Surrounded by the Konoha Military Police Force, Kisame showed no sign of fear. His gaze soon settled on Samehada behind Oto Uchiha, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Looking at Oto Uchiha, Kisame said, "I wondered who it was. So it's the thief who stole our ninja blade. Will you be sensible and return it, or do you need a beating before you hand it over?"
Before Oto Uchiha could speak, the Military Police Force members behind her turned hostile. Pairs of Sharingan eyes fixed on the shark-faced ninja before them.
"Who do you think you are, acting so brazenly in Konoha?!"
"Exactly! The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were defeated by Captain Oto last time and slunk away with their tails between their legs."
"We won't let Kirigakure ninja run wild in Konoha!"
Oto Uchiha raised a hand to silence her subordinates, narrowed her eyes at Kisame, and said, "I'm curious. What gives you the nerve to say that?"
Without a trace of fear, Kisame stepped forward. "So you're not going to hand over the Samehada Greatsword? You'd rather fight?"
Oto Uchiha put one hand on her hip and slowly shook her head. "I'm worried you'll deliberately get yourself killed like that Cloud ninja did, just to frame us and cause unnecessary trouble for the village."
Kisame's expression shifted slightly. Under the eyes of the surrounding villagers, his face flushed red, and he lunged straight at Oto Uchiha.
Thud...
With a dull impact, Kisame's attack was blocked. Amid startled cries from the onlookers, he was driven several steps backward, leaving spiderweb cracks spreading across the ground where he had stood.
After steadying himself, Kisame stared at Oto Uchiha, his expression utterly grave.
Kisame and Zou Hyuga had, of course, arranged this scene beforehand. Even so, Oto