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

Haku didn't want Zabuza to get involved in the muddy waters surrounding Shanks. Instead, as long as the information spread, and the Blade-less Pirate Crew created a little distraction on the outskirts, it would be enough.

"I—I understand!!"Kado nodded his head.

"Remember, you only need to spread the information. Don't do anything extra."

Haku reminded him once again. Kado was well-versed in the underground black market—just spreading the information would naturally draw Dark's gathered forces toward the Land of Fire.

Due to the urgency of the situation, on the same day the Blade-less Pirate Crew set sail, Kado also left the Land of Waves.

That night, in a secret underground black market, Kado met the person he was looking for.

"Remember, just pass along the intel. Don't do anything else."

Haku's words still echoed in his ears.

"What Haku meant was to spread this intel as quickly and widely as possible. No need to embellish it. What matters is the reach."

Looking at the man in front of him, Kado had already made up his mind. He couldn't afford to mess this up. Who knew how those pirates would deal with him when they returned?

"Mr. Kakuzu, I heard you once fought the First Hokage, and your strength was on par with his. That's why I believe you're the right person to take this bounty."

Still wearing his little sunglasses, Kado's thin mustache twitched as he spoke with a smile mixed with sarcasm.

"On par?"

Kakuzu's fists clenched upon seeing Kado's smug expression and hearing those words.

This guy dared mock him? On par? If Hashirama hadn't spared him on purpose, he'd be dead by now.

Thud!Kakuzu stabbed a kunai into the table, his killing intent clearly radiating.

Kado immediately felt uneasy.

Having survived countless dangerous situations, Kado could sense Kakuzu's malice in an instant. If he praised him any further, he might not make it out alive.

These damn ninja are all lunatics. Better avoid them whenever possible.

"Just get to the point."

"We need to spread some intel."

"And the price?"

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. If someone was hiring him, it clearly wasn't a simple message delivery.

"Thirty million."

"Forty."

Kakuzu raised the price without hesitation. He didn't care what it was—he just didn't like this guy.

"The intel is: A Devil Fruit user named Dark made contact with Itachi and Kisame from the Revolutionary Army half a month ago in the waters near the Land of Waves.Afterward, the two Revolutionary Army cadres headed toward the Land of Fire."

"Currently, the Kazekage from Sunagakure is in Konoha for the Chunin Exams, and various other minor villages have sent ninja as well."

Kado finished and looked at Kakuzu.

"That's all. The crucial part is to make everyone aware of this intel as quickly as possible."

"That's it?"Kakuzu was a bit stunned. Just this? This intel was hard to sell.

"That's it."

Kado nodded. For once, he wasn't playing games—if anything went wrong, it wouldn't be his fault.

"Add ten million. This useless info won't sell. Getting it into the five great nations won't be easy."

Kakuzu demanded more. Fair enough—business is business. Even giving this intel away would be tough.

Though Kakuzu had lived a long life and had contacts in many villages, they didn't deal in favors—they dealt in cash.

"Fine."

Kado nodded. Honestly, 50 million was nothing. No matter how this incident turned out, a bunch of factions in the underground market would disappear.

He was confident he'd make the money back.

Seeing how straightforward Kado was, Kakuzu didn't waste time either.

Despite the intel involving his own comrades, he didn't care. Most of Akatsuki's funding came from him anyway. If anything happened, it was Itachi and Kisame's bad luck.

Kakuzu worked much faster than Kado expected.

In less than a day, the information had already been spread far and wide.

There was no effort to conceal the source—anyone with intent could trace it back to Kakuzu.

Although nobody knew what this so-called "Revolutionary Army" was, that didn't matter. What mattered was that this seemingly inconspicuous info connected to a vast web through a single point.

Yes, everything was connected now.

Kirigakure –

Mei Terumi placed the intel report aside.

"Notify Ao. Tell him to stop looking for Shanks. There's something more important now."

Mei's brows were tightly furrowed. The internal chaos of Kirigakure had been resolved, but the battle against the previous Mizukage had taken a toll.

Now a massive incident was unfolding across the shinobi world.

"Why are you suddenly recalling Ao, Lady Mizukage?"Chōjūrō looked at the intel on the desk. Nothing seemed noteworthy.

"The silver offerings of Kirigakure were stolen. That had nothing to do with Shanks—it was Zabuza's doing."

"Then Zabuza took over the Land of Waves, and then everything else happened."

"Everyone assumed Dark got his Devil Fruit from Shanks, but what if he didn't?""What if it came from Konoha instead?"

Mei stared at the intel.

It was all too coincidental.

Normally, a Kage attending the Chunin Exams would be seen as friendly diplomacy.

But she had just assumed office, and now a powerful figure like Shanks had emerged in the ninja world.

And at the same time, the seas were stirring, and all eyes were turning to Shanks.

Coincidentally, Konoha had also gathered many forces because of the Chunin Exams.

Coincidence?

Yes, but this coincidence gave Mei a chilling sense of unease, as though a massive web was slowly spreading over the entire shinobi world.

She didn't dare take the gamble. Konoha was too suspicious. Even if there was a 99% chance it was coincidence, she wouldn't bet on it.

Because if she was wrong, Kirigakure could be annihilated.If it was a coincidence—what would they lose? Practically nothing.

"But, Lady Mizukage, didn't you say Shanks poses a far greater threat to the Mist and Water Country than Zabuza?"

Hearing Chōjūrō's confusion, Mei covered her forehead. He was still too young.

"Yes, but…"

"Shanks is from the Uzumaki Clan. The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed during the Third Great Ninja War, while Konoha—its ally—stood by and watched."

"Shanks is indeed a major threat to Kirigakure, but... an even bigger threat to Konoha. Understand?"

Compared to other great ninja villages, Kirigakure was now undoubtedly the weakest. Even if she knew the situation in Konoha, Mei couldn't make a move immediately.

At this point, Mei wished she could dig up the Fourth Mizukage and whip him again. If not for him, how could Kirigakure have fallen so low?

She knew there were secrets she didn't know, but it didn't matter. As the Kage, if she couldn't shoulder the burden, she might as well die.

"As the village's leader, incompetence is worse than betrayal."

"Now, I'm all the Mist has. In the shinobi world, strength is everything. I haven't reached my limit yet. If I can't reach a level to threaten those monsters, I'll be useless even if I go."

"My limit... is still far off."

After Chōjūrō left, Mei looked at the desolate village. It resembled a grave. And she had to fight with everything she had to pull the buried people back from the dead.

If she failed, she would become the last Mizukage.

Lost in thought, an elder approached with two shinobi by his side.

"If you want to go, then go. I'll watch over the village."

The speaker was Elder Genshī, whose status was second only to the Mizukage. Mei's ascension to Mizukage was largely thanks to his support.

To Genshī, Mei was the only one fit to lead. No one else could shoulder the burden.

"Elder Genshī."

Mei knew some things had to be done.

"Don't worry. With me here, the village will be fine.""All I can do now is stay here."

Genshī was nearly 90 years old, having lived from the Warring States era. In his youth, he had witnessed the glory of Hashirama and Madara firsthand.

But in under a century, the Senju had faded, and the Uchiha were wiped out.

He had lived too long and seen too much.

"Elder, do you really think this is Konoha's doing?"

"If I said no, what would you do?"

His voice carried the weight of age. Together, he and Mei looked at the somber village.

Fortunately, it still had a chance to revive.

"I'd still go."

Mei's answer was firm.

"We'll be waiting for your return, Lady Mizukage."

Genshī was satisfied. Mei was already a capable Kage—wise, strong, and resolute.

If a village's leader couldn't make decisions, how could they guide it?

Genshī couldn't do much, but he could use his prestige to keep the village steady.Though nearly 90, how much longer could he maintain it?

Meanwhile — Kumogakure

Kumogakure stood apart from the other villages. It had fully embraced militarization.

In both combat power and scientific research, it was among the top.

Kirigakure's "elite" was very different from Konoha's.

Konoha's strength came from a massive pool of top-tier prodigies, stacking brute strength with raw talent.

But Kumo didn't have many geniuses.

It was strong because its mid-tier ninja were so solid. By maximizing this layer, they built up strength piece by piece.

You talk about prodigies? Even if the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee teamed up, they only managed to fend off Konoha's Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze.

That was the difference between Kumogakure and Konoha.