Deep in the forest.
Yehuo sprinted with his sword in a reverse grip.
His Sharingan swept from side to side, watching for danger from any direction.
At the same time, he kept his eyes on the figure ahead.
A very tall man.
Taller than anyone Yehuo had ever seen, with something wrapped in cloth strapped to his back...
A door? Or a greatsword?
And another thing.
What he was wearing was...
Yehuo flicked three Shuriken at him, cutting off the mysterious man's path.
I've seen that outfit in the intelligence reports. Is it Akatsuki's uniform?
Skrrt—
Just as Yehuo wondered about it, the figure ahead stopped abruptly.
Yehuo could even hear the man's soles scraping against the dirt.
He slowed down too.
Step by step, he approached the tall man whose back was still turned.
His expression grew grave.
This guy has an astonishing amount of Chakra. But a duel between ninja shouldn't be decided by who has more Chakra.
"Hey! Show me your face!"
"Ah—if you insist."
The tall man slowly turned. His feet planted wide with a tap, revealing his face at last!
A blue-green face, sharklike teeth, and the Forehead Protector of a Kirigakure Missing-nin...
But Hikari's gaze remained lowered.
He did not meet Yehuo's eyes.
Uchiha Nobihi froze.
A piece of intelligence flashed through his mind.
Kirigakure Missing-nin—Kisame Hoshigaki!
He had killed his predecessor among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Suikazan Fuguki, then fled the village and joined Akatsuki!
"So it is you."
Yehuo's lips curled as he held his Tachi across his chest. "You know how to fight a Sharingan user? Let's see what you've got!"
Kisame Hoshigaki said nothing. He merely showed his teeth in a genial smile.
Then—
Boom!
He kicked off the ground. Dirt sprayed, and the force of his