Where is my necklace?

Inside the room, Kisame nodded, evidently pleased with the outcome of his recent efforts.

To put it simply, he had acquired a powerful method to deal with tailed beasts or giant summoned creatures—an extraordinarily rare ability. Most shinobi, when faced with the overwhelming might of a tailed beast, could do nothing at all. Take, for example, Kakashi’s late father—Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of the Leaf. Wielding a short blade, he had once swept across the battlefield, nigh invincible in conventional combat, lethal with every strike. During the Second Great Ninja War, his strength even eclipsed that of the young Sannin. He was, in all respects, the pinnacle of what a normal shinobi could be.

But even someone like the White Fang would likely find himself powerless against the colossal, thick-skinned tailed beasts. After all, he couldn’t very well charge at a tailed beast with a small knife and stab it in the backside—that image would simply be too farcical.

As for Kisame, with the help of his newly mastered technique, he felt far more prepared to face not only the nine tailed beasts, but also the toads, snakes, and slugs of the three great sanctuaries, as well as any other massive summoned creatures. He was eager to test it out. If only he could, like Orochimaru, sign a contract with the Ryuchi Cave. Imagine summoning Manda, subduing it with his technique, then butchering and storing the high-protein snake meat for future use—it would last him quite a while, no doubt.

The thought made Kisame swallow unconsciously.

As for the death curse of the crystal necklace, he comforted himself: “It was the cheat in my mind that swallowed the crystal necklace. If there really is a curse or retribution, it should go after that guy. I, Kisame Hoshigaki, am nothing but an innocent passerby—completely uninvolved.” As he mused, he glanced at the cheat’s avatar in his mind—a cute iron-eating beast. Instantly, he felt much more at ease.

Wait—was it just his imagination, or did the iron-eating beast just give him a look of disdain? Kisame shook his head, dismissing the thought.

With a flicker of will, the character engraved in his right palm faded until it disappeared entirely, merging with his skin. After absorbing the crystal necklace, Kisame could truly feel his body straining under the weight of all the ninja tools inside him. He needed to grow taller and stronger.

With that, he grabbed the bottle of milk beside him, took a swig, and strode out into the courtyard to train further.

For the next three days, while the film crew was on break, Kisame remained home, training from dawn till dusk, rigorously honing his physique. After each day’s training, he would accompany the Snow Woman on errands—visiting the market or the shops, helping her carry groceries and household items. When she went out, the Snow Woman would bring the child, cradling him in her arms, while Kisame walked beside her, laden with bags, a wall of muscle exuding security for mother and son.

Before long, the neighbors all knew that the beautiful Snow Woman was not, in fact, a widow, but had a husband—a husband as solid and imposing as a mountain, clearly not someone to be trifled with. From then on, her doorstep would see far fewer uninvited pests.

On the fourth day, Kisame received word that filming would resume. At eight in the morning, he arrived at the set on time. As soon as he appeared, Tsunade, whom he hadn’t seen in several days, hurried over with a silver briefcase in hand.

“Well, you’re not dead? Not even injured, missing an arm or a leg?” She looked him over in disbelief. Could it be he had resisted the crystal necklace’s death curse? Impossible.

What an inauspicious way to start the morning. Kisame frowned at her words and replied offhandedly, “What, every time you give away the necklace, you end up cursing someone to death on the spot?”

Tsunade’s expression froze—in truth, he wasn’t wrong. Her younger brother, Nawaki, had received the necklace from her one day and died on the battlefield the next.

“Give it here!” Tsunade demanded coldly, extending both hands—one holding the briefcase, the other held empty.

“What do you mean?” Kisame asked, perplexed.

“There’s five million in this case. Take it, and give me back the necklace,” Tsunade said.

“Where did you get that kind of money?” Kisame was surprised, but then recalled an old saying: debtors usually aren’t broke; they just don’t want to pay. Tsunade, it seemed, fit the bill perfectly.

“Never mind where I got it. Where’s my necklace?” she pressed, noticing he wasn’t wearing it.

“You said it was cursed. I’m not stupid enough to keep that thing around—I found a place to hide it,” Kisame replied, lying with perfect composure.

“Where did you hide it? Tell me, now!” Tsunade demanded, stepping closer.

“In a place you’ll never find,” Kisame replied with meaning, spreading his hands and even waving his right palm in front of her for emphasis.

“You bastard,” Tsunade spat, standing on tiptoe to grab Kisame by the collar, glaring at him furiously.

Kisame met her aggression in stride, seizing her arms with both hands—large palms gripping her left and right. The explosive marks on his skin lit up, and the stitching on his index finger twitched, ready to act. Tsunade’s expression changed instantly; she knew too well the power of his techniques.

Just then, a voice called out, “Lady Tsunade, Mr. Kisame, we’re about to start filming!” Director Yamamoto shouted from not far away. Beside him, Fuji-kun looked pale and unsteady, clearly yet to recover.

At the director’s words, Kisame released Tsunade and stepped back.

“I’ll deal with you later!” Tsunade huffed, turning away.

The day’s shoot did not go smoothly; both leads were distracted—one listless, the other absent-minded. Kisame, the villain, was the only one with any energy. Seeing this, Director Yamamoto decided to change the plan and filmed several additional scenes featuring Kisame.

The final scene of the day was a pivotal plot point: during the first confrontation between good and evil, Kisame’s villainous character defeats the male lead, Fuji-kun, and—right in front of him—kidnaps the heroine, Tsunade, carrying her off. This scene set the stage for the protagonist’s later transformation and his daring solo mission to rescue the heroine from enemy territory.

With a bang, Kisame performed the summoning jutsu, calling forth a massive shark seven or eight meters long. He leaped onto its back, floating atop the water. Tsunade also stepped onto the water and joined him on the shark’s back.

Before the cameras rolled, Tsunade took a deep breath, lowered her pride, and said to Kisame, “I apologize—what will it take for you to return the crystal necklace to me?” If force wouldn’t work, she’d try humility. One way or another, she was determined to get her necklace back.