting against him—he's forcing him into a corner, dragging him down from the throne of history. 

He's not challenging just one person. He's pushing the Sage of Six Paths to the brink, making him fight alongside the very ninja world he created. 

That kind of ambition… it's terrifying!" 

Zabuza muttered in admiration. Just facing the Sage of Six Paths alone was already terrifying. But this… this was exactly what Shanks would do. 

If the Sage of Six Paths created the ninja world, then he would make him watch as he tore it down and built a new era. 

That was Shanks. That was the spirit of a Four Emperor. 

"This is exactly like Captain Shanks. No wonder… if any normal person heard about this plan, they'd lose their minds." 

"But… do we really have the strength to pull this off?" 

Haku murmured. He was strong, sure. But for something this big… it still felt like he wasn't even close to being ready. 

"That's true..." 

Zabuza suddenly realized something as he looked at the scroll on the table. 

"But there's still time. A thousand years of history is about to change in our hands. 

The sages have entered the game. Now, let's see who gets eliminated first in this new ninja world!" 

Zabuza grinned. He wasn't as confident in his strength anymore—the times had changed. 

But he still had confidence in his intelligence. 

"Jin, head back to Land of Waves right away and tell Gato that it's time to take action." 

Zabuza called Jin over. Jin hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit—he was purely a Taijutsu expert. But his physical talent was incredible, especially when it came to controlling Seimei Kikan and Tekkai. 

"Captain, there's no ship." 

Jin had no intention of leaving. He wanted to stay with the crew—after all, just partying and getting stronger at the same time? That was the perfect life. 

"No ship?" 

Zabuza glanced at the pile of empty sake barrels scattered on Shanks' ship, grabbed a few, and handed them to Jin. 

He also tossed him a pointer. 

"..." 

"..." 

Well, they were pirates—this was normal for them. 

Back then, those rookies had the guts to set out just by clinging to a barrel when they went to find Shanks, didn't they? 

Jin had no choice but to grab the barrels and swim back. 

Amado, watching from the side, was completely stunned. 

"Are you sure this is okay?" 

"It's fine. Jin is a true pirate—this is nothing." 

Zabuza waved it off. He had multiple barrels—what was the problem? 

"Wait... do all pirates have this kind of natural ability?" 

"I don't know. I'm not a pirate. But for some reason, all of them can just head out to sea clinging to barrels." 

Zabuza said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Haku, standing nearby, also thought it was normal. He didn't understand why, but Jin could definitely pull it off. 

Same with Gato. 

Well… let's just say, anyone who couldn't do it was probably dead already. The ones left all had at least some pirate instincts. 

Meanwhile, on Shanks' side, he was going over the intel Shisui and the others had gathered. 

After reading the reports, Shanks was speechless. 

Someone was playing dirty. 

Actually, more than one person. 

Shanks instantly understood what was going on. 

In this world, every so-called scheme, trick, or contract all revolved around one thing—benefits. 

It's not that benefits were always required, but agreements and alliances only worked when there was enough at stake. 

"Even the sage doesn't know what's going on? Isn't it obvious? Your grandpa dies, and suddenly, you get a huge power boost? How are you idiots not seeing this?" 

"Looks like the deal between the Sage of Six Paths and the world's nobles is really complicated. 

Using the reincarnation cycle to make sure the sage's power continues through generations… it seems like a reasonable trade to maintain the sage's bloodline system. But…" 

Shanks now understood how the unspoken agreement between Rikudou Sennin's ninja sect and the world's nobles had formed. He had to admit—Rikudou Sennin had both power and intelligence. 

Using this agreement, he had directly restricted the sages. 

As time passed, this contract naturally became an unspoken rule, pushing the sages of the ninja world into the background. 

That was why Shanks had never even considered a sage class in the ninja world—these guys just didn't get involved. They lived their lives in comfort and didn't care about worldly matters. 

But over two hundred years ago, there was one exception—an unusual sage named "Fukuda Kiyomu." 

And that sage was now preparing to target Shanks. 

"Fukuda Kiyomu… bounty: 7.8 billion… Looks like I'm the target. 

Well, this is a good chance to see how strong this sage really is." 

Shanks sorted out the situation in his mind. They were probably going to run into quite a few sages, but the only one that really mattered was Fukuda Kiyomu. 

"The strongest sage, huh? I wonder if I can actually win." 

Shanks pushed open the door, stretched, and came face to face with the others outside. 

The strongest sage? So, Shanks was already prepared to fight Rikudou Sennin? 

That meant it was time to invite Rikudou Sennin into this gamble. 

"Looks like you're all ready." 

"The strongest sage? Come on, this is New World. The sage era has long since ended." 

"More importantly, Shanks, we believe in you." 

Seeing the trust on the faces of Shisui, Zabuza, Haku, and Amado, Shanks couldn't help but smile. 

The strongest sage in two hundred years—he should be able to win, right? 

At the same time, seeing the confidence on Shanks' face made the others even more confident. 

Rikudou Sennin? Shanks wasn't scared of him at all. 

What Shanks didn't know was that the group had set him up for something big. If he did know, he'd probably smack them all on the head right then and there. 

The stronger he got, the more he understood what kind of being Rikudou Sennin truly was. But Shisui and the others didn't get it. And wasn't Rikudou Sennin supposed to be the strongest sage? 

It was like someone saying they wanted a one-on-one fight with the "God of Shinobi," thinking they were going up against the Third Hokage—only to find out they were actually facing the First Hokage at his peak. 

That guy could clap his hands and unleash Jutsu instantly. How the hell were you supposed to fight that? 

That was exactly how Shanks felt about Rikudou Sennin—completely out of his league. He had no clue what Rikudou Sennin was truly capable of. 

But he did know the story. 

Rikudou Sennin wasn't just going to pop up and fight him. Through the cycle of Indra and Asura's reincarnations, he had already figured out the agreement between Rikudou Sennin and the world's nobles. 

That was enough. As long as he didn't do something crazy like dig up Rikudou Sennin's grave, everything should be fine. 

But why did he suddenly feel a chill down his spine? 

Shanks turned around. 

"Why is this guy still here?" 

Without hesitation, he grabbed the frozen Sandai Tsuchikata and tossed him into the sea. 

"Time to head to the next island." 

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