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Thus, during missions, Fuguki deliberately leaked Kisame's intelligence. This led Kisame to become utterly disillusioned with his superior and the village. Then, under Obito's guidance, he chose to defect. He actively killed Fuguki Suikazan, took his weapon, the greatsword Samehada, and threw himself into the embrace of the Akatsuki. However, upon joining the Akatsuki, Kisame discovered that the whole damn thing was a conspiracy!!! A defection? Defection my ass! Even the Mizukage was under their control. His so-called defection had been orchestrated and guided by them from the start.
But it was too late. He had already joined the Akatsuki, embarking on a path of no return. Regret was useless. Kisame Hoshigaki could only consider himself a full-fledged member of the Akatsuki and see this darkness through to the end.
His first test mission since joining the organization was to capture Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi.
With Samehada strapped to his back, Kisame slowly walked into the valley.
****
Someone's here.
Inside the valley, Rōshi, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground resting, lifted his head and looked toward the valley entrance. Due to his strained relationship with the village's Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, he had left Iwagakure, wandering within the Land of Earth, seeking out remote, uninhabited places to stay. This was to prevent the village from finding him and sending people to persuade him to return.
Ōnoki was stubborn; Rōshi was hot-tempered. When the two were together, neither would yield to the other. Combined with his irritable and impulsive nature, which often led him to act without thinking, Rōshi chose to leave Iwagakure.
Is it someone from the village? Doesn't seem like it. The chakra signature is unfamiliar... and powerful. Uncertain of the visitor's identity, Rōshi heightened his guard.
The valley wasn't large, but it was well-hidden. Kisame soon reached the center, stopping and staring across the distance at Rōshi.
"The Akatsuki?" Although Rōshi had been wandering various places these past years, he was still somewhat aware of outside news. The Akatsuki's reputation was known throughout the ninja world. The battle in Amegakure had stunned countless people. No one had expected a single underground organization to make the Five Great Shinobi Villages suffer such a significant loss.
"Rōshi." Kisame calmly raised his hand, gripping the hilt of Samehada slung across his back.
This one means trouble. The visitor was clearly targeting him. Rōshi warily scanned the surroundings, ensuring he wasn't walking into an encirclement. Since the Akatsuki's exposure, their goal was known across the ninja world: capturing each village's Tailed Beasts. The appearance of an Akatsuki member here meant he, Rōshi, was now a target.
Akatsuki members were powerful S-ranked missing-nin from various nations. This one hadn't appeared before; was he a new recruit? Looking at Kisame's shark-like face and the slashed forehead protector, Rōshi deduced the man was from Kirigakure.
The Akatsuki is beginning its move to capture the Tailed Beasts. Rōshi decided he shouldn't engage in a protracted fight. He needed to get away and deliver this crucial intelligence to the village. Despite his disagreements with Ōnoki, Rōshi harbored no ill will toward Iwagakure. The Akatsuki was taking advantage of the turmoil from the Kirigakure-Sunagakure war to target the villages' Tailed Beasts and Jinchūriki. This signaled the start of their operations—a vital piece of intelligence that must reach the village.
A dark red chakra enveloped Rōshi as he directly tapped into the Tailed Beast's power. The Four-Tails was unique among the nine, possessing Lava Release. Borrowing its power, the Tailed Beast cloak covering Rōshi differed significantly from that of ordinary Jinchūriki. It was an orange-red, resembling flowing magma covering his body.
Sssss~~~ The extreme temperature instantly withered and ignited the plants beneath Rōshi's feet.
Witnessing this, Kisame tilted his head slightly. "A formidable opponent. Pity you ran into me."
Gripping Samehada, Kisame charged at Rōshi. Rōshi, cloaked in molten chakra, also rushed toward Kisame. In his Lava Chakra Mode, he feared no close combat. Anyone touching him would suffer severe burns from the molten chakra.
A red and a black figure rapidly closed in on each other. Rōshi's magma-covered fist aimed straight for Kisame's face. Kisame moved with the fluid grace of a fish in water, evading the punch. As they passed each other, Samehada swiped across Rōshi's side.
The two separated. Rōshi looked down in shock at the point of impact. A large chunk of his molten chakra had been ripped away. The bandages wrapped around Samehada were scorched away, revealing the sword's true form. Samehada had successfully torn off a piece of the molten chakra, but it had also been badly burned in the process. The burned sword seemed to come alive, opening its "mouth" and letting out a few pained cries. The hilt elongated like an arm and bonked Kisame on the head, as if warning him not to make it touch such hot things—it didn't like getting burned.
Rubbed on the head by Samehada, Kisame raised the sword to inspect the burned area. The ripped-off chakra was gone.
Rōshi, noticing this, frowned deeply. He hadn't expected Samehada could tear off and consume even his molten chakra.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!!!" Close combat was originally Rōshi's forte, but if Samehada could continuously shred and devour his chakra, his advantage would be severely limited. Fortunately, Samehada feared fire; otherwise, Rōshi's situation would have turned dire. Rōshi suddenly opened his mouth, spewing a volley of molten rock orbs, each the size of a washbasin, toward Kisame.
Knowing Samehada couldn't handle the heat, Kisame abandoned the idea of closing in to slash at Rōshi. He agilely dodged the incoming molten projectiles while swiftly forming hand seals.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!!!! Explosions echoed continuously within the valley.
Above the valley, Obito, Zetsu, and Kakuzu watched the spectacle from their vantage point.
"It seems the old-timer is in for some trouble," Kakuzu remarked, seeing Kisame's hand seal sequence.
Old-timer? Are you sure that's the right descriptor? Both Obito and Zetsu turned their gazes toward Kakuzu.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Shock Wave!"
If the environment was unfavorable, then create one suitable for battle. Coincidentally, Kisame was precisely the type of ninja adept at altering the battlefield, possessing both the skill and the chakra reserves to do so.
*****
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