The celebration at Tazuna's house was louder than a cannon blast.
The bridge was finished. Gato was gone. The Land of Waves, freed from the suffocating grip of a tyrant, had exploded into joy. The villagers had brought out everything they had—fresh fish, pickled vegetables, and barrels of local sake that tasted like paint thinner but did the job nicely.
I sat on the roof, looking down at the chaos.
Inside, I could hear Naruto singing a song that seemed to have no melody and even fewer lyrics. I heard Sasuke telling him to shut up, though there was no real venom in it. I heard Sakura laughing.
It was a good sound.
"You're hiding," a voice said.
I didn't need Haki to know it was Kakashi. The man moved quietly, but he had a distinct scent of ozone and old books. He sat down next to me, holding a cup of tea.
"I'm not hiding," I said, swirling the sake in my cup. "I'm observing. It's what captains do."
"You're leaving," Kakashi stated. It wasn't a question.
"The bridge is done," I shrugged. "The bad guy is rowing a boat to the other side of the world. My job here is finished."
Kakashi pulled his mask down just enough to sip his tea. It was the most skin I'd seen on his face in two weeks.
"You know," Kakashi said, looking at the moon. "You've changed them. My students. Sasuke is... lighter. He realizes that revenge isn't just about hatred, but about capability. Sakura is learning that strength isn't just muscle. And Naruto..."
Kakashi chuckled. "Naruto worships the ground you walk on. You've become a hero to him. Maybe even more than the Hokage."
I winced. "Don't say that. I'm a terrible role model. I drink too much, I sleep until noon, and I solve problems by scaring people into comas."
"And yet," Kakashi said, "you protected them. You taught them. You saved them."
He turned his single eye toward me. The playfulness was gone.
"Shanks. Come to Konoha."
I paused, the cup halfway to my lips.
"The Hokage would want to meet you," Kakashi continued, his voice earnest. "With your power... you could be a tremendous asset. You could be a Jounin. Hell, you could probably be an advisor. We have good food. We have peace. You wouldn't have to wander anymore."
I looked at the silver-haired ninja. He was offering me a home. In my past life, as a salaryman, I would have taken it. Stability. A 401k equivalent. Safety.
But I wasn't that guy anymore. I felt the phantom itch of a limb I no longer had. I felt the rumble of the sea in my chest—a physical pull that defied logic.
"Konoha is a village of walls, Kakashi," I said softly.
"Walls protect people," he countered.
"Walls also keep people in," I said. "I'm a pirate. We don't do walls. We do horizons."
Kakashi sighed, a sound of genuine disappointment. "I figured you'd say that. But I had to ask. It's going to be hard to explain to the Hokage that I let an S-Rank strategic threat just... walk away."
"Tell him I'm a ghost," I grinned. "Or a hallucination brought on by bad shellfish."
"If only it were that simple."
Below us, the door slid open with a bang.
"SHANKS-NII!"
Naruto burst out, his face flushed from excitement (and probably too much sugar). He looked around, spotted us on the roof, and immediately started climbing the drainpipe.
"There you are!" Naruto scrambled onto the roof tiles, nearly slipping. I caught him by the back of his orange jumpsuit with my one hand and hauled him up.
"Easy there, Anchor," I said.
"Don't call me Anchor!" Naruto pouted, then his face turned serious. He sat down between me and Kakashi. He looked at his feet, swinging them over the edge of the roof.
"We leave tomorrow," Naruto said quietly.
"I know," I said.
"Tazuna finished the bridge. We have to go back to the village to get our next mission."
"That's how being a ninja works," I agreed.
Naruto took a deep breath. He looked up at me, his blue eyes shimmering with a desperate hope.
"Come with us."
I set my cup down. "Naruto..."
"No, listen!" Naruto interrupted, waving his hands. "It'll be awesome! Konoha is huge! We have Ichiraku Ramen—it's the best in the world, way better than this fish stuff! And... and old man Hokage is nice! He'll let you stay! You can sleep at my place! I have an extra bed! Well, it's a pile of blankets, but it's comfy!"
He was talking fast, the words tumbling over each other.
"And you can keep training me! I haven't learned the Haki yet! And Sasuke wants to learn more sword stuff! And... and..."
Naruto's voice cracked. He grabbed my arm—my only arm.
"And we're a crew, right? You said we were friends! You can't just leave the crew!"
My heart broke a little. I knew this kid's history. I knew he had spent his life alone, ignored, despised. I was the first adult—besides Iruka, maybe—who had looked at him and seen potential rather than a monster.
Sasuke and Sakura had climbed up quietly behind him. They didn't say anything, but they were watching. Sasuke looked away, feigning disinterest, but his ears were perked. Sakura looked hopeful.
I looked at the three of them.
"I can't go to Konoha, Naruto," I said gently.
"Why?" Naruto demanded, tears welling up. "Are you a criminal? We can fix that! Kakashi-sensei knows people!"
"I'm not a criminal," I said (technically true in this world). "But I'm not a ninja. And I'm definitely not a villager."
I stood up. The wind whipped my red hair around my face. I looked out at the dark ocean, stretching endlessly into the night.
"Listen to me, Naruto. Why do you want to be Hokage?"
Naruto blinked, confused by the shift. "Because... because then everyone will acknowledge me! I'll be the strongest, and I'll protect the village!"
"Exactly," I said. "You want to protect the village. Your dream is rooted in that soil. You want to be the biggest tree in the forest."
I pointed at the ocean.
"My dream is out there. I belong to the wind and the waves. If I went to Konoha, I'd just be a guy with a sword sitting in a room. I'd wither away. And eventually, I'd leave anyway."
"But..." Naruto sniffled, wiping his nose. "But I don't want you to go."
I sat back down and put my hand on his head. I messed up his spiky hair.
"Parting is part of the journey, kid. It's what makes the reunion special."
"Reunion?" Naruto looked up.
"The world is a circle," I smiled. "If we both keep getting stronger, if we both keep chasing our dreams... our paths will cross again. I promise."
Naruto stared at me. He searched my face for any sign of a lie. He found none.
"You promise?" he whispered.
"Pirate's honor," I said.
Naruto threw his arms around my neck. He buried his face in my shoulder and sobbed. It wasn't a quiet cry; it was loud, messy, and heartbreaking.
I hugged him back with my one arm, holding him tight.
"You're gonna be great, Naruto," I whispered. "You're gonna be the King of the Hokages."
"That's... not a thing," Naruto sobbed into my shirt. "It's just Hokage."
"Whatever. You'll be the best one."
The Next Morning
The mist had cleared completely. The sky was a brilliant, piercing blue.
We stood at the entrance of the newly completed bridge. The entire village was there to see Team 7 off.
Tazuna was blubbering like a baby. "You brats... you saved us. I'll never forget you."
"Take care of yourself, old man!" Naruto shouted, grinning, though his eyes were puffy.
"And you," Tazuna looked at me. "Mr. Shanks. You didn't ask for payment."
"The food was payment enough," I said. "And the sake wasn't bad."
"We decided on a name for the bridge," Tazuna announced. He pointed to a wooden sign that had just been erected.
The Great Naruto Bridge.
"Whoa!" Naruto's jaw dropped. "Me? Really?!"
"You gave us the courage to fight," Tazuna said. "It's only fitting."
"Whatever," Sasuke huffed, though he was smiling. "It's a dumb name."
"It's a great name!" Naruto yelled.
It was time.
Kakashi turned to me. He extended a hand.
I gripped it. His grip was firm.
"Don't cause too much trouble out there," Kakashi said.
"No promises," I replied. "If you ever get tired of the rules, Scarecrow... look for the Red Hair flag."
"I'll keep it in mind."
I turned to the kids.
Sakura bowed deeply. "Thank you for saving us, Shanks-san. And for... teaching me to be the paper."
"Don't let the wind tear you, Sakura," I nodded.
Sasuke didn't bow. He walked up to me and looked me in the eye.
"I will get strong," Sasuke said intensely. "Strong enough that I won't need to ask you for help next time."
"I'm counting on it," I grinned. "Don't let the darkness eat you, kid. Use it, but don't let it drive the ship."
And then, Naruto.
He stood there, vibrating with energy. He looked at my empty sleeve. He looked at my sword.
I reached into my sash. I didn't have a hat to give him. I didn't have a Devil Fruit. But I had spent the previous night carving something.
It was a small piece of wood, shaped roughly like a ship. It was crude—carving with one hand is hard—but it had a distinct symbol burned into the sail: A skull with two swords behind it and three scars over the eye.
I tossed it to him.
Naruto caught it, fumbling. "What's this?"
"It's a ticket," I said.
"A ticket?"
"If you're ever in trouble," I said, improvising my own version of the Vivre Card lore. "If you're ever truly backed into a corner and the world is against you... hold that up. If any of my friends see it, they'll help you. And if I see it... I'll come running."
Naruto clutched the wooden carving to his chest like it was made of diamond.
"And," I added, pointing a finger at him. "When we meet again... you better be able to land a hit on me. If you can't, I'm not buying you ramen."
Naruto wiped his nose with his thumb. He gave me the biggest, brightest, most Naruto grin I had ever seen.
"You're on! I'll be so strong I'll flick you across the ocean!"
"Dahahaha! I'd like to see you try!"
I turned around.
"Well," I said, raising my hand in a lazy wave without looking back. "See ya."
I began to walk. Not toward the Land of Fire, but toward the rocky coast.
"Wait!" Naruto yelled one last time. "Where are you going?!"
I paused. I looked at the endless expanse of the ocean shimmering in the distance.
"To find a ship," I called back. "And maybe a crew. Being a captain is boring without anyone to boss around."
I kept walking.
Behind me, I heard them start their journey home. I heard them bickering.
"Naruto, stop crying."
"I'm not crying! There's dust in my eye!"
"We're on a bridge over water, idiot. There is no dust."
I smiled. They would be fine.
As I reached the shoreline, I saw a figure standing by a small, stolen fishing boat.
It was a large man with bandages on his face and a massive sword strapped to his back. He was looking out at the sea.
"You're late," Zabuza grunted.
I blinked. "I thought you were going to wander the earth in solitary atonement."
Zabuza spat into the water. "I buried Haku. On a hill overlooking the bridge. He liked flowers."
He turned to me. His eyes were still hard, but the despair was gone, replaced by a grim purpose.
"You said pirates are free," Zabuza said. "You said the pay is terrible."
"I did," I nodded.
"I need money," Zabuza said. "To buy a better grave marker. And... I have nothing else to do. The Mist wants me dead. The Leaf wants me dead."
I grinned. My first crewmate. And a former Seven Swordsman at that. Not a bad start.
"Can you cook?" I asked.
"I can kill things," Zabuza said flatly. "And I can chop vegetables with a very large sword."
"Close enough," I laughed. I hopped into the boat. It rocked dangerously under my weight.
"Well then, Zabuza of the Mist," I said, pointing Gryphon toward the horizon. "Welcome to the Red Hair Pirates. Current population: Two."
Zabuza pushed the boat off the sand and hopped in. He grabbed the oars—he was definitely doing the rowing.
"Where are we going, Captain?" Zabuza asked, the title sounding strange on his tongue.
"East," I said, feeling the wind catch my hair. "I heard there's a place called the Land of Iron where the Samurai live. I need some sake."
"We're going to a frozen wasteland for alcohol?" Zabuza grumbled.
"That's the pirate life!"
As the boat drifted away from the Land of Waves, leaving the Great Naruto Bridge behind, I felt a strange sense of peace.
I wasn't just Shanks anymore. And I wasn't just the guy from the car crash. I was something new.
And the world of Naruto had no idea what was coming for it.