Naruto: From Shikotsumyaku to Otsutsuki

"What is that? Orochimaru???"

Kisame Hoshigaki was somewhat bewildered; he truly hadn't expected the young man before him to have such an unconventional approach.

Orochimaru, a disciple of Hiruzen Sarutobi, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, and a man who almost became the Fourth Hokage.

Although he has now defected, his reputation is so great that even Kisame Hoshigaki himself might not be respected by others.

But now, this sickly-looking boy in front of me is saying that he has the same path as Orochimaru?

His first reaction was disbelief.

"Kaguya Kazama..." Kisame Hoshigaki hesitated, his voice filled with doubt.

He wanted to tell him not to brag, but then he thought that this young man even knew about the mysterious person who controlled the Fourth Mizukage, so it seemed normal for him to be a bit unconventional.

Kaguya Kazama shrugged: "Kisame-sensei, believe it or not is up to you. But if you really have a mission for Konoha, I can genuinely offer you a tiny bit of information to help you out."

Upon hearing this, Kisame Hoshigaki was stunned, as if he had returned to the ramen shop in Kirigakure where he had been ripped off.

He stared at Kaguya Kazama, and after confirming a fact, his gaze gradually deepened, and the killing intent that had just subsided surged up again.

"So, you're saying you were colluding with Orochimaru, the rogue ninja of Konoha? When did this happen? How much village information did you betray?"

"explain!"

Kisame Hoshigaki stared intently at the boy before him with eyes as sharp as knives, his attitude unyielding.

When it comes to protecting intelligence, he always puts righteousness first and is impartial and incorruptible.

Kimimaro, standing to the side, shrank back in fright at Kisame's murderous words.

He was actually quite curious about Kisame Hoshigaki.

In his limited life, he had never met such a contradictory person.

Despite being tricked and betrayed, he still traveled a great distance to protect Lord Kazama, who had become a rogue ninja, only to decide to kill the person he was protecting with his own hands three months later.

Being tricked, protecting, and killing—three seemingly unrelated things—are now all concentrated in one person.

"A strange person," Kimimaro silently commented.

He fiddled with the firewood, trying not to make a sound, just quietly observing.

Standing still, Kaguya Kazama ignored Kisame Hoshigaki's killing intent and calmly said:

"Kisame-sensei, calm down."

"I did not collude with Orochimaru; we were cooperating for a great future. And I did not betray any information about the village."

Kisame Hoshigaki was almost laughing at the arrogance in Kaguya Kazama's words.

He looked down at the sickly boy who was shoulder-high to him, his gray shark-like face full of disdain: "Ha, cooperate for a great future? Kaguya Kazama, I think you've forgotten that you only have three months left to live."

"It might be more than that."

Kaguya Kazama shrugged, glancing at the obelisk in her mind that had once again reduced her survival time to one month, and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "Maybe I'll just die suddenly in a month."

[Evolver: Kaguya Kazama]

[Status: Hematologic disease outbreak, estimated survival time 1 month]

As the moment of death draws ever closer, Kaguya Kazama finds herself becoming increasingly reckless.

Either erupt in the face of death, or fall silent in the face of death.

Silence? Resignation?

That is impossible.

What he needs now is a desperate, life-or-death madness.

A month has only 30 days.

If he can't obtain Hyuga materials to evolve into the Otsutsuki bloodline, Kisame Hoshigaki won't even need to lift a finger; he'll be devoured by the All-Killing Ash Bones and reduced to ashes.

But if he succeeds, he can change his name and call himself: Ōtsutsuki Kazama.

By then, he won't be that half-dead, sickly man anymore; he'll have plenty of strength and resources.

Kisame Hoshigaki couldn't understand the boy's confidence. Hearing that the boy hadn't betrayed the village's information, he withdrew his killing intent and coldly snorted:

"You're full of bad intentions. I'd be quite happy if you just died right now."

"Kisame-sensei, you're probably celebrating too soon."

Kaguya Kazama has now completely figured out Kisame Hoshigaki's personality, and she's even started to crack jokes in her conversations.

He stared intently at Kisame's shark-like face and asked seriously, "So, Kisame-sensei, your mission really doesn't require any additional information?"

"The price," Kisame Hoshigaki said succinctly.

He also figured out Kaguya Kazama's personality: she was the type to not act until she saw a clear benefit, and she was full of wicked schemes.

If he dares to accept intelligence casually now, the subsequent price might make him lose all his bitter tea.

"You haven't told me about the mission yet?"

"You didn't mention the price either."

"If you don't tell me the mission, how am I supposed to know the value of the extra information?"

"I won't tell you the mission unless you tell me the price."

Seeing Kisame Hoshigaki's stubbornness, Kaguya Kazama was almost laughing in exasperation.

He knew that Kisame Hoshigaki's mission wouldn't be simple; it might be another breakthrough point to infiltrate Konoha, which was why he wanted to know.

But now it seems that Kisame Hoshigaki is haunted and won't speak easily.

The two stared at each other in silence, like two fighting cocks.

Finally, Kaguya Kazama couldn't take it anymore and conceded, "Then I'll give you three options as the price for the extra information; Kisame-sensei can choose any one."

"Can."

Kisame Hoshigaki, seeing that he had the upper hand, simply said, "Because I need to protect you for three months, I can only accept the mission that the Anbu has been waiting for for a long time: to seize the Mangekyou Sharingan."

"Take the Mangekyou Sharingan? You're going to your death?"

Kaguya Kazama was stunned when she heard about this mission.

Look at these deadly missions! Do you think the Kaleidoscope is so easy to steal?

Kisame Hoshigaki is strong, but compared to the Mangekyou Sharingan, he is still somewhat inferior.

"If Kaleidoscope wasn't strong, this task wouldn't have remained unattended for so long."

Kisame Hoshigaki said with a solemn expression, "Back then, Madara Uchiha was so powerful that the higher-ups in Kirigakure were already tempted, which is why this mission has never been withdrawn."

"I'm afraid the higher-ups at Kirigakure are also eyeing the Byakugan," Kaguya Kazama said speechlessly.

In this world, also known as "The Legend of the Eyes in the Five Villages' Melee," no one can ignore the power of the Sharingan and Byakugan.

Kisame Hoshigaki nodded in agreement, "That's right. Back then, we attacked the Hyuga main family and seized one of their Byakugan, paying a heavy price. Now, the higher-ups are still obsessed with the Mangekyou Sharingan."

"A kaleidoscope..."

Kaguya Kazama remained silent for a moment, then sincerely advised, "Kisame-sensei, the three-tomoe Sharingan is easy, but the Mangekyou Sharingan... I suggest you don't throw your life away."

At this point in time, there were a total of 4 pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan in the entire ninja world, and 2 and a half pairs in Konoha, but none of them were something Kisame Hoshigaki could obtain.

"The mission has been accepted, and I will not back down unless I have tried it." Kisame Hoshigaki's gaze was resolute; he was not the kind of man who would back down at the last minute.

To date, his understanding of the power of the kaleidoscope remains limited to written records.

When Madara Uchiha was at his peak, he had not yet become a ninja.

Now that he has risen to prominence, he hasn't yet had a direct confrontation with Kaleidoscope, so he doesn't want to easily give the impression that Kaleidoscope is invincible.

Seeing Kisame Hoshigaki's stubbornness, Kaguya Kazama thought to herself, "No wonder you've been so respectful to Itachi since then. Now I understand why."

There's nothing special about it; they were simply beaten into submission.

Nine times out of ten, Kisame Hoshigaki, like Orochimaru, was so easily controlled by the Mangekyou Sharingan's genjutsu that he was driven to the brink of collapse upon first meeting.

But now, without the beating from the Kaleidoscope, Kisame Hoshigaki is still very brave.

Kaguya Kazama knew that her words wouldn't sway his resolve, so she didn't try to persuade him further. After thinking for a moment, she said:

"I do have information on Kaleidoscope, and it's an exclusive piece of information that's absolutely worth more than its price."

"cost."

Kisame Hoshigaki held out his hand. "You said it, three choices. Don't try to trick me again."