105. The Emperor of the Prison

On the prison square.

"Huff, huff..."

Kisame panted heavily as he finished his final set of exercises for the day and stood up.

As the evening breeze blew, he wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and watched the sunset slowly sink into the sea. He realized that, before he knew it, he had grown fond of this prison.

The isolated island in the inland sea where Blood Prison was located was far removed from the strife of the ninja world. Like a secluded paradise, it was the perfect place for closed-door cultivation.

Kisame had once heard that many legendary figures had served time in prison, and it was precisely within those walls that they attained enlightenment, going on to accomplish earth-shattering feats upon their release.

Perhaps he, too, could gain some insight here at Blood Prison.

After leaving the square, Kisame went to the bathhouse to wash up, then headed to the cafeteria for dinner before making his way toward his cell.

He roamed the prison with the freedom of someone strolling through his own home.

Throughout the entire process, not a single prison guard dared to trouble him. On the contrary, whenever they saw him, they would shy away from a distance, their faces etched with fear.

Kisame walked through the prison corridor.

In the cells on either side, the prisoners who had been wailing on their beds fell silent the moment they saw him, not daring to make a sound.

They were as hushed as cicadas in winter.

Kisame returned to his cell and lay down on his bed.

Ever since he had put three of his cellmates out of commission, no one had dared to share a room with him again.

Having exercised until he was drenched in sweat all day, Kisame was tired; he soon closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

Several hours later.

At the stroke of midnight, the prison was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Suddenly, there was a creaking sound.

Kisame’s ears twitched. He opened his eyes and looked toward the door, only to find it standing open for some unknown reason.

Hmm?

He frowned, got out of bed, and walked to the entrance to inspect it.

At this hour, there should have been guards on duty, but Kisame saw no one.

Puzzled, he pushed the door open and stepped out. He walked from the corridor all the way to the prison’s front yard, but he did not see a single guard along the way.

Even more surprising to Kisame was that the massive, several-meter-tall iron gate of the prison had also been left ajar, leaving a gap just wide enough for a person to slip through sideways.

What on earth was going on?

Kisame stepped out of the prison to investigate. He followed the road outside the prison, passed through the grove filled with Blood Lantern fruit trees, and reached the coastline.

Under the cover of night, a small boat was moored by the shore, bobbing gently with the tide.

It seemed that one only needed to step onto this boat to escape the island prison and regain freedom.

Kisame walked toward it.

At that moment, hidden in the woods not far behind him, Mui and several high-ranking Grass Ninja were lurking, watching his every move with bated breath.

The boat had been prepared by Mui and his men, with the express purpose of helping Kisame break out and leave the island.

Although Kisame had once claimed he wanted to repent for his sins within these walls, when the opportunity for escape was placed right before him, could he really turn down such easily accessible freedom?

The answer was—

Boom!

With a single punch, Kisame shattered the boat into pieces, reducing it to a pile of scrap wood.

Then, under the stunned gazes of Mui and the others, he turned around without hesitation and returned the way he came.

When Kisame arrived back at the prison gate, he didn't go in immediately; instead, he busied himself at the entrance.

As his hands moved with lightning speed, he unleashed both Explosion Release and String Release.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

He buried chakra strings into the ground, weaving them into a massive web to form the "Earth Spider Thread" trap.

Hum, hum, hum.

Black light flared across the ground, and as it faded, it left behind distinct, eye-catching characters for "Explosion" spreading out in front of the prison gate.

What is this guy doing?

Mui and his subordinates, who had been following from a distance, were dumbfounded by the sight.

"Hmm, not bad."

Kisame inspected the trap he had laid and nodded in satisfaction.

Based on tonight’s events, the security loopholes in Blood Prison were far too great, making it far too easy for prisoners to escape.

As a model prisoner, Kisame was filled with a simple sense of justice and would never allow any criminal to break out and return to the ninja world to wreak havoc.

He strode into the prison and slammed the gate shut with a bang.

"As long as I am here, no one in this prison is going anywhere."

Kisame muttered to himself and headed straight for the guard post.

Clang.

He pushed the door to the guard post open to find a guard slumped over the desk, drooling, fast asleep.

Kisame frowned, stepped forward, and slapped the guard across the face, jolting him out of his pleasant dream.

"Who?!"

When the guard woke up in a panic and saw the killer-god Kisame, the anger he had just felt instantly vanished.

"Why are you sleeping while on duty?" Kisame asked coldly.

Under his sharp gaze, the guard trembled in fear.

"It... it was Master Mui’s orders. He said there was no need for night shifts tonight and that we should rest early..."

The guard held his stinging, burning cheek, not daring to hide the truth as he answered cautiously.

"This is a test from Master Mui. Don't you understand? You just sleep because you're told to? As a prison guard, how are you doing your job? Neglecting your duties like this?"

Kisame grabbed the guard by the collar and roared, "Stand up! Attention!"

"Yes!"

Hearing this, the guard jumped to his feet, standing perfectly straight.

"From now on, keep your eyes open and guard this gate properly. Don't let even a fly out, understand?"

Kisame scolded him loudly, putting the guard through a military-style drill.

"Yes, sir!" the guard shouted, even giving Kisame a salute.

"Hmph, that’s better." Kisame patted the guard’s shoulder with satisfaction and turned to leave the post.

Wait, something wasn't right.

Only after Kisame had left did the guard come to his senses. Why had he called a prisoner "sir" and saluted him?

After returning to the prison, Kisame patrolled the area once more. Finding no further irregularities, he returned to his cell and fell soundly asleep.

Listening to Kisame's snoring, Mui and his men stood outside the cell, staring at each other in disbelief.

Having witnessed everything Kisame did that night, they finally realized that in the decades since Blood Prison was built—after receiving and reforming tens of thousands of prisoners—this time, they had welcomed a true master.

Ten more days passed.

Inside the prison, the thousands of inmates and the dozens of guards that Kisame had beaten were finally recovering from their injuries and getting back on their feet.

Blood Prison regained its vitality.

After the brawl half a month ago, Kisame had essentially beaten everyone into submission, and the prisoners privately and fearfully referred to him as the "King of the Prison."

He was the strongest prisoner in the history of Blood Prison.

In these past few days, Kisame’s cell had gained a mattress, a toilet, a radio, and various daily necessities—all offerings from prisoners looking to curry favor.

A prison is a place where the strong rule and the weak lose everything.

Consequently, every inmate wanted to latch onto Kisame’s powerful influence, scrambling to become his underlings.

As the King of the Prison, Kisame naturally did no work.

At his command, the prisoners built an open-air gym in the square, utilizing scraps found in the prison—stones, wood, steel—to craft all sorts of exercise equipment.

Every morning, Kisame would go there to work out, with a crowd of underlings waiting respectfully to offer him water and towels.

When lunch arrived, he never had to queue for food.

Of course, Kisame was a civilized man; he would never cut in line. Others simply offered to let him go first.

The cafeteria lady, who had once given Kisame a hard time, was now all smiles, always filling his tray to the brim and letting him eat as much as he wanted.

When Kisame ate, someone would fan him; when he bathed, prisoners would eagerly scrub his back.

And in the evening, when the inmates were allowed out into the square for fresh air, Kisame’s arrival would be met with thunderous cheers. He walked with an entourage, surrounded by a crowd—it was no different from an emperor on a procession.

Even the guards treated him with extreme respect.

Someone who didn't know better would have thought Kisame was the Warden of Blood Prison.

In the Warden’s office, Mui looked through the window at the scene in the square, his expression growing increasingly grim.

If he allowed Kisame to continue acting so brazenly, he would eventually be sidelined, losing his grip on the prison.

Because of Kisame, the prisoners were becoming increasingly insubordinate. If this continued, the order of the prison would soon crumble.

After long and painful deliberation, Mui finally thought of a solution.

Since he couldn't get rid of this "great Buddha," he might as well put him on a pedestal. And if he were to be put on a pedestal, he certainly couldn't remain in a dirty, chaotic, ordinary cell; he had to be isolated from the other inmates.

Three days later, Mui gathered all the prisoners for a prison assembly.

During the meeting, he highly praised Kisame’s excellent performance while serving his sentence and publicly awarded him a "Model Prisoner" certificate.

Mui declared that Kisame was the most outstanding prisoner in the history of Blood Prison and a shining example for all inmates to emulate.

To honor Kisame, he made an exceptional arrangement to move him to the better-equipped medical ward.

That evening, Kisame moved into his new cell.

It was less of a cell and more of a luxurious three-bedroom apartment.

The bedroom had a television, air conditioning, and hot water—it was just like staying in a hotel. Furthermore, there was a brand-new gym and a study where he could read and write to cultivate his mind.

Kisame even had a personal chef, so he could enjoy nutritious meals without ever having to step outside or go to the cafeteria again.

In short, from now on, he would have almost no contact with the other prisoners in his daily life.

Kisame knew exactly what Mui was up to.

He instructed a guard to pass a message to Mui, saying that he was very satisfied with the new cell and would keep to himself from now on, quietly repenting for his sins.

In truth, Kisame was annoyed by the prisoners clinging to him every day. This new cell was quiet and well-equipped, which suited his intentions perfectly.

It was the perfect place for cultivation.