"Boom!!"
The sky wasn't dark. Inazuma had torn through the clouds with sheer force, and in that instant, lightning lit up the entire ocean.
A black shadow flickered across the water's reflection, vanishing in a flash. As the waves shattered, the figure came to a stop in midair.
A piercing sound of air splitting rang in Sandai Tsuchikata's ears, followed by a violent gust of wind slamming into him. In the next moment, he saw bright red hair appear in his vision.
Then came an overwhelming wave of spiritual pressure. The sheer force of it was so terrifying that Sandai Tsuchikata couldn't even lift his hand to counterattack before—
"Clang!!"
A flash of a blade cut through the air. The ocean trembled slightly, and then, the water split apart, forming a deep chasm on the surface.
Looking along the path of the chasm, the seawater slowly turned red as blood mixed with the waves, droplets falling from above.
As the blood spread through the water, a trembling hand reached up from below, wrapped in a layer of earth-yellow energy.
Sandai Tsuchikata grabbed the surface of the sea with both hands, lifting himself out of the water with sheer strength.
"Cough, cough!!"
At that moment, Sandai Tsuchikata stared in shock at Shanks in the distance. Shanks stood silently on an iceberg.
Behind him, dark clouds swirled, and lightning raged like a dragon, but all of it was held at bay by that man alone.
Shanks' red hair swayed in the ocean breeze. Blood dripped from his sheathed sword. He hadn't even drawn it.
"Damn it… He hasn't even mastered Sage Mode, so how is he this strong?"
Sandai Tsuchikata wasn't an idiot; otherwise, he wouldn't have waited so long before showing up.
The information had come from Fukuda Kiyomu. The sages hadn't paid much attention to Shanks at first.
Did he have any battle achievements? None worth mentioning.
Defeating Orochimaru? That was nothing. They knew exactly what kind of person Orochimaru was—someone who inherited the Three Great Lands' legacy. And after all this time, he still couldn't master Sage Mode from Ryuchi Cave? What a failure.
So, beating Orochimaru wasn't something to brag about.
As for why the sages from the Three Great Lands took Shanks so seriously? Who cared? Did the sages need to follow their lead? Not at all.
They looked down on him. That part was true.
But they were also extremely cautious and wouldn't make a move easily.
So, when Sandai Tsuchikata heard Shanks say he couldn't even master Sage Mode, he was certain—this was in the bag.
So he was just a failure who tried but couldn't master Sage Mode.
But then…
"What is this pressure? Even natural energy is being suppressed… That guy…"
Sandai Tsuchikata coughed up blood, struggling to stand.
At that moment, an icy chill spread from the distance. The surface of the sea began to freeze, the ice extending from Shanks' position all the way past Sandai Tsuchikata.
A cold wind blew through, and a few snowflakes gathered behind Sandai Tsuchikata.
A white figure emerged from the snow, gradually solidifying into frost before taking human form.
Meanwhile, at Shanks' location…
Zabuza stood beside him, resting a massive sword on his shoulder, his expression carefree and defiant.
"It's been a while since I've seen someone this stupid. Saying you'd give Shanks a chance to draw his sword? If you're going to challenge him, at least make sure you have the strength first."
"But, Captain, you acted way too fast."
Shisui's tone was calm, but his eyes had already shifted into Mangekyou form, locked onto Sandai Tsuchikata.
The guy wasn't weak. And Shisui didn't believe for a second that he had come alone.
Ever since Shanks appeared in the world, when had he not been ganged up on the moment he showed up?
What? You mean the time with Orochimaru?
Orochimaru was ready to gang up on him too. If Shisui hadn't made preparations, Shanks would have been the one ambushed.
Of course, in the end, Shanks still got ambushed.
Orochimaru used the power of the Dragon Vein, combined with the will of the world attached to it, to attack Shanks.
And then, to top it off, Dark went ahead and blew up the Dragon Vein, trying to kill Shanks outright.
Even though that wasn't exactly what happened, that's what everyone believed.
Because no one was dumb enough to challenge Shanks one-on-one—that would just be suicide.
"Isn't this to prevent him from escaping?"
Shanks' face was serious, with no hint of his usual playful attitude.
"Still no sign of him?"
"Nothing at all. Gato's intelligence network is supposed to be very thorough, but there's no trace of this person, even in the Land of Earth."
Shisui shook his head. He had gone over the intel again, but there was nothing—no information whatsoever about the person in the distance.
That changed everything.
"There's no one else around. Looks like we'll have to get the information straight from him."
Shanks leaped off the iceberg, with Zabuza and Shisui following close behind.
"Interrogation, huh? I'm pretty good at that."
Zabuza grinned, his sharp gaze locking onto the three men standing in the distance.
At this point, the three men had lost all their arrogance. He knew he had lost—he couldn't even block a single strike.
"This isn't possible… How could someone this powerful exist in the ninja world? He's not even a sage, so why does he have such overwhelming strength?"
"Unacceptable… I refuse to accept this! I was born a sage! How could I die here?!"
He wasn't stupid. At least, not now. He finally understood—he had been used.
Shanks' strength was far beyond that of a normal sage. He was just a pawn, sacrificed for a greater plan. The future of the ninja world had already been decided.
The moment Shanks appeared before them, the moment Orochimaru used the power of the Dragon Vein to transform into the legendary creature—a dragon—their fate had been sealed.
Every sage had cautiously circled the bait, each carrying their own pride and ambition.
If Orochimaru, an ordinary ninja, could become a "dragon" using the Dragon Vein, then what would happen if a true sage obtained that power?
And in the end, the final push came from the information leaked by Fukuda Kiyomu.
It was their arrogance—their belief that they were above the rest of the ninja world—that led them straight into the trap.
"Earth Secret Technique: Ground Pulse!"
This was his signature technique, a unique ability only he possessed. If he ever reached the level of a top-tier sage, this technique could evolve into a divine ability, taking him to an even higher level.
But now, reaching that level seemed like a distant dream.
"I… will not…"
"I will not die here!!"
A surge of natural energy exploded from his body, resonating with the energy in the surrounding environment.
As the two forces merged, even more powerful Senjutsu chakra descended upon him. His skin turned a deep earthy brown, and chunks of rock formed and floated around him.
Crack!
He stomped down, shattering the ice beneath his feet, sending fractures racing across the surface. Gritting his teeth, he charged straight at Shanks.
"Shanks!!!"
His chest trembled, his pulse pounding as his body pushed itself beyond its limits. Even his broken ribs were temporarily held in check.
His strength returned—no, it grew even greater. His endurance and defense skyrocketed. This was the true power of the sage body.
Even if he couldn't land a single hit, he had to do everything he could to escape.
His grandfather had been killed by that lunatic, Fukuda Kiyomu. Now, after all this time, he finally had a shot at revenge.
If he could just obtain the Dragon Vein—if he could harness its power—
Then he would become the strongest sage of all.
No matter what, he couldn't die here. Absolutely not. He would never allow himself to just throw his life away like this.
At that moment, Sandai Tsuchikata's will to survive was stronger than ever. He knew he wasn't strong enough, but... he couldn't die. No matter what, he couldn't die such a meaningless death.
He hadn't even seen his enemy face to face—how could he die like this?
The shattered ice was covered in dirt and stone. Sandai Tsuchikata pressed his hands together and leaped into the air.
As his hands came together, cracks spread across the ice around Shanks, as if some invisible force was closing in on him and his group.
The whole thing seemed slow, but in reality, it happened in just two breaths.
"Boom!!"
The ice shattered layer by layer. The immense impact forced seawater up from below, and amidst the splashing waves, a faint green glow reflected on the surface.
The wind roared in his ears. The air was squeezed out in an instant, and then a calm, steady voice came from above Sandai Tsuchikata.
"Sorry, but if you want to challenge the captain, you'll have to get past me first!"
The moment the voice reached him, Shisui's Susano'o spiral sword was already in front of Sandai Tsuchikata.
Senjutsu chakra? It was powerful, no doubt.
But no matter how much its quality improved, it couldn't make up for the difference in sheer force. Even the hardest wood could pierce through iron given enough strength.
"Bang!!"
The massive spiral sword struck Sandai Tsuchikata directly, but the overwhelming power of his Senjutsu chakra was just as terrifying.
A natural-born sage, awakened to the power of a sage's body—how could that be weak?!
But against someone like Shisui, who had broken past life and death, who had been reborn stronger after facing his own mortality…
It still wasn't enough!!
No one is born strong. No one is born above all others. Even a natural-born sage like him, even Kaguya back then, were no exceptions.
The terrifying power of Susano'o ripped through Sandai Tsuchikata's chakra. The Senjutsu chakra surrounding him was torn apart in an instant, scattering into nothing.
Sandai Tsuchikata flew through the air like a broken kite. But in the next moment, he forcibly twisted his body midair and crashed into a passing ice pillar.
"Ugh!!"
A mouthful of blood spilled out.
His body slammed against the ice and finally came to a stop.
Bang.
His body hit the ice hard. The earthy-yellow Senjutsu chakra leaked from his body, mixing with the blood flowing from his wounds.
His clothes were in tatters, his body covered in scrapes and bruises. The thick, yellow veins in his body pulsed violently. His heartbeat and Senjutsu chakra still surged within him.
But… his body had reached its limit.
His fractured ribs sent sharp pain through his chest with every breath.
Not only had he lost to Shanks, but he hadn't even been able to defeat the ninja at Shanks' side…
At this point, Sandai had already stopped feeling the pain.
Two consecutive defeats had completely shattered the pride he held as a natural-born sage. All that was left was humiliation—endless humiliation.
The sages had stayed away from the world for too long.
Not just the sages—even the ninjas from the great villages, before the new era arrived, had no real understanding of the common people.
And the nobles had never truly seen how the people at the very bottom lived.
Is Sandai Tsuchikata weak?
No, not at all.
Forcing Shisui to bring out his Susano'o is already proof of Sandai Tsuchikata's strength.
Keep in mind, even Naruto in Sage Mode could only handle some of Nagato's puppets. Even Jiraiya in Sage Mode wouldn't dare take on an attack like this head-on.
As for the Kabuto in history, there's no need to even mention him.
His strength was nowhere near as terrifying as the Sandai Tsuchikata standing here now.
Strong enough to withstand Susano'o's attacks, capable of unleashing destructive power without needing any hand signs.
And then there's this completely absurd amount of Senjutsu chakra.
Any one of these things is beyond what Jiraiya, Naruto, or Kabuto had in the original story.
Naruto might be able to compete if he used Kurama's power, but in just Sage Mode alone, Sandai Tsuchikata is definitely one of the strongest in the ninja world.
He had every reason to be proud, every right to stand above the rest.
But he never expected the world to change so quickly. Never thought there could be a ninja this powerful.
Humiliation, unwillingness, fear of death.
Sandai Tsuchikata clenched his teeth so hard that blood seeped through the gaps. Tears ran down his twisted face and dripped onto the frozen ground.
Not far behind him, Haku stood, his body radiating overwhelming natural energy—icy cold, suffocating, and utterly hopeless.
In front of Sandai Tsuchikata, the massive Susano'o towered over him, looking down with calm, indifferent eyes. Not even with contempt—because he wasn't worth it.
And Shanks, that man.
He simply watched quietly from the edge of the battlefield.
Thunder rumbled through the clouds above. A man who once stood high above as a sage had now become nothing more than prey waiting to be slaughtered.
He felt unwilling. Humiliated. And terrified!!
But… more than anything, he was furious.
"I haven't even met that guy yet. There's no way I'm dying… to the likes of you."
"I was born a sage!!"
With a crazed roar, Sandai Tsuchikata slammed his head into the ice. His body tilted, but he forced himself back up.
His arms hung weakly in the freezing wind, blood dripping down his forehead.
Staring at Shanks in the distance, Sandai Tsuchikata took another step forward.
"I won't die at the hands of weak pirate scum like you!!
My life… is not yours to take."
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