The moment Shanks' sword cleaved through the Jonin's body—it burst into water.
His eyes narrowed instantly.
"Water Clone Substitution Technique," he muttered.
It was a clean feint—executed with expert timing.
Both Shanks and the remaining Kirigakure Jonin turned their attention in unison, their gazes snapping to the far side of the battlefield.
There—standing beside Juzo's wounded body—was the real Jonin. He had swapped places with his clone just in time. One arm wrapped around Juzo's shoulder, the other gripping the severed right hand. He didn't hesitate.
Body Flicker Technique.
In a blink, both of them vanished—just a residual gust of wind and a swirl of mist left in their place.
Shanks exhaled through his nose, calm but focused.
They're gone. And catching them now... would require me to get serious. More serious than I'm willing to be right now.
He had the speed. The means. But not the motive—not yet.
Let them go, he thought. For now. There's more to gain later.
He turned, eyes falling on the last Kirigakure Jonin still standing.
The man looked hollow—his chakra flaring out of rhythm, his face drained of both adrenaline and hope.
Shanks approached slowly, blade still drawn.
"It seems," he said quietly, "that you were betrayed."
The Jonin gave a short, bitter laugh.
"I should've seen it coming," he replied with a mocking smile, shaking his head. "He's one of Juzo's men, after all. Of course he'd go to any length to save him."
He looked Shanks in the eye, tone dropping into a cold bitterness.
"But using me as a pawn? Tossing me aside without even blinking... yeah. That, I didn't see coming."
But then, the remaining Jonin's expression shifted.
His eyes, once filled with bitter resignation, twisted into something cruel.
"At the very least," he snarled, "I'll kill this girl."
Without warning, he lunged at Tomiko, kunai aimed straight for her heart. It wasn't a tactic. It wasn't a calculated move. It was spite—his final act of defiance.
But he never made it.
Shanks moved first.
Faster.
In a flash, his blade severed the Jonin's attacking hand at the wrist. Before the man could even scream, Shanks followed through with a clean horizontal arc—Gryphon slicing through flesh and bone.
The Jonin's head hit the ground before his body.
He never got another word out.
If he had chosen to, he might have fought Shanks head-on—at least made a final stand. But he had already given up on winning. All he wanted was to cause one last loss before dying.
Shanks turned toward Tomiko, eyes softening slightly.
"You alright?" he asked.
Tomiko, still catching her breath, nodded quickly.
"Yes. I'm alright," she replied between gasps.
Her voice was steady, but her body betrayed her. The hand that held her kunai trembled, and her legs threatened to buckle beneath her. Her chakra reserves were spent—but she was alive. And for that, she was silently grateful.
Shanks gave a small nod.
"Wait here. I'll be back in a minute."
Then he was gone.
He moved like a streak of red lightning across the battlefield—his sword crackling with energy, each motion precise and lethal. The remaining 30 Kirigakure Chunins—already weakened by his earlier Conqueror's Haki—never stood a chance.
One by one, they fell.
Less than sixty seconds later, it was over.
Shanks reappeared near the center of the battlefield and created ten Shadow Clones with a single hand seal. Without needing explanation, they scattered and began sealing the corpses into storage scrolls. Frosty joined them, dragging bodies with massive paws and gently nudging them toward the scrolls.
Minutes passed. Calm returned.
Shanks walked back toward Tomiko, his blade now sheathed, and the black gleam of Armament Haki faded from his hand and sword. The battlefield was quiet. The mist had cleared.
He looked at her curiously, eyes steady.
"I didn't expect you to be an Uchiha," he said. "So what's an Uchiha doing here?"
Tomiko, still kneeling and catching her breath, raised her head and responded, voice steady despite her exhaustion.
"The Daimyo of the Fire Country and the Land of Hot Water reached some kind of agreement recently. I don't know the details, but the Fire Daimyo requested support, and the Hokage responded."
She paused briefly, then continued.
"So, our Uchiha clan was ordered to assist. I was sent here on a reconnaissance mission—just to gather intel. That was all."
Her gaze lowered slightly, the memory still fresh.
"But… one of the Kirigakure ninjas was about to kill a local family—just because he felt like it. There was no reason, no orders—just cruelty. I couldn't stand there and watch it happen. So I stepped in."
She let out a breath.
"I killed him—by mistake, if you can even call it that. I acted on impulse, out of kindness, but it escalated everything."
She looked Shanks in the eye.
"I used my Sharingan to protect the family. That was the final mistake. When they realized an Uchiha was operating inside Yu Village, it became an emergency for them. I became a target."
She shook her head lightly, bitterness in her voice.
"They started hunting me in force. I had no choice but to run. That's when I met you. And the rest… you know."
Shanks stood still as he listened. He gave a small nod of understanding and muttered a quiet, "Hmm."
He believed her. Her voice didn't waver. There was no calculation in her words—only honesty, weariness, and frustration.
He looked at her for a moment longer. There was something he wanted to ask—the real name she hadn't given earlier—but he let it go.
If she wants me to know her name, he thought, she'll tell me. If not… I don't need it.
Instead, he turned slightly, glancing back toward his Shadow Clones.
They were still working—moving efficiently as they sealed the last of the Kirigakure corpses into storage scrolls, with Frosty's help. The battlefield was almost clean now. Quiet. Under control.
Shanks said nothing more, simply waiting—patient and composed.
After nearly a quarter of an hour, the battlefield was finally clear.
All the Kirigakure corpses had been sealed into storage scrolls by Shanks' clones with Frosty's quiet assistance. Shanks took the filled scroll, gave it a quick glance, and tucked it safely into his cloak.
With a short hand sign, he dispelled his remaining shadow clones. One by one, they vanished in clouds of smoke, leaving only the silence of aftermath behind.
Then, he approached Frosty.
Placing a firm hand on the white tiger's head, Shanks spoke softly.
"Go back and tell my brothers and sisters that I'm fine."
Frosty gave a small nod, eyes gleaming with understanding. Without a word—or a sound—he vanished in a burst of white mist.
Shanks knew Frosty couldn't speak, but he didn't need him to. Makima could communicate with him, and she'd make sure the message reached the others in the Uzumaki clan.
Then, turning to Tomiko, he asked calmly, "What are your plans next?"
She raised a brow and countered, "What are your plans next?"
Shanks smirked faintly.
"I'm heading to the capital city of the Land of Hot Water. I plan to collect the bounty on all these Kirigakure ninja."
Tomiko nodded slowly. "Alright. Then I'll come with you."
She pushed herself to her feet, still wincing slightly from exhaustion but determined.
"My clan members were supposed to pass through the capital on their way here. If I'm right, they should already be there. I'll regroup with them and inform them of what's happened here."
She paused, then added with a small smile, "And don't worry—I won't tell them about you being an Uzumaki."
Shanks gave a small nod in response.
He didn't mind either way.
He wasn't reckless. But he wasn't hiding anymore, either.
At his current level, only a Kage-tier shinobi posed any real threat to him—and even then, he could escape if needed. He wasn't arrogant. Just clear-eyed about his strength.
And the world, sooner or later, would come to know it too.
----
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