Pain did not give it much thought. With a wave of his hand, he approved Kisame's request to go into battle.
Obito watched coldly from the side, a faint, imperceptible sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth beneath the mask.
Perfect. Let that reckless shark test the waters.
Test just how deep that guy called Uchiha Yoru really was.
A few days later, at the border of the Land of Earth, beside a great river that flowed without end.
Steep rock walls rose on both banks, the terrain treacherous and naturally suited for ambushes.
Kisame Hoshigaki wore a tattered wandering samurai outfit, with a conical hat pulled low over his face.
The enormous Samehada wrapped in bandages on his back had been disguised as a heavy bundle of luggage.
"Heh, Iwagakure's defenses aren't much after all."
Kisame crouched behind a protruding boulder and licked his cracked lips.
He had infiltrated the Land of Earth two days ago, yet he had not encountered a single decent patrol along the way.
It seemed that Uchiha Yoru was nothing more than an exaggeration from that coward Tobi.
Kisame narrowed his small, shark-like eyes and stared fixedly at a small transport ship slowly making its way down the river below.
The symbol of Iwagakure hung from its bow.
"Not much chakra. Just a bunch of small fry."
Kisame bared a mouthful of stark white fangs, his smile cruel.
"Perfect. I'll take a few tongues back and squeeze some intelligence about Iwagakure's inner workings out of them."
He slowly gripped the hilt of Samehada behind his back, every muscle in his body tightening.
That immense chakra, comparable to a tailed beast's, was suppressed tightly within him through masterful control, not leaking even the slightest trace.
He was like a bloodthirsty shark lurking in deep