Chapter 363: Another Quasi-Kage
A long time later, Hoshigaki Kisame had finished treating his wounds and had eaten some food.
Then, Ishiro said, "Alright, you already know my identity. Now, let me tell you my purpose."
Hoshigaki Kisame's gaze sharpened, and he looked at Ishiro with a grave expression.
Ishiro said slowly, "I want to change the ninja world."
"I don't know from what era it began, but this world has been filled with war. There have been many people like me who have thought of changing this world."
"Those from long ago are now only legends, but recently, there is one example: the First Hokage of Konohagakure, Hashirama Senju."
"Hashirama Senju believed that once the ninja world was no longer centered around clans, there would be no more war, so they established the hidden village system. But unfortunately, it seems now that their idea was definitely wrong."
"Although there are no longer life-and-death struggles between ninja clans, the wars between hidden villages are even larger and involve a wider scope."
"Now, the ninja world has once again reached a time for change. I want to change the ninja world. I want to eliminate the hidden village system. I want to establish a new, unified world without national borders and without conflicts between hidden villages."
"It's just that my strength is not yet sufficient to subvert the existing hidden village system. It is not yet enough to make ninja understand one another. So, I came to Kirigakure. I have taken a liking to you. I need you to join us and stand on my side when I launch the war to revolutionize the ninja world in the future."
Hoshigaki Kisame smiled but didn't respond. This speech was not enough to move him.
Ishiro didn't mind and continued, "Hoshigaki Kisame, do you know why I chose you?"
Kisame was taken aback. It was true; although he was proud and confident in his own talent, in terms of fame, he was far inferior to the geniuses of the Terumī and Hōzuki clans. He had never thought that he would one day be able to control Kirigakure. The furthest his sight had reached was the position where Suikazan Fuguki stood. The most precious thing he had ever seen was the greatsword Samehada. He had never thought about the grand scheme of the ninja world that Ishiro spoke of.
Sensing the doubt in Kisame's eyes, Ishiro said, "Have you ever thought about what a ninja is, why ninja exist, and what the ultimate meaning of a ninja's existence is?"
Kisame's body jolted violently. The emotional turmoil this time was far greater than when Ishiro had seen through his transformation jutsu earlier.
"For the sake of the mission, you killed your comrades, killed the girl who admired you. You admired that girl as well, didn't you?" Ishiro said flatly.
Kisame took a deep breath. "It seems Lord Tsuchikage has investigated me in detail. I just wonder how you plan to persuade me to pledge my loyalty to you."
Ishiro shook his head. "You are mistaken. I do not want your loyalty. This is a partnership. I will clear the fog for you, and I will point out the path to the future for you."
"And you only need to walk firmly towards the end of that path."
Kisame stared intently into Ishiro's eyes. "Then please, Lord Tsuchikage, point out the path for me."
Ishiro did not speak directly. Instead, he looked around and then pointed to a cliff. "Let's go sit over there and talk. This topic is not suitable for the current atmosphere."
After speaking, Ishiro flew over first, directly leaving his back exposed to Kisame.
Kisame looked at Ishiro's back, assessed his own physical condition, and felt that this might be the best opportunity to strike all night. If it had been the Kisame from the beginning of the night, he might have been preparing to risk it all. But now, the most bewildering doubts in his heart had been stirred, and he hesitated.
Staring at Ishiro's back for a long time, Kisame finally followed and walked to Ishiro's side.
Ishiro, with his back to Kisame, smiled faintly. With his Mind's Eye, it made no difference whether he was facing an enemy or had his back to them. He had only done this to gauge Kisame's psychological state.
"A ninja was originally just a profession, no different from a chef, a doctor, and so on," Ishiro began slowly after Kisame sat down.
"But unlike other professions, ninja possess chakra, and chakra is a magical thing. Not only does it bring about a change in a ninja's strength, but it also endows them with many incredible abilities."
"For example, a ninja can use chakra to perform Water Release to summon clean water, or use Fire Release to create fire. Of course, they can also use these chakra-given abilities to kill."
"The magic of chakra created the magic of the ninja, and it also made the ninja special among the many professions."
"To understand the meaning of a ninja's existence, one must understand the true essence of chakra. Hoshigaki Kisame, have you heard of Sage Art?"
Kisame nodded. "I have. Lord Tsuchikage can use Sage Art. The First Hokage of Konoha could also use Sage Art."
Ishiro smiled. "Hashirama Senju was exceptionally talented. His Sage Art was very powerful, very perfect. Although I can also use Sage Art, I have many restrictions. So, I can't demonstrate it for you today."
"Sage Art is actually ninjutsu that uses a more special kind of chakra. Because sage chakra is of a higher level, the power of Sage Art is also stronger."
"Sage chakra has more uses than ordinary chakra. For example, it can extend a ninja's lifespan. Extending one's life is one of the magical effects of chakra. If you can understand the principles, you can master Sage Art and become a sage yourself."
"You may not be familiar with Sage Art, but you are certainly no stranger to Kekkei Genkai. A typical Kekkei Genkai is formed by the fusion of two chakra natures."
As he spoke, Ishiro demonstrated his Porcelain Release. "This is the Porcelain Release I developed, a Kekkei Genkai obtained from the fusion of water and earth natures."
"Did you know, after developing a Kekkei Genkai, I could clearly feel the essence of my life changing? I was evolving towards a higher level. Of course, this change was not huge."
"Above Kekkei Genkai, there is also Kekkei Tōta, which I will not demonstrate."
"What I want to tell you is that if you want to understand what a ninja is and the meaning of a ninja's existence, then you must explore the mysteries of chakra. Only when you have a sufficient understanding of chakra can you understand the meaning of being a ninja."
Seeing Kisame looking thoughtful, Ishiro said, "Your level is still too low right now. You can't guess the function of chakra without any personal insight. Let me tell you about the chakra in my eyes."
"Chakra is the key to a higher level of life form, a bridge that connects all life. Chakra can improve ourselves and, at the same time, deepen our understanding of each other."
"The source of all ninjas' chakra is the same. In theory, chakra can transmit one ninja's understanding to another."
"This is one of my methods for achieving peace. I can't do it now, but I believe that one day I will be able to."
"At that time, I can use my chakra to convey my understanding of peace to all the ninja in the world, allowing everyone to understand each other, thus letting go of conflicts and achieving true peace."
"Unifying the ninja world is my process. Getting all the ninja in the world to reach a consensus, that is my goal."
"Hoshigaki Kisame, want to understand the questions in your heart? It's simple. Go and seek the essence of chakra, explore the secrets hidden within it."
"But I have no Kekkei Genkai, nor do I know Sage Art," Kisame said, looking at his own hands.
"Haha, Sage Art, Kekkei Genkai, these are just processes. This is my path. You can completely and thoroughly understand a single chakra nature and walk your own path. Although the processes of the two paths are different, the result will certainly be the same," Ishiro said with a laugh.
Kisame looked at his own hands and murmured to himself, "A single chakra nature? The water nature? To understand the water nature chakra thoroughly?"
"What is chakra? What is water nature chakra? Why do I have water nature chakra? How do I study it thoroughly?" Kisame fell into deep thought.
He didn't know that at this moment, the way Ishiro looked at him was filled with astonishment.
Ishiro was prepared for Kisame to become a Quasi-Kage. This was the very purpose of his long speech. He was becoming more and more skilled at plucking the fragile heartstrings of lost youths. This speech was specially designed for Kisame.
Ishiro first set up an example for Kisame: the magic of sage chakra, Kekkei Genkai chakra, and Kekkei Tōta chakra. Then, he lured Kisame to find the answers to the questions he had been pondering in his heart.
As expected, under Ishiro's guidance, Kisame had an epiphany and completed his transformation.
However, Ishiro hadn't expected the change in Kisame after this transformation to be so great. This was probably the benefit of having large chakra reserves. The time Kisame would spend at the Quasi-Kage level would definitely be much, much shorter than Ishiro's had been. For Ishiro, who had very small chakra reserves, his strength had barely changed when he first became a Quasi-Kage. The journey from Quasi-Kage to Kage also took a very long time.
But for Kisame, who had so much chakra that he had probably never used it all up, this change was a very significant boost to his strength. And his journey from Quasi-Kage to Kage would be very fast, just like Nagato's.
A long time later, as the morning sun leaped over the horizon, Kisame finally came to his senses.
Looking at the rising sun on the horizon, Kisame took a deep breath. Then, he said, "Lord Tsuchikage, I understand. But I will not become a puppet according to your demands. If you want to kill me, you'd better do it now while my strength is still weak."
Ishiro smiled, then stood up and said, "You have only just found your Ninja Way. Your strength may have improved, but do you know how to become the Mizukage? Do you know how to govern the village after becoming the Mizukage?"
"If you want to escape my control, wait until you've learned how to handle these things. For now, obediently follow me back to Kirigakure."
"Remember, you were ambushed by Konoha ninja. Suikazan Fuguki stayed behind to cover your retreat."
"You broke out of the enemy's encirclement with the greatsword Samehada, and then, despite being heavily injured, you counter-killed the enemy. After that, worried that there might be other enemies, you went into hiding to recuperate."
"It wasn't until you were found by me—Sei, of the Third Mizukage's direct Anbu—that you knew you were safe. Understood?"
Kisame grinned. "I'm afraid no one will believe such a description of Lord Suikazan Fuguki."
Ishiro said, "That doesn't matter. What's important is that you protected the greatsword Samehada and counter-killed the enemy. That makes you a hero."
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