Chapter 44: Chapter 42: "Your Swordsmanship is Really Poor!"
Chapter 42: Your Swordsmanship Is Trash!
After dealing with Kakashi, Kisame Hoshigaki returned to the group and handed Kakashi over to Ao, assigning him to guard the prisoner.
Only then did Kisame turn his attention to Uchiha Yi, his gaze lingering on the man's black cloak adorned with red clouds.
Seeing that cloak immediately reminded Kisame of an encounter not long ago. A masked man wearing the same cloak had approached him, inviting him to join a mysterious organization.
The invitation was vague and unconvincing.
At the time, Kisame had laughed it off. Why would he leave the Mist Village, where he was well-fed, well-respected, and a core member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, to join some unknown group?
Of course, Kisame rejected the offer without hesitation.
The masked man didn't press further and disappeared without a trace.
---
However, not long after that, Kisame's life took a turn.
While on a mission, he was ambushed by a female ninja from his squad. Kisame managed to kill her, but not before hearing some cryptic last words. He later learned that his superior, Fuguki Suikazan, had ordered the assassination.
Why? Because Kisame's exceptional swordsmanship threatened Fuguki's position as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
This revelation infuriated Kisame.
In response, he confronted Fuguki and killed him, taking the sentient blade, Samehada, as his own.
---
Kisame's actions—killing a fellow ninja—would normally have resulted in charges of treason.
But the Fourth Mizukage intervened. He publicly declared that Kisame had defeated Fuguki in a legitimate duel and earned the right to wield Samehada.
This unexpected defense from the Mizukage deeply moved Kisame. From then on, he resolved to serve the Fourth Mizukage with unwavering loyalty.
---
What Kisame didn't know was that his life had been carefully manipulated.
The masked man, Uchiha Obito, had orchestrated events behind the scenes. From the betrayal to Kisame's rise, it was all part of a plan to recruit Kisame into the Akatsuki.
Obito had refrained from revealing the full truth to Kisame just yet, planning to use it later to shatter Kisame's loyalty to the Mist Village and push him into the organization.
In addition, Obito's schemes were not limited to Kisame. He sought to sow chaos among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
---
Obito spread the idea that anyone could claim a sword of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen simply by killing its current wielder.
At first, this led to formal challenges, with aspiring ninjas competing for the swords in fair duels. The Mist Village turned it into a grand event, almost like a festival, attracting widespread attention.
Even young children in the Mist dreamed of one day becoming part of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
---
But it didn't take long for the system to descend into chaos.
One ambitious ninja used an ambush to kill a swordsman and defended his actions by arguing, "Isn't assassination a valid ninja tactic?"
Surprisingly, the village accepted this reasoning, granting him the title.
This encouraged others to abandon fair challenges in favor of underhanded methods. The resulting chain of betrayals and murders plunged the village back into an era of paranoia and bloodshed reminiscent of the Blood Mist days.
---
Of course, Kisame remained unaware of these machinations.
All he noticed now was the black cloak Uchiha Yi wore, which reminded him of the mysterious masked man's earlier offer.
---
"You take Kakashi back. I'll handle this one," Kisame told Ao, signaling him to escort Kakashi away.
Kisame suspected Uchiha Yi's appearance was connected to the organization that had tried to recruit him before.
"I'm Aho, a member of the Akatsuki," Yi said politely.
"I'm here to invite you to join our organization. Have you reconsidered?"
---
"Hahahaha!" Kisame chuckled.
"Cut the chatter. Let's see what you're made of first!"
His sharp teeth glinted as he grinned, clearly excited by the prospect of another fight.
Drawing Samehada, Kisame took a battle-ready stance.
---
"You've just been through a tough fight. Your stamina and chakra must be running low.
"If you lose, I hope you won't start making excuses," Yi said with a sly smile, feigning concern.
---
"Kid, if you don't draw your sword now…"
"You'll die," Kisame interrupted.
In a flash, he closed the distance between them, swinging Samehada in a powerful horizontal slash aimed at Yi's side.
---
Clang!
Yi swiftly drew his zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka, blocking the massive blade.
But the force of Kisame's attack was overwhelming. The impact sent Yi skidding sideways, his feet barely able to keep him grounded as he absorbed the blow.
---
"Your swordsmanship is trash!" Kisame scoffed.
From that single exchange, Kisame could already gauge Yi's skill level—or lack thereof.
Anyone with even a basic understanding of swordsmanship would have recognized Samehada as a weapon built for heavy, brute-force strikes.
A more experienced swordsman would have deflected Kisame's attack rather than trying to block it head-on.
---
Yi, however, had chosen to meet the strike directly, failing to redirect the immense force.
To Kisame, it was clear: Yi lacked both technique and finesse.
"Disappointing," Kisame muttered.
If this was the extent of Yi's abilities, he wasn't worth killing.
---
For Kisame, the fight was starting to feel like a waste of time. And as his interest waned, so too did his opinion of the Akatsuki.
"If this is the kind of person they're sending to recruit me," Kisame thought, "then that organization isn't worth much after all."
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