[A/N] Support & Read Up to 10 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!!

  ...

  Mist swirled and fog billowed.

  Through the hazy air, one could vaguely make out peculiar buildings resembling those in Bikini Bottom. An atmosphere of terror and oppression permeated the entire vilge.

  This was Kirigakure, known as the Vilge of the Bloody Mist.

  Kirigakure's unique charm was something one had to experience firsthand.

  Ever sihe Third Mizukage implemehe Bloody Mist policies, the entire vilge had been hurtling towards an abyss of madness aru.

  Whether other vilges were free or democratic arate matter, but most were meritocratis with powerful Kekkei Genkai were often respected and admired, f an integral part of the vilge's structure.

  However, Kirigakure was different.

  It had a distinct css system, with social hierarchy determined by lineage, not ability.

  In Gojo Kaigetsu's words, Kirigakure's hierarchy could be roughly divided into three csses: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas!

  The native inhabitants of Kirigakure held the highest status, represented by the Mizukage's advisor, the elders - the Brahmins of Kirigakure.

  were the families and individuals who had earned prominend a voice through distinguished servi the long history of Kirigakure's wars.

  At the bottom were the Kekkei Genkai s absorbed by Kirigakure, the ordinary ninja s… They were assighe most dangerous missions, treated as mere tools, even less valued than ninja hounds.

  One of the graduation requirements for the Kirigakure Ninja Academy was to kill a cssmate.

  sidering all this, Gojo Kaigetsu's "Anti-Terrorism Decration" wasirely snder; it merely exposed and maghe reality of Kirigakure.

  Through such extreme internal attrition policies, Kirigakure gradually deed.

  The milestone of this dee was arguably during the Third Shinobi World War when Might Duy single-handedly decimated the Seven Mist Swordsmen.

  Due to its isotionist policies, the flow of information intakure was signifitly slower pared to other vilges.

  …

  …

  However, the oppressive and bloody policies couldinguish the fmes of ambition and ge burning within the hearts ressive ninjas.

  Seventeen-year-old Kisame Hoshigaki sat brooding in his home.

  Kisame was a true ninja, prioritizing missions above all else. He was ruthless in achieving his objectives and absolutely loyal to the Mizukage and the vilge.

  For years, he had dutifully carried out unimagiasks for Kirigakure. On occasion, to plete his missions, he had eveed to killing his rades to prevent them from falling into enemy hands and revealing information.

  He had even killed the only female ninja who uood him. But before her death, she didn't bme him, instead uttering the words, "Your life has been hard, hasn't it?" These words plunged Kisame into deep ption.

  Just yesterday, he had eliminated his former superior, Fuguki Suikazan.

  The reason for the assassination… Fuguki had been exposed for selling information to Kumogakure, resulting in a warrant for his arrest issued by the Fourth Mizukage.

  It seemed that after esg from that Konoha ninja, Might Duy, his former superior had lost the iy expected of a Kirigakure ninja.

  "As a Kiri-nin, I have to kill fellow Kiri-nin. Then who am I?"

  "Am I an enemy or an ally? What is my purpose? Where do I stand? Where am I going? Where I find peace?"

  "The only thing I truly feel is my own falsehood."

  Kisame's fusion wasn't unique.

  Simir doubts pgued other Kirigakure ninja who had grown weary of the endless killing.

  Kisame seemed to have foreseen his own fate: iing Samehada, the greatsword of his deceased superior, being its sed wielder.

  tinuing to serve as the lowest tool of the Vilge of the Bloody Mist, carrying out the most inhumane missions.

  A sudden wave of unease washed over Kisame. He decided to step out for a walk, aimlessly wandering through the streets.

  Due takure's crushi in the war against Konoha and several rounds of internal purges, the streets were noticeably less crowded.

  Through the hazy mist, he spotted a female ninja with brown hair in the distance.

  "That's… Mei Terumi."

  Mei Terumi, possessor of the Lava Release and Boil Release Kekkei Genkai, might very well be his arget, should he receive the order.

  "I'm a bit envious…" Kisame thought wistfully. He had heard that a ret graduate of the Ninja Academy had killed all their cssmates, f the vilge elders to ge the graduation policy.

  Students like Mei Terumi no longer o kill their cssmates to graduate and bee ninjas.

  Such a onpce graduation poli other vilges had cost aire geion of Kirigakure students their lives.

  Kisame, currently susceptible to "Talk no Jutsu," naturally bypassed the ninja tool shop he usually frequented, instead stopping in front of a bookstore.

  Before iing Samehada and fully embrag his role as Kirigakure's executioner, he wao read. The female rade he had killed, the one who uood him, had loved reading.

  The bookstore in Kirigakure was eerily quiet. Despite being a holiday, only a handful of people were browsing inside.

  Due to the high humidity, the books felt damp to the touch.

  "Ninja-sama, I help you with anything?"

  The bookstore owner rubbed his hands together, his demeanor obsequious. Seeing Kisame's attire, his back was drenched i.

  "Do you have… any books that girls like to read?" Kisame finally asked.

  "Books firls? Yes, yes, Ninja-sama, please follow me."

  The owner hurriedly retrieved a brand new copy of "Iki II" from the front dispy and ha to Kisame. "Sir, this is it. It's on the house."

  Kisame nodded and walked out of the store, book in hand.

  He began flipping through it listlessly.

  Books held little appeal for a ninja who relished killing, pared to, say, a kunai.

  Kisame had expected something mundane like "The Wandering Ninja" or "Travels Through the Shinobi World." But upon reag the first article, he froze, reading aloud involuntarily:

  "Adaptability in the Shinobi World?"

  "What a strale…" He had to admit, the title intrigued him.

  His adaptability robably maxed out by now.

  No matter the vilge's orders, no matter who he had to kill, he could adapt perfectly and execute without hesitation.

  Such was the nature of books; even if one could vaguely guess the tent, the desire for emotional resonanpelled oo tinue reading.

  Even a powerful ninja like Kisame wasn't immune.

  His gaze moved downwards.

  He saw-

  Gojo Kaigetsu, a mere in, being a Kage's advisor simply by w hteen hours a day, something anyone could do…

  He saw-

  Gojo Kaigetsu being arrested by the vilge ANBU and imprisoned. Yet, Konoha's future Hokage empowered him with the ce to "speak the truth" and "pursue freedom of speech."

  He saw-

  The Fire Daimyo praising Gojo Kaigetsu for his as.

  Kisame felt a wave of dizziness, as if caught in a genjutsu, drawn into the mental world created by "Adaptability," transported to the Konoha within the book.

  As he took his first breath of Konoha's air, the shark gills on his cheeks seemed to tremble. The air was so fresh and sweet, a rare luxury.

  "Konoha's air…"

  Uhe heavy, blood-tinged air of Kirigakure, which stained his lungs with every breath, in the book, he could only feel Konoha's invigorating atmosphere.

  "Life, freedom, trust in rades…"

  Kisame murmured, tears welling up in his heart.

  For a seasoned killer like him, the cepts presented in "Adaptability" struck a chord within his most vulnerable core.

  Others might simply view it as a story, but to Kisame, it represented his ideal Kirigakure.

  Even an ordinary ninja, even the lowest-ranking member of Kirigakure, could achieve equal status through hard work;

  Kirigakure should be open and inclusive, where even speaking out against injustice resulted only in temporary impriso. In Kirigakure, there was no opportunity for dissent; possessing a Kekkei Genkai was a sin punishable by death;

  A nation's Daimyo could express their opinions on internal vilge matters, unlike in Kirigakure, where the Bloody Mist policies had driven ninjas to the point of assassinating their own Daimyo;

  There should be warmth and trust between Kirigakure ninjas, not just cold iioween tools…

  "My stance… my position…"

  An unknown seed nted in Kisame's mind, a seed different from that of a killing mae. It quickly took root and sprouted.

  What could he do? This vilge he had dedicated his life to…

  Kisame began to ponder.

  But before he could find an answer, Kirigakure ANBU silently appeared behind him:

  "Kisame Hoshigaki, the Fourth Mizukage summons you."

  "Ah, what must e, will e…" Kisame closed the book auro the bookstore, pg "Iki" ba the shelf uhe owner's surprised gaze.

  Before leaving, he cast a profound look at the owner and said, "Give it to a Kiri-nin lost in fusion."

  Moments ter, Kisame arrived at the pce where he had killed his former superior yesterday.

  Ihe dark and damp building, Fuguki's body was gone, leaving only Samehada, the greatsword, deeply embedded in the ground, as if awaiting its new master.

  The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, emerged from the passage behind Kisame.

  His voice echoed softly, "Kisame, do you see Samehada before you?"

  "inally, the sele process for the wielders of our Seven Mist Swordsmen was rigorous."

  "Samehada, in particur, required rials."

  "The first trial: Carry a heavy load up 333 steps; the sed trial: Break through a circur blockade and traverse Kirigakure without killing any Kiri-nin; the third trial: Ewelve hours each day on a chakra-dug metal pilr; the fourth trial: Withstand the detonation of an explosive tag uhe Mizukage's supervision…"

  "…The final, ninth trial is to gain Samehada's reition through your own strength and pull it from the ground!"

  Yagura unched into his Talk no Jutsu: "I know your character and trust you. Only those who have carried out tless dirty missions for the nation and the vilge, who have betrayed many times to plete their tasks, uand that this world is nothing but a falsehood."

  "So let me release you from the pain of this falsehood. All this time, you have been fighting by killing your rades…"

  Whoosh-

  Before Yagura could finish, Kisame interrupted him with a brutal attack, wielding Samehada.

  A sinister grin spread across Kisame's face. Through the spray of blood, he met the Fourth Mizukage's shocked and terrified gaze without fling:

  "You're right. If you had told me this half an ho, I might have listened."

  "But now, I have found my stance."

  "Today, This Kisame, rebel!"

  Simultaneously, the rebellious forces that had beely gathering strength within Kirigakure tally erupted at the same time.

  The Kirigakure Civil War officially began-!

  ...

  Support and Read 10 Advance Chapters, Ahead of Others!!https://[email protected]/dragonnx

  [Repce '@' with 'a' to Access Patreon Normally]

  There is 6 more exg Fanfics already avaible on my Patreon page!