In the distance, flashes of fire lit up the sea, and shockwaves sent waves crashing onto the shore.
Even though they were still some distance from the battlefield, the ninjas at the port could feel the pressure radiating from it.
The protective barrier around the port trembled under the weight of that pressure. Shanks' Conqueror's Haki had an overwhelming suppressing effect on chakra, especially for those facing it for the first time.
Luckily, they were far enough away that the Haki's pressure wasn't at its full strength.
On top of that, the ninjas stationed here were all elites from the Five Great Ninja Villages. Aside from Naruto's group, who had just arrived from Konohagakure, the rest were all at least Chunin rank or higher.
That was the only reason the barrier didn't shatter the moment it was struck by Shanks' Haki. But even with the barrier's protection, the Genin from Konohagakure could still feel the crushing weight pressing deep into their souls.
"So this… is the power of a Four Emperor? We're just Genin, and we don't even have the right to step onto that battlefield."
Sasuke forced himself to stand, sweat dripping from his forehead. The force of Haki wasn't something that could be endured easily.
This time, Shanks wasn't just using a single burst of Haki like he had against pirates before.
His Haki wasn't fading—it was only growing stronger as the battle continued.
Sasuke, Naruto, and the others finally understood what true pressure felt like when facing a powerhouse.
"That's a Four Emperor for you. Even someone like Zabuza, giving it his all, could only force him to draw his sword."
Kakashi remained calm, standing by the shore, directing the other ninjas to prevent any unexpected incidents.
This battle wasn't just between Shanks and the top fighters of the Five Great Ninja Villages. Countless people across the ninja world were watching, and who knew how many hidden forces were waiting for the right moment to strike?
"Neji, can you see what's happening on the battlefield?"
Lee and Tenten urged Neji. Because of Karin's arrival and various unexpected events, Lee, Neji, and the others didn't suffer many injuries during this Chunin Exam.
The most seriously injured were Naruto and Sasuke, who took heavy damage in their fight against Gaara.
Hearing their question, Neji shook his head.
"Just now, the Raikage was defeated. After that, I couldn't see clearly anymore. When I use the Byakugan to observe the battlefield's center, my eyes have to withstand much greater pressure than usual, so I can't keep looking for long."
Neji shook his head again.
As Genin, they couldn't even imagine a battle like this. No matter how they looked at it, this level of combat was far beyond human capability.
It wasn't just them—none of the ninjas present had expected Shanks to be this powerful. It was the first time they had ever seen something like this.
Meanwhile, Naruto's condition wasn't as bad as Sasuke's, and his injuries were healing fairly quickly.
But inside him, the Nine-Tails was a different story.
Since part of Naruto's seal had already been lifted, and the Nine-Tails had been able to influence him with its chakra back during the Land of Waves incident, it could now sense what was happening outside.
The moment Shanks unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, the Nine-Tails made the same rational judgment as the Eight-Tails—attacking together wouldn't be enough to take that guy down.
And then, the Nine-Tails sensed the Eight-Tails' chakra vanish completely.
It happened so fast.
The Nine-Tails had wanted to see if the Eight-Tails could at least put up a fight. After all, they were old rivals, so it had hoped for a bit of a surprise.
And it sure was a surprise—because in an instant, the Eight-Tails was just gone.
"Is this really something a human can do?"
Inside Naruto, the Nine-Tails froze. Then, without a word, it withdrew its chakra and retreated to the corner of its cage.
All traces of its usual rage and madness disappeared. Even its glowing red eyes started to show a flicker of intelligence.
The Nine-Tails knew the Eight-Tails better than anyone. It could easily imagine just how terrifying that moment had been.
"That guy… could he really be dead?"
The Nine-Tails' eyes flickered with uncertainty.
Outside, Naruto couldn't see what was happening on the battlefield, but he could feel the overwhelming pressure from a distance.
Strangely, instead of being intimidated, his fighting spirit only burned brighter.
This kind of pressure, something even he struggled to bear, was exactly what he had been searching for.
"Shanks is carrying a burden I probably can't even begin to understand. Is this the kind of pressure that keeps pushing him forward?"
Naruto's gaze fell on Kakashi.
Even from behind, Kakashi's figure looked lonely and distant.
"And what about Kakashi-sensei? How much is he carrying?"
Naruto didn't understand, and he knew he didn't need to—not yet.
He wasn't ready to bear that kind of weight.
Ever since returning from the Land of Waves, Naruto had grown a lot.
Especially after learning about the Uzumaki Clan and meeting Karin in Konohagakure.
Shanks was a man who had every reason to seek revenge for the destruction of his clan but chose instead to carve out a new era for everyone.
Karin was someone who had been through countless life-and-death situations, making her value life more than anything.
Whether it was Shanks or Karin, the darkness they had endured far surpassed his own.
And Kakashi-sensei was the same.
But instead of being consumed by that darkness, they had transformed, becoming the only light within it.
That was why, when others trapped in darkness saw them, they couldn't help but move toward their light.
Shanks had countless pirates of the new era following in his footsteps.
Kakashi-sensei had earned the trust and support of Konohagakure.
And Karin carried that same quality within her.
If Naruto wanted to be trusted and acknowledged, the answer was simple—he just had to become a fire in the darkness.
Thinking of this, Naruto's gaze subtly drifted toward Sasuke.
He could sense it—Sasuke was nothing like him.
Meanwhile, a few kilometers away from the battlefield, four figures stood on the deck of a ship—Itachi, Kisame, Kakuzu, and Hidan.
With so much happening in the ninja world, there was no way the Akatsuki would just sit back and watch.
Not only were Itachi and Kisame sent here, but even Kakuzu's teammate, Hidan, had come along.
Normally, when they weren't on a mission, Kakuzu and Hidan wouldn't act together.
After all, Kakuzu was busy making money, and Hidan… well, aside from killing people, he didn't really have any other skills.
"Hidan, weren't you just saying you wanted to test Shanks' strength yourself?"
Kisame's shark-like face twisted into a mocking grin.
Most of the time, Kisame kept a straight face.
The only time he looked genuinely amused was when he saw Hidan suffer.
"Yeah, Hidan, you're immortal anyway. Don't tell me you're afraid your so-called god won't be able to protect you?"
Kakuzu also smirked.
The key point here was that the moment Hidan arrived, he had started mocking them—even calling Kakuzu a coward.
But after spending so long in the underground black market, Kakuzu had gathered plenty of intel on Shanks.
And Itachi had already encountered Shanks before.
One thing was certain—Shanks was completely immune to Itachi's Genjutsu.
"Kakuzu, don't push it!"
Hidan snapped.
He was planning to test Shanks' strength, but halfway there, he saw the Eight-Tails get cut down in one strike.
Even Hidan, who was a kilometer away, could feel the sheer terror from that slash. If that strike hit him, even his immortality wouldn't save him.
Because of his faith in the Jashin religion, Hidan was extremely sensitive to death. Normally, he could ignore it, but Shanks' "Divine Avoidance" went beyond anything normal.
For the first time, Hidan felt the fear of death directly—and then he turned around and ran.
"Let's just stay put and watch."
"Our mission is only to gather information. After this battle, the ninja world will change completely."
"The organization will probably reveal itself when the new era arrives."
Itachi spoke calmly. The Akatsuki's orders were to act as they saw fit.
That meant they had full freedom.
But in this situation, there was nothing they could do. Until they fully understood Shanks' strength, they wouldn't make a move.
At the center of the battlefield…
A blade flashed.
The strike was aimed directly at Chiyo. Around her, broken puppet parts were scattered all over the ground.
"Puppet Art: Light Shield Seal!"
Chiyo poured all her chakra into a defensive shield, barely blocking Shanks' attack.
On the other side, Terumi Mei climbed out of the water, dragging Oonoki with her.
Oonoki was unconscious, and Mei wasn't doing much better. Even with the three of them combined, they still weren't a match for Shanks.
Luckily, their only job was to buy time.
"Sage Art: Toad Flat Shadow Bind!"
Oonoki was down, and Chiyo had sacrificed several puppets. Finally, Jiraiya saw an opening.
Even with an advanced sage technique stronger than the usual Toad Shadow Manipulation, he wasn't sure if he could restrain Shanks.
"Bunta!"
The moment Jiraiya locked down Shanks, Gamabunta appeared again.
As the giant toad opened his mouth wide, Shanks glanced at Jiraiya in the distance.
His Observation Haki spread ten kilometers out, easily sensing the pirate ships drifting on the sea.
The pressure in the sky kept growing stronger, and Shanks didn't understand why. There were too many things he didn't understand.
But looking at Jiraiya, he didn't sense any hostility.
Boom!
Gamabunta's huge mouth swallowed Shanks whole.
At the same time, Jiraiya's jutsu faded.
"Toad Mouth Bind!"
"Barrier: Toad Gourd Prison!"
Two jutsu were activated one after another, forming a layered combination. Jiraiya just needed to hold Shanks in place for as long as possible.
The next moment, Jiraiya jumped into Gamabunta's mouth.
As the space shifted, he appeared inside a tunnel formed by the toad's stomach walls.
In the distance, Shanks looked at Jiraiya, who was drenched in sweat.
"Using space-time ninjutsu to cover another ninjutsu? How did you do that?"
Even Shanks couldn't help but be impressed.
Jiraiya grinned proudly.
"This is a new ninjutsu technique I created by reverse-engineering your attack. Surprised?"
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