He has even mastered Haki, and you say this is Naruto?

Below, the ninja hadn't even registered what had happened; one moment, a giant executioner's blade was embedded in the deck, and the next—it was simply gone.

Moments later, blood splattered everywhere.

A thick mist enveloped the flotilla. Ear‑piercing screams echoed across the sea, and the white vapor was tainted with a faint red hue.

Through the fog, Zabuza (Re‑no‑Zan) emerged like a vengeful specter—more terrifying than any ghost.

"Run!"

"Get out of here!"

"He's a monster—flee!"

One by one, crews from over a dozen ships snapped. They abandoned ship, plunging into the ocean, unwilling to stay a moment longer in the presence of such a brutal creature.

Bodies kept falling into the waves as others desperately followed suit.

On the stern, Kado stood in shock and despair.

Weren't the merchants confident? They'd hired black‑market mercenary ninja and outfitted the ships with deck‑guns and firearms—at great expense—all to deal with Zabuza with ease.

But now…

"How can a sword even cut through cannon shells?"

"How can a man run across the sky?"

"This is impossible…"

Kado slid down the stern, staring at the churning sea with sheer terror.

"Ka‑do, I've come for the money."

Zabuza, bare‑chested and muscular, stepped out of the dissipating mist, looming over Kado.

"Lo‑lord Zabuza… please spare me. I—I'll pay anything, I have plenty of money."

Kado finally broke. There was no brave resistance left in him. Facing someone like Zabuza, he didn't even have the right to fight for his life.

His own life was meaningless to Zabuza—it was Kado's money and Wave Country's shipbuilding secrets that truly mattered now.

Zabuza, while not understanding their value, remembered how Kisame's organization nearly collapsed at Orochimaru's deception and spent a fortune in the aftermath. Money and research were powerful indeed.

Kado wasn't resourceful—but he did know how to generate wealth.

"Your life is worthless, Kado. Take us to Wave Country."

"Yes, Lord Zabuza…"

His voice cracked. His life was already in Zabuza's hands. If he couldn't serve a purpose, even ten lives wouldn't save him.

On a distant skiff, two people lowered their binoculars and exchanged shocked looks.

They'd been sent to observe Kado's dealings. Merchants in this era were no pushovers—some wielded as much influence as small villages.

There existed a naval black‑market trading ninja slaves. After the Fourth Shinobi War, Sasuke even appeared there, making it a hub for wealthy traders.

"Let's go."

"Report back—we lost. Zabuza is too powerful."

"It's best to tell them the truth."

Meanwhile, others—including Kurozetsu—had been monitoring Zabuza long before these mercenaries did. Once Zabuza entered Wave Country, Kurozetsu finally captured more intel.

"Yes, my lord," Kurozetsu bowed and presented the truth: "This record details that one named Shanks of the Uzumaki clan—it says his abilities are… (unexpectedly) extraordinary."

He handed the info to Madara, who by now was nearly gone. Yet Kurozetsu, still acting as Madara's spiritual vessel, remained respectful.

He dared not approach Shanks directly, relying entirely on Zabuza's field observations.

An ancient contemporary of the Sage of Six Paths, Kurozetsu knew all the clans' signature abilities—but that didn't mean he understood their full potential. Some talents, at peak, could manifest in unimaginable ways.

"Three‑Color Haki? Observation, Armament, and Conqueror's Haki…"

Madara mulled over the dossier. In just decades, countless terms had emerged—many he'd never heard before.

Observation Haki let one detect enemies over vast distances—even invisible ones—and predict their attacks. Mastered, it could read a person's heart, sensing malicious intent before it manifested.

Madara, aged and frail, recognized this wasn't like the usual Uzumaki eye—they called it "Kagura Mind Eye." Shanks' Haki was far stronger than typical.

"Mastering Observation Haki can… glimpse a fleeting future?"

Madara's wrinkled face twisted in shock and disbelief.

Impossible—to foresee the future?

But wait…

If one could perceive an enemy's assault in advance, why not sense the world—fate itself?

A spark flicked in Madara's mind, igniting dormant ash in his ancient intellect.

Even at the end of his days, he was still Madara—once the calamitous genius who dominated an era.

Unlike Indra, his dominance came from the strength of his own mind and chakra.

He outclassed Sasuke by far—both in power and guile. His only flaw? Pride.

And now, with a single glimpse of this new Haki… he understood.

Observation Haki was real—and Kurozetsu's report wasn't false.

A new era‑shaping genius had emerged, one powerful enough to challenge centuries of history.

"And Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki—those must be real too."

Some say such strength doesn't exist in the shinobi world. They are gravely mistaken.

Who could have foreseen a single man standing against the entire ninja world? Before Madara and Hashirama?

Exactly: a genius who rips open new paths. A true pioneer.

That's Madara's pride—his Uchiha arrogance: standing above gods and monsters. Even Hashirama couldn't match it.

Though Hashirama won with sagehood, aided by the power of the Forest Spirit, Madara relied only on himself.

Sensing Madara's aura, Kurozetsu fell silent, retreating to the shadows.

After a long pause… the frail old warrior rose from his bed. In an instant, his body took on a decade's youth—strong enough to stand again.

"Take me to him. I want to see this prodigy of the age."

"But… Lord Madara, and your plan… what about Obito?"

Kurozetsu hesitated.

Madara snorted coldly—he cared little for Obito's rebellion. It was all part of his will manifesting now.

Kurozetsu broke into a cold sweat. "Yes, I'll take you."

Madara felt no fear of death. Top of the world, he would never fade into obscurity.

Before he died, he would witness this man's power with his own eyes.