Chapter 42: Your Swordsmanship is Trash!

Chapter 42: Your Swordsmanship is Trash!

After handling Kakashi, Kisame Hoshigaki returned to the group, handing Kakashi over to Yi, who would be responsible for his custody.

Kisame then turned his gaze to Uchiha Yi, particularly noting the black cloak with red cloud patterns he wore. It reminded him of a man who had approached him recently, similarly dressed in a cloak and mask, inviting him to join a mysterious organization. Such a weak offer was not something Kisame would accept.

At the time, Kisame had a comfortable life in the Hidden Mist Village as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, working under Fuguki Suikazan with solid pay and perks. Why would he abandon all that to join an unknown organization?

Without hesitation, Kisame had rejected the masked man's invitation, and afterward, the man seemed to give up on recruiting him, vanishing altogether.

But soon, Kisame encountered trouble. During a mission, he was ambushed by a female squad member, whom he managed to kill in self-defense. Before dying, she mentioned that Fuguki Suikazan had ordered the assassination due to Kisame's skill with the sword, which threatened Suikazan's position among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

The absurdity of this reason had made Kisame laugh in anger. In retaliation, he turned on his superior, killed Suikazan, and claimed Samehada as his own.

Normally, killing a comrade would lead to a swift sentence of exile. But this time, the Fourth Mizukage personally stepped in, declaring that Kisame had fairly defeated Suikazan and earned the right to wield Samehada.

Kisame was deeply moved by the Mizukage's support, vowing to be loyal to him. What Kisame didn't realize, however, was that the betrayal and the ensuing events had all been orchestrated by Obito.

Unlike in the original story, Obito hadn't revealed himself as Uchiha Madara to Kisame, which left Kisame convinced that it was the Mizukage who had helped him. Obito's plan was likely to reveal the truth to Kisame later, hoping that Kisame's disillusionment with the village would lead him to join the Akatsuki.

But Obito's aim wasn't only to lure Kisame into the Akatsuki. He also intended to send a subtle message: that to become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, one only had to kill the current wielder.

This message caused tension to boil beneath the surface of the Hidden Mist. At first, people followed the rules, openly challenging current sword-wielders in a fervor reminiscent of a village-wide tournament.

Even the village's children aspired to join the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

But then, someone crossed the line, assassinating a current wielder in secret, claiming afterward, "Why not? Assassination is a ninja's way."

This logic went unpunished, and the assassin was awarded a position among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Soon, more ninjas abandoned the traditional challenges for underhanded methods, creating a vicious cycle of bloodshed and vendettas, reminiscent of the Blood Mist era, until no one felt safe.

Kisame, however, was unaware of all this, only that Uchiha Yi's cloak reminded him of his past encounter.

"You all take Kakashi back. I'll handle things here," Kisame said, recognizing the cloak and realizing that this man had likely come for him.

The mission with Kakashi was nearly complete, and Kisame didn't want any complications. He signaled for Yi to take Kakashi back while he stayed behind.

"Last time, they failed to recruit me. This time, it's probably not going to be so simple."

"My name is Ah-Huo, a member of the Akatsuki," Yi introduced himself politely. "I'm here to recruit you into the Akatsuki. Have you thought about it?"

"Heh…"

"Less talk, more fighting!" Kisame grinned, his eyes alight with excitement.

He hadn't gotten his fill during his fight with Kakashi, but here was a second chance to let loose. His adrenaline surged, and he eagerly drew Samehada, adopting a battle stance.

"You just had a big fight," Yi remarked. "You must be low on chakra and stamina. Don't go making excuses if you lose now."

Ignoring Yi's taunts, Kisame lifted Samehada with one hand and instantly appeared beside Yi, swinging his massive sword in a fierce horizontal strike.

Clang!

Yi hadn't dropped his guard. He had been preparing while talking, so when he saw Kisame's attack coming, he quickly drew his unreleased Ryujin Jakka, holding it up to block the blow from Samehada.

The impact sent a powerful shockwave through Yi's body, pushing him off-balance and forcing him to stumble sideways to absorb the force of the hit.

"Your swordsmanship is trash!"

From this single exchange, Kisame could already gauge Yi's level of skill and had no reservations about voicing his opinion.

Anyone with real swordsmanship experience would have recognized his weapon's size and adapted their stance. Yet Yi had attempted to block the blow directly, a rookie mistake that let Kisame's strength overpower him.

If this was all Yi had, then Kisame was losing interest. Even his impression of the Akatsuki as a formidable organization was diminishing.
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