Jiraiya turned back toward the spot where he had been standing moments ago.
Black flames still scorched the ground, devouring everything in their path. Even a building would be reduced to ash in seconds.
That wasn't an ordinary fire.
Best not to touch it, he thought grimly. That thing… could burn even me to cinders.
Jiraiya's eyes shifted toward Itachi in the distance, but before he could act—
Whoosh!
A sudden gust cut through the air. Instinctively, Jiraiya raised his arm to block. A dull thud followed by a painful jolt spread through his body.
Then came a loud bang as the force hurled him backward.
A sharp pain shot through his arm. Jiraiya glanced down just in time to see Samehada, Kisame Hoshigaki's monstrous blade, tear through his flesh, peeling away skin and blood like a savage beast feasting on its prey.
Cold sweat trickled down Jiraiya's forehead as he leapt back to create distance.
"So careless, Sannin-sama!" Kisame jeered with a shark-toothed grin. "My Samehada doesn't cut… it shaves!"
As he spoke, the bandages around Samehada unraveled, revealing the weapon's grotesque scales—sharp barbs glistening with Jiraiya's blood.
Kisame licked the blade with his tongue, savoring the taste.
The surrounding Konoha shinobi froze, horrified. None had ever seen a weapon like that before.
Kisame's grin widened. That brief strike had been enough for Samehada to feed—just a taste, but it was enough.
"As expected of one of the Legendary Sannin," he said, his voice thick with amusement. "Your chakra's something else."
The scales along Samehada quivered, glowing faintly. It had already absorbed a portion of Jiraiya's chakra in that instant.
"Everyone, stay back!" Jiraiya warned sharply. "Don't get close to that guy! His sword can absorb chakra!"
Facing Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan was already difficult enough. Adding a chakra-absorbing monster from the Hidden Mist made the situation near impossible.
Jiraiya frowned. This is bad.
Then—
A white dove fluttered past, its wings catching the sunlight for a brief, fleeting moment.
Jiraiya's gaze flickered toward it.
"Where are you looking?!" Kisame barked. "You think you can daydream in front of me?!"
Crack!
Samehada crashed down, shattering the ground. Jiraiya rolled aside just in time as debris exploded upward.
A nearby Konoha jōnin lunged forward, kunai in hand. "Damn Missing-nin! You dare cause chaos in Konoha? Don't underestimate us!"
But before he could finish, Kisame swung his weapon. The man's scream was cut short as he was hurled through a wall, blood spraying through the air.
In mere seconds, three jōnin had fallen. Kisame moved like a predator among sheep, feeding Samehada as his chakra surged even higher.
Jiraiya clenched his fists. "Not good! Don't engage him head-on—he's absorbing their chakra!"
Kisame smirked. "Too late for that now!"
He clasped his hands together. "Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"
Boom!
A massive shark formed from water chakra surged forward, jaws wide open, devouring everything in its path.
Several Konoha shinobi countered immediately—
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Fireballs roared toward the shark, but they barely sizzled before being swallowed whole. The chakra-infused water absorbed and overpowered the flames effortlessly.
Boom—boom—boom!
Explosions rocked the street. Screams filled the air as the Great Shark Bullet tore through the ranks, leaving corpses in its wake.
"This can't be!" a shinobi cried. "How can a Missing-nin from the Hidden Mist be this strong?!"
"And with Uchiha Itachi here too—this is insane!"
"If Hokage-sama weren't injured, Konoha wouldn't be in this state!"
At that, Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. Danzo.
The old schemer was nowhere to be seen.
Is he hiding again? Or is he behind this too?
That conniving bastard still dreamed of becoming Hokage—but in a crisis like this, he vanished like a coward.
"If you can't stand and fight for Konoha," Jiraiya muttered under his breath, "then you don't deserve the hat."
"It's fine, Kisame," Itachi's calm voice broke through the chaos. "Leave Jiraiya to me."
Kisame shrugged, his grin returning. "Heh. Fine by me. I'll handle the rest."
The nearby Konoha shinobi froze. Being noticed by Kisame Hoshigaki was the last thing anyone wanted.
Meanwhile, high above, on a nearby rooftop—
Konoha's Twelve Genin watched the battle unfold.
Lee frowned. "That guy… he's from the Hidden Mist?"
Shikamaru squinted. "A Missing-nin, more like."
Choji looked anxious. "Shouldn't we help, though? Jiraiya-sama's fighting alone!"
Neji crossed his arms. "Help? Don't be ridiculous. Even jōnin can't stand against them."
Another Chūnin squad appeared below, moving to reinforce the front lines. "You kids! Fall back now! It's too dangerous here!"
Kiba clenched his fists. "Damn it! We're useless! We can't even fight alongside them!"
Shikamaru's eyes flickered with thought. If only Shigure were here…
If Shigure were here, at least one of them could be stalled. Maybe then Jiraiya could finish one opponent and help with the other.
But Shigure wasn't here.
Not yet.
Above the battlefield, Shigure rode atop the Flying Nimbus (Kinto'un), scanning Konoha's burning streets below. His eyes locked onto Kisame Hoshigaki—his chakra flaring wildly like a storm.
He sensed the signatures below: Itachi, Kisame, Jiraiya… and the countless fading sparks of fallen shinobi.
"Danzo," Shigure muttered, voice cold. "That useless old man's hiding again, huh?"
He let out a sharp breath, gaze hardening.
"Not even bothering to look outside while Konoha burns."
He clenched his fist.
"Hmph."
At that moment, Itachi's body dissolved into a flurry of black crows, scattering into the air and circling menacingly above Jiraiya.
The sky darkened under their wings, the eerie cries of the crows echoing through the shattered streets.
And then—amidst the sea of black feathers—a single white dove fluttered gently down.
Its pristine wings gleamed in the dim light, cutting through the gloom like a silent beacon.
It landed near Kisame Hoshigaki, utterly out of place among the shadows.
"Kisame!"
A clear voice rang out above them. The dove shimmered suddenly—its form rippling like mist—and from within the dispersing white haze, a lone figure appeared.
Descending lightly from the sky, Shigure landed behind Kisame, his eyes calm yet sharp, his Mist forehead protector gleaming faintly under the light.
"It's quite lively here," Shigure said quietly, his tone casual but carrying weight.
The nearby Konoha shinobi froze.
Some of them recognized him immediately—the boy from the Hidden Mist who had once fought alongside their forces. Others, less familiar, tensed in confusion.
"Another Mist ninja…?" someone muttered. "Why is he here?"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed slightly. "Shigure, what are you doing here?"
Shigure smiled faintly.
"Don't mind me, old man. You focus on your opponent. I'm here to catch a Missing-nin."
"Catch a Missing-nin?"
The Konoha ninja exchanged glances. Their eyes darted toward Kisame Hoshigaki—the rogue swordsman of the Hidden Mist.
"Does he mean… him?" one whispered.
Kisame turned his head slowly, studying Shigure with a toothy grin. "Heh. A Mist brat?"
His small eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"How convenient… another Mist ninja showing up right now? That's a little too coincidental, don't you think?"
Even if it were pure chance, Kisame couldn't believe it. He could sense no hesitation in the boy's chakra—only quiet, focused killing intent.
"Still," Kisame chuckled, dragging Samehada along the ground with a low scrape, "it's rare to meet one of my own here in the Leaf."
Before the laughter had even finished leaving his throat, Shigure moved.
No warning. No wasted motion.
He stepped forward and struck—his blade flashing downward like a streak of moonlight.
Clang!!
The sound of clashing steel erupted as Zangetsu met Samehada, sparks scattering between them. The force of the blow made the ground quake.
Kisame's grin faltered. His arms trembled slightly under the impact.
What—?
The strength behind that strike was monstrous—nothing like what he expected from someone who looked barely older than a genin.
The bandaged sword in his hands growled, its scales shivering in agitation as it sensed the dense, turbulent chakra flowing from Shigure's blade.
Kisame's shark-like grin slowly returned, but there was a new flicker of wariness in his eyes.
"Well now… looks like I found myself a fun one."
Shigure's gaze didn't waver. "You've caused enough trouble in the Leaf. I'll end this here."
A faint mist began to swirl around him as chakra rippled through the air.
For the first time, Kisame Hoshigaki, the Monster of the Hidden Mist, felt his blood stir.
...
TN:
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