"The Summoned Beast died again?"
Deep in the Forest of Death, in a secluded corner, Kisame Hoshigaki jolted awake. His blue-gray Shark Face was full of frustration and helplessness.
"Kazama Kaguya, it's only been two days. What are you up to now?"
Though he grumbled aloud, his movements never stopped. Before he had even finished speaking, he vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
With the formidable physique of an elite Jonin and the terrifying mobility granted by the Body Flicker Technique, his speed easily topped 250 meters per second.
Kisame raced through the forest under cover of night like a phantom. Trees flew past in his wake, and the fierce wind he stirred only began to crackle after he had disappeared.
In just twenty seconds, he crossed roughly five kilometers and reached the battlefield.
"This is the place."
Kisame appeared before the glass jar holding the Summoned Beast as if he had teleported. The moment he came to a stop, he caught a faint whiff of blood.
"Are you hurt?" He narrowed his eyes and warily surveyed the area.
Then he spotted a black-robed figure writhing in front of a giant tree not far away.
It was a humanoid creature sprawled on the ground, clad in a black robe and wearing a mask. But unlike a normal person, its entire body was writhing strangely.
Beneath the black robe, a large lump would bulge out, then quickly sink back in. At the same time, the sound of countless bones rubbing and snapping echoed from within, as if flesh and bone were warring beneath the robe. It was bizarre and terrifying.
"Kazama Kaguya?" Kisame drew two Shuriken and asked cautiously.
He wasn't sure whether the strange thing carrying a familiar scent was the person he was supposed to protect.
"Tea... Teacher Kisame." A hoarse, raspy voice sounded, grating on the ears.
The monster beneath the robe struggled to remove his mask, revealing Kazama Kaguya's gaunt cheek, smeared with blood.
His left eye was tightly shut, and the blood had yet to dry. Beneath his skin, his flesh writhed in waves, as if countless snakes and insects were crawling through him. The sight made one's scalp tingle.
"Take me away. Far from Konoha." Kazama Kaguya endured the agony surging through his body and struggled to his feet. "Quickly, the pursuers will be here soon."
"It's only been two days. How did you end up like this?" Kisame asked, utterly baffled.
He eyed Kazama Kaguya, who looked as though he might fall apart at any moment, and was about to help him leave. But after taking a few steps, he suddenly sprang into action, hurling a Shuriken at a certain spot as a killing intent flared. He also spat out a large sphere of water and launched an attack.
"Who's there? Sneaking around—show yourself!"
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Boom...
The enormous ball of water surged into the woods, toppling a swath of trees.
A phantom dodged the attack and appeared in the distance with the Body Flicker Technique.
It was a young man dressed in a black, high-collared short-sleeved shirt and black trousers. A brown guard covered his right shoulder, white bandages wrapped his legs, and a short sword was strapped to his back.
Most striking of all, above his large garlic-shaped nose sat a pair of scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan, radiating an ominous aura.
"Sharingan? And Three-Tomoe, at that?" Kisame's expression turned grave.
Behind him, Kazama Kaguya saw the scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan and that unmistakable "garlic-shaped nose." His expression changed, and he cried out, "Shisui Uchiha? What's he doing here? This can't be right."
"Shisui Uchiha?" Kisame's heart skipped a beat as he recalled the intel he'd received earlier.
The supreme Genjutsu that can alter a person's will—Kotoamatsukami? He immediately looked away, but couldn't help feeling eager to attack. If I take his Mangekyo, won't my mission be complete?
In the distance, Shisui Uchiha calmly drew his short sword and pointed it at the two of them.
"Shark Face? You're the Kirigakure rogue Kisame Hoshigaki. Then the other one must be a Kirigakure spy. How did you infiltrate the Root Organization and earn Lord Danzo's trust?"
Clearly, Shisui, who had always believed in the Will of Fire, had yet to witness Danzo's underhanded methods.
Kazama Kaguya had no interest in tangling with Shisui. He struggled to his feet through the pain and said, "Teacher Kisame, hurry! We're too close to Konoha. If we start fighting, we'll be surrounded."
"You don't have to tell me." Kisame snorted. His hands were already forming Hand Seals.
"Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"
In the blink of an eye, a series of three-meter-long water sharks burst from Kisame's mouth and lunged at Shisui.
Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed Kazama Kaguya and activated the Body Flicker Technique, vanishing from the spot.
Kazama Kaguya felt a tremendous force yank him away. The scenery before his eyes stretched into a straight line and whipped past at high speed.
Amid the howling wind came Kisame's voice. "Kazama Kaguya, your body's about to fall apart. Has your Bloodline Disease flared up? Maybe I should just kill you now and spare you the pain."
"Teacher Kisame, you're such a joker. Cough, cough..."
Kazama Kaguya spat out a mouthful of congealed blood and several chunks of internal organs. Gripping Kisame's arm tightly, he reminded him, "You took my intel and agreed to protect me for three months. Now's the time to do your part."
"Intel? Hmph. That was your trap."
Kisame grumbled in displeasure, but didn't mention abandoning him again. He simply put all his effort into the Body Flicker Technique and fled.
But carrying a deadweight had slowed him down considerably.
Ninja were high-offense, high-speed, low-defense fighters, making them ideal for assassination and gathering intelligence.
But rescuing people? To be honest, ninja weren't very good at it. They were better at using offense as defense, killing their opponents before worrying about anything else.
Kazama Kaguya understood that perfectly. He knew that unless they fought their way through, there was no way the two of them could escape safely.
Besides, the one chasing them was Body Flicker Shisui, who was famous for his speed.
"Cough, cough, cough..." After spitting out some more decayed internal organs, Kazama Kaguya felt the agony in his body ease a little. He cautioned Kisame, "Teacher Kisame, I need you to protect me with everything you've got for fifteen minutes. During that time, no matter what happens to my body, don't worry about it. Just stop anyone who tries to kill me."
"Fifteen minutes?" Kisame felt a pang of dread. "Besides Shisui Uchiha, who's still on our tail, are there Hyuga Clan members coming too?"
"No Hyuga, but someone from the Aburame Clan will come after me next. His secret technique shouldn't pose much of a threat to you. Our main danger is Shisui Uchiha."
Kazama Kaguya spoke solemnly. "The intel I gave you earlier was true. Don't meet Shisui's gaze lightly. If he activates Susanoo, don't try to withstand it—run with me."
"You're saying I can't beat that Red Eye?" Kisame retorted defiantly.
"I don't want to exaggerate the enemy's strength, but, Teacher Kisame, your mission right now is to protect me." Kazama Kaguya hesitated, then reminded him tactfully.
Undermining morale with a powerful enemy before them was a major taboo. But he was worried Kisame would charge in recklessly. If Kisame fell under a Genjutsu, Kazama Kaguya would be a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
After thinking it over, Kazama Kaguya added, "If you really want to see who's stronger and try to complete Kirigakure's mission, I suggest waiting fifteen minutes. I might be able to help you then."
"Hmph, quit wasting your breath. That Red Eye's caught up. We'll find out how strong he is once we fight."
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Before you continue