Konohagakure.
As the Chunin Exams approached, ninjas from various villages had begun appearing in the village.
The Third Hokage was pleased.
An exam that could attract so many ninjas only proved Konohagakure's importance in the ninja world.
And this time, even the Kazekage had come.
The Third Hokage was even happier.
At least, under his watch, Konohagakure was thriving.
Just then, Danzo walked in with a grim expression.
"Danzo, what's wrong?"
The Third Hokage was relaxed. Ever since Danzo was discharged from the hospital, he had been extra cautious. With so many ninjas arriving for the Chunin Exams, Danzo had been particularly worried about Konohagakure's barrier security.
"The ninjas from Kusagakure sent over some intel. Something big has happened."
Danzo's face remained dark as he threw a scroll onto the Third Hokage's desk.
The Third Hokage's expression grew serious, but instead of opening the scroll immediately, he continued looking at Danzo.
"What is it about?"
"It's about that Shanks and the Blade-less Pirates."
Danzo was visibly frustrated. He had a chance to look into this earlier but didn't. The intel he had gathered back then simply had too many inconsistencies.
"Shanks? The Blade-less Pirates?"
The Third Hokage thought for a moment.
Danzo had already informed him about Shanks and the Blade-less Pirates. When Kakashi and his team returned from the Land of Waves, they brought back two ninjas. Those two were incredibly weak—barely even Genin level.
Danzo's interrogation was quick. In less than a day, he had extracted all the information from them.
"You're talking about Shanks, the youngest of the Four Emperors from the New World… The one rumored to be the most powerful pirate on the seas?"
"And the Blade-less Pirates, the ones who robbed Kirigakure's money?"
That information had come from Sobei and Kotaro, and they were very specific about it.
But no sane ninja would believe what they said. Even though the Anbu confirmed that Sobei and Kotaro were telling the truth, their words were still hard to accept.
After all, those two were so weak that they couldn't even defeat a Genin. With their level of talent, reaching Chunin in their lifetime would already be an achievement.
And strength often determines one's perspective.
So while Kotarou and Zobei weren't lying, their understanding of the world was extremely limited.
Just to be cautious, the Third Hokage had subtly asked Naruto about what happened in the Land of Waves.
Naruto had answered honestly… but his version was even more exaggerated. After hearing it, the Third Hokage had left with a dark expression.
But now, his face looked even darker.
After opening Kusagakure's intel, he realized that what Naruto and those two ninjas had said might not have been an exaggeration at all.
"Kirigakure Jonin Terumi Mei launched a coup. The Mizukage was killed, and Terumi Mei became the Fifth Mizukage."
"The Blade-less Pirates were founded by Momochi Zabuza, one of the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"The Blade-less Pirates' captain has a bounty of 350 million, and the vice-captain has a bounty of 50 million."
At this point, there was no need to doubt the credibility of the intel.
Kusagakure and Konohagakure had always maintained a good relationship. They wouldn't send fake intel just to mislead them.
That was Kusagakure's cleverness—it might be opportunistic, but when it came to delivering intel, it was always reliable.
"The most important part is Shanks' bounty."
"From beginning to end, Shanks hasn't appeared or done anything, yet his bounty is 500 million."
Danzo slammed his hand on the table. This meant that Shanks was very likely the mastermind behind everything.
And all the crazy intel they got from the interrogation turned out to be true.
Otherwise, what kind of person would make Kirigakure Village take things so seriously? Do they really need at least five elite Jonin just to deal with an ordinary pirate?
We're talking about elite Jonin here—ninjas strong enough to threaten an entire village.
If that were the case, you might as well say it would take all five Kage to take down someone like Shanks.
"Based on the intel we've gathered, it seems like there's some kind of connection between Shanks and the Blade-less Pirates. That would explain why Shanks has such a high bounty."
"For the newly appointed Mizukage, stabilizing the village is the top priority. Who knows if the Blade-less Pirates' actions were carried out under Shanks' orders?"
"But Shanks' strength shouldn't be that terrifying. You and I both know the abilities of the Uzumaki clan."
The Third Hokage had a serious expression, but his mind was still sharp as he analyzed the situation.
Shanks had never shown up from beginning to end. Why? Was he hiding? Impossible. If he were really hiding, they wouldn't have even known about him.
The only possibility was that it was all just a bluff. Because if he did show up, all these lies would collapse in front of the truth.
"Are you saying… everyone was tricked?"
"It's just a possibility. The hardest intel to see through is the one mixed with both truth and lies. And by using the Blade-less Pirates' actions as a foundation, it makes all the following intel seem much more credible."
The Third Hokage spoke calmly.
At that moment, Danzo finally realized it too. He had been too shaken by the intel from Kusagakure. On top of that, he'd been dealing with a lot lately, which made him overlook this crucial point.
But now, after hearing the Third Hokage's analysis, everything clicked into place.
The Blade-less Pirates' whole existence was just for show.
"If you look at it that way, the real thing to focus on isn't the Blade-less Pirates with their supposed Jonin, but the political upheaval happening in Kirigakure Village."
Danzo let out a sigh of relief. That was much better.
"Danzo, you've been pushing yourself too hard lately. Take a proper rest."
The Third Hokage didn't press further—he knew Danzo was exhausted.
Not long ago, Uchiha Itachi had returned to Konohagakure, and Danzo happened to run into him. He ended up getting injured because of it.
Ever since then, Danzo hadn't had a moment to rest.
"Besides, it's the Chunin Exams right now. If we stir things up too much within the village, it might draw unnecessary attention."
"I understand."
Danzo picked up the scroll from the table and left the Hokage's office.
"Kirigakure Village rebellion… Terumi Mei takes over as the Fifth Mizukage."
Danzo's mind was still stuck on the situation in Kirigakure. That position of Kage… it really was filled with endless temptation.
Too bad. When it came to the Third Hokage, the man he had grown up with, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
"I should take a break… Whatever happens next has nothing to do with me."
Danzo couldn't do it.
But someone else would.
…
Meanwhile, at Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto held his bowl in his hands, staring blankly outside.
"Naruto, what's wrong?"
Zobei and Kotarou were enjoying their food when they suddenly noticed Naruto had stopped eating.
"Re... Red..."
Naruto stammered.
"Red what?"
"Red hair."
As soon as Naruto said that, Zobei and Kotarou froze. The next second, cold sweat dripped down their foreheads.
Red hair? That... legendary great pirate, why would he be in a place like this?
Stiffly, Zobei and Kotarou turned their heads.
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