This was Danzo's official declaration of war against Shanks—a direct and open challenge.
Shanks' bounty might be an astonishing 1.5 billion, but everyone knew the truth about that bounty.
It wasn't issued by any village; it came from the underground black market.
In the black market, everything had a price—even ninja from the Great Villages had bounties on their heads.
But anyone who understood how things worked knew exactly what was going on with Shanks' bounty.
It was just like Zabuza's bounty. His price was still listed in the black market, yet Terumi Mei publicly denied any involvement and even lifted Kirigakure's official hunt for him.
Still, his bounty remained.
Since things hadn't escalated into open conflict, Terumi Mei could still cooperate with Zabuza when necessary.
Likewise, Shanks had yet to receive an official bounty from any major nation.
Despite everything he had done, it was just as Nara Shikaku had pointed out—Shanks hadn't truly done anything.
So even if they wanted to put a bounty on him, they could only do it in this indirect, unspoken way.
Shanks might represent the new era, but in reality, he was a neutral force.
Unlike ordinary pirates, he came from a ninja clan, and he hadn't caused direct harm to any of the great nations.
That so-called massive bounty? Not a single ninja dared to accept it.
And each village maintained the same stance—"Sure, there's a bounty on Shanks, but there's no proof I put it there, so you can't blame me."
But now, Danzo had completely changed the game.
He had just pushed Shanks into the global spotlight.
If this were written in the history books, it would mark the moment Shanks truly stepped onto the world stage—and Danzo was the one who had forced him there.
That was precisely why Shikaku was keeping such a close eye on the situation.
If things weren't handled properly, it could bring serious trouble to Konohagakure.
The next day, as the sun rose, the Land of Waves was eerily quiet.
The villagers hid in their homes, while most of the Root shinobi, except for a few near Danzo, stayed hidden.
Danzo looked up at Gato, who was half-dead and hanging from the execution platform's mast, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
"Shanks should be arriving soon."
There was still plenty of time. The Land of Waves was already under Root's complete control. The moment Shanks showed up, Danzo would be informed.
Of course, Danzo didn't station any men near the villagers. He wasn't the type to use civilians as hostages against pirates—that would be foolish.
Meanwhile, at the border of the Land of Fire…
Kakashi led Naruto and Sasuke back to the same place they had been before. Alongside them were Zobei and Kotarou.
"Zobei, Kotarou, stay near the bridge and be ready to back us up."
"Understood!"
Zobei and Kotarou responded confidently before slipping into the bushes beside the bridge.
"Naruto, Sasuke, make sure you protect yourselves."
Kakashi's tone was serious. This time, they were up against Danzo and a large number of Root's elite shinobi.
Kakashi wasn't worried about himself, but he couldn't guarantee Naruto and Sasuke's safety.
"I'll take care of myself, Kakashi-sensei."
Naruto nodded, the usual carefree expression on his face disappearing. This was a real battle.
"Same here," Sasuke replied coldly.
Sakura wasn't with them. After returning to Konoha, she had gone straight home. Only Naruto and Sasuke, who had nowhere to go, had stayed at the hospital.
Before they even had a chance to rest properly, Kakashi had already brought them here.
Naruto looked at the bridge in front of him, feeling emotional. Not much time had passed, yet so much had happened. He had grown—a lot.
There were too many things he didn't understand.
He didn't understand why the Third Hokage had to die in the destruction of Konoha.
He didn't understand why some people hated Shanks while Jiraiya admired him.
And he didn't understand why people who weren't enemies sometimes had no choice but to fight each other.
But when he was in the Land of Snow, watching the ruler, Doto Kazahana, take his own life in front of Koyuki Kazahana, something clicked in Naruto's mind.
Maybe the Third Hokage was the same as him.
Everyone carried burdens that others couldn't see—whether it was the ruthless Doto Kazahana or the kind and gentle Third Hokage.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto stepped onto the Naruto Bridge.
"Once we cross this bridge, we'll reach the New World—the pirates' world."
Sasuke felt a similar sense of emotion. Watching Naruto and Kakashi walk ahead, he followed them.
He was a genius of Konoha, but in this new era, his talent no longer stood out.
Whether it was Kakashi or Naruto, he had to push himself to his absolute limit just to barely keep up with them.
Sasuke had already realized how terrifying Naruto's growth was.
And in the Land of Snow, he had witnessed Kakashi slice through a mountain with a single sword strike, single-handedly holding back an avalanche.
"Sasuke, stay focused."
Kakashi, leading the group, called out, pulling Sasuke out of his thoughts.
Due to the Devil Fruit's effects, Kakashi had lost the ability to use ninjutsu.
But at the same time, his overall strength had increased dramatically.
With decades of shinobi experience, his progress wasn't just a little—it was immense.
Even he wasn't sure how strong he had become.
But one thing was certain—the old Zabuza would stand no chance against the Kakashi of today.
Kakashi, who was leading the way, was also lost in thought about the past. Back then, Zabuza's strength seemed almost unreal.
But…
Kakashi's figure suddenly vanished from where he stood.
"Where did he go?"
Below the bridge, a Root ninja who had been lying in wait suddenly lost all sense of Kakashi's presence.
The next moment, a chill ran down his spine.
His body reacted on instinct, raising his weapon to guard his back.
*Clang!!*
Sparks flew as Kakashi's short blade clashed against the ninja's kunai. The two of them were now hanging upside down beneath the bridge.
"How is this possible? You already have a Devil Fruit power—how are you still able to stick to surfaces like this?"
"How are you so sure I'm upside down and not standing normally?"
Kakashi's gaze was cold, like he was looking at a dead man. He truly couldn't use ninjutsu anymore, but… as someone with a space-based Devil Fruit power, his abilities were far from simple.
"Who says that just because I'm standing up there, I can't appear behind you?"
"That… That's impossible."
The ninja looked at the kunai in his hand. He had blocked the attack—he was sure of it. But then, a sharp pain exploded in his chest, and blood instantly gushed out.
"Kamui: Space Distortion!"
The slash had come from behind him, yet to block it, he would have had to defend from the front.
"H-How…?" The ninja couldn't even finish his sentence before his body collapsed and plunged into the ocean below.
Kakashi vanished again, surging forward alone. In that instant, every hidden Root ninja leaped out from their cover.
"Fire Release: Blazing Wind Flower!"
"Wind Release: Great Tornado!"
A massive whirlwind, infused with raging flames, roared across the bridge. At the same time, on the other side of the bridge, a barrier seal suddenly rose from the ground.
The Root ninjas weren't weak—their teamwork was seamless. But these kinds of attacks and defenses meant nothing to the current Kakashi.
"Kamui: Devour!"
Kakashi raised his short blade in front of him. A warped space appeared before his eyes. The massive fire tornado spiraled toward him—only to vanish into thin air the moment it reached him.
The lingering heat waves sent steam rising from the ocean's surface. Kakashi gazed at the people in the distance—once, they had all been comrades from the same village. But now, things were different.
There were no words exchanged. From the moment these Root members left Konohagakure, they were no longer part of it.
Kakashi pointed his short blade at everyone on the other side of the bridge.
This sword had no edge—it was the one his father had prepared for him. A coming-of-age gift.
"Too bad… I never got to use this sword at my coming-of-age ceremony."
"Hatake Sword Style: Avalanche!"
Kakashi charged forward alone. In an instant, countless dazzling slashes filled the air. The pure white blade flashes, combined with his space-warping ability, turned into a relentless avalanche of attacks.
The entire bridge was torn to pieces.
*Boom!!*
The white blade light struck the barrier, causing it to tremble.
"Kakashi, don't even think about breaking through here. This place isn't meant for you!"
The ninjas behind the barrier shouted angrily. They were Danzo-sama's most trusted people—there was no way they would let Kakashi break through.
"Just you guys?"
"You couldn't stop me back in Konohagakure. What makes you think you can stop me here?"
"For Danzo? Ridiculous. The person you're protecting… what right does he have to make you stand guard here? Do you really think your belief is strong enough to stop me?"
At this moment, Kakashi stood above them all, looking down with pride.
Not because of his strength, but because of his belief. He was the son of the White Fang of Konohagakure, the prized student of the Fourth Hokage.
And Danzo? What did Danzo have?
"Four-Flame Formation, activate!"
A second barrier appeared, stabilizing the trembling one.
But Kakashi hadn't even gone all out yet.
"White Fang Sword Style: White Flash!"
Amidst the "avalanche," Kakashi turned into a flash of light. The barrier could block some of his attacks—
But what if he was fast enough?
Fast enough that their chakra couldn't keep up? Fast enough that even the barrier itself couldn't react?
At that moment, Kakashi moved at an insane speed, flickering through the blade light like a flash of lightning.
Where the blade light went, Kakashi followed.
The power of the Kamui Space Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, was pushed to the limit. Space distorted, attacks overlapped, and the sheer speed turned into a terrifying force.
"Damn it!! The barrier's power is draining! Go get reinforcements, we can't hold him off!"
"Hurry!!!"
The ninjas behind the barrier finally understood just how terrifying Kakashi's power was—
One man alone was breaking through their defenses.
"So this is the power of a Devil Fruit user?"
"A ninja's strength already surpasses normal people, but this…"
In the distance, Naruto and Sasuke had already reached the water from the bridge. Kakashi just needed to keep the enemy busy.
Sasuke and Naruto's mission was to rescue Gato.
That meant this fight was now between Konohagakure and the Land of Waves.
"Sasuke, hurry! The barrier is weakening!"
Naruto, who had been watching the barrier closely, shouted as soon as he saw an opening. Without hesitation, he slipped through the gap.
Sasuke didn't hesitate either and followed him in.
But his eyes remained fixed on the distant bridge, where Kakashi alone, with just a single sword, was crashing into the barrier like a raging flood.
Sasuke's desire for power… his hunger for a Devil Fruit… grew even stronger.
Meanwhile, Danzo had also noticed the barrier near the bridge. Just as he was about to head over, one of his Root ninjas rushed in.
"Danzo-sama! Bad news! Kakashi is attacking from the bridge! Our barrier won't last much longer!"
"Kakashi?"
Hearing that name, a wave of anger surged in Danzo's heart.
If Shanks was the main culprit, then Kakashi was the real reason he defected.
If Kakashi hadn't shown up with the Nara clan and the ninjas from Sunagakure and Iwagakure—and if they hadn't been placed under house arrest—
Danzo would never have ended up like this.
And he definitely wouldn't have had to flee from Konohagakure.
"Is Kakashi the only one?"
"J-Just Kakashi alone."
Hearing this from his subordinate, Danzo stood up right away and put on his battle gear—the standard gear of a Hokage's personal guards.
"Let's go. Follow me."
Danzo waved his hand, signaling his men to move out.
But just then, on the other side of the island, another barrier rose up.
"BOOM!!!"
A terrifying explosion echoed across the sea.
Thick smoke billowed from the other side of the island.
But that wasn't the end of it.
"BOOM!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The explosions kept coming, one after another.
The entire barrier started to shake and weaken.
"What's happening over there?"
"I-I don't know, Danzo-sama."
Even Danzo was stunned for a moment.
"It must be Shanks! Hurry! Follow me!"
He immediately turned and led his men toward the chaos.
But before they could get there, a third barrier rose up on the other side of the island.
A barrier only appeared when Root encountered an enemy they couldn't handle.
But…
"Who the hell is it?!"
Danzo's forehead veins bulged as he stared in that direction.
"Danzo-sama…"
One of his Root ninjas trembled as he pointed behind Danzo.
Danzo turned around.
Beyond the execution platform, across the sea, a massive pirate ship was slowly approaching.
A huge pirate flag fluttered in the wind—its emblem, a skull with red hair.
"Sha… Shanks' pirate ship."
"Red-Haired… Shanks… is here!!"
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