Beside Raikage, Killer Bee also put on his headband. He could sense these people more clearly than anyone else.
These so-called "pirates" didn't come here for the same reasons as them.
As the Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails, Killer Bee might seem carefree, but his instincts were sharper than anyone's.
These pirates had an incredibly strong belief.
Their hearts held nothing but pure conviction—a determination to risk everything because they had seen hope.
"Raikage-sama, you're not the only one who gets to steal the spotlight! I'm coming too!"
Seeing that both Raikage and Killer Bee had stepped forward, Mabui had no choice. Raikage rarely made decisions, but when he did, she had to support them.
"I'll have the others prepare for backup. Yurui, treat everyone's injuries and get ready—we're leaving today."
Since the decision was made, Mabui didn't hesitate anymore. As the Raikage's secretary, it was her job to handle everything from here.
Meanwhile, Terumi Mei glanced at Zabuza in confusion.
"These are the pirates of the New World. When you meet that man one day, you'll understand."
"Even as an enemy, he is someone you can't help but admire and respect. That's what it means to be one of the Four Emperors."
"He doesn't need anyone's approval. He doesn't need anyone's support."
Zabuza thought back to Shanks. That man had an undeniable presence—the aura of a Four Emperor.
"Because he knows that as long as he walks a path, countless people will follow in his footsteps. That's the power of a Four Emperor."
Zabuza's eyes were filled with memories, and a lonely aura surrounded him. In this world, he was the only one who truly understood Shanks.
No one understood Shanks better than he did. This kind of solitude was honestly a bit sad.
"But Captain, weren't you really worried about Shanks before?"
Jin, standing beside him, spoke up.
"…"
"You don't even know how strong Shanks is, do you?"
Terumi Mei scoffed. If she didn't care about her image, she would have flipped Zabuza off right then and there.
With your strength, what are you even bragging about? Anyone who doesn't know better might actually think you're invincible.
"Hah? Don't say that. If I go all out, I can at least force Shanks to draw his sword."
Zabuza said proudly. His subordinates behind him also looked just as proud, completely unaware of how ridiculous that statement was.
Forcing someone to draw their sword with everything you've got—was that really something to be proud of? That was just embarrassing.
Come on, you're at least an elite Jonin, one of the strongest in the ninja world. And you're proud just because you can make him unsheathe his sword?
Of course, even though Terumi Mei and the others found Zabuza's attitude weird, they also thought it was insane.
Because Zabuza really was strong. Killer Bee had experienced it firsthand.
Zabuza's swordsmanship wasn't based on skillful techniques, but rather a brute-force style. And yet, even with that style, he managed to suppress Killer Bee in terms of technique.
As for raw power, there was no need to even mention it.
"What kind of monster is Shanks? Does someone like that really exist? Even Zabuza doesn't know how strong he truly is."
"Zabuza is completely unreliable. Shanks' swordsmanship is far beyond Zabuza's. And my own sword skills aren't even as good as Zabuza's."
Killer Bee couldn't help but complain in his head.
He also used blades, but his belief wasn't strong enough.
Unlike Zabuza, he couldn't treat his weapon as his closest companion.
He hadn't reached the level where he could communicate with his sword.
"Bee, you still have me. As long as I'm here, you won't be too weak."
The Eight-Tails, sealed inside Killer Bee, spoke.
As one of the strongest Tailed Beasts, it had full confidence in that statement.
In this era, the power of a Tailed Beast was like having a nuclear weapon.
But thinking about that, a golden figure suddenly appeared in the Eight-Tails' mind.
The Fourth Hokage. That guy could only be described as terrifying.
To be fair, the Eight-Tails was a Tailed Beast, so its body was naturally strong.
Back when Killer Bee and A fought Namikaze Minato, Bee had used the Eight-Tails' power and transformed his tentacles to attack.
And yet, Minato had simply cut them off with a kunai.
A kunai! That thing was barely the length of a hand, and he used it to slice right through its tentacles.
"...Do you think the Fourth Hokage might be related to Shanks?"
The Eight-Tails muttered to itself.
"The Fourth Hokage and Shanks? No way."
Killer Bee casually responded.
The others were already used to Killer Bee talking to himself from time to time.
But when Zabuza heard what he said, he was stunned.
"Wait… how do you know the Fourth Hokage and Shanks are connected?"
The moment Zabuza said that, both Raikage and Killer Bee froze.
Even the Eight-Tails was speechless.
Meanwhile, in Konohagakure—
The first phase of the Chunin Exams had already ended.
And this time, the most attention-grabbing participants were Karin and Gaara.
Gaara was undeniably strong.
As for Karin… well, her strength wasn't that impressive.
At the very least, none of the ninjas who fought her ended up seriously injured.
Everyone knew one thing—never make the red-haired girl angry. If you did, she would fight with everything she had.
"Ahh!! Pervy Sage, you have to help me! I'm no match for those two at all!"
Naruto had a miserable look on his face. Ebisu had been teaching him Ninjutsu when they happened to catch Jiraiya peeping at the women's bath.
Then, Ebisu made his move.
And then, Ebisu got knocked out cold.
So now, the responsibility of teaching Naruto had fallen on Jiraiya.
"Haven't you already learned Shanks' Six Powers? Just keep training, and you'll be able to beat them soon enough."
"I learned it, but I didn't master it!"
Naruto replied confidently. He had really worked hard, but his progress had been slow.
"By the way, Pervy Sage, have you really never met Shanks before?"
"Never."
Jiraiya curled his lips. Thinking about Shanks' complicated background, he had no desire to meet him.
Of course, if there was no other choice, Jiraiya would still show up.
He was someone who believed in fate but also fought against it. If he truly believed in fate, he wouldn't struggle—he'd simply leave everything to destiny.
But the real Jiraiya always did his best to resist fate and look for opportunities within it.
Shanks' appearance was something outside of fate, a man who could truly change everything. Seeing Shanks had also given Jiraiya a new sense of hope.
"Brat, you carry the name 'Uzumaki,' yet you're so weak? Look at that red-haired girl. Learn from her a little, will you?"
"I already asked Karin for advice."
Naruto answered seriously. He really had gone to Karin.
"Karin told me that the most important thing is to stay alive. As long as you survive, you can keep getting stronger. That's what drives her."
Hearing Naruto's response, Jiraiya nodded.
Not bad. As expected of Minato and Kushina's son, he had good instincts and had grasped the real essence of it all.
Jiraiya had also been observing Naruto closely these past few days and could see the firm determination in his heart.
With that kind of resolve, even if the Nine-Tails' seal weakened a little, Naruto would be fine.
"Alright, looks like I'll have to teach you one of my best moves."
Jiraiya stood up, gathering chakra in his hand. It was time to unlock the power inside Naruto's body.
"Five Elements Seal Release!"
The next moment, Jiraiya pressed his hand against Naruto's stomach. His chakra spread through Naruto's body instantly, and at the same time, Naruto's seal was released.
Naruto could clearly feel something inside him breaking free. It was as if a heavy chain had been removed, leaving him feeling lighter than ever before.
But while unlocking the seal, Jiraiya noticed something—Naruto's seal had already started to loosen on its own. And it wasn't just a little—it was something Naruto had done himself.
"Pervy Sage… I feel like I just got a lot stronger!!"
Naruto muttered. It was an unmistakable feeling—he had definitely become much stronger.
"It's just an illusion. All I did was remove a seal in your body. It'll help your chakra flow more smoothly, which means you'll learn Ninjutsu faster."
Jiraiya shot him down immediately. There was no such thing as getting stronger all of a sudden. This brat was always daydreaming.
"Ah, I see!
That means I'll be able to train in the Six Powers even faster now, right?"
Naruto suddenly realized something—if chakra flowed more smoothly, wouldn't that mean better control over his body? And if his body control improved, wouldn't that make training in the Six Styles even faster?
"You idiot, this is to help you learn Ninjutsu. What I'm about to teach you is a powerful jutsu that only I and the Fourth Hokage have mastered."
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Naruto's eyes lit up instantly. A Ninjutsu that the Fourth Hokage knew?
"What? What is it?"
"Summoning Jutsu."
Jiraiya crossed his hands. The true strength of the Summoning Jutsu wasn't in the technique itself but in the creatures it could summon.
Simply put, it was like calling for help. How strong this jutsu was depended entirely on how powerful the summoned beast was.
And the toads of Mount Myoboku… were incredibly strong!
"Watch closely!"
"Boar—Dog—Rooster—Monkey—Ram! Summoning Jutsu!"
As Jiraiya slammed his palm down, Naruto suddenly felt the ground shake. His body was lifted into the air, and in the next moment, he found himself standing on what felt like the top of a small mountain.
The wind howled, and he could see the forest far below.
Naruto looked down at the massive toad beneath him, frozen in shock.
The old pervy sage, who usually looked so sketchy, was now shining in Naruto's eyes, looking unbelievably cool.
"Toad Sage, I—I want to learn this!!"
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