Chapter 3

"The aura came from right here." In the air, just above where Sinbad had been moments ago, a young man appeared, floating with ease. His eyes scanned the ground below with caution.

Although Sinbad's Conqueror Haki was weak by One Piece standards, in this world, it carried a different weight. Here, it was seen as strong.

The young man watched the flow of mana in the air, sensing how it had been disturbed. The energy around the area rippled faintly, as if a powerful attack had recently torn through the natural order. Yet, there were no traces of magic, no spells, no signs of chakra being used.

He looked at the trees, the damage which had been done to them, all without the use of Mana. Only a few races had the capability to pull off such a thing without the usage of mana… a demon…

He flew off, determined to investigate any recent oddities that might explain the sudden appearance of a demon. It didn't take long before something caught his interest..

A man named Cale, reported dead after a brutal beating, had suddenly vanished. Officially, he was pronounced deceased.

And yet, footage emerged. Camera recordings caught him walking around in perfect health, moving as if nothing had ever happened. No signs of injury, no hesitation in his steps. It was as if he had never been beaten to the brink of death.

"Stop right there!" From the trees ahead of Sinbad, a sharp voice rang out, followed by the appearance of a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf, dropping into view with practiced precision.

"You're in the Hidden Leaf territory, sneaking around in the forest. You would have to come with me for questioning," the shinobi said, sizing Sinbad up and down, his tone firm but not yet hostile. His eyes carefully scanned Sinbad's stance, clothing, and demeanor, taking in everything with the sharp instinct of a trained scout.

"Naw, that would take up too much time," Sinbad said, not feeling it. His voice was calm, almost lazy, as if the situation wasn't worth his energy.

To that, the shinobi's eyes narrowed. His posture shifted just slightly as tension surged through his body, then… he disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Sinbad, hand already chopping toward the back of his neck. The movement was fast, efficient, and aimed to end things without a struggle.

But the shinobi paused, mid-motion, as his eyes widened in disbelief. Slowly, his head lowered—only to find an elbow already embedded in his stomach, the blow perfectly timed and impossible to avoid.

He was shocked. After all, he had sensed no chakra from Sinbad—none at all. Everything about him had read as normal. His chakra network was silent, his body unremarkable, and his presence didn't register as dangerous.

So, by all logic, Sinbad had been a civilian. But he was mistaken. Because now, in that moment after the strike, he could sense it—Sinbad's chakra. The realization came too late.

The shinobi fainted, his body giving out as his mind slipped into unconsciousness. Sinbad caught him mid-fall, keeping the impact quiet, then gently set him down off to the side before continuing forward toward the village.

As for how he knew how to use chakra? The answer was simple.

He had seen into the future—watched how the shinobi channeled chakra throughout his body—and then simply mimicked it. His mind processed everything instantly. From there, he had thrown his elbow back, targeting the solar plexus with precision, and knocked the man out cleanly.

Adding the fact that he had just mastered chakra, which in turn had strengthened his Haki to newfound levels, things were changing fast. He would now be getting ten abilities daily—a massive leap from before.

But that wasn't good enough. He wanted more. He wanted to reach the point where he would gain a hundred abilities a day—only then would he allow himself to sit back and relax.

So, as he walked, he began to draw in the natural energy from the world around him. He didn't hesitate or overthink it. Yes, Sinbad was speed-running everything.

In the shinobi world, there were two primary energy sources: chakra and natural energy. When these two were fused together in harmony, they formed Sage Chakra. And that Sage Chakra was the gateway to entering Sage Mode.

Of course, there was a risk in attempting to enter Sage Mode. If one failed to balance the natural energy with their own chakra, the result was simple and fatal—they would begin turning into stone.

But Sinbad had nothing to worry about. Even with the limited chakra he had compared to a genius like Naruto, his control and instant mastery made the process effortless. He entered Sage Mode easily, the transformation smooth and stable.

With it came an immediate boost. Every one of his capabilities—strength, speed, perception, even his Haki—was enhanced across the board.

'Was there another powerful transformation? There's Six Paths Sage Mode. I think it can be gained through absorbing the Ten Tails, right? Or was that Six Paths Senjutsu? Or was Six Paths Senjutsu the thing the Sage of Six Paths gave Naruto?' Sinbad thought, trying to recall the details.

In the end, he just shrugged. Why couldn't he have everything? For now, he was gaining twenty-five things daily. And he had no intention of slowing down.

There were many things Sinbad aimed to learn from this verse before he left. The Eight Gates were at the top of his list, and really, why stop there? If the opportunity presented itself, he saw no reason not to infuse himself with Hashirama Cells. Power in this world came in layers, and he intended to stack them all.

And since he had already mastered chakra, Sinbad was able to conceal himself flawlessly. His presence vanished from the senses of others. To the world, it was as if he didn't exist.

No one sensed his approach. That is, until he jumped over the village wall. He had forgotten one important detail—there was a barrier around the Hidden Leaf. The moment he crossed it, his presence was registered.

And of course, that triggered a response. The Anbu were dispatched immediately.

Sensing that, Sinbad sighed quietly and made no effort to flee. Instead, he waited, casually settling himself on a nearby rooftop that overlooked the village. From his perch, he watched the Hidden Leaf below—its layout, the people, the atmosphere.

It didn't take long before the Anbu appeared. They surrounded him with practiced coordination, though only one made themselves visible. The others remained hidden in the shadows, silent and tense, ready to strike at the first sign of danger.

"Who are you?" a masked kid asked, his voice sharp and unreadable, standing just behind Sinbad.

"I'm Sinbad, a visitor from afar. I didn't mean to draw unwanted attention. I will be here for a few days and leave in at most a week," Sinbad said, his tone calm as he turned slightly to face Kakashi.

The mask meant to conceal the man's identity did little against Sinbad's enhanced senses. Chakra, breathing pattern, even the faintest muscle movements, it painted a clear image within Sinbad's mind of who was wearing the mask. Kakashi Hatake.

"Things don't work like that. You would be coming with me," Kakashi ordered firmly, leaving no room for negotiation. His voice held the weight of authority, and his stance made it clear—this wasn't a suggestion.

"I guess you guys would be strict with Minato's wife about to give birth… Oh, I shouldn't have said that," Sinbad said, his voice trailing off as he immediately caught Kakashi's reaction.

The sharp shift in Kakashi's stance was all the confirmation he needed. Sinbad sighed, realizing he had just complicated things far more than necessary. Seeing Kakashi preparing to move, Sinbad raised his hand in surrender, palm open.

"Calm down, I come in peace… so quick to violence. I guess I might be the same if I killed my friend as well… wow, what is wrong with my mouth today?" Sinbad muttered.

By then, Kakashi had already moved. Sinbad jumped, cleanly dodging the strike aimed at him, then moved into a series of quick backflips, smoothly avoiding the follow-up attacks as they came without pause.

"Calm down… why are you even trying to kill? Shouldn't you be trying to question me or something? I'm willing to speak in exchange for a week's worth of freedom," Sinbad said, his tone level as he landed gracefully on the rooftop once more.

His words made Kakashi pause, his posture easing slightly as the tension began to slip from his shoulders.

Sinbad's earlier remark had hit a nerve. Kakashi had lashed out before thinking, letting emotion slip through the cracks in his composure.

"Good, see. All calm. Now, what if I told you I can see the future?" Sinbad asked, watching Kakashi closely.

That made Kakashi pause again, the question heavy enough to draw a reaction. But before he could speak, Sinbad continued.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe, but you can say anything and I would say it before you say it, if it proves my point," Sinbad said with a smile, casually leaning into his words like it was all just a game. Kakashi remained silent for a moment, eyes fixed on him.

"I don't believe you… That's too easy, don't you think? Say something else," Sinbad said, perfectly echoing the words just as Kakashi was about to say them.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Salt-broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant," Sinbad said casually. The timing was perfect—Kakashi had just been about to say those exact words. His mouth remained slightly open, the sentence dying before it could begin.

He was left speechless. That was… undeniable proof.

"So, can I see Minato?" Sinbad asked with a light smile, calm and patient as if the situation were already settled.

Kakashi, for a moment, didn't know what to say. His mind raced, trying to figure out what he should do next. But before he could respond, another presence appeared. An Anbu dropped beside them.

"Lord Minato is awaiting you," the Anbu said emotionlessly, voice steady and flat beneath the mask.

To that, Sinbad gave a simple nod before vanishing.

He used the same technique they were relying on for high-speed movement—the Body Flicker Jutsu. Only in his case, it was fully mastered. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared above the Ninja Academy, his movement so fast it looked more like teleportation than speed.

'Such a high level of chakra control… how did he cast a jutsu without a hand seal?' Kakashi thought, landing beside him a second later. Without a word, Kakashi took the lead, heading down the stairs toward the Hokage's office.

Upon arriving in the office, Sinbad was met by Minato, who sat calmly behind his desk, offering a friendly smile the moment their eyes met.

But Sinbad wasn't fooled.

He could read Minato's emotions easily. Though the man radiated warmth on the surface, there was steel just beneath it. Even if reading Minato's exact thoughts was harder, the intent was clear—despite the pleasant welcome, he wouldn't hesitate to take Sinbad's head the moment he saw Sinbad as an enemy.

"Being someone who can see the future and such, I do not like small talk. So, let's get down to business. You want to know about tomorrow, and that's information I'm willing to offer in exchange for three things," Sinbad said as he took a seat across from the Hokage, completely at ease.

"How can I be sure the information you're offering is worth those three things?" Minato asked, his smile beginning to fade, the warmth in his expression giving way to caution.

"I wouldn't be sitting here if I weren't sure. But those words already give it away that tomorrow something big is going to happen, so what do you say?" Sinbad asked with a relaxed smile, completely unfazed by the tension in the room.

Minato said nothing at first. His eyes remained locked on Sinbad, but his frown deepened slightly, and his heart grew heavier.

"What are the three things?" Minato asked lightly, his tone even, though his eyes remained sharp.

"Hashirama Cell. I know Orochimaru has been experimenting with them. I want to inject myself with it to see what would happen," Sinbad said casually, as if he were asking for something as simple as water.

"Secondly, I want to learn the Reaper Death Seal." He leaned back in his chair, still wearing that relaxed smile. "Lastly, I want to have everything I want for the next week completely free… since I'm poor."