"Are you familiar with it?"
Upon hearing this, Ren's eyes flickered, and he murmured as he looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face of the other party.
For Kisame, a man with many nicknames and immense power, Ren's recognition of him far surpassed that of others.
In the first half of his life, he was shrouded in mist, falling into confusion amidst constant infighting. In the latter half, to escape this false suffering, he joined the Akatsuki Organization under Obito's guidance, becoming his companion. This life of fighting for peace continued until he chose to commit suicide to protect information.
This man, who fought to the death for his dream, from the Hidden Mist Anbu to the Akatsuki Organization, living his entire life in darkness, deserved Ren's respect.
"I understand you very well, Kisame."
Ren nodded slightly, looking at the other party, and said calmly.
"How many times have you been shrouded in mist because you killed your comrades? Although you perfectly upheld the Ninja's creed of obeying orders, you must also be disgusted by such a life, right?"
Upon hearing this, Kisame's face showed no emotional fluctuations. He merely paused before continuing to speak.
"So what? In this false world, everyone's fate is the same."
"Then let's bring about change."
Ren took two steps forward, his right hand in his pocket tightly gripping a Scroll, and said in a deep voice.
"This false world brings us only pain and despair.
Besides invading enemies, we must constantly guard against our relatives and friends around us, not knowing if they are friend or foe, not knowing what our identity is, or where our stance lies.
Not knowing where to go, or where to find peace, we can only live in pain amidst constant suspicion."
At this point, Kisame's pupils constricted, the bloodshot in his eyes reappeared, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on the long sword in his hand, staring at the other party without blinking.
But Ren had no intention of stopping. He took the Scroll out from his person, spreading it open while continuing to say in a deep voice.
"And our goal is to break this false world. On this path of change, I need some like-minded partners to help."
As soon as Ren finished speaking, the Scroll unfurled in the air, and the words on it made Kisame's pupils widen instantly.
"That is…"
"Bang!"
As a burst of white smoke exploded and dispersed, Samehada, with its wide mouth, appeared in Ren's hand.
"Samehada…"
Seeing this Ninja Sword, Kisame's pupils instantly lit up. He gripped the long sword in his hand and murmured.
Before Suikazan Fuguki died, he was his subordinate. From the first moment he saw this Ninja Sword, Kisame felt that this sword was absolutely perfect for him. He had thought there was still plenty of time and that he could find an opportunity to acquire it later.
He never expected that Suikazan Fuguki would be cut down by Ren, who held Samehada, while infiltrating the Land of Fire.
Kisame, who had thought his chance had come, saw his newly risen hope shattered when the Scroll of Summoning Ninja Blades was snatched away.
He had thought he would never be fated with this sword again, but he saw it here, of all places. One could only say, fate truly plays tricks on people.
"Alright, Samehada."
Looking at the twisting Samehada in his hand, Ren patted its hilt, then looked at the other party and smiled.
"I found a partner who is especially suitable for you."
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing this, Kisame immediately frowned, looking at Ren with some confusion. Then, the other party's actions left him stunned.
"Go, Samehada!"
While smiling, Ren suddenly exerted force with his arm, throwing the Samehada in his hand violently towards the opposite side!
"Huh?"
Watching Samehada fly in front of him in the blink of an eye, before Kisame could react, his empty left hand subconsciously grabbed it.
When he came back to his senses, the Samehada, which had been twisting before, had quieted down. Moreover, it instantly replenished the Chakra he had lost due to the previous battle, and then it turned its blade, slightly opening its large mouth towards Kisame. This humanized expression left Kisame dumbfounded.
"This…"
Looking at the obedient Samehada in his hand, Kisame was momentarily stunned. He looked up at Ren, who was putting away the Scroll, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"Kisame, this fellow should be very suitable for you."
Ren put the Scroll back to his waist, looked at the stunned other party, and chuckled.
"Please treat it well; that way, this fellow won't be wasted."
Of the Seven Ninja Swords, he had actually only distributed six at the time. Samehada had remained with Ren because he hadn't found a suitable candidate, waiting for its fated person.
And Kisame was definitely the most suitable one for it.
"…Why me?"
Feeling the abundant Chakra within him, Kisame was silent for a moment before raising his head and saying in a deep voice.
Even now, he couldn't understand why, upon their first meeting, the other party trusted him so much. That confident tone, as if he would definitely agree to him.
"Didn't I say?"
Meeting the other party's gaze, Ren spread his hands, his smile growing brighter.
"Because I understand you very well, Kisame. You are a true Ninja.
And we, who equally detest this false world, as long as we join hands, in the near future, this Ninja World, full of wars, will surely be changed by us."
After listening, Kisame subconsciously tightened his grip on Samehada in his hand, looking at Ren, just about to say something, when he noticed Subject Two standing up not far away and nodding to both of them.
"The injuries have been taken care of. If nothing unexpected happens, he should wake up soon."
"You've worked hard, brother."
Ren first nodded to Subject Two, who was walking back, then turned his gaze back to the silent Kisame opposite him, nodding.
"It seems we don't have much time, so let's make a long story short.
Samehada is my gift to Kisame as a first meeting present, and I will not summon it back. You can use it with confidence. If anyone asks, you can say you took it from my hand and destroyed the Scroll of Summoning Ninja Blades. That should be fine."
"Hmm?"
Kisame's calm face finally showed a change. He glanced at Samehada in his hand and said with some surprise.
"You're not asking me to leave with you?"
Kisame had originally thought that Ren was saying all this to get him to leave the Village and work with him. Just as he was hesitating, the other party suddenly said such a sentence.
This mysterious operation truly left Kisame bewildered.
"Now is not the time."
Ren shook his head, then walked closer to the other party, extended his palm, and smiled with a nod.
"But I believe we will meet again in the near future, Kisame."
Kisame was silent for a moment, then put away the long sword he was holding in his right hand, and then extended it forward.
Their palms met. Looking at Hoshimi Ren, who was a head shorter than him, Kisame's normally calm lips curved into a slight smile.
Hoshimi Ren, an interesting fellow.