Shanks simply gave a cold Hmph! and released his Conqueror's Haki in full.
An overwhelming wave of pressure exploded outward from him, crashing into everything in its path. The volcano dragon, which had been charging forward at tremendous speed, didn't even get the chance to reach him. The massive construct shuddered violently before shattering apart under the sheer force of Shanks' will. The gigantic dragon dispersed like a firework in the sky, scattering countless streams of molten rock and fire in every direction.
The impact of the falling volcanic fragments sent agonizing screams ringing out from the few White Zetsu unfortunate enough to be in their path.
Before anyone could even process what had happened, Shanks vanished.
One moment he was standing there; the next, he was already towering in front of the Iwagakure missing-nin.
The man barely had time to widen his eyes before Shanks' left hand wrapped around his neck, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. The missing-nin desperately clawed at Shanks' wrist, but it was like trying to move a mountain.
Shanks stared into his eyes with complete indifference. "When your owner hasn't told you to bark, why the fuck are you barking?"
CRACK!
The sound of a snapping neck echoed through the cavern, and the man's body instantly went limp. Without sparing him another glance, Shanks tossed the corpse aside like a piece of trash, letting it roll carelessly across the dirt.
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield. Even the Akatsuki members stared at him with wary, tense eyes.
Shanks then pointed a finger directly at Madara. His gaze was cold enough to send chills down anyone's spine. "If I didn't need to go right now to save my nephew, I would have killed you right here, right now."
The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
"But I have more important things to do than deal with someone like you."
Madara narrowed his eyes, but remained silent.
Without another word, Shanks walked over to Naruto. He carefully picked up the boy's heavily injured body, slung him over his shoulder, and disappeared.
No flash. No movement. No warning. He was simply gone.
Kisame, who had witnessed the entire display from the sidelines, let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Damn," he muttered, his eyes moving toward the spot where Shanks had been standing moments ago. "He's a walking calamity. No one can survive against him."
His gaze then shifted to the dead Iwagakure missing-nin lying nearby, whose eyes were still wide with disbelief. Kisame shook his head. "When you collide with a calamity, there is only one result: death."
Meanwhile, Shanks materialized directly inside Konoha with Naruto's dying body.
In an instant, he arrived inside Minato's house, where Minato and Kushina had been waiting desperately. The moment Shanks appeared, both parents sprang to their feet. Relief flashed across their faces, only to vanish the second they saw Naruto's condition.
Though there was no blood or external wounds on him, Naruto's body was completely limp. His face was deathly pale, and his breathing was so weak it was barely noticeable.
Kushina rushed forward without hesitation, pulling Naruto into her arms as tears streamed down her face. "Naruto... Naruto, wake up. Naruto!" her voice trembled violently as she held him tightly.
She looked up at Shanks with a pleading gaze, desperately begging for good news.
Shanks remained completely calm despite the emotional weight in the room. "Do not worry." His steady voice anchored everyone's attention. "Although his chakra pathways have been severely damaged, he should survive."
The brief wave of relief that washed over them lasted only a second before Shanks continued. "But he won't be able to use any Ninjutsu in the future."
The room instantly fell dead silent.
In the quiet, Minato, who had been silently processing everything, finally spoke up. "Onii-sama."
Everyone turned to look at him. Minato's eyes were fixed on his unconscious son as he carefully pieced the situation together. "If I am not wrong... if Naruto gets the Nine-Tails back inside his body, those chakra pathways will heal on their own, right?"
Kushina looked toward Shanks, hanging on his answer.
Shanks nodded. "Yes. That is entirely possible."
A small spark of hope ignited in their eyes, but Shanks' expression remained grim. "But I wouldn't suggest waiting to regain the Nine-Tails."
The newfound hope faltered.
"After all, the Vitality Sealing Technique may keep Naruto in a state of suspended animation, but it won't last for more than twelve hours," Shanks explained calmly, his gaze shifting to Naruto. "Beyond that point, his condition will become unstable. Otherwise, I would have definitely chosen to wait for the Nine-Tails. It would have been the simplest solution. But Naruto's treatment cannot be delayed."
Minato frowned; knowing Shanks' strength, he couldn't help but wonder, "Then what exactly happened out there?"
Shanks paused for a moment before answering. "I would have brought the Nine-Tails back with me if it had been possible. When I arrived and examined Naruto's body using my God's View ability, I discovered that a curse had already been planted on him."
The atmosphere grew incredibly tense.
"A curse?" Kushina asked.
Shanks nodded. "Yes. And it wasn't an ordinary curse seal, either. When I reached him, the Nine-Tails had not yet been absorbed into the Gedo Statue."
That statement caught everyone's attention. That meant there had been a chance to retrieve the beast immediately.
"I could have taken the Nine-Tails away right then," Shanks said.
Minato's expression sharpened. "Then why didn't you, Onii-sama?"
"Because Madara had already prepared for that possibility," Shanks replied, his voice turning icy. "The seal he planted on Naruto was essentially a hostage leash. If I had attempted to forcefully take the Nine-Tails, Madara would have immediately triggered the curse seal. And Naruto would have died."
Kushina subconsciously tightened her grip around her son, while Minato's expression turned incredibly grave.
"Madara is not stupid," Shanks continued. "He knows very well that I was able to save Kushina, and he knows I could save Naruto under normal circumstances. So, he prepared a countermeasure specifically to stop me." A faint trace of annoyance crossed his features. "Naruto is my nephew. Madara exploited that fact."
Nobody could deny it. Madara had correctly identified one of the few vulnerabilities Shanks possessed: family.
Shanks took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Very well. First, I will remove the curse. After that, we can figure out our next move."
The confidence in his tone allowed everyone to relax slightly. Minato nodded. "And the Nine-Tails?"
Shanks was silent for a few seconds. "If Madara hasn't already created the Ten-Tails by then, we can discuss taking the Nine-Tails back from him." Although he spoke calmly, nobody missed the heavy skepticism in his voice. He shook his head. "But I doubt we'll have the luxury. Madara is going all out. He has come too far to hesitate now."
Shanks looked toward the horizon, as if staring right back at Madara's location. "He will do whatever it takes to complete his plan quickly. He will undoubtedly become the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails as quickly as possible."
A heavy weight descended upon the room. They all understood what that meant. They were no longer just racing to save Naruto; they were racing against time itself. Somewhere far away, Madara was already transcending into something far more dangerous than he had ever been before.
Breaking the silence, Minato spoke up again. "But there is not only one Nine-Tails present in the world, right?"
Everyone's eyes snapped back to him.
Minato looked down at Naruto's unconscious body. "I still have the other half of the Nine-Tails sealed inside me. Even if Naruto is treated right now, his future as a shinobi is effectively over without functional chakra pathways. He won't be able to fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage." Minato's voice softened with fatherly resolve. "I don't want that for him."
Kushina silently squeezed Naruto's hand, her lower lip trembling.
Minato looked directly at Shanks. "Can you extract the Nine-Tails from me and place it inside Naruto?"
Minato remained completely composed as he proposed the idea.
"Naruto has his entire life ahead of him," Minato said, a faint, proud smile appearing on his face. "As for me, I will be retiring as a shinobi in a few years anyway. Why would I ruin my son's future just to cling to a few more years of my own strength?"
The determination in his voice was absolute. For Minato, the choice was effortless. If sacrificing his own power could secure his son's dream, he wouldn't hesitate for a single second.
Shanks crossed his arms, falling into deep thought. The room remained perfectly quiet as they waited for his verdict. After several tense moments, Shanks finally nodded.
"Well, what you're proposing can definitely be done."
Instantly, the room brightened with hope.
"And if we are the ones executing the extraction, we can do it gently," Shanks added, his tone reassuringly confident. "Unlike a hostile extraction, we can prevent any major damage to your own chakra pathways."
Minato's eyes widened slightly. "So even after the transfer...?"
Shanks nodded. "You should still be able to function as a shinobi."
A genuine smile finally broke across Minato's face. "Well, that settles it."
The suffocating atmosphere in the room instantly lifted. Guy, who had been standing quietly in the corner until now, also spoke. "Yes, Onii-san. That is definitely possible." His confidence brought a wave of relief to Kushina.
Shanks nodded once before turning his full attention back to Naruto. "First things first. I need to analyze this seal, break it, and rid Naruto's body of this curse."
As the room quieted down, Shanks leaned over Naruto. 'Raphael,' he commanded internally, 'immediately start analyzing this seal. Find a method to break it as soon as possible.'
'Understood,' Raphael's emotionless voice echoed inside his mind.
Instantly, Raphael began dissecting every intricate layer of the curse mark Madara had left behind. Countless calculations were executed at a terrifying pace, peeling back the structure of the seal.
To the outside world, Shanks was simply standing motionless, examining the boy. Nobody dared to interrupt him.
Roughly five minutes passed in agonizing anticipation before Raphael's voice chimed again.
'Analysis complete. The seal can be broken. Should I proceed with the removal?'
Shanks mentally replied, 'Yes.'
The moment the command was issued, Raphael took direct control of Shanks' movements.
Everyone in the room instantly felt a shift in the air—a sudden, absolute sense of precision emanating from Shanks. Without wasting a single heartbeat, his hands blurred into motion. He wove hand seals at an astonishing, dizzying speed that even Minato had difficulty tracking.
The sequence lasted only a fraction of a second before Shanks slammed his palm directly over Naruto's chest, right above his heart.
The moment his hand made contact, a dark, pulsing pattern erupted beneath the skin. Kushina's eyes widened in horror. The seal spread across Naruto's chest like a web of black veins, clear and ominous, centering directly over his heart.
No one dared to breathe.
For a few terrifying seconds, the black markings pulsed violently. Then, the structure began to fracture. Tiny fragments of black energy peeled away from the skin, dissolving into wisps of dark smoke. The process rapidly accelerated, the black lines fading away as streams of dark mist rose into the air.
Within moments, the entire curse mark dissolved completely into a swirling cloud of black smoke, which twisted as if alive before vanishing into nothingness.
Not a single trace remained on Naruto's chest.
The curse seal that Madara had planted with such supreme confidence had been completely erased.