Kou's "Home"

The stench of blood still lingered in the conference room.

Kisame listened to Kou and nodded.

He asked no questions. He simply reached behind himself and slowly drew Samehada.

His fingers pressed against the bandages. Chakra stirred, and the white strips of cloth loosened like living things.

Samehada "woke up."

The fearsome mouth on its blade slowly opened, revealing rows of teeth like barbs.

As Kou looked on with a deadpan expression, Kisame casually reached into Samehada's gaping mouth.

He felt around in Samehada's "throat" for a moment, then pulled out a somewhat battered scroll.

It was small, its paper yellowed with age and its corners worn. It looked like it had been around for a long time.

There was no writing on it, only an old family crest, blurred by the passage of time—the Uchiha fan symbol.

Is this thing Doraemon's Fourth-Dimensional Pocket or something...

Kou silently quipped to himself.

He reached out and took the old scroll from Kisame, looking a little reluctant.

"To be able to entrust you with the swordsmanship notes of the legendary Uchiha Izuna..."

As Kisame watched Kou take the scroll, his sharklike face spread into a warm smile.

"That lord really does trust you."

Trust?

Kou repeated the word with disdain.

His fingers rubbed the edge of the scroll. A flicker of coldness passed through his dark eyes, almost too subtle to notice.

If that lunatic really trusted me, he wouldn't have rushed over here so insistently when I first arrived in the Mist Village.

If he wasn't worried about me and suspicious of me, would he have come just because he missed an old friend?

Trust me? Uchiha Obito, the man who killed his teacher and wiped out his clan? Don't make your big brother Kou laugh.

No one understands Uchiha Obito better than I do!!

Right now, Uchiha Obito is nothing more than a stranger wearing a mask, calling himself Uchiha Madara, with countless deaths on his hands.

Whatever lingering hope I had that Obito still possessed a conscience vanished when I learned he had ultimately taken part in the Uchiha Clan's massacre.

In my heart, my old friend, the kind Uchiha Obito, is dead.

The one still alive is nothing but a sinner with blood on his hands, a sinner I'll settle things with myself one day.

For the Uchiha who died, for the Uchiha Obito he once was, and most of all, for myself...

He forced down his thoughts. His face remained as casual as ever, as if he were listening to something that had nothing to do with him.

His fingers idly untied the string around the scroll. As he unfurled it, he replied perfunctorily:

"If we're talking about trust, you're no slouch either."

"As far as I know, that guy trusts you quite a lot."

After all, if he didn't trust you, why would he have you keep an eye on me?

He silently added, a hint of self-mockery in his tone.

"...Me?"

Surprise flashed in Kisame's eyes. For once, his usually stiff face showed a complicated expression.

He fell silent for a moment. His small eyes turned toward Kou, then away, as if weighing his words.

"A guy like me... isn't exactly someone worth trusting."

Kou didn't look up. He carefully read through the scroll as he replied naturally:

"Is that so? I think you are someone worth trusting."

Kou meant it.

Whether as a shinobi or a comrade, Kisame was one of the few people Kou genuinely respected.

It had nothing to do with strength. It was the overwhelming force of his conviction and resolve.

Kou had met plenty of people, but few were like Kisame: someone who knew exactly what kind of person he was and what he had to do, and never made excuses for it.

Kisame never put on an act. He didn't dress up his actions with pretty phrases like "for the village," "for peace," or "for the greater good."

He simply did what he believed was right, and gave everything for it.

Kou knew all too well that he always put his own life and safety first. That was precisely why he admired someone like Kisame from the bottom of his heart.

After all, if it were him, he would never give up his life to complete a mission or pursue his ideal of a beautiful world.

At Kou's reply, the natural smile on Kisame's face froze.

His eyes widened slightly, his small eyes full of unconcealed shock.

He parted his lips, instinctively wanting to say something. But after a moment's thought, he closed his mouth and said nothing.

His expression returned to normal, but something difficult to describe had entered his eyes.

After skimming through the scroll and confirming that it really contained Uchiha Izuna's swordsmanship, Kou carefully rolled it up, tucked it into his clothes, and looked up at Kisame.

"All right, I've got it."

His voice returned to its usual casual tone.

"I'm heading out."

He stood, lowered his feet from the table, and straightened his collar.

His dark eyes swept across the conference room, over the splattered blood, and over the "Mizukage," still sitting in his chair with a vacant gaze.

His eyes lingered on Yagura for a moment, a flicker of sympathy passing through them.

If that guy Obito hadn't been around, Mist Village might already have completed its reforms under Yagura's leadership...

Though, since I was also planning to use him and exploit the situation in Mist Village, I have no right to pity him...

He sighed inwardly. Then, with a flash, he vanished from the spot.

He disappeared without a trace, as though he had never existed.

"That level of Body Flicker Technique is incredible..."

Kisame stared at the spot where Kou had been, his small eyes full of admiration.

"It's almost like the Space-Time Ninjutsu used by the legendary Yellow Flash of Konoha..."

He stood there, gazing at the now-empty corner for a long time.

Kisame recalled what Kou had just said, his small eyes full of confusion.

"I think you are someone worth trusting."

The words echoed through his mind again and again.

After a moment, Kisame lowered his head and murmured, a touch of emotion in his voice:

"I think I understand you a little better now, Lord 'Madara.'"

"Lord Kou really is a frightening fellow—someone you can't help but like..."

Outside the window, the mist shifted silently.

The white fog wrapped the entire village in a hazy stillness.

Kisame stood there, silently guarding the Mizukage seated in his chair, who was no longer "human."

On the outskirts of Mist Village, outside a hidden cave.

Darkness had fallen. Through the mist, the forest trees showed their twisted branches, like hands reaching up from underground, grasping for something.

Puddles in the marsh reflected the faint moonlight, gleaming with an eerie silver light through the fog.

Kou carried a basket woven from bamboo strips, filled with ingredients he had bought at the market.

A few rice balls, a packet of sweets, and some fresh vegetables and meat.

He passed through the mist, avoiding the obstructions of the forest and marsh, and skillfully navigated the dangerous terrain that ordinary people couldn't cross.

He reached the entrance to the cave.

The entrance was small, hidden beneath vines and moss. Unless someone deliberately searched for it, they would never know a cave was there.

Kou stood at the entrance and formed hand seals, dispelling the Genjutsu he had carefully set in place.

Once the Genjutsu was dispelled, a layer of Sealing Jutsu covered in runes came into view.

He skillfully formed a few more hand seals and released the seal.

The cave entrance revealed its true appearance.

Kou stepped into the cave.

The cave opened into a hidden world. A narrow passageway stretched from the entrance, with several glowing orbs embedded in the rock walls, casting a faint, cold light.

At the end of the passage, the space opened up before him.

It was a vast underground chamber, renovated to resemble a residence.

There was a living room, a bedroom, a study, and even a small kitchen.

Wooden tables and chairs stood in the living room. An oil lamp sat on the table, its wick still flickering softly.

A bookshelf stood in the corner, filled with all kinds of books and scrolls.

This was his own private base. Even Obito knew nothing about it.

"Master!!"

As Kou stepped into the "residence," a small red figure rushed into his arms, accompanied by a clear child's voice.

She was a petite red-haired girl, around seven or eight years old.

Her hair was a vivid red, her skin fair, and her features delicate. Her big eyes curved into crescents, brimming with joy.

Kou affectionately stroked the girl's red hair. His eyes, usually cloaked in a hint of pretense, were now relaxed in a way he had never shown outside.

"I'm back, Karin."

His voice was soft, tinged with laughter.

Karin lifted her head and looked at Kou with deep affection.

Her lips curved into a wide smile, as radiant as a rare sunny day in Mist Village.

"Welcome home, Master!!"

Kou looked at the girl before him and smiled as he nodded.

His gaze swept across the cave, transformed into a warm and comfortable home.

This place was both his secret base and the only place in this shinobi world he could call "home"...