Suzuko didn't even know where her strength came from. Suddenly, she pushed herself up from the ground, stood up, tears streaming down her face as she shouted, "You're a bad father!"
Then she turned and ran.
Nishimura Tatsuto instinctively wanted to chase after her, but for some reason, as he watched Suzuko's small back running away, he froze in place.
He stayed that way for a long time, unable to recover his senses.
Only after Suzuko had completely disappeared from sight did he murmur softly, "Have I… started to become weak too?"
After saying that, he finally turned in Suzuko's direction. And vanished in an instant.
———
On the other side, Suzuko ran desperately through the streets, her feet pounding forward without direction, not even knowing where she was fleeing to.
Maybe it was her subconscious guiding her, but when she finally stopped, too exhausted to keep running, she found herself standing in front of a familiar house.
This was… the Hoshigaki residence.
Suzuko immediately realized what that meant. She couldn't drag Kisame-nii into this enormous danger. So she turned to run away again.
But at that moment, the door opened.
Kisame, already dressed in his gear, the forehead protector of Kirigakure tied firmly on, stepped out of the house.
When he saw Suzuko standing outside, panic written all over her face, he frowned slightly and asked, "Suzuko, didn't I tell you not to come near me?"
"And what's going on with you? What happened?"
Suzuko shook her head quickly.
"Kisame-nii, I was just passing by. It's nothing. You should go on with your mission. I still have other things to do."
After saying that, she turned to run again. But before she could take a step, a figure appeared before her.
Nishimura Tatsuto stood there, looking at Suzuko and at Kisame not far away. He sighed softly, "So you ran here… that makes things troublesome."
Kisame could instantly feel the killing intent radiating from Tatsuto. It was directed at both him and Suzuko.
He instinctively reached for the hilt of the sword strapped to his back, his voice low and puzzled, "Jonin Nishimura, what are you doing? Suzuko is your daughter."
Tatsuto tilted his head slightly to glance at Kisame and replied indifferently, "There is information that must not be leaked. Since it has been discovered… I can only erase it."
Hearing that cold tone, Kisame froze.
'Is this still the same world I think I understand? Even one's own child is treated like this…'
'Is this right, or utterly wrong?'
He felt his heart being swallowed by the impact of what he was seeing.
Just then, Suzuko's voice broke through.
"Kisame-nii, don't be confused! Run away! I hope you'll never live in pain like I do… I hope you won't become as unhappy as me."
Tatsuto sighed softly, "Suzuko, it's pointless. I am a jonin with a name in this village. If not for certain reasons, I could have even inherited one of the Seven Ninja Blades."
"Kisame may be strong, but compared to me, he's still far from enough."
As he said that, a kunai appeared in his hand without warning, and in the next instant, he was right beside Suzuko, thrusting the weapon straight toward her.
Suzuko's eyes widened. Though she had entered the Ninja Academy and begun training, she had barely started. She was still far too weak.
Under her father's killing intent, even moving felt impossible.
In that split second, Kisame had already drawn his sword. He charged forward, stepping between her and Tatsuto.
Clang!
The kunai and the sword collided with a sharp metallic sound, and both figures were forced backward.
Even though Kisame's weapon was far superior, he was the one driven back farther.
Tatsuto merely took one small step before stabilizing his stance. His hand holding the kunai didn't tremble in the slightest, yet his eyes showed a trace of admiration.
"To have this level of skill at your age… your future achievements will at least surpass those of Fuguki Suikazan."
Cold sweat beaded on Kisame's forehead. He steadied himself into a full battle stance, but still asked, "So just because your secret's been exposed, you're going to kill everyone? Jonin Nishimura, this is Kirigakure. If our fight drags on, someone will come. When that happens, you won't escape."
Tatsuto's tone remained calm, "From the moment my identity was exposed, I was never going to escape."
"After all, that wife of mine gave me two choices, one, to forget everything and live quietly from now on; two, to let her report everything she'd prepared to the village."
"I chose the second. So from that moment on, there was no turning back for me."
Kisame's heart sank further with each word. From their brief clash, he already knew, he wasn't this veteran jonin's match. And now that the man was cornered, with nothing left to lose, he would be even more dangerous.
Kisame could only try to reason with him.
"I don't know what really happened… maybe this is related to that spy who infiltrated the Land of Water? But your daughter, she's innocent! She doesn't know anything! Can't you at least spare her?"
Tatsuto hesitated slightly, then admitted, "Perhaps I did think about sparing her. Otherwise, do you think she could have survived long enough to meet you?"
"But in the end, I regretted it. Thinking it over carefully, no matter how big a scene I cause, I must eliminate all who know the truth."
"That way, before my wife's backup plan activates, I can at least tell the interrogation unit a lie, to buy some time, and ensure my comrade's safe retreat."
Kisame's gaze hardened.
"So you really are connected to that spy who infiltrated the Land of Water. I didn't expect… that even Kirigakure could be infiltrated this deeply. For someone of your rank to be corrupted too."
He paused, then suddenly smiled faintly, almost at peace, "But, Jonin Nishimura, you've always been a cautious man. Your strikes are swift, your words few. I think even you haven't realized yet… that right now, you're stalling for us."
Tatsuto's eyes widened slightly. Kisame was right.
As a ninja who came from the Foundation, when had he ever become so soft?
When had he started saying so much, revealing information to his enemies in the middle of battle?
Was it… because of care?
Though logic told him to kill Suzuko, deep down, he was grasping for any excuse not to.
Just then, Kisame's voice came again, "Thank you, Jonin Nishimura. You've made me realize something. Even the coldest person in this world… still carries warmth within them."
Then Kisame turned his head to look at Suzuko, and, for the first time, stepped closer to her.
"Suzuko, didn't you say I'd become a great ninja who would protect you? I've thought about it, and you were right. And I don't have to wait for the future. I'm going to protect you now."
"And also ,don't call me Kisame-nii anymore. It sounds weird. When we grow up, would you still call me that? Kisame-nii?"
"Just call me by my name, Kisame. One day, I'll become the wielder of Samehada and make my name known throughout the shinobi world!"