The collision of their blades shook the air itself.
A violent ripple of chakra burst outward, kicking up dust and debris. The nearby Konoha shinobi staggered back instinctively, shielding their faces from the shockwave.
At the center of the storm, Shigure and Kisame Hoshigaki stood locked in place, their weapons grinding against each other—Zangetsu against Samehada—each blow sparking like lightning.
Both men poured power into the clash.
The air around them twisted, pressure exploding outward in waves, and the ground beneath their feet began to sink and crack from the strain.
Kisame grinned, baring his shark-like teeth. "Heh… didn't expect this! When did the Hidden Mist start producing little monsters like you?"
Despite the mocking tone, there was a flicker of unease in his eyes.
To withstand him in raw strength—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—was no small feat. This kid wasn't just strong. He was abnormal.
"The Hidden Mist has changed," Shigure replied, his voice calm and steady. "More than you can imagine."
In the next instant, his blade flared with chakra.
Clang!
The shockwave of their clash cracked the air, and with a sharp twist of his wrist, Shigure knocked Samehada aside.
Kisame barely had time to register it before a cold gleam flashed past his ribs.
Slash!
Their bodies crossed.
A thin line of blood appeared on Kisame's side, then burst open—red spraying across the torn ground.
He looked down in disbelief at the hot blood pooling in his palm.
It had been years since anyone managed to wound him. And now, a kid barely out of his teens had done it in a single exchange.
The Konoha shinobi watching from a distance were stunned.
"That monster from the Mist… got cut?"
Only moments ago, Kisame's overwhelming power had left them hopeless—but in a flash, Shigure had not only suppressed him, he'd drawn blood.
Even the jōnin among them couldn't believe it.
"Not bad," Shigure said, turning slightly, his eyes cool. "You managed to avoid a fatal hit."
Indeed, at the last possible moment, Kisame had twisted his body, letting the blade graze his ribs instead of cutting clean through.
Then—
Ssshhh…
A strange sound rippled through the air. Before everyone's eyes, the gash on Kisame's ribs began to heal, flesh knitting back together at a visible speed.
Kisame exhaled slowly and smirked. "Heh… impressive swordsmanship. It's been a long time since someone's made me bleed."
He lifted Samehada, its scales trembling with excitement as if hungering for more of Shigure's chakra.
"Hey, brat. What's your name?"
"Shigure."
Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Just Shigure? No surname?"
A murmur spread among the Konoha shinobi. Many of them knew the truth—his full name was Gekkō Shigure.
But by omitting it, he had made something clear: he no longer carried the Gekkō clan name with pride.
Among the onlookers, Gekkō Hayate clenched his fist, opening his mouth as if to speak, but stopped. Now wasn't the time.
"You ask too many questions," Shigure said flatly.
In that moment, his chakra surged.
A sharp light flashed in his eyes as he raised Zangetsu high.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
A brilliant arc of chakra erupted from his blade, cutting through the air like a crescent moon.
The slash roared forward, splitting the ground apart with an ear-splitting crack. Dust and stone exploded outward as the shockwave cleaved toward Kisame.
BOOM!
The three-meter-high wave of chakra crashed against Samehada. Kisame braced with both hands, but the impact hurled him backward, his heels digging trenches into the earth.
Boom—boom—boom!
The ground quaked from the recoil as Kisame slammed through several walls before finally skidding to a halt amidst a cloud of dust.
Both Itachi and Jiraiya, locked in their own battle nearby, turned to look.
"What incredible chakra output…" Itachi murmured.
Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly. "That wasn't even a jutsu… he released raw chakra through his blade. Just what level of control does this kid have?"
As the smoke cleared, Kisame stepped forward again. His clothes were shredded, revealing his scarred, muscular torso. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Shigure lowered his blade slightly, eyes narrowing. "He actually blocked it."
Though that Getsuga Tenshō had been uncharged—a mere reflex slash—it still carried significant force. For Kisame to take it head-on and survive spoke volumes about his durability.
Kisame grinned, teeth glinting. "Not bad… but I'm not done yet."
Without hesitation, he pressed his hands together.
"Water Release: Water Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, water splashed up around him, forming into three identical clones. Four Kisames now surrounded Shigure, circling like sharks in bloodied water.
The clones rushed in from every direction.
Shigure didn't even move from his spot. His expression remained calm.
He raised one hand, fingers forming a single seal.
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
A sphere of water coalesced in the air behind him, spinning at high speed before firing like a bullet.
Boom!
The shot pierced through one clone—then another—before exploding into mist that obliterated the rest.
The real Kisame leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the tail end of the blast, landing heavily as his clones dissolved.
Shigure lowered his hand, his expression unreadable.
"Water techniques won't work on me," he said evenly. "I was born in the Mist."
Shigure's sharp gaze locked onto Kisame Hoshigaki.
In the next instant, his chakra flared—and he vanished.
"Water Release: Water Body Flicker Technique!"
A burst of mist and water vapor trailed behind him as his figure blurred across the battlefield. Before Kisame could even react, Shigure appeared directly in front of him.
Kisame's eyes widened. "What—?!"
He barely had time to raise Samehada before Shigure's hand clamped down on his face.
With raw, overwhelming force, Shigure lifted him from the ground.
"Let's change the stage."
Then—
Crack! Bang! Boom!
The two smashed through five, six rooftops in rapid succession, their collision leaving splintered walls and dust clouds in their wake.
When they finally landed, they were far from the main battlefield—on the outskirts of Konoha, where broken houses and empty streets stretched into silence.
Before Kisame could get his bearings, Shigure formed a rapid sequence of hand signs.
"Hidden Mist Technique: Mist Cage."
A dense fog instantly enveloped the area. The visibility dropped to zero, the air heavy and moist. Even for Kisame, who was born in the Hidden Mist, this felt different.
This wasn't an ordinary haze.
The mist itself was alive—thick, chakra-infused, pulsing faintly in rhythm with Shigure's intent.
Kisame squinted into the fog, his hand gripping Samehada tightly.
"So… this wasn't about catching me, was it?" he said, his tone amused but wary.
"You dragged me away from the others. What are you planning, kid?"
Shigure didn't answer immediately.
He calmly sheathed Zangetsu, the metallic sound cutting through the fog.
Then, he looked up—his expression calm, his eyes clear.
"Kisame… the Hidden Mist isn't what it used to be."
Kisame blinked, the grin fading slightly from his face.
"Come back," Shigure said, his voice steady but not cold.
"Your Missing-nin title—your exile—it can all be undone. The new Mizukage will pardon you. You just need to return home."
For a long moment, Kisame said nothing. The only sound was the faint rustle of mist swirling between them.
Then, he chuckled lowly. "Heh… that's not something I expected to hear."
His eyes lowered, thoughtful, almost nostalgic.
"Cancel my status, huh? Restore me as a Mist shinobi again…"
He looked down at his bandaged sword, the scales twitching restlessly. "You really think that's possible?"
Shigure didn't waver.
"It's not just possible. It's real. The Bloody Mist era is over, Kisame. The village has changed. The cycle of fear and betrayal—you don't have to be part of it anymore."
Kisame's grin returned, though this time it carried a bitter edge.
"The Bloody Mist, huh…? Heh, those were good times for monsters like me."
He tilted his head, studying Shigure through the fog. "But tell me, boy… why would you, a Mist shinobi, risk yourself for someone like me?"
Shigure's expression hardened slightly.
"Because the new Mist doesn't abandon its own."
The mist around them rippled faintly, echoing his conviction.
For the first time in years, Kisame Hoshigaki found himself at a loss for words.
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)