Kisame

Biodata

Power Progression

Appearance

• Shark-like face: His most recognizable feature; Kei identifies him immediately upon seeing it 28.
• Burly build and wide mouth: His fierce smile makes him intimidating even at around ten years old 28 29.
• Dark clothing: Wears familiar dark clothes before the delegation leaves for Konoha 85.
• Oversized weapon: Carries a greatsword taller than himself across his back 85.

Personality

Kisame is outwardly cold, emotionally reserved, and intensely competitive. Kei becomes his principal rival: learning that Kei killed a Kumogakure Jonin inspires shock, respect, envy, and a stronger determination to surpass him rather than discouragement. Ao also identifies Kisame, Kei, and Mei as habitual hard trainers who need reminders not to overwork their developing bodies 69 78.

His ruthlessness appears early. During the graduation assessment, he dismisses Ranne’s appeals to clan honor and attacks with genuine killing intent. Nevertheless, he is capable of calculated tactics rather than relying solely on aggression, adapting his fighting style to exploit an opponent’s limitations 29 30 79 130.

Kisame initially treats attacks on unfamiliar Mist Ninja primarily as insults to Kirigakure’s dignity, not personal bereavements. Team 7 gradually gives him a more intimate sense of belonging: he comes to care about Kei and Mei’s safety, although he would not readily admit it. The narrative explicitly stops short of portraying him as willing to die for them 103 104 111 160 162.

He distrusts rival villages and reacts angrily to Konoha’s repeated descriptions of violence as a “misunderstanding.” His usual unruliness does not prevent him from showing solemn respect before Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura 163 174 178.

Abilities & Skills

Chakra Reserves and Control

Kisame’s unusually large chakra reserves allow him to sustain Water Release exchanges that exhaust other talented Genin 29 130.

• Large-scale output: Produces towering waves during the graduation assessment, astonishing both Ranne and Kei 31 32.
• Attrition fighting: Pressures Hozuki Shingetsu with repeated techniques until Shingetsu can no longer afford counterattacks or continued Hydrification 130.
• Improved movement: Refined chakra control increases his speed and precision when adjusting position at close range 80.
• Finite endurance: Despite his apparent ease against Shingetsu, Kisame privately acknowledges that continuing their first-round fight would have been difficult 131.

Water Release

• Major counter: Kei’s Ice Release freezes Kisame’s water and can turn it against him. Kisame therefore uses Water Release only as support during their later spar, intending to win through close combat 32 79.

Swordsmanship and Taijutsu

Kisame combines heavy greatsword attacks with rapid repositioning, kicks, and relentless pressure 79 80.

• Disrupting hand seals: Keeps Kei occupied with close-range attacks and thrown weapons to deny him time for large Ice Release techniques 80.
• Learning from defeat: Avoids prolonged blade contact after Kei previously froze his weapon, striking briefly before breaking away 30 79 80.
• Physical dominance: Defeats Namiashi Raidō without ninjutsu, finishing with the blunt edge of his damaged greatsword 136.
• Early weakness: His unfamiliarity with short weapons becomes a serious disadvantage after he loses his greatsword during the graduation assessment 31.
• Vulnerability to restraint: Kei defeats his later close-range strategy by unexpectedly forming one-handed seals and freezing his legs and blade 80 81.

Hidden Mist Combat

Kisame uses the Hidden Mist Technique to remove visibility and support Kirigakure-style close-quarters fighting 105 106.

• Temporarily gains the upper hand against a physically stronger Root Jonin within the mist 106.
• Maintains pressure with attacks approaching an injury-for-injury exchange 106.
• Dispels the mist when Kei and Mei converge, enabling their coordinated finishing assault 107 108.
• His fighting style is explicitly distinguished from Zabuza’s Silent Killing Technique 106.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Greatswords — His principal weapons. One is shattered into several pieces during the Forest of Death battle with Root; he later carries another great blade in the tournament 107 128.
• Tournament greatsword — Made from decent-quality material, but damaged by Shingetsu’s high-pressure water bullets. Kisame continues using the damaged weapon against Raidō 129 136.
• Kunai — Used after losing his greatsword during the graduation assessment and to deliver the fatal heart strike against a Root Jonin 30 108.

Background / History

Graduation Assessment and Team Formation

Kisame first encounters Kei while pursuing Minazuki Ranne over a mission item required by their shared graduation assignment. Already injured and unable to match Kisame, Ranne receives Kei’s protection. Kisame’s strength and enormous Water Release output impress Kei, but Kei gains the advantage after freezing his greatsword. When Kei turns his final wave into an iceberg, Kisame retreats 28 29 30 31 32 33.

After graduation, Kisame is assigned to Team 7 with Kei and Mei Terumi under Ao. His rivalry with Kei continues within the squad rather than preventing them from working together 49 50 69.

Kujiraai Island and Rematch with Kei

During Team 7’s mission on Kujiraai Island, Kisame kills the two Kumogakure Genin sent to intercept him. He later watches over the badly wounded Kei and explains the mission’s aftermath when Kei regains consciousness. Their shared danger begins to soften Kisame’s detached attitude toward his teammate 69 71.

In May of Konoha Year 41, Kisame challenges Kei to a spar at Training Ground Nine. His improved movement and carefully sustained close-range pressure nearly produce a decisive opening, but Kei’s one-handed seals overturn his plan. Immobilized with a kunai at his neck, Kisame concedes and recognizes that Kei had drawn him into a trap 78 79 80 81.

Chunin Ninja Exams

Kisame accompanies Team 7 to Konoha under instructions to demonstrate Kirigakure’s strength. During the Forest of Death stage, he overwhelms a Sand Ninja squad and later fights alongside Kei and Mei against Root operatives 85 99 105 106 107 108.

After their team withdraws to report the killings and ambush, Hiruzen Sarutobi allows them to proceed directly to the third round. Kisame suspects another trap but accepts the decision 109 112.

Before facing Shingetsu, Kisame promises to reveal information about the earlier incident if Shingetsu defeats him. His blunt questioning also prompts Kei to reconsider his excessive caution about the tournament 122 123.

Root Ambush and Return Home

Kisame survives the Root attack on the returning Kirigakure party and reunites with Mei near a port. When Kei finally reaches them, Kisame’s impassive expression conceals relief at his survival. The three return to Kirigakure and reunite with Ao, who reports that most of their travelling companions are presumed dead 160 162.

Kisame reacts furiously when Konoha again calls the attack a misunderstanding. Ao suspends Team 7’s missions while explaining that the attackers may belong to a force separate from the Hokage’s Anbu 163.

“Kirigakure’s Little Sannin”

From mid-July through November, Kisame, Kei, and Mei complete roughly a dozen missions, divided between A-rank assignments and especially difficult B-rank work. Their growing reputation earns them the informal collective nickname “Kirigakure’s Little Sannin” 176.

After their Land of Rainbows assignment, the three return home amid escalating international violence. Kisame voices distrust of the Cloud, Sand, and Leaf villages, while Kei declines another immediate assignment so the squad can rest 178.

Relationships

• Minazuki Kei — Teammate, rival, and the first person Kisame treats as a guiding benchmark to surpass. Their repeated contests develop alongside genuine battlefield trust 69 80 106.
• Mei Terumi — Teammate and tournament opponent. Kisame develops concern for her safety as Team 7 becomes a source of belonging 142 160.
• Ao — Jonin instructor and squad leader. Ao supervises his training, and his conduct helps Kisame understand devotion to the village and bonds between comrades 78 111.
• Minazuki Ranne — Opponent during the graduation assessment. Their conflict over a mission item brings Kisame into his first encounter with Kei 28 33.
• Hozuki Shingetsu — Fellow Mist Ninja and first-round tournament opponent. Kisame defeats him through a planned battle of chakra endurance 122 130.
• Kakashi Hatake — Rival-village competitor whose inherited swordsmanship interests Kisame; watching Kakashi defeat Baki puts him under considerable pressure 93 135.

Original-Story Counterpart

• Kei recognizes Kisame as the original story’s future Kirigakure missing-nin, Uchiha Itachi’s partner, and the “Tailed Beast Without a Tail.” These descriptions concern Kei’s prior knowledge, not Kisame’s current allegiance in this novel 28 29.
• The original counterpart’s later Kage-level strength and acquisition of Samehada are discussed as future reference points, not abilities or equipment already possessed by the young Kisame 29 31 77 79.
• The narrative explicitly states that his experiences with Team 7 are changing his development from that of his original counterpart 111 160.