106. Caught in the Act in Bed

Snap.

Kisame affixed the "Model Prisoner" certificate to the center of the living room wall, then collapsed onto the soft, plush bed and drifted into a deep, restful sleep.

In the warden’s office, Mui finally let out a long sigh of relief after receiving the message from Kisame, sinking heavily into his chair.

Having finally managed to appease this difficult master, he could now return to his true agenda. He had decided to commit all the manpower and resources of the Grass Village to accelerate the research into the Box of Ultimate Bliss. As long as he could unlock that box and make a wish to gain its power, he would no longer have to fear Kisame Hoshigaki.

Mui swore to himself in the silence of his heart that once that time came, he would use the power of the Box of Ultimate Bliss to kill Kisame with his own hands, washing away the shame of his current subservience.

With this thought in mind, Mui quickly opened his drawer and took out a list. His eyes scanned the names until they narrowed and stopped on one.

The next sacrifice: Pakura of the Scorch Release.

Two nights later, in the dead of night.

In the women’s cell block, Pakura lay on her bed, appearing to be in a deep sleep. Suddenly, with a faint whistling sound, a tranquilizer dart pierced the air and struck her neck. Her head lolled to the side, and she sank into an even deeper slumber.

Creak.

The cell door opened. A figure cloaked and hooded stepped inside, sneered, hoisted the unconscious Pakura onto his back, and carried her away.

Shortly after the figure departed, Pakura’s true form slowly emerged from the corner of the cell wall. The person who had just been carried away was merely a Shadow Clone. Ever since Kisame had warned her that Mui was targeting her, she had remained on high alert.

"I’d like to see what these people from the Grass Village are truly up to, and what secrets this prison is hiding," Pakura thought to herself. Like a phantom, she drifted out of the cell, following the kidnapper undetected.

Ten minutes later, in the underground laboratory, the "Pakura" clone was placed onto an operating table. Mui and a group of Grass ninjas began their fanatical sacrificial ritual.

"Pakura of the Scorch Release—aside from Kisame Hoshigaki, she is the best sacrifice we could ask for. Her chakra might just be enough to help us open the Box of Ultimate Bliss in one go."

Mui, filled with anticipation and eyes gleaming with fervor, pressed his palm against the chest of the clone. But in the next second, with a soft *poof*, the clone vanished into a cloud of white smoke.

The expressions on the faces of Mui and his subordinates instantly froze.

Deep in the shadows, Pakura, who had tracked them all the way, finally caught a glimpse of the underground laboratory’s secrets and slipped away before they could discover her true presence.

Soon, a piercing alarm echoed throughout the Blood Prison. Under Mui’s orders, all prison guards were summoned to search for her. Pakura had considered breaking out of the prison immediately, knowing that if she were caught, death would be her only outcome. However, the Blood Prison was riddled with traps, and her chakra was severely limited by the Fire Release: Heavenly Prison seal. A forced breakout had little chance of success; after all, not everyone could treat the prison’s heavy security as a joke, as Kisame did.

For Pakura, there seemed to be only one place left to turn to resolve this crisis. She looked toward the direction of the medical ward.

Half an hour later, Mui had personally led his men to search almost every corner of the prison, yet he still could not find a trace of Pakura. The only place left unsearched was the medical wing—Kisame’s private, three-room suite.

"Lord Warden, perhaps… we should stop?" the guards whispered, hesitating at the door. If they woke up the formidable Kisame in the middle of the night, who could bear the consequences of his temper?

"Open it!" Mui gritted his teeth and issued the cold order. The guard, trembling, took the key and opened the door.

Creak.

The door swung open, and the lights flooded the room. Mui and his guards swarmed in, prepared to search every corner. However, to everyone’s utter shock, the Pakura they were hunting was lying right there on Kisame’s bed, clinging to him like an octopus, as if they had just finished an intimate encounter.

"Ah!"

Seeing the crowd burst in, Pakura shrank back in apparent panic, clutching her clothes to her chest. Kisame woke up as well, instinctively wrapping an arm around Pakura’s shoulder and glaring at Mui and the others with a frown.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, what is the meaning of this? You two..." Mui stammered in astonishment.

"Lord Mui, it’s quite embarrassing to admit. The truth is, Pakura and I have known each other for a long time, and we have a rather… improper relationship. I only committed such a heinous crime to be sent to this Blood Prison specifically to see her."

Kisame sighed and spoke this "fact" with a look of feigned helplessness. He cast a tender, lingering glance at Pakura, stroked her bald head, and continued, "It is indeed her fault for sneaking out of her cell in the middle of the night to meet me. I hope you, Lord Warden, can give me some face and forgive her behavior."

Throughout Kisame’s speech, Pakura remained silent, only pressing herself closer to his chest. Watching this pair of "lovebirds" flaunt their affection right in front of him, Mui felt a surge of rage, but he could do nothing against Kisame. In the end, he had no choice but to swallow his pride.

"Next time something like this happens, just tell me or inform the guards, so we don't have such misunderstandings," Mui said, softening his tone to find a way to back down.

Unexpectedly, Kisame pressed his advantage: "Since that’s the case, let’s be open about it. Pakura will be staying here with me from now on. You don't have any objections, do you, Lord Mui?"

"...Hmph."

Mui let out a cold snort, unable to bear it any longer, and stormed out. The guards followed, carefully closing the door behind them.

Once everyone had left, Pakura’s face flushed slightly. She silently put on her clothes and whispered, "Thank you," to Kisame. The intimate act they had just performed was, of course, a ruse, but it was the only way to explain her presence in his room. It seemed they had successfully deceived Mui and survived the ordeal.

"Don't thank me. Actually, what I said to Mui wasn't entirely a lie. One of the reasons I came to the Blood Prison was, indeed, to see you." Kisame leaned back against the headboard, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"What?!"

Pakura was caught off guard, her eyes widening in shock. She had never imagined that Kisame would have... that kind of sentiment toward her.

"Don't misunderstand. I don't like you, so there's no need to look so flustered," Kisame said, sensing her thoughts and offering a "comforting" explanation. "I was ordered to kill you."

His attempt at comfort left Pakura frozen, stunned into complete silence.