The Third Hokage: First Move Send Danzō to Prison

"You brat! What did you just do to me?!"

A furious roar shattered the air.

A surge of Conqueror's Haki burst into the sky, so dense and violent it nearly took physical form. The raw force radiated outward with Whitebeard at its center, sending gales howling in every direction.

Though none of Whitebeard's crew were weak, most of them had to brace themselves with all their strength just to remain standing within the storm.

Then came a slash infused with Haki, swift as lightning.

The air itself seemed to freeze and crack, like glass under pressure.

There was no time to dodge. If this hit, it would mean death. Every fiber of Uchiha Itachi's being screamed in warning.

Susanoo!

A crimson skeletal giant erupted from Itachi's body, forming instantly and shielding him from Whitebeard's strike.

The chakra construct cracked and shattered under the immense pressure of Whitebeard's supreme grade blade, Murakumogiri.

But it had held. The sword strike had been stopped.

"A Mythical Zoan user, huh? That's one hell of a power," Whitebeard muttered, stepping back.

Though his first strike had missed, he made no move to follow up. Instead, he raised a hand, signaling his sons to stand down. They'd all been poised to leap into action, ready to tear Itachi apart.

Whitebeard had shaken off the effects of Kotoamatsukami in an astonishingly short time. Truly worthy of being called the strongest man in the world.

He assumed Itachi was a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, much like Marco, and that the mental influence earlier had been the fruit's ability.

Of course, if the young man truly wasn't a Devil Fruit user, it wouldn't particularly surprise Whitebeard either.

The sea was vast. New and strange things were born every day.

He sat back down on his captain's throne, sharp eyes fixed on Itachi.

"Explain yourself. What exactly did you do? Depending on your answer, you may not leave this ship alive."

"I'm a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village. I'm not a Devil Fruit user. I was hired by Ace, and his request was…"

Itachi calmly relayed the full content of Ace's commission and explained his use of ninjutsu to influence Whitebeard's decision.

Whitebeard remained deeply displeased and issued a stern warning. But for Ace's sake, he refrained from attacking further.

"If Ace entrusted you with this, then stay here," Whitebeard said, ultimately choosing to tolerate Itachi's intrusion.

He needed more strength now than ever. Despite all his boisterous cries of "I am Whitebeard!" the old man's mind was anything but careless.

He had once tolerated Crocodile. He had tolerated Buggy. Tolerating a shinobi hired by Ace, whose goals aligned with their own, was not beyond him.

And his repeated declarations of being "the strongest" were, in truth, a way to instill confidence in his sons.

Ace had to be saved. Not just because he was a son, but because he was Whitebeard's chosen successor.

Itachi accepted without hesitation. "Agreed. That was my intention. I will do everything in my power to protect your life."

Though a Leaf Village elite, Itachi clearly lacked a detailed understanding of how this world operated. His time with the Marines had shown him just how complex this sea truly was.

As someone dispatched to complete a mission, it was unrealistic for him to gather a team or build his own crew from scratch.

Staying with the Whitebeard Pirates was, strategically, the best move.

"Hahaha! I am Whitebeard! What would I need protection from a ninja for?" Whitebeard laughed heartily, his thunderous voice shaking the deck.

But not all his sons shared his understanding. Aside from a few like Marco, the majority didn't comprehend his reasoning.

To them, Whitebeard was still the unrivaled king of the seas. Saving Ace required no help, especially not from this shady outsider who dared to influence their father.

In fact, Whitebeard's pride seemed more important to them than Ace's rescue.

"This shinobi is our guest, invited by Ace himself. Sons, enough about fighting. Let's hold a banquet instead!" Whitebeard scratched his head with exaggerated weariness, watching his noisy sons with a mix of exasperation and fondness.

At his urging, the mood quickly shifted back to celebration.

"Haha! I'll duel him after the feast!"

"Hey, ninja, show us how much you can drink!"

"Are you from Wano too?"

As the chatter picked up, Marco, the First Division Commander, stepped closer and offered a gesture of peace.

"Since Pops has invited you, the fighting can wait until after the banquet."

"Thanks," Itachi nodded. He was already analyzing Marco clearly one of the few rational minds among the crew. He made a mental note to establish deeper contact with him later.

"Later, I'll be the first to challenge you to a duel."

"Huh?" Itachi's thoughts were interrupted.

"Hahaha! First, come drink with me!"

These people were…

Unrestrained.

That was the word Itachi settled on. He clearly didn't fit in with their chaotic energy.

Deep down, he felt a twinge of regret. Kotoamatsukami had failed. The shortcut was gone.

He was a shinobi, not a warrior. Direct combat was always a last resort. Though he had dazzling techniques and the three sacred treasures, his mindset remained that of a true shinobi.

Now he would have to pursue Objective Two. Which likely meant clashing with the monsters of this world in large-scale battles.

Marine Headquarters

Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat behind his wide desk, holding a piece of urgent intelligence from the New World Division. His brow furrowed as he read, dread tightening in his chest.

Another powerful ability user had reportedly joined Whitebeard's crew.

According to the report, a Marine Rear Admiral and his entire ship had fallen under some sort of mind control. This power was even more troublesome than Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit.

"If the strength of this ability goes beyond what we've seen… we could be in serious trouble." Sengoku rubbed his temples, feeling the beginnings of a migraine.

He simply couldn't understand it. Why would someone with that kind of power join a pirate crew? Why not use it for justice? Why not become a Marine?

Clearly, the Paramount War plan was necessary. Whitebeard had to be eliminated. The pirates' arrogance had to be crushed.

He picked up the Den Den Mushi and ordered an official bounty to be issued for the mysterious mind-control user, Uchiha Itachi.

Preliminary bounty: 500 million Berries.

Just as Sengoku was about to feed the documents to the sheep-shaped shredder, the door slammed open.

"Sengoku!"

Who else but Garp?

Vice Admiral Garp strolled in casually, a bag of rice crackers in hand.

"You're scowling again, Sengoku," Garp said, grinning as he munched loudly.

Sengoku shot him a glare. "Garp, is this really the time for jokes? You're the reason my head hurts!"

"Hahaha! Not my fault!" Garp roared with laughter.

"We're talking about executing your grandson! If you don't want him to die, then go talk some sense into him!" Sengoku slammed his palm on the desk, voice full of frustration and helplessness.

If Ace were willing to surrender and publicly admit to being the Pirate King's son, this whole mess could be avoided. Sengoku wouldn't have to carry out such a painful duty.

"I did! Didn't work!" Garp said, still laughing. "The kid's a man now. He even bragged to me like it was nothing!"

"Hmph! So stubborn. Evil blood through and through. Damn it, Garp, you made a colossal mistake back then!"

Sengoku was so furious, he snatched the crackers from Garp's hands and shoved the entire pack into his own mouth.

NEXT CHAPTER : Konoha's Five Grand 

(With Orochimaru redeemed and Tsunade returning, Hiruzen begins reshaping Konoha's future—starting with naming Kakashi one of Konoha's Five Grand Generals. But shadows gather as the Hidden Cloud infiltrates the Land of Fire, possibly led by the Fourth Raikage himself.

Kakashi is given supreme command and full war authority: if the Raikage's here, he doesn't leave alive.

Next chapter: Operation Lightning Reaper begins—Kakashi leads the hunt.)

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