Ninja World: I, Kisame Hoshigaki, am no longer human!

However, to be fair, Kisame Hoshigaki, despite his tall and imposing stature, doesn't seem to be considered a man in the strictest sense.

Because he seems to be only 12 years old, still a child...

child.

Thinking of this, Yekura's eyes and mouth twitched involuntarily, feeling that everything about Kisame was so outrageous.

Just as she was lost in thought.

Kisame picked up a hat from the side and handed it to Yokura.

"Oh, by the way, this straw hat is for you. While you were unconscious, I went out and found some straw and wove it by hand."

straw hat?

Why did you give me... a hat?

Faced with Kisame's gift, Yokura blushed inexplicably, but she quickly realized why.

Because only then did she realize that the top of her head felt strangely cool.

She raised her hands, trembling, to touch her bangs and hair, but found nothing.

Kisame was very considerate; he immediately formed hand seals to create a water mirror so that Yoru could see himself more clearly in the mirror.

"!"

When Yekura saw herself in the mirror, she was struck dumb.

There aren't any left, not even one.

Her original orange and green unconventional hairstyle had vanished, replaced by a brand new bald head.

Yecang finally remembered that her beautiful hair had been burned away by the flames that erupted from her body during her previous evolution.

Even more of her clothes were burned, making them even more daring and revealing. Fortunately, the remaining fabric covered her vital parts, preventing any accidental exposure.

For a female ninja who loves beauty, losing her hair would be a huge blow.

Yekura could not accept it.

Kisame is definitely a warm-hearted guy at heart.

He took off his coat, draped it over Ye Cang's shoulders, and comforted her:

"Even though you've gone bald, you've also become stronger, which is something to be happy about, isn't it?"

17. Hozuki Full Moon

Bald, bald...

Upon hearing those two words, Ye Cang felt no joy whatsoever, and instead felt utterly despondent.

Sigh, it seems I'm still not very good at comforting people.

With that thought in mind, Kisame took the lead and walked out of the cave.

Yekura watched Kisame's retreating figure, and finally mustered her spirits to follow him out.

During this process, she hesitated for a moment, but still put the straw hat on her head.

I must say, the size is just right, and it's very comfortable.

We arrived outside the cave.

It was dawn, and a few scattered stars dotted the pale blue sky, with a waning moon hanging on the horizon.

A gentle breeze carries the fresh scent of earth and flowers from the forest, invigorating the spirit.

The man and the woman looked at each other and remained silent for a while.

"I am leaving."

Yekura gave Kisame a deep look, then suddenly bowed quickly to him before leaving without looking back.

Kisame watched as Yekura headed west, her figure quickly disappearing into the depths of the mountains and forests of the Land of Water.

As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight pierced the darkness, the sky began to lighten.

Another new day.

Will Yekura begin a new life and change her future destiny?

Kisame didn't know.

He simply hated this world filled with fatalism and the cycle of cause and effect, where everyone's fate seemed to be predetermined.

Who is the protagonist, who is the supporting character, and who is the villain—it's all predetermined.

Kisame was not content with fighting against fate alone.

Therefore, he chose someone like Yekura, injecting some new variables into her life, giving her the opportunity to break free from fate and stir up the ninja world in the future.

That's what makes a ninja world interesting, isn't it?

I pulled myself back to reality.

Kisame is also preparing to return to Kirigakure.

He still took the waterway and returned to the battleground from the previous day, waiting for a while. Before long, he saw a group of Hidden Mist ninjas rushing over and entering the woods.

Soon, a commotion arose in the woods.

It seems they have already discovered the bodies of the ruthless duo and the other ninjas.

Kisame dived underwater again and swam towards the village.

The search and extermination team dispatched by Kirigakure consisted of over a hundred people, divided into 20 squads. After several days of intense combat, although they annihilated most of the Sunagakure enemies, they also suffered heavy losses.

In particular, the main combat squad led by the ruthless duo was completely wiped out.

In the end, less than one-fifth of the people survived.

Some people have also disappeared. It is unknown whether they are really dead or faked their deaths and actually defected to other countries or ninja villages.

After all, rather than being a nobody in Kirigakure, constantly at risk of being sent on dangerous missions, it's better to escape early and find another way to make a living.

On his way back to the village, Kisame discovered a small, remnant squad of Kirigakure.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to "bump into" them and then return to the village together, which would reduce suspicion compared to returning to the village alone.

So he used his long sword to slash his shoulder with his index finger and deliberately controlled his chakra to prevent the wound from healing. Then, clutching his wound, he stumbled and ran out of the woods.

He successfully joined the team.

An unexpected incident occurred along the way.

When someone in the squad saw that Kisame was injured, they tried to rob him, but Kisame beat them up and they calmed down.

This is the land of blood mist.

In this village, you must always be wary of your companions.

……

A week later.

The conflict between the Land of Wind and the Land of Water over iron ore resources, which lasted for several months, has finally come to an end.

These two countries are geographically far apart, with the Land of Fire and other small countries in between, so it is unlikely that a full-scale war will break out easily.

When Yekura returned to Sunagakure, she was treated like a hero.

Although Sunagakure did not publicize her deeds at her own request, the story of her killing Raiga Kurosuki, Kushimaru Kurihara, and Jinpachi Murashi quickly spread among the ninja circles of various villages.

Yekura, hailed as a once-in-a-decade genius ninja, has a bright future ahead of her.

In comparison, Kirigakure has lost face this time.

Prior to this, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had always been a prestigious asset of Kirigakure, making them highly feared by other ninja villages. There were even rumors that the seven swordsmen, working together, could conquer a country in a single night.

But now, three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen are gone, and even their corresponding ninja swords are missing. The title that once represented honor seems to have become a joke and a disgrace.

To make matters worse for Kirigakure, the Daimyo of the Land of Water was very displeased upon learning of this and urgently summoned the Third Mizukage to the Daimyo's residence to hold him accountable.

After meeting the Mizukage, the Daimyo not only questioned the policies of the Village of Blood Mist, but also threatened to cut the military budget of the Hidden Mist Village.

The Third Mizukage had no choice but to make a promise to the Daimyo, and upon returning to the village, he immediately began a series of actions.

On this day, Kisame, who had just been discharged from the hospital after recovering from his injuries, received orders to go to the Mizukage's office to cooperate with the questioning and investigation.

This is Kisame's second time visiting this place.

Along with him, more than ten other survivors from the raid were also investigated.

When it was Kisame's turn, he claimed that his squad was attacked by the enemy, and Zabuza and the others were killed in action. He claimed that he was able to escape by jumping into the river because he was a good swimmer.

Then, he encountered another remnant squad, and after joining them, he returned to Mist Village.

He had never seen Sunagakure Kura, nor did he know anything about the great battle in the forest.

The situations of the others are similar to Kisame's.

Seeing that he couldn't get any valuable information out of them, the Third Mizukage waved his hand, dismissing Kisame and the others.

After everyone had left, a boy with long white hair and white eyes slowly walked out from behind the screen. He stroked his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Full Moon, what are your thoughts?"

The Third Mizukage looked at the boy and asked a question.

Hozuki Mangetsu, born into the most illustrious Hozuki clan of Kirigakure, mastered the clan's secret water transformation technique at a young age, making him an absolute genius.

He is also a disciple of the Third Mizukage.

This Third Mizukage grew up under the strict tutelage and loving care of the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, from a young age. After Hozuki Gengetsu's death, he inherited his teacher's will and title, becoming the Mizukage.

Now, he has chosen Mangetsu from the Hozuki clan as his disciple, taking him under his wing and teaching him with great care, grooming him to be the next Mizukage.

"Teacher, I'm very interested in that guy named Kisame Hoshigaki. Even Zabuza, the 'Demon,' died, but he survived. It's really intriguing."

"That's what Hozuki Mangetsu said."

He was a genius with a knife, a child prodigy loved by seven ninja swords, and had the opportunity to be with them often since childhood.