19. An Unexpected Team-Up

Terumi Mei was undoubtedly very popular with the opposite sex. She hailed from a prominent family, was beautiful, strong, and had a pleasant disposition. Except for the occasional bout of nerves and a few minor tantrums, she was virtually flawless.

As a result, everyone scrambled to invite her to join their team—some even deserted their own teammates to try their luck. In the training ground, a lively spectacle unfolded as the young men vied for her attention.

Kisame, who had been standing next to Mei, was soon pushed to the edge of the crowd.

"Terumi Mei, may I have the honor of joining you and Ringo Ameyuri's team?" A handsome, bright-eyed youth with light blue hair stepped forward from among the oddly shaped Mist ninjas, his face earnest and full of anticipation.

Mei's cheeks flushed, her heart racing. This boy before her was exactly her type.

But just then, from the corner of her eye, she spotted Kisame standing alone outside the crowd. No one approached him; no one asked him to join their team.

A memory of a rainy day surfaced in Mei's mind.

“Getting drenched isn’t good for your health.”

That day, Kisame had said those words as he handed her his umbrella, then walked off into the downpour himself.

Thinking of this, Mei understood her own feelings.

She gave the handsome youth a polite smile and gently declined his invitation. Then, under the astonished gazes of everyone present, she made her way through the crowd to stand before Kisame.

“Kisame, would you like to join us? Ameyuri and I just happen to need one more teammate.”

She extended her olive branch.

“Hey, why him? I don’t want him on our team,” Ameyuri pouted, clearly still upset about what had happened earlier.

Oh?

Kisame, lost in thought, snapped back to reality at her words. He looked at Mei and Ameyuri, and then at the group of hopeful suitors behind them. His eyes flickered as he prepared to refuse.

Kisame preferred to act alone. If he had to team up, he'd choose someone ruthless and untrustworthy, like Zabuza—someone who could be used, betrayed, or even disposed of without a second thought. For Kisame, such teammates were ideal: convenient, disposable.

Just as he was about to reject Mei’s offer—

“Wait!”

A white-haired boy came running from afar, breathless. Without hesitation, he slung an arm around Kisame’s shoulder, leaning on him as he caught his breath.

“Whew, that was close! I almost missed my chance. Good thing I didn’t oversleep this morning.”

Ignoring the surprised looks from the crowd, the boy muttered to himself, then flashed Kisame a brilliant grin and issued his invitation:

“Kisame Hoshigaki, I, Mangetsu Hozuki, admire your strength. Be my teammate!”

At these words, whispers rippled through the crowd.

“Mangetsu Hozuki? The prodigy from the legendary Hozuki clan, disciple of the Third Mizukage?”

“I heard the Mizukage took him under his wing from childhood, personally training him one-on-one. He never even attended the academy—he’s being groomed as the heir to the Mizukage.”

As the murmurs reached Kisame, he dredged up information about this white-haired boy from the depths of his memory.

Mangetsu Hozuki, elder brother of Suigetsu Hozuki—a prodigy who could wield all Seven Ninja Swords and possessed the scroll to summon them. But like Ameyuri, he was also destined for a short life; the cause of death was unknown.

Kisame was certain he’d never met Mangetsu before, so for him to approach so enthusiastically could only spell trouble.

At that moment—

“Hey, don’t you know the rules? We asked him first!” Ameyuri put her hands on her hips and glared at Mangetsu, unconcerned by his reputation or status.

Though she wasn’t fond of Kisame, she disliked Mangetsu’s arrogance even more.

Mei, too, frowned, irked by Mangetsu’s intrusion.

“Why not let Kisame choose for himself?” Mangetsu smiled, his eyes intent on Kisame. “I’m going to take first place in this Chunin Exam. If you team up with me, I guarantee you’ll pass and earn a top ranking. What do you say?”

Many cast envious glances at Kisame. To be noticed by Mangetsu was akin to securing the favor of the future Mizukage.

“Kisame…” Mei hesitated, her heart pounding with anxiety. She had asked Kisame to be her teammate not just out of gratitude, but also out of curiosity—she was drawn to the air of mystery that surrounded him.

Kisame glanced at Mangetsu.

No one is friendly without a reason.

Although he couldn’t be sure why, Kisame knew he had attracted Mangetsu’s attention—and it likely had to do with the three ninja swords sealed within him. It was instinct.

With that in mind, Kisame offered Mangetsu a polite smile.

“Sorry, Mei and I have been classmates at the academy for years.”

Then he turned to Mei. “Let’s leave and find a quiet place to get acquainted. We should start preparing for the Chunin Exams.”

“…All right.” Mei was momentarily stunned, not expecting Kisame to pass up the opportunity to team up with Mangetsu for her sake. Regaining her composure, she quickly agreed and walked out of the training ground with him.

“Na-na-na-na!” Ameyuri stuck out her tongue and made a mocking face at Mangetsu before skipping after them.

Mangetsu merely shrugged, watching the three leave. This only confirmed his suspicion that Kisame was hiding something—something he was determined to uncover.

After leaving the training ground, the three walked through the streets of the Hidden Mist.

“Um… Since there’s still a month before the Chunin Exams, should we take on some missions together? It might help us get to know each other and work better as a team,” Mei suggested, seeing that Kisame had fallen silent.

“Oh.” Kisame stopped in his tracks. He’d been lost in thought, wondering if he’d somehow exposed himself upon returning to the village, which had drawn Mangetsu’s attention. Teaming up with Mei had only been a convenient way to reject Mangetsu.

Feigning an apologetic expression, Kisame said, “Sorry, I just remembered something urgent I have to deal with. We’ll talk later.”

“Oh, that’s fine. Go ahead,” Mei replied considerately.

Kisame nodded and strode away.

He had no intention of going on missions with Mei and Ameyuri. He worried that, during the mission, he might end up eliminating them. As a lowborn of the Hidden Mist, raised in a world of treachery and betrayal, Kisame’s heart had long since grown twisted.

He was better off alone.

In fact, Kisame hadn’t lied about having urgent business—he still hadn’t completed his workout for the day. If he skipped even one day, he felt uneasy all over.

Before he knew it, he found himself standing before the gym.