Naruto: The Legend of Red Haired Shanks

The prophecy technique used by the Toad Sage was the strongest of all—it directly placed him into Shanks' perspective, allowing him to foresee the future with complete accuracy. 

However, this method had its limits. Besides the fact that he could only glimpse a small portion of the future, the length of time he could see wasn't determined by his own power but by the strength of the person he was observing. 

But after witnessing that future, the Toad Sage was certain. 

Shanks also possessed the ability to glimpse into the future and see fate itself. 

The Toad Sage knew exactly what this meant—it meant the power to change the future, the ability to introduce massive uncertainty. 

Such an important revelation couldn't be kept to himself. He had to let the other two sages know. 

"Shanks… someone who can train in Sage Mode on his own?" 

A voice echoed in the Toad Sage's mind—it was the White Snake Sage. 

The Slug Sage, on the other hand, remained silent. In truth, she wasn't interested in this matter at all. 

Among the Three Great Summoning Lands, the Shikkotsu Forest was the least involved in the ninja world. The Slug Sage preferred to go with the flow and had no intention of interfering. 

The toads of Mount Myoboku, however, were quite invested in the affairs of the ninja world. 

"In the future, he will be known as the youngest of the Four Emperors? If he can master Sage Mode on his own, that means Shanks can develop his own unique Sage Mode." 

"The Four Emperors… Could that be referring to a new sacred land?" 

The White Snake Sage pondered for a moment before speaking. 

The Toad Sage's vision hadn't revealed much, but what little he saw was incredibly important. The Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave was just as curious about what it all meant. 

"I think so too." 

The gentle voice of the Slug Sage finally spoke. 

"If he can develop his own Sage Mode, that means he qualifies to establish a new holy land. If he truly manages to do so, it would be the youngest holy land in history… Could it be that in the future, a fourth sacred land will be formed, and that's why they are called the Four Emperors?" 

The White Snake Sage continued, deep in thought. 

It made perfect sense. 

If things continued in this direction, it wouldn't be long before a fourth sacred land emerged. 

"If a fourth holy land appears, it would actually be a good thing for the ninja world. 

But what is this 'New World'? And the end of the world? There's also one more thing…" 

The Toad Sage projected a blurry image for the other two sages to see—it was a strange fruit, covered in twisted patterns. 

"By eating this fruit, a person gains a special ability, similar to Kekkei Genkai. Each fruit has a unique power, and no one can eat more than one. It's an incredible thing." 

Hearing this, both the White Snake Sage and the Slug Sage fell into deep thought. 

Well, to be precise, the Slug Sage wasn't thinking at all—she was just spacing out. 

After a long silence, the White Snake Sage's eyes suddenly lit up. 

"I know what this is… Orochimaru." 

"Orochimaru?" 

"Hah? Old toad, are you half-asleep? How could we, a bunch of ancient creatures, possibly know what these things are?"

"Since the three great holy land will eventually return to the ninja world, as the old toad saw in the future, why not let the people of the ninja world handle these things now?" 

"Besides, Orochimaru has always been interested in this kind of stuff. If we let him take care of it, we won't have to think too much about it." 

The White Snake Sage spoke. 

Orochimaru might be unpopular and extremely ambitious, but there was no denying his intelligence. His talent was among the very best in the entire ninja world. 

Even the sages of the three great holy land had to admit that. 

For a task like this, Orochimaru was the perfect choice. 

Of course, getting Orochimaru's help would come at a price, but for Ryuchi Cave, that price was nothing to worry about. 

As for the Slug Sage? She had already slipped away at some point. She had no interest in this matter at all. 

And with Tsunade's current situation, she wouldn't interfere too much in ninja world affairs either. 

The Slug Sage's stance? One word—chill. 

Meanwhile, Shanks, still "training" with Zabuza, had a serious expression on his face. 

After a month, his Observation Haki had finally returned. 

And at the very moment it recovered, he sensed someone spying on him. Without hesitation, he cut off that vague force with a single thought. 

"Did someone see me while using Observation Haki to peek into the future?" 

Over the past few months, Shanks had gotten better at controlling his Haki. This time, when he realized someone was watching, he remained completely calm. 

And the fact that no one had found this place yet meant it was still safe for now. 

"Besides, I've already mastered Observation Killer. Except for Armament Haki, I'm almost back to my original self. There's nothing to worry about." 

Shanks was cautious, but he also understood his own strength well. 

Whether it was Conqueror's Haki infusion or Observation Killer, he had both under control. 

Once he regained Armament Haki, he would be nearly unstoppable at sea. 

After all, Shanks' greatest strength had always been his Conqueror's Haki. And Observation Killer was one of his most troublesome abilities. 

You can use Observation Haki to see my future, but the future you see can be cut off by my Observation Killer, making it impossible for you to predict anything. 

This was the power of the youngest of the Four Emperors. 

"Shanks! Focus when you're fighting!" 

Zabuza's angry roar echoed, and in the next moment, a flash of his blade tore a crack into the ground where Shanks had been standing. 

Shanks grinned and leaped into the air. 

"Haha! Slash! You're still too slow." 

Buzz!! 

A ripple of black and red energy spread out. 

The light above Zabuza seemed to shatter in an instant. 

The next second, Shanks' fist, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, came crashing down. 

"Tekkai!" 

Zabuza crossed his arms, his upper body turning solid black as he used Iron Body. 

*Clang!* 

He managed to block it—but not completely. 

The moment they clashed, Zabuza was sent flying, smashing into the ground and cracking it apart. 

Dust rose in the distance. 

From the crater, Zabuza stood up, shook his hand, and with a gust of wind, the dust was swept away.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, and blood trickled from his nose. 

"I've already mastered Tekkai, so why didn't it block the attack?" 

Zabuza gritted his teeth. He had improved so much in such a short time, yet compared to Shanks in the distance, it felt like he hadn't improved at all. 

"You actually stayed conscious." 

"Damn it, Shanks, don't underestimate me! I can get stronger too. Your Conqueror's Haki doesn't work on me anymore!" 

"Take this!" 

Chakra surged wildly through Zabuza's body. His muscles swelled, growing visibly larger, raw power radiating from him. 

With a heavy stomp, he vanished again. 

"Blade-less Style Secret Technique!" 

"Shattered Blade!" 

In the next moment, Zabuza appeared above Shanks, hands clasped together, his overwhelming presence gathering into a single point. 

For a brief second, the sky seemed to darken. The only remaining light came from the glow of Zabuza's blade. 

Using his hands as a sword, a blade of energy nearly ten meters long tore through the air, slashing straight down at Shanks. 

Even before the attack reached him, Shanks could already feel a faint stinging sensation on his skin. 

At that moment, he gripped his katana. In the blink of an eye, a flash of black light erupted. 

A shadowy figure, trailing smoke, was sent flying through the air and crashed straight into the lake.