Ding! Congratulations to the host for drastically altering Kisame Hoshigaki's life trajectory.
Reward: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave ×1
Ding! Successfully recruited Kisame Hoshigaki.
Reward: Water Affinity
Kisame went to eat with Kyōko Kurita. Nobody knew exactly what Kyōko told him, but afterward Kisame decided to follow Uchiha Natsuki.
With water affinity, Natsuki's study of Water Release became much more efficient, and locating water sources was far easier.
As for ninjutsu—while helpful—it wasn't critical, since he could train on his own anyway, though it would take more time.
Curiously, Kyōko Kurita received no rewards. Perhaps because in the original story, she had never even left behind a name.
Natsuki had originally been worried that Mei Terumi and Yagura wouldn't want to hand over Samehada. Unexpectedly, both of them were unusually accommodating, not only respectfully providing all the intel Natsuki required, but also formally handing Samehada over to Kisame.
Mei even went so far as to declare that from now on, Kirigakure would forever remain allies of the Uchiha clan, promising mutual aid and protection. Her stance was set extremely low.
Mei and Yagura had little choice. The Hidden Mist no longer had any high-end fighting power left. Yagura himself had even been controlled by the Sharingan. As the victor, Natsuki's ocular power was absolute. Even without genjutsu, Yagura still couldn't compare to him.
In its weakened state, Kirigakure could not afford to make new enemies.
After confessing all that had happened, Yagura, shamed by his manipulation, abdicated as the Fourth Mizukage and passed the mantle on to Mei Terumi as the Fifth.
He himself was imprisoned in the Mist's dungeons. Though his crimes deserved death a hundred times over, he was still a jinchūriki, an important strategic asset. Until a replacement vessel could be found, he wouldn't be allowed to die.
Yet the succession of a new Mizukage did not immediately resolve anything. Years of the Bloody Mist's tyranny and persecution of kekkei genkai clans had left the village in deep chaos.
Isolated overseas, with its mountain-shrouded village eternally veiled in mist, Kirigakure was relatively closed off. This had always tied the Land of Water and the Mist closer to their Daimyō.
But Kirigakure's turmoil affected not only the village, but the entire Land of Water. Its national strength declined sharply. Were it not for their remoteness, one could only imagine what schemes the other great nations might have entertained.
Having secured the intel he needed, Natsuki left the Mist, setting off in search of his next target.
The islands of the Water Country were vast, with countless mountains and diverse terrain. Each island had its own customs, and the weather shifted as though the seasons were scattered across the archipelago.
Its distance from the continent, with oceans as natural barriers, explained why the Land of Water seldom took part in the previous Great Ninja Wars.
But in just a few years, Obito had thrown the entire nation into disorder.
Along the way, Natsuki witnessed gaunt civilians, frequent banditry, and countless rogue shinobi. Many even mistook him for an easy mark. He had already cut down several groups, yet trouble kept coming.
Had he not been searching for someone specific, he wouldn't have bothered with these remote settlements.
In the end, he simply had Kisame wear his Mist forehead protector, which reduced the harassment considerably.
As the weather turned colder, snowflakes drifted from the skies.
Haku sat huddled by a pile of refuse, expression empty. He stretched out a hand, catching a snowflake, watching it melt away in his palm.
A cart trundled past, dumping a load of garbage beside him. Haku immediately scrambled up, searching through the refuse for scraps of food.
"Argh—! Woof! Woof!" A dog barked furiously at him.
Without expression, Haku kicked the dog aside. The animal whimpered, collapsing to the ground. Two puppies rushed from the shadows, guarding the larger dog, baring their teeth at him.
Haku lowered his gaze, eyes unreadable. He neither fought them nor continued searching the trash—he simply turned away.
Even dogs are wanted… but me?
"Finally found you."
A voice sounded at his ear. A large cloak was draped over his shoulders, warmth seeping in. Haku flinched, turning to see three figures behind him: two men and one woman.
The man in front was smiling warmly. Behind him stood a rough-looking, blue-skinned man carrying a massive blade, and the woman's gentle eyes softened the scene.
"Who are you? Did you… mistake me for someone else?"
At ten years old, Haku was frail and short, with a delicate, dirt-smudged face. His black hair hung limp, eyes hollow, and a chain like that of a dog's collar circled his neck.
Clang!
Natsuki sheathed his sword, the chain falling apart.
"You're exactly the one I'm looking for. I need companions like you. Will you help me?"
Haku stared blankly at the broken chain—once forced upon him when he was captured.
"You… need me?" A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes.
Natsuki ruffled his hair. "Yes. I need you."
Haku felt as though a ray of light pierced his bleak sky. He smiled softly. "My name is Haku."
Natsuki pulled out a steamed bun. "Eat something first. I'll take you to get cleaned up. My name is Uchiha Natsuki."
Obediently, Haku took the lukewarm bun and nibbled it slowly. After carefully chewing, he swallowed. Warmth spread from his stomach.
Kyōko Kurita crouched down, offering him a canteen. "Eat slowly, don't choke."
She was used to seeing children like this in the Mist—lost, starved, and nameless. Yet she still wondered why Natsuki treated Haku differently.
The intel Natsuki had followed only mentioned rumors of an Ice Release incident in a nearby village, with no precise location. Having wandered for some time, Haku was hard to track. Natsuki had searched several markets and settlements before finally finding him.
Haku finished the bun quickly with water.
Natsuki handed him another. "Still hungry? Have another."
Haku shook his head. "If you eat too much after starving for so long, you'll throw it up."
Natsuki sighed, fastening the cloak tighter around his small frame. "Still cold?"
Haku shook his head. "I'm not afraid of the cold."
Taking a towel from Kyōko, Natsuki gently wiped Haku's face. The boy tried to shy away, embarrassed, but eventually let him clean away the grime, revealing delicate features beneath his messy hair.
"Wow," Natsuki couldn't help exclaiming. He glanced at Haku, then at Kyōko. Both were beautiful… but—
"Haku, are you a boy or a girl?"
Years of malnutrition had stunted Haku's growth. Though around eleven or twelve, he looked like a child of seven or eight. From appearances, one could not tell.
Haku smiled warmly. "I'm a boy."
Natsuki sighed inwardly. As expected. Kishimoto, only you truly understood Naruto.
He had been prepared for this. Kyōko, however, was shocked—she had assumed Haku was a girl.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for drastically altering Haku's life trajectory.
Reward: Demonic Ice Mirrors ×1
Ding! Successfully recruited Haku.
Reward: Natural Affinity
Natsuki frowned. "Natural affinity? I expected Water or Ice affinity…"
Then again—Haku's personality suited Sage Arts.
Behind them, Kisame stood silently like a bodyguard, his dead-fish eyes unblinking.
Reality warped, and Obito emerged from the ground.
His single eye radiated fear.
Impossible… even space itself was cut apart…
Kamui had failed!
No—it wasn't that Kamui failed. The Kamui dimension itself had been sliced through!
Uchiha Natsuki… how can your ocular power be this terrifying?!
Obito trembled. If not for casting Izanagi at the last second, he would have truly died.
Rin… was it you watching over me?
Death could take many forms. But being erased by Natsuki's blade was annihilation without pain. Everything reduced to nothing in an instant. Only upon reviving could Obito even recall the horror.
If his left eye hadn't already burned out, he wouldn't have believed it.
The nearly invincible Kamui had met its counter.
It took him a long time to calm down. He carefully replayed the battle in his mind.
Natsuki's Susanoo was immensely powerful, sustained by deep reserves of ocular power. One of his eye techniques must have reduced Susanoo's drain, and the other—enhanced its weaponry.
Obito had read through all of Madara's stolen archives. Nowhere had he seen such a jutsu recorded.
But it didn't matter. As long as Natsuki never had the chance to empower his Susanoo's blade, Kamui would remain invincible!
Natsuki's Sharingan was too dangerous. He had to be eliminated.
Meanwhile, Kirigakure sank deeper into factional strife. Though Mei Terumi had assumed the role of Fifth Mizukage, opposition was fierce. Yagura's disgrace only worsened distrust in the office of Mizukage.
Calls for Yagura's execution were loud. Zabuza even attempted an assassination while Yagura was in prison—but failed. Had Yagura not restrained himself, Zabuza would have died instead.
Having found Haku, Natsuki immediately set course for the Kaguya clan's territory.
With Kisame a jonin-level powerhouse, and Kyōko an ANBU operative, they kept up easily. But Haku's frail body lagged behind.
Untrained and sickly, his speed was limited.
Worried that Kimimaro might slip away, Natsuki simply carried Haku himself.
Though embarrassed, Haku accepted it without complaint, his pale cheeks flushed red. He didn't want to slow Natsuki down.
With Kisame and Kyōko's local knowledge, they finally located the Kaguya's lands.
By the time they arrived, it was already midnight. Flames lit the sky above the clan's territory.
"Oh dear… looks like we're late."
Natsuki stroked his chin. He couldn't recall if Kimimaro was imprisoned or had already fought his way out.
They would have to search.
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