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Within the Wave Country base, Kisame had spent several days in uneasy captivity.
Since the day he first met Nian, he hadn't seen anyone of that rank again.
He wasn't locked in a cell merely confined to a limited area.
A strange AI-like being called Ai-chan regularly appeared to inform him which areas he could and couldn't enter.
Over time, he learned the perimeter of his invisible cage and among all the zones, only one truly interested him:
The training grounds.
There, several powerful shinobi trained together each one from a clan that once defined the Bloody Mist.
The Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku, the Yuki Clan's Ice Release, and the Hōzuki Clan's Hydrification Technique…
It was like a living relic of the old Mist Village before its reforms.
Kisame couldn't help but smirk bitterly.
What irony… the Mist's bloodlines gathered under a new banner.
But what truly caught his attention and stirred something in his chest was Zabuza Momochi.
The very same man who once massacred an entire class of academy students, forcing the Hidden Mist to abolish its brutal graduation ritual.
The man who nearly assassinated the Fourth Mizukage in a failed coup.
To see him alive here, of all places was surreal.
Back then… I thought that man was insane.
But maybe he was the only one brave enough to fight the system.
Kisame chuckled softly to himself.
Of course, he knew the truth now that the Fourth Mizukage had been controlled by Madara Uchiha all along.
No rebellion could've succeeded under that shadow.
Kisame joined Akatsuki.
Zabuza had joined the D-Organization.
Now fate had brought them face to face again.
Sitting quietly with his back against the wall, Kisame accepted his situation with the calm of a man who had lived through too many storms.
If Madara and Nian were cooperating, his release was only a matter of time.
There was no need to rush.
Across the room, Zabuza stopped training and approached.
Samehada stirred on Kisame's back, restless it could feel the presence of the Three-Tails' chakra.
Zabuza planted the Executioner's Blade into the ground beside them and said simply, "Why did you betray the Mist back then?"
Kisame gave a hollow smile, one hand resting on his twitching blade.
"Because I couldn't find my purpose anymore."
He spoke quietly, eyes distant.
Carrying out mission after mission, killing comrades without hesitation to protect "village secrets"…
Eventually, he had lost sight of who he was fighting for.
"When the man behind the Fourth Mizukage revealed his plan, the Eye of the Moon Project, I thought maybe I'd finally found something worth following. A world without pain. Without war."
Kisame's gaze darkened. "Samehada is restless. You've got the Three-Tails sealed inside you, don't you?"
Zabuza leaned back, looking up at the ceiling.
"I needed power," he said. "So I became its Jinchūriki."
"That'll get you killed," Kisame replied flatly.
He knew Madara wouldn't give up a single Tailed Beast. They were essential to his plan.
If ordered, Kisame would eventually be sent to reclaim the beast no hesitation allowed.
Zabuza chuckled under his breath.
"I've already died once. I've got nothing left to fear. Now, I just want to protect one person."
That answer made Kisame glance at him in surprise.
"The cold-blooded Demon of the Mist… protecting someone? Never thought I'd hear that."
Zabuza's eyes softened as he looked toward the nearby training field where Haku was practicing her Ice Release.
"If you walk the edge of death once, you start to realize what truly matters."
Kisame fell silent for a moment. "…You're lucky," he muttered.
"Yeah," Zabuza agreed with a faint smile. "I think so too."
Then he rose, gripping his massive blade.
"Come on, Kisame. Let's fight. I want to know which of us has grown stronger."
Kisame grinned, lifting Samehada as the weapon pulsed with life. "Heh. Fine. Show me if you've got the strength to protect what you care about."
The two stepped onto the training ground, their chakra pressure instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Even the others stopped their drills, eyes wide.
Suigetsu Hōzuki stared in awe this was a battle between legends.
His mentor's mentor, and the man who once defined the title of "Seven Ninja Swordsman."
The clash began with a metallic roar.
Steel met scales.
The arena echoed with the clash of titans:
"The Tailed Beast Without a Tail" Kisame Hoshigaki
vs
"The Demon of the Hidden Mist" — Zabuza Momochi
Mist filled the air, water splashing and surging as blades cut through it.
Whispers of killing intent danced through the fog the perfect battlefield for Mist shinobi.
Suigetsu's eyes gleamed like a child watching his heroes come to life.
Every strike, every sound he absorbed it, spellbound.
---
By the time Neji arrived, the training field was drenched in water.
He paused at the entrance, raising an eyebrow.
What the hell are these two doing fighting each other?
Waves surged as Kisame merged with Samehada, his body turning shark-like. Zabuza countered by cloaking himself in the chakra shroud of the Three-Tails.
The power they unleashed was monstrous, and yet neither seemed to hold true malice. It was a battle of warriors seeking closure.
When the water finally stilled, both men collapsed to one knee exhausted.
A draw.
Had they continued, it would've been to the death.
Neji stepped forward calmly. "Kisame. Come with me."
Kisame smirked, hoisting Samehada onto his shoulder.
"So… this is it, huh? Whether I walk out of here alive or not depends on you."
He followed Neji into the hall. The two sat facing each other in silence for a moment.
Neji finally spoke.
"What do you know about the Eye of the Moon Plan… and the man behind the mask?"
Kisame tilted his head, studying the masked figure before him — [Nian].
"Heh. I know enough."
"Then say it."
"…You're really not one for subtlety, are you?" Kisame chuckled.
"This is the first time I've ever seen someone try to interrogate me by just asking directly."
Neji smiled faintly.
"And how do you know your information is true?"
He reached up and removed his mask.
Kisame's eyes widened in disbelief. "…You?!"
His smile faded. "So that's how it is… I guess I'm not walking out of here, am I?"
Neji's calm reply came without hesitation.
"Pretty much."
Kisame leaned back, closing his eyes. "I won't talk. Do whatever you want — I've got nothing left to lose."
His tone was steady. It wasn't pride it was conviction.
He had sworn never to betray what little trust he still held.
Neji smiled again, almost amused. "Then let's see if what you don't say matches what I already know."
Through their conversation, Neji confirmed much of what he'd suspected the truth about Madara, the plan, and the fragments still missing.
When it was done, he rose and gestured for Kisame to be taken back to his quarters.
Plans were already forming in his mind and this time, they involved far more than Akatsuki.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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