Another World's Shark

At the edge of the forest, a tall figure emerged, carrying the corpse of a wandering ninja over his shoulder.

He wore an Akatsuki cloak with red clouds on a black background. A spiked Ninja Blade was strapped to his back, and his shark-like face bore no unnecessary expression.

Kisame Hoshigaki.

Just now, he and Itachi had completed their mission to infiltrate Konoha and investigate the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. On their way out, they had encountered Jiraiya, one of the Sannin.

Itachi's body had started acting strangely after he used Amaterasu, so Kisame had told him to rest first. While he was at it, Kisame had taken a bounty mission nearby to gather funds for the organization's future plan to capture the Tailed Beasts.

"All right, it's done. Let's go find Mr. Itachi. Hopefully, he's rested."

Carrying the corpse, he headed for their agreed meeting place.

"Sorry, could you stay here for a while?"

A voice suddenly came from ahead. "No one can be allowed to disturb what's happening over there right now."

Kisame's steps stopped abruptly. His small, round eyes narrowed, and he became like a shark that had suddenly sensed danger, every sense instantly on high alert.

"Who?!"

He looked toward the voice.

Beside the sturdy old tree stood a man with blond hair and azure eyes, wearing an orange jacket.

Kisame recognized that face. It belonged to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, but the man before him was clearly the wrong age. There was none of the boyish innocence on his face; in its place was the steady bearing of an adult man.

"Well, this is..." Kisame's hand had unconsciously gripped Samehada's hilt. He spoke in his peculiar drawl. "That's certainly an unusual face. Could you explain? Why do you look so much like that little Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"