Naruto: The Legend of Red Haired Shanks

Even though they were heading to the next island, Shanks still took some time to discuss their plans with the others along the way. 

"This reincarnation technique isn't just an ordinary Jutsu. There's nothing like it among the Uchiha. Even the forbidden techniques the Second Hokage researched were all sealed away—I don't know much about them." 

Shisui spoke up. 

Shanks nodded. Asking them to figure out reincarnation was a bit too much.

"Then we'll have to start with Orochimaru. With Edo Tensei as a base, we can study it ourselves." 

Shanks spoke up. If they wanted to get Edo Tensei, they had two options—either take it from Orochimaru or from Konohagakure. 

They could probably get it from Konoha through connections, but on second thought, it wasn't worth the trouble. 

Shanks and Konoha were from completely different camps. They weren't exactly enemies, but doing this would put people in a tough spot. 

"Jin has already returned to the Land of Waves. We can leave the Edo Tensei matter to Gato." 

When Shanks mentioned Edo Tensei, no one seemed surprised. And when Shisui responded, Shanks was very pleased. 

With such reliable teammates, he really didn't have much to worry about as a captain. 

"Can Gato handle it?" 

"Yeah. Gato is still in contact with Kakuzu, and Kakuzu has always been in touch with Orochimaru. 

Orochimaru also owes Kakuzu quite a few favors. Getting Edo Tensei from him shouldn't be too hard." 

Shisui added that getting Edo Tensei wouldn't be difficult for them. Orochimaru wouldn't hold onto the technique too tightly—after all, he couldn't even use Ninjutsu anymore. 

This could also be a good chance for him to repay Kakuzu. 

On top of that, it would help him build a better relationship with the Revolutionary Army. For Orochimaru right now, it was a win-win situation. 

"By the way, Shanks, what's the deal with the Sage of Six Paths? If he's still alive, why hasn't he shown up?" 

Zabuza suddenly asked. 

Shanks never directly said the Sage of Six Paths was alive, but since he talked about aiming to become the strongest sage, didn't that mean the Sage was still around? 

 Even though everyone's words were slightly different, the information clearly lined up. 

And Shanks himself hadn't noticed anything off. 

Because the truth was, the Sage of Six Paths really was still alive. Anyone with a bit of intelligence could figure that out. 

And the people here weren't dumb, so it was only natural they could guess it. 

"Well, I'm not too sure either. The Sage of Six Paths hasn't interfered with the ninja world for a long time." 

"But…" 

Shanks frowned. That was exactly what was so strange about the Sage of Six Paths. 

He remembered that when the Sage first sealed Kaguya, it took a huge effort. At that time, the Sage probably wasn't as powerful as he is now. 

But look at Naruto and Sasuke. Those two were just the reincarnations of the Sage's sons' chakra. Then the Sage gave them a bit of a power boost, and just like that, they sealed Kaguya away again. 

Basically, Kaguya wasn't even worth the Sage of Six Paths stepping in. Thinking about it that way, Shanks found the Sage's strength a bit ridiculous. 

And more importantly, the Sage didn't seem to have any weaknesses. It was like he had maxed out all six stats—even niche skills like weapon crafting. 

 The same weapon could have completely different power in different hands. 

"Good thing the Sage of Six Paths doesn't interfere with the ninja world anymore." 

Shanks sighed. He could somewhat understand the Sage's reasoning. Staying out of things was for the best. If the Sage ever did get involved, it would be a huge headache for Shanks. 

He really didn't want to spend his days constantly on the run. 

"Is that so?" 

The others nodded as well. The Sage had been out of the picture for so long that Shanks had to use these methods to force him out. 

Yeah, yeah. 

Even though they were on the same ship, they really didn't have much chemistry. 

Of course, none of them actually felt that way. Come on, as Shanks' like-minded comrades, they had plenty of unspoken understanding. 

A few days later, Shanks' ship docked on the island once again. Meanwhile, on the other side, Jin had successfully returned to the Land of Waves.

Don't ask why it happened so fast—pirates have their own ways. 

Gato wasted no time getting in touch with Kakuzu. 

At this moment, Kakuzu was still on his way to find Orochimaru. He should have reached him by now, but Orochimaru had been staying in Ryuchi Cave for a while. In the meantime, Kakuzu had taken the opportunity to earn some extra cash. 

"I've got another job to do. I'll be gone for a while, so you guys carry on with the mission." 

Hearing this, Hidan frowned. This time, Kakuzu wasn't even bringing him along. 

"Man, Kakuzu-san is really busy!" 

Deidara didn't care at all. He waved at Kakuzu. By now, he had turned his secret art into an Explosion Clay Devil Fruit ability, making him much stronger. 

Now, he could blow things up however he wanted, without even needing to carry clay with him. 

Of course, even though he had gotten stronger, he still had one regret—he hadn't been able to witness the massive explosion in the Land of Wind. 

To him, that was the ultimate form of art. 

"Alright, I'm off." 

Kakuzu gave a cold nod and left the group. 

Not only did he have Gato's request to deal with, but he also had to handle the revival of the First Revolutionary Army through Orochimaru. Both matters needed his attention. 

"Why do you guys look so unhappy?" 

Deidara turned to look at Sasori and Hidan. Hidan scoffed. 

"Hmph, that guy just ditched us." 

"It's probably another big plan from the organization. Kakuzu sure is a reliable teammate." 

Sasori's voice was just as cold, but Deidara felt like there was a hidden meaning in his words—like he was implying that someone else wasn't so reliable. 

"Sasori, are you talking about me on purpose?!" 

"Not at all. Let's move. 

It's time to head to the Land of Snow." 

Sasori didn't argue with Deidara. They had other plans. 

The previous ruler of the Land of Snow, Doto Kazahana, had spent some time recovering in Konohagakure. Eventually, his niece, Koyuki Kazahana, brought him back. 

Because of the world's dragon veins, the Land of Snow had become a place where pirates often stopped by. 

The seas near the mainland had been split into four major regions for various reasons. Ordinary pirates who wanted to reach other seas could only pass through coastal nations. 

On one side was the Land of Thunder. On the other was the Land of Snow. Any sane person knew which one to choose. 

During Koyuki Kazahana and Sandayu's rule, the Land of Snow fell into chaos. The economy collapsed completely, and bandits and pirates ran wild. 

As a result, just surviving became a luxury for the people. Many starved to death in their crumbling homes, their bodies buried under the snow. 

To be honest, Doto Kazahana didn't want to deal with any of it anymore. Back then, he had chosen death because he was furious at his useless brother. 

He didn't hold any grudges against Koyuki Kazahana, but he had plenty of complaints about Sandayu—someone with no real ability but plenty of ambition. 

That's why, even after recovering in Konohagakure for a long time, he never returned. 

Instead, he let Sandayu and Koyuki Kazahana handle things however they wanted and completely checked out. 

Under normal circumstances, in peaceful times, there wouldn't have been any major issues. After all, neither Sandayu nor Koyuki had any political skills. 

As long as they didn't mess with anything too important, the political system of the Land of Snow would keep running without a problem. 

But times had changed. Even ordinary pirates were enough to bring the entire Land of Snow to ruin. 

Because of this, Koyuki Kazahana finally got a real taste of how cruel this era was—or rather, she finally understood what it truly meant to be a ruler. 

Coincidentally, the ones sent to bring back Koyuki Kazahana and Sandayu from the Land of Snow were Naruto and the others. 

When Sakura saw the devastation in the Land of Snow, she was so furious that she punched Koyuki Kazahana and even had the urge to kill Sandayu. 

As for Naruto and Sasuke, after Naruto came out of the dungeon, he finally understood something—his idealism only worked when applied to himself. 

Because this world was harsh. It always had been. 

If it weren't for Konoha's support, Doto Kazahana wouldn't have been able to return to the Land of Snow. 

To Konoha, there was only one rightful ruler of the Land of Snow—Doto Kazahana. They didn't need incompetent allies. 

Doto, as a capable ruler, had better political skills than even the Third Hokage. Naturally, he understood both the strengths and weaknesses of his country. 

Now that he was in charge, he wasn't about to become Konoha's lapdog. The Land of Snow needed its own power. 

That's why he connected with the Revolutionary Army. 

This was the difference between someone with political skills and someone without. 

Doto's actions made perfect sense in the grand scheme of things. In the ninja world, this level of maneuvering was already considered exceptional. 

An average person could never pull off something like this. 

Originally, Kakuzu and the others were supposed to head to the Land of Snow to assist Doto. But now, it seemed that just three of them would be enough. 

"But are the three of us really going to be fine? Our bounties are way too high," Deidara asked, still a bit worried about being too noticeable. 

"The world isn't the same as before." 

"Don't worry," Sasori said. "Maybe in the past, but right now, we're not that conspicuous." 

Sasori pulled out a stack of bounty posters. 

They hadn't caused any trouble lately, so their bounty amounts hadn't changed. In other words, their prices hadn't been updated, meaning they wouldn't draw much attention. 

"The underground prison in the Land of Wind was broken into, and a large number of pirates escaped. 

The captain of the Sky Pirates, Golden Lion, fought against a Sage and several Jonin alone. His bounty exceeded five billion." 

On Jigen's bounty poster, his face was front and center. Behind him, golden clouds of Armament Haki filled the sky. 

The illustration was personally drawn by Jiraiya. And everyone knew about Jiraiya's artistic skills—after all, he was a best-selling manga and novel author in the ninja world. 

"Then there are the members of the Beasts Pirates that Orochimaru put together. 

Bone Dragon Kimimaro—bounty: 80 million. 

Ghost Spider Kidomaru—bounty: 50 million." 

"And someone you know—Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki. He's a pirate now too. Bounty: 100 million." 

"…" 

Looking at all these bounty posters, Deidara thought about his own bounty—just 30 million. 

No need to ask why. The answer was simple—Deidara hadn't caused enough trouble. Plus, Iwagakure didn't have much money to put on his head. 

To be fair, Deidara wasn't that well-known in the ninja world. He was strong, but his bounty was low because Iwagakure couldn't afford to offer more. 

Now, they probably could afford it, but by then, Deidara had already disappeared—Ohnoki had pretty much forgotten about him. 

Roshi was different. His status was on another level. 

Leaving the village and taking the Four-Tails with him was one thing, and they could've left it at that. 

But now, he had become a pirate. That was a slap in the face—not just to the Land of Earth, but to the world's ruling powers. 

To save face, Ohnoki had no choice but to increase Roshi's bounty, even though Roshi hadn't actually done anything. 

"And what about yours?" 

Deidara asked, a little annoyed. 

"Fifty million. After all, I killed the Third Kazekage," Sasori said in a cold voice. 

Hearing Sasori's bounty, Deidara's face immediately fell. 

No matter what, he had to do something big to raise his own bounty.

"Damn it! How dare these pirates look down on me, the great Deidara! What makes them think they're better than me?" 

Deidara thought differently from others. As an artist, he naturally wanted as much fame as possible. 

Look at this guy named Dark—his bounty skyrocketed because he was involved in the big explosion in the Land of Wind. If Deidara had been the one there, then the world would be talking about him instead. Dark wouldn't even be in the picture. 

Hidan, on the other hand, was a bit confused. It seemed like he didn't even have a bounty. 

Wait… could it be that Kakuzu didn't take him seriously because he had no bounty? 

That actually made a lot of sense. Kakuzu had always been obsessed with money. 

Hidan nodded to himself. Looks like this trip to the Land of Snow would be his chance to stir up some trouble. 

Meanwhile, Kakuzu, who had gone off on his own, had his hands full. After all, Nagato only fully trusted two people—Itachi and Kakuzu. 

The things Hidan and the others didn't know, Kakuzu understood completely. 

For example, the intel from Gato this time mentioned sages, the existence of a noble class above even the ninja world, and the unspoken agreement between these elites and the ninja society. 

As someone who had been on the inside, Kakuzu knew exactly what Nagato would do after learning this information. 

"So, the Revolutionary Army is really going to war with the entire ninja world. The world nobles and sages are the hidden ruling class, which means Nagato won't be using peaceful methods to change things anymore. 

But Gato represents Shanks. A mere Edo Tensei jutsu isn't important enough to justify all this, is it?" 

Kakuzu knew how valuable this information was. If it was just about Edo Tensei, it wouldn't be enough. Shanks definitely had something bigger in mind. 

"Forget it. I'll go find Orochimaru and let him figure it out." 

Kakuzu didn't dwell on it. Too many powerful forces were involved in this matter. 

It looked like even Orochimaru would be getting dragged into it this time. 

---

You can read 50 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu