Naruto: The Legend of Red Haired Shanks

Kisame's sudden appearance made Zabuza a little uneasy. He had once been part of the Seven Swordsmen, but ever since he left Kirigakure, he realized the world wasn't quite what he had imagined. 

"Oh, you're back?" 

Seeing Zabuza return, Shanks waved at him. 

But when Zabuza noticed Shanks' unsheathed sword resting nearby, his brows furrowed slightly. 

So that Uchiha actually dared to fight Shanks. Then again, it made sense. The Uchiha clan was known for their arrogance. 

"Looks like they tested you as well." 

Zabuza plopped down on the ground. Since nothing serious had happened on his end, Shanks was probably fine too. 

"Hmm, a strange ability user. Most likely someone with a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit." 

Shanks explained. 

He hadn't confronted Itachi directly, but the moment Itachi's crows started spying on him, he struck. 

The crows were destroyed, but they left no bodies behind. From Shanks' experience, this meant the opponent had some kind of strong Devil Fruit ability—most likely a Mythical Zoan. 

"Mythical Zoan?" 

Zabuza didn't know much about Devil Fruits, but from the name alone, "Mythical Zoan" sounded like it had something to do with illusions. And since the Uchiha clan was famous for Genjutsu, that made perfect sense. 

"Yeah, exactly." 

Zabuza nodded. No doubt about it—the Uchiha clan had Mythical Zoan abilities. 

"What did you run into?" 

Shanks asked curiously. He had thought the Marines were after Zabuza, but judging from his expression, that wasn't the case. 

"An old colleague of mine invited me to join their organization. But I'm not interested. Being a free pirate suits me better." 

"What organization?" 

Shanks was intrigued. Could it be CP0? 

"I don't really know. But they claim to have secretly overthrown several countries already. Their goal is to bring down the current world order and build a better, more peaceful world or something like that. But I don't buy it." 

Zabuza chuckled bitterly and shook his head. He had been brainwashed by Kirigakure with similar ideals before. And in the end? He was nothing more than a weapon for the village. 

Kisame and Itachi weren't lying to Zabuza. The Akatsuki's goal had always been to create a more peaceful era. 

That belief never changed, from the past to the present. 

It was just that, before Yahiko died, the Akatsuki had taken a more peaceful approach. Well, "peaceful" compared to what they were now. Back then, they weren't much different from a revolutionary army. 

But now? 

Now, the Akatsuki's methods had completely changed. 

"Alright, since our revolution was too gentle before, let's just be a full-blown terror group now. If we make ourselves a big enough threat, the whole world will have no choice but to unite— Either to fight us… or die."

This is exactly the kind of thing the Akatsuki is doing now. 

"They've already overthrown some countries?" 

"Yeah. I wouldn't say that guy and I are close, but he never lies. These reports should be real." 

Zabuza nodded. 

"Shanks, do you know what this organization is all about?" 

"If there's any group in this world capable of pulling off something like this, it would be the Revolutionary Army." 

Shanks didn't hesitate to say it. Based on his calculations, the Revolutionary Army should have just been established around this time, and they were definitely short on people. 

But Dragon sure moved fast—he had already found a foothold. 

"The Revolutionary Army's goal is to create a better, more peaceful world. Most of its members were once deceived by the so-called justice of the world, which is why they joined. As for more details, I don't know much." 

Shanks added. 

Hearing this, Zabuza sighed to himself. 

As expected, Shanks knew more about the hidden truths of the shinobi world than he did. There was still so much out there for him to uncover. 

Thinking about it that way, exploring the shinobi world as a pirate didn't sound too bad. 

"Shanks, I'm setting sail." 

After hesitating for a moment, Zabuza finally spoke. 

He had been thinking about this for a long time, but Kisame's appearance had made his decision clear. 

Hearing Zabuza's words, Shanks didn't seem surprised at all. 

Ever since he noticed that Zabuza's strength had stopped improving, he had already expected this. 

"When are you leaving?" 

"Tomorrow." 

"Do you have a plan?" 

"Yeah, first I need to find a shipwright. I don't think our boat can handle the ocean." 

Zabuza pointed to the boat by the lake—the one he and Shanks had spent the last month putting together. 

It looked like a boat, sure, but the hull was full of leaks. There was no way it would survive at sea. 

The next morning, a raft set sail from the coast. 

Its sail bore the image of a skull, with four crossed sword hilts supporting it. 

The Blade-less Pirates were officially born. 

"Shanks! When you set sail, you'll definitely hear my name across the seas! Hahaha!" 

Zabuza's hearty laughter echoed with the crashing waves. 

Over the past two months, these "dead men" had found new life. 

A pirate? A true pirate, free upon the sea. 

So this is what freedom feels like? 

Zabuza stood against the sea breeze, enjoying the moment. 

Ninjas? Villages? 

Screw all of that. 

From now on, I'll be the greatest pirate the shinobi world has ever seen!

"Oh, I hope you'll be able to handle my Conqueror's Haki when the time comes, Zan." 

Standing on the shore, Shanks called out. In the distance, Zabuza, with his back to him, simply waved a hand in response. 

As the waves washed over the shore again and again, the footprints Zabuza left behind slowly disappeared. Shanks turned and walked toward the wooden cabin by the lake. 

"It must be nice… to be a free pirate." 

"But I'm not there yet. There's too much weighing on my shoulders. To truly be the freest pirate on the seas, I need to be even stronger." 

A surge of red-and-black Conqueror's Haki erupted from Shanks. 

This overwhelming force, capable of crushing all living things, was more than just pressure—it was raw, tangible power. 

Even the sky itself seemed to tremble under the weight of his Haki. 

The only one in the ninja world who had ever severed the power of the sages. 

A force that had once been suppressed by the world— 

And now, a force that could suppress the entire world. 

"Two more years… there's no rush." 

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