From the night of genocide, marching towards the strongest.

"If that's what you're saying, then my response remains the same as before."

Faced with the enemy's praise, the girl shook her head slightly, just as she had two years ago, and said calmly:

"I am just an ordinary ninja who can see further by standing on the shoulders of my predecessors."

Upon hearing the girl utter the exact same words she had spoken more than two years ago in Takigakure, Kisame Hoshigaki froze, staring blankly at the girl's calm face.

In a daze, the girl's calm voice continued to come.

"The most important thing for a ninja is to pass on their skills! This is what my first master, the first person to guide me on my ninja path, told me. He was an ordinary ninja, just like me, who was not known for his talent."

"He received instruction from three Hokage and passed on this legacy to me without reservation, which is how I became who I am today."

"A tall building starts from the ground up. No matter how tall a building is, it must be built from the ground up. Without a foundation, there is no tall building."

"Perhaps in your view, if the person standing on the fifth floor of a building is taller than the people on the third or fourth floor, that is what you mean by surpassing."

"But in my view, without a third or fourth layer, there is no fifth layer."

"So rather than what you call surpassing, I prefer to call it inheriting and carrying forward."

"I have inherited the will and skills of my predecessors, and I will carry them forward and, like them, pass them on without reservation to the next generation, to the children who are worthy of my trust in the future!"

"This is the essence of inheritance!"

"......"

Upon hearing this, Kisame Hoshigaki fell into a long daze, and after a long while, he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Are all people from Konoha this good at talking and lecturing?"

Let's not even talk about Obito Uchiha, who tricked him into joining the Akatsuki organization with just a few words.

After joining the Akatsuki organization, when he first met Itachi Uchiha, he pointed to the water and used the story of shark roe to provoke Itachi.

However, he was rendered speechless by Itachi Uchiha's few casual words and fell into a state of existential doubt.

From then on, whenever he saw Uchiha Itachi, he would always address him respectfully as "sir".

In his opinion, Itachi, who was so good at talking, was also rendered speechless by his younger brother Sasuke Uchiha in the Land of Swamp two years ago, and was also plunged into doubt about life.

Kisame Hoshigaki believes that the reason Itachi has not woken up from his coma for almost three years is not only because of his poor physical condition, but also because of his broken belief.

But the girl in front of him, in Kisame Hoshigaki's eyes...

Even if her words aren't as sharp as those of her former companion who verbally abused Mr. Itachi until he was in a vegetative state.

But I imagine it wouldn't be much different.

Are all people from Konoha this good with words?

"This is not a lecture."

The girl slowly shook her head and said in a deep voice:

"This is the Will of Fire!"

Kisame Hoshigaki: "..."

"The Will of Fire? Heh heh heh..."

"Sakura Haruno, if someone like you had been born in our Hidden Mist Village, perhaps you could have united that disorganized bunch who only know how to kill each other and become the greatest Mizukage in the history of Hidden Mist Village?"

At this point, Kisame Hoshigaki gave a self-deprecating laugh: "No, the infighting in Kirigakure doesn't have the soil to produce someone like you. Even if someone does appear, it'll only be a fleeting moment."

Actually, the internal strife within Konoha is quite intense.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoying's lips twitched slightly. With her quick wit and intelligence, she had grown older and more experienced over the years.

During her repeated trips to the Konoha Library to browse through various materials.

From Tsunade's constant complaints.

In the occasional snippets revealed in the research notes of the successive Hokage.

They keenly perceived the turbulent undercurrents hidden beneath the tranquility of the village's decades-long history.

She suffered bullying at the ninja academy because of her forehead when she first enrolled.

The villagers discriminated against and isolated Naruto.

My childhood memories include numerous conflicts between the police department and the villagers.

They are all microcosms of that surging undercurrent.

Even that night with the Uchiha clan...

That's why Sasuke left the village, and that's why he refuses to return to the village now.

They wouldn't even see their own companions.

Thinking of this, Sakura's eyes flickered slightly, and her heart felt heavy.

However, Kisame Hoshigaki's words quickly interrupted her thoughts.

"Sakura Haruno, you haven't killed me yet because you want to get information out of me, right? Heh, but I'm very principled when it comes to keeping information confidential."

As he spoke, Kisame Hoshigaki ignored the katana held to his neck and formed hand seals.

However, Sakura seemed to have anticipated this, or rather, no sudden change in chakra fluctuations within this body of water could escape her extraordinary perception in Sage Mode.

As soon as Kisame Hoshigaki formed a hand seal, the water beneath him suddenly rippled, transforming into several water whips that tightly bound various parts of his body, making it impossible for him to move at all.

Immortal Technique: Water Flow Whip

"As an S-rank rogue ninja, you will be brought back to the village for trial. Your fate will be decided by the village, and then the village will decide whether to hand you over to Kirigakure!"

“Well said! However, I have an even better suggestion for you, Konoha ninja.”

Just as Sakura was about to pronounce Kisame Hoshigaki's fate after his defeat, an uninvited guest suddenly interrupted her.

Sakura looked in the direction of the sound and saw the masked man who had attacked them earlier standing there.

At this moment, the mask on his face had disappeared, revealing his half-broken face.

Sakura felt that his face looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before. She didn't linger on his face for long, just glanced at it briefly, then looked at the unconscious person he was carrying on his shoulder.

Seeing this, Sakura's expression remained unchanged, but her eyes grew even colder, and her fists clenched tightly.

"Also, don't test that other kid who uses illusion magic, or else..."

Obito Uchiha lifted Kakashi's body, looked at a shadowy spot, and said calmly:

"Your teacher will be dead."

After a moment of silence, a distorted light and shadow appeared beside Sakura.

This effect of distorted light and shadow is not a technique of space and time, but rather an application of illusion, color, and invisibility.

What do you want? In exchange?

"Yes! Exchange!"

Obito Uchiha nodded and said, "This guy was personally recruited into the organization by me, and I promised him that I would accomplish some things. Before that, he can't die."

Of course, these are just superficial statements.

Obito Uchiha knew perfectly well that even with his dual Kamui Sharingan, it would be difficult for him to wrest control of the Infinite Tsukuyomi from Madara Uchiha.

The difference in their raw abilities is too great.

Not to mention the talisman left to him by Madara Uchiha.

Therefore, he must strengthen every ounce of his own power and win over everyone he can.

Kisame Hoshigaki was the person he wanted to win over. Although after his identity was exposed, Kisame Hoshigaki seemed to transform into a hermaphrodite in front of him, occasionally making sarcastic remarks.

But after he assured Kisame Hoshigaki of the plan's authenticity, Kisame was still willing to obey his orders.

After all, Kisame Hoshigaki was someone he personally recruited into the organization, and he had even saved Kisame's life back in the Land of Swamps.

In particular, Kisame Hoshigaki was also dissatisfied with Madara Uchiha, who was arrogant and conceited.

Although Kisame Hoshigaki lost to Sakura Haruno, his strength is still that of a powerful figure in the current ninja world.

This might give him a better chance to seize control of the Infinite Tsukuyomi from Madara Uchiha.

Even if it's just one point, or even just a possible one point.

But for Lin...

"it is good!"

Without wasting any words, Sakura picked up Kisame Hoshigaki and threw it at Obito Uchiha.

"That's really satisfying, aren't you afraid I'll cheat you?"

Obito Uchiha clicked his tongue in amazement, but he didn't try anything funny and simply handed Kakashi over to the other party.

"Kakashi-sensei."

After taking Kakashi from her, Sakura immediately began to check his physical condition.

Yakumo stood in front of the two of them, his eyes fixed intently on Uchiha Obito.

Damn it!

They actually took Kakashi-sensei's eyes...

Unforgivable!

Sakura immediately activated her medical ninjutsu to treat Kakashi, feeling both fierce and incredibly remorseful.

I clearly saw Naruto and Kakashi-sensei part ways together at the end.

If only I had known...

"Sakura".

Just as Sakura was filled with deep regret, Yakumo's cold voice rang out.

“This guy’s Sharingan is a pair with Kakashi’s Sharingan. Their battle is very likely taking place in a connected alternate dimension. We can’t help much. Even if you had used all your power to defeat the enemy from the beginning, it wouldn’t have made a difference.”

Upon hearing this, Sakura remained silent and did not speak, but Yakumo understood.

Should we take action?

Obito Uchiha watched the two in the arena with great interest, and he was eager to test his current power.