Kou's "Home"

The smell of blood in the conference room had yet to dissipate.

Kisame nodded as he listened to Kou's words.

He asked no further questions, simply reaching behind his back to slowly draw Samehada.

His fingers pressed against the bandages, and as chakra surged slightly, the white strips of cloth unraveled like living creatures.

Samehada had "awakened."

That hideous, massive mouth slowly opened along the length of the blade, revealing rows of jagged, barb-like teeth.

Under Kou's deadpan gaze, Kisame reached his hand into Samehada's gaping maw with practiced ease.

He rummaged around in the "throat" of the blade for a few moments before pulling out a somewhat aged scroll.

The scroll was small, its paper yellowed and edges frayed, looking as though it had seen many years.

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

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

Kou muttered silently in his heart.

He reached out and took the old scroll from Kisame's hand with a look of faint distaste.

"To be able to hand over the sword techniques and insights of the legendary Uchiha Izuna to you..."

Kisame watched Kou take the scroll, a friendly smile spreading across his shark-like face.

"That lord truly trusts you deeply."

"Trust?"

Kou repeated the word with disdain in his heart.

His fingers traced the edge of the scroll, and a trace of imperceptible coldness flickered in his black eyes.

If that lunatic really trusted me, he wouldn't have been rushing toward the Mist Village so incessantly back when I first arrived.

If he wasn't worried about me and harboring suspicions, could it be that he simply missed his old friend?

Trust him? That Uchiha Obito who slaughtered his master and his clan? Don't make Kou laugh.

No one understood Uchiha Obito better than he did!

To Kou, Uchiha Obito was now nothing more than a stranger wearing a mask, calling himself Uchiha Madara, his hands stained with countless lives.

Whatever lingering illusions of conscience he had held for Obito had vanished the moment Kou learned he had ultimately participated in the Uchiha clan's extermination.

In his heart, that former friend, the kind-hearted Uchiha Obito, was already dead.

What remained was merely a sinner with blood-stained hands, a sinner whom he would one day have to finish off with his own hands.

It was for the sake of the fallen Uchiha clansmen, for the sake of the Uchiha Obito that once was, and for the sake of himself...

He forcibly suppressed the thoughts in his mind, his face remaining as casual as ever, as if he were listening to something that had nothing to do with him.

His fingers carelessly untied the silk thread on the scroll, and as he unrolled it, he responded perfunctorily:

"If we're talking about trust, you're not so bad yourself."

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

"After all, if he didn't trust you, how could he have sent you to keep an eye on me?"

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

"...Me?"

A flash of surprise crossed Kisame's eyes, and a rare, complex expression appeared on his rigid face.

He was silent for a moment, his small eyes looking at Kou before shifting away, as if weighing his words:

"A guy like me... is hardly someone worth trusting."

Kou did not look up; he answered naturally while intently browsing the contents of the scroll:

"Is that so? I, for one, think you are indeed someone worth trusting."

Kou meant that sincerely.

Whether as a ninja or as a comrade, Kisame was one of the few people Kou truly acknowledged from the bottom of his heart.

This had nothing to do with the strength of their power, but rather an overwhelming sense of will and conviction.

He had seen too many people, but rarely anyone like Kisame, who knew exactly what kind of person he was, knew exactly what he had to do, and never made excuses for it.

Kisame did not pretend; he did not use high-sounding phrases like "for the village," "for peace," or "for the greater good" to whitewash his actions.

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

It was precisely because Kou knew himself to be someone who prioritized his own life and safety above all else that he admired someone like Kisame from the bottom of his heart.

In any case, if it were him, he would never sacrifice his own life to complete a mission or for an ideal of a better world.

As Kisame listened to Kou's response, the natural smile on his face froze instantly.

His eyes widened slightly, his small eyes filled with unconcealable shock.

He opened his mouth, subconsciously wanting to say something, but after a moment of thought, he finally closed his mouth and said nothing.

His expression returned to calm, but there was something indescribable in his eyes.

After Kou roughly went through the scroll in his hand and confirmed that it was indeed Uchiha Izuna's swordsmanship, he carefully rolled it up, put it in his embrace, and then looked up at Kisame.

"Alright, I've received the item."

His voice returned to its usual casual tone:

"I'm leaving now."

He stood up, put down the foot he had resting on the table, and tidied his clothes.

His black eyes swept across the conference room, across the splattered bloodstains, across the "Mizukage" who was still sitting in his chair with vacant eyes.

His gaze lingered on Yagura for a moment, and a hint of imperceptible sympathy flashed in his eyes.

"If it weren't for that guy Obito, Mist Village would have probably completed its reforms under his leadership long ago..."

"Although I, who intended to use him and Mist Village, have no right to pity him..."

He sighed inwardly, and then his figure flickered, instantly disappearing from his original spot.

He vanished into thin air as if he had never existed.

"This level of body flicker technique is truly amazing..."

Kisame looked at the spot where Kou had left, his small eyes filled with admiration:

"It's just like the space-time ninjutsu used by that legendary Yellow Flash of Konoha..."

He stood there, looking at the corner that was now empty, for a long time.

Kisame recalled Kou's words, his small eyes filled with confusion.

"I actually think you are a trustworthy person."

That sentence echoed in his mind, over and over again.

A moment later, Kisame lowered his head and murmured with some emotion:

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

"Lord Kou is indeed a terrifying guy who makes people like him unconsciously..."

Outside the window, the mist churned silently.

The white mist enveloped the entire village in a hazy silence.

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

Outside a hidden cave on the outskirts of Mist Village.

The sky had already darkened, and the trees in the forest revealed twisted branches in the mist, like hands reaching out from the ground, trying to grasp something.

The puddles in the swamp reflected the faint moonlight, shimmering with an eerie silver light in the mist.

Kou held a basket in his hand, woven from bamboo strips, filled with ingredients bought from the market.

Several rice balls, a pack of snacks, and some fresh vegetables and meat.

He passed through the mist, avoiding the obstructions of the forest and swamp, skillfully bypassing dangerous areas that ordinary people could not pass.

He arrived at the entrance of the cave.

The entrance was not large, covered by vines and moss. If one wasn't deliberately looking for it, they wouldn't have found this cave.

Kou stood at the entrance, formed hand seals, and dispelled the genjutsu he had meticulously set up at the entrance.

After the genjutsu was dispelled, a sealing technique inscribed with runes was revealed.

He skillfully formed a few seals and dispelled the sealing technique.

The entrance revealed its true appearance.

Kou stepped into the cave.

Inside the cave was another world. The entrance was a narrow passage, with a few luminous pearls embedded in the rock walls on both sides, emitting a faint cold light.

After walking through the passage, the view opened up.

It was a huge underground space, modified to resemble a mansion.

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

The living room had wooden tables and chairs, with an oil lamp on the table, its wick still flickering slightly.

In the corner was a bookshelf, filled with various books and scrolls.

This was his exclusive base. Even Obito was completely unaware of this place.

"Master!!"

As Kou stepped into the "mansion," a red figure, accompanied by a clear childish voice, rushed into his embrace.

It was a petite girl with red hair, looking to be about seven or eight years old.

Her hair was a vibrant shade of red, her skin fair, and her features delicate; her large eyes were currently curved into two crescents, brimming with smiles.

Kou patted the girl's red hair dotingly, his eyes—which always carried a hint of pretense—now filled with a sense of relaxation never shown to the outside world.

"I'm home, Karin."

His voice was very soft, carrying a smile.

Karin looked up, gazing at Kou with deep attachment.

The corners of her mouth curved into a wide arc, her smile as radiant as the rare sunny days in the Mist Village:

"Welcome home, Master!!"

Kou looked at the girl before him and nodded with a smile.

His gaze swept across this limestone cave, which had been renovated to be warm and comfortable.

This place was his secret base, and also the only place in this Ninja World that he could now call "home"...