"A new name?"
Kisame froze for a moment, then looked at Shigure suspiciously.
"You really think losing one arm is enough to fool them?"
Shigure shrugged casually. "It doesn't matter whether they believe it or not. What matters is giving everyone a way out."
"As for Akatsuki — if they want to pick a fight with the Hidden Mist, let them come."
Kisame's grin widened. This boy was getting more and more interesting.
He knew full well how dangerous Akatsuki truly was — and yet this kid in front of him spoke as if they were nothing more than a nuisance.
If he really returned to the Hidden Mist, Obito would definitely send someone after him.
Even if he didn't, the moment Kisame was seen as a liability, Akatsuki would erase him without hesitation.
"Do you really understand how terrifying Akatsuki is?" Kisame asked, his tone suddenly serious.
The terror of Akatsuki…?
Perhaps no one alive understood the organization better than Shigure did — not even its own members.
"Don't worry," Shigure said calmly. "If I dare to take you in, I'm not afraid of them coming for us."
Kisame chuckled. "You really trust me that easily? You believe I'll just stroll back into the Hidden Mist?"
"Didn't you already agree?" Shigure countered with a faint smile.
Kisame grinned sharklike.
"What if I was lying? What if I'm just planning to go undercover in the Hidden Mist?"
Shigure paused, lowering his head in thought before replying.
"For someone like you… being in Akatsuki or the Hidden Mist doesn't make much difference, does it?"
Kisame didn't answer. He just looked at Shigure quietly, the faintest flicker of amusement in his eyes.
"But you're still a man of the Mist," Shigure continued.
"Even if you've stopped caring, it's still your home. And no matter how far you go, it's never a bad thing to go home once in a while."
He smiled faintly.
"So yes — compared to Obito, I have something better to offer. That's enough."
Kisame blinked, then started to laugh — a low, genuine laugh.
He didn't have grand ambitions or delusions of grandeur. He wasn't chasing peace, power, or some world-ending dream.
He just liked to work — and to see how far his blade could go.
He'd joined Akatsuki simply because the Hidden Mist had lost its thrill. And with the Fourth Mizukage under genjutsu control, it was no wonder he'd been scouted straight into the organization.
"So that's all it is?" Kisame asked, amused.
"That simple?"
"That simple," Shigure said with a grin.
What Shigure didn't realize was that the calmer and more confident he acted, the more Kisame found himself intrigued.
"Alright then," Shigure said, "hand Samehada over to me."
Kisame frowned, clearly surprised. "You want this sword?"
Shigure sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I'm not interested in Samehada itself. But if we're going to make this convincing, we need to commit. If I 'killed' you and just left Samehada lying around, wouldn't that look suspicious?"
Realization flashed in Kisame's eyes. "Ah, I see…"
He grinned and casually tossed Samehada toward Shigure. He didn't hesitate — he knew full well that no one could truly wield Samehada except him.
As long as he lived, the sword would remain loyal only to Kisame Hoshigaki.
Shigure caught the blade effortlessly. A faint pulse of chakra shimmered through his hand, and suddenly several pale vines burst from the ground, binding Kisame's hands and legs.
White Vine Sealing Technique!
Kisame's eyes widened. "Hey—what are you—"
Before he could finish, thick mist erupted around him, engulfing his body completely.
Hidden Mist: Mist Cage Release.
The world grew silent again. Out of the swirling fog, Shigure stepped forward, carrying Samehada on his back. The sharkskin blade throbbed faintly, as though displeased with its temporary wielder.
Shigure glanced down at the severed arm on the ground — the "proof" of Kisame's death.
He gave it a light kick aside, then drew Zangetsu and swung.
"Moon Fang — Heavenly Pierce!"
A massive crescent-shaped slash tore through the earth. The impact thundered through the battlefield, shaking the trees and sending a wave of chakra-charged wind screaming across the ground.
Moments later, a single bloodied arm flew through the air and landed beside a Konoha shinobi. The man froze, staring blankly at it.
The commotion drew every eye.
Not far away, Uchiha Itachi had just deflected Jiraiya's attack. When he turned toward the noise, his eyes widened slightly in disbelief.
That arm — he recognized it instantly.
It can't be… Kisame?
Itachi had fought beside Kisame countless times. He knew his partner's monstrous resilience — the man wasn't called the Tailless Tailed Beast for nothing.
To see one of his arms severed so easily... it didn't add up.
While Itachi was processing what he'd just seen, Shigure strode toward them, Samehada slung across his shoulder.
He looked directly at Jiraiya and the surrounding Leaf shinobi.
"Still fighting, huh? I'm done here. The Missing-nin from the Hidden Mist has been dealt with."
No one saw Kisame's body, but seeing Samehada in Shigure's hands was proof enough.
After all, if the wielder still lived, the blade would never allow itself to be taken.
To everyone watching, the conclusion was obvious: Kisame Hoshigaki was dead.
Still, Itachi's gaze lingered on Shigure — wary, suspicious. Something didn't sit right.
Jiraiya broke the silence first. "So you came here for that sword, huh?"
"Of course," Shigure replied matter-of-factly.
"It's one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Hidden Mist. Naturally, it should be returned to the village."
Jiraiya nodded slowly but couldn't shake his unease.
The kid had appeared at just the right moment — almost too conveniently.
Had he been following them back to Konoha this whole time? He hadn't sensed the boy's chakra even once on the journey.
And how had Shigure known Kisame would be here in the first place?
Coincidence? Or something else?
"Besides reclaiming that sword," Jiraiya asked cautiously, "what else did you come to take?"
Shigure blinked, momentarily thrown off. "What do you mean?"
He thought for a second, then shook his head. "Nothing. My mission was only to retrieve the sword. I don't have any other interest here."
He turned to leave. "I've done what I came for."
The Leaf shinobi exchanged uneasy glances. There was something unnerving about the boy's calm detachment — he simply came, dealt with the threat, and left.
But he wasn't one of them anymore. They couldn't exactly stop him.
"Wait," a quiet but firm voice called out.
Itachi.
Shigure stopped, turning his head slightly.
"You killed my comrade," Itachi said softly. "Do you really think you can walk away that easily?"
Shigure raised an eyebrow. "You're planning to stop me?"
Itachi didn't answer. Red chakra flared around him, condensing into a skeletal frame.
The sheer pressure made the air heavy.
Shigure's eyes widened slightly. That's… Susanoo.
Even without it being fully formed, he could feel the overwhelming power radiating from it.
But just as Itachi was about to act, Shigure spoke again — his tone unexpectedly gentle.
"Sasuke is my friend. And you… you're his brother. I don't want to fight you."
Itachi froze. For a rare moment, his expression softened.
Sasuke's… friend?
If not for the people watching, Itachi might have asked him more — might have wanted to hear what kind of bond Shigure had with his brother.
Seeing that Itachi wasn't going to attack, Shigure smiled faintly.
"Good. You guys carry on. I'll be going."
And with a single Body Flicker Technique, his form blurred and vanished into the mist.
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)