Victory is my way of the ninja.

On the way home, Kisame walked with his head lowered, deep in thought. In the original timeline, there had been four members of the second generation Seven Ninja Swordsmen: besides Zabuza Momochi, whom he had already eliminated, himself, and Ringo Ameyuri, the last was Mangetsu Hozuki.

Mangetsu Hozuki was a prodigy who had aimed to collect all seven swords. He must have discovered something unusual, which was why he had set his sights on Kisame. However, Kisame speculated that Mangetsu had no evidence; otherwise, given his status as the Mizukage’s disciple, he would already have mobilized others to take Kisame down.

In such circumstances, Kisame could not afford to panic. As he neared his home, he halted, raising both hands. The shark-tail lightning whip, the long sword on his right index finger, and the explosive tag patterns on his left arm could all be concealed within his body, leaving no trace on the surface. Only when he used certain abilities would those features become visible.

He extended his right index finger. With a sharp "whizz," lines of chakra shot from his fingertip, weaving through the grass around his cabin and setting up several nearly imperceptible alarm lines. Then, Kisame crouched and pressed his left hand to the ground. Black explosive tag lines surfaced on his left arm, and chakra flowed from the "explode" symbol in his palm, seeping into the earth and creating several explosive traps nearby.

With these warning lines and traps in place, Kisame would be immediately alerted if anyone approached, giving him time to respond accordingly. He resolved to be even more cautious; if disaster struck, he would flee at once.

Night fell.

Inside the wooden cabin, Kisame lay on his bed, breathing evenly in sleep. Suddenly, his right index finger twitched, accompanied by the faint snap of a line breaking, jerking him awake.

Someone had come, just as he expected.

Kisame opened his eyes, sat up, and snapped his left fingers, remotely detonating an explosive trap.

Boom!

A blast erupted outside, accompanied by blinding firelight and a startled scream.

Kisame got out of bed, opened the door, and walked to the patch of grass behind his cabin. In the cold moonlight, where the explosion had occurred, a puddle of water was slowly shifting. Under Kisame’s gaze, it gradually rose up, taking the form of Mangetsu Hozuki.

Hydrification Jutsu.

The Hozuki clan’s secret technique allowed them to liquefy and dissolve their bodies at will, rendering them immune to physical attacks.

“It’s you? Are you all right?” Kisame asked, feigning surprise, and without waiting for a reply, pressed, “What are you doing outside my home in the middle of the night?”

“Uh… I came out to admire the moon and just happened to pass by, heh.” Mangetsu forced a smile, making up a weak excuse.

“Oh.” Kisame couldn’t be bothered to expose him and turned back into the cabin.

Unwilling to give up, Mangetsu tried to approach the house and continue his surveillance, but after taking only two steps, another explosion sent water splashing everywhere.

“Damn it.” Cursing, Mangetsu retreated in his liquefied state, frustrated and defeated.

The next morning, after finishing his daily training, Kisame headed to the training ground to meet his two new teammates. Whatever the reason, since they were now a team preparing for the Chunin Exams, from today onward, they would act as comrades.

“Let’s each introduce ourselves first,” Mei Terumi suggested with a gentle smile.

“I’ll go first!” Ringo Ameyuri raised her small hand, pride gleaming on her face. “I’m eight years old, skilled in lightning-style jutsu, and I love snacks and excitement. My dream is to recover the lost Thunder Swords—Fangs—and become a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!”

“I’m skilled in water-style jutsu and love all beautiful things. My dream is for this country’s civil strife to end soon, so that ninja and civilians can live in peace and walk together into a bright new era.” Mei’s brief introduction showed both sorrow for the present and hope for the future.

It was Kisame’s turn. “I’m Kisame Hoshigaki, proficient in water-style jutsu and taijutsu. My dream is to create a new taijutsu school called Limitless Taijutsu.

As a ninja, my path is summed up in a single word: victory.

To win every battle, I will use any means necessary. My greatest sense of accomplishment comes from building my exuberant happiness upon the enemy’s unforgettable agony.”

He introduced himself to his teammates with solemn sincerity.

“Well said!” No sooner had Kisame finished than a familiar voice called from outside the training ground.

Ringo Ameyuri rolled her eyes as she looked over. “You again?”

Mangetsu Hozuki had appeared once more.

“Kisame, I just want to be friends with you. Give me a chance, won’t you? How about letting me join you guys? A four-person squad could be fun.” He approached, grinning cheekily.

“This guy is so annoying, and his skin is thicker than oxhide. He sticks to you like glue and won’t let go,” Ameyuri muttered in Mei’s ear, standing on tiptoe.

Mei frowned, helpless, glancing at Kisame, uncertain how he would handle this pest.

Kisame reached into his ninja pouch and pulled out a kunai. “Let’s play a little game. If I win, you leave immediately and never bother me or my teammates again. If you win, I’ll agree to your terms and let you join our squad.”

“Oh? What’s the game?” Mangetsu’s interest was instantly piqued.

“The rules are simple.” Kisame faced Mangetsu, bent down, and stabbed the kunai vertically into the ground before stepping back two paces. “From the same distance, whoever grabs the kunai first wins.”

“Deal!” Mangetsu’s eyes flashed with competitive fire—he had always hated losing, and never had.

“I’ll be the referee,” Mei volunteered, stepping between them. “I’ll count down from three, and on one, the match begins. All right?”

Both nodded.

Mei cleared her throat, shooting Kisame a worried glance. Since he had suggested the game, he must be confident, but Mangetsu was the legendary genius of the Hidden Mist, no easy opponent.

Ameyuri clenched her fists nervously and called to Kisame, “Don’t you dare lose! I don’t want that annoying guy as a teammate!”

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

The instant Mei finished the count, Kisame and Mangetsu launched themselves forward almost simultaneously.

Whoosh!

Mangetsu, impetuous, bent low and snatched up the kunai with lightning speed.

I’ve won.

A victorious smile spread over his face for an instant.

But Kisame was smiling, too.

From the beginning, he had never intended to race Mangetsu for the kunai. Instead, as Mangetsu bent to seize it, Kisame drove his knee hard into Mangetsu’s face!

Bang!

Mangetsu’s triumphant expression lasted less than a split second before everything went black; Kisame’s knee sent him flying over ten meters, crashing into the training ground’s fence.

Mei and Ameyuri were speechless, stunned by what they had just witnessed.

Kisame picked up the kunai, crossed the field, and stood before Mangetsu. The latter slumped against the fence, blood pouring from his mouth and nose, looking utterly wretched.

Clearly, Mangetsu was too young; his Hydrification Jutsu was not yet fully mastered. Faced with such a sudden, unguarded attack, he had no time to deploy it.

He glared at Kisame, eyes blazing with fury, wanting to curse him for breaking the rules, but his mouth hurt too much to open.

Kisame crouched, pressing the kunai to Mangetsu’s throat. “Now, tell me—who won?”

Only then did Mangetsu realize he’d been played. Yes, Kisame had proposed a fair game, but never intended to abide by the rules. From the start, the so-called contest was a ruse. At the moment Mangetsu agreed, he had fallen straight into Kisame’s trap.

“That’s Kisame’s Limitless Taijutsu for you. Now you know how tough it is, don’t you?” Ameyuri ran over and made a face at Mangetsu, taunting him.

“Let’s go.” Kisame stood, sheathed the kunai, and left.

Mangetsu watched the three of them walk away, clenching his fists and swallowing his broken teeth and blood. Though it galled him, he had truly lost this time.

Kisame Hoshigaki—a despicable, shameless bastard.

After leaving the training ground, Ameyuri clung to Kisame, begging to learn his Limitless Taijutsu. She found the idea of defeating enemies with such methods exhilarating.

Mei, however, was more concerned. In the Blood Mist Village, elders seldom interfered in the younger generation’s disputes; if you were bullied, complaining did no good—you had to retaliate with your own strength. This was to temper the youth’s fighting spirit.

But Mangetsu was the Mizukage’s disciple, while Kisame was alone in the village; their statuses were worlds apart. If Mangetsu swallowed his pride and sought revenge, Kisame would be in real trouble.

With this in mind, Mei suggested, “Let’s check the mission board. Before the Chunin Exams, we need to complete at least one C-rank mission together and get used to working as a team. And it’ll give us a chance to leave the village for a while—away from that persistent Mangetsu.”

“Agreed,” Kisame replied, unable to find a reason to refuse.

The three of them made their way through the streets and soon arrived at the Mizukage Tower’s mission board.