Kisame hadn't made it three steps before countless roots and vines surged up around him.
Swish!Swish!Swish!
He hacked through the vines in front—
But more burst out behind him.
Endless.
Obito, fired up, shouted,
"Go die, shark monster!"
He and Kakashi hurled their kunai at the same time.
At the same moment—
Kazuki's shadow clone kicked toward Kisame with crushing force.
Klang!
Kisame twisted violently.
Even so—
Several kunai pierced into his cheek and shoulder.
Not because he was slow—
But because all his focus was on dodging Kazuki's attack.
"Damn brats—!"
With a kunai still lodged in his face, Kisame roared and turned to flee.
Roots and vines surged again—
Wrapping around him like a cocoon.
Obito laughed triumphantly.
"Still arrogant now, shark monster?!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes.
Rin, watching from behind, stared at Kazuki's back.
It looked… tall.
Reliable.
At first, she'd thought Kazuki was too ruthless—forcing Obito to kill.
But in just a few days—
Obito had changed more than in the past year.
So had she.
And it all started with Sensei.
"RAAAAH!"
Suddenly—
Kisame exploded with chakra.
BOOM!
The vines shattered.
Roots flew in all directions.
He blasted free and sprinted into the forest.
Kazuki narrowed his eyes.
"Tail-less Tailed Beast… huh."
Even at this age, Kisame's raw chakra output was absurd.
"After him."
He leapt forward.
Deep Forest Emergence was powerful—
But outside its range, maintaining control was harder.
And Kisame was the type who never ran out of stamina.
"Sensei!"
Rin hurried after him but struggled to keep pace.
Kazuki scooped her up effortlessly.
She flushed red instantly.
"S-Sensei!"
"You're too slow," he said casually. "What were you saying?"
Rin swallowed her embarrassment.
"Our mission… isn't it to find the little girl?"
"When did it become chasing Mist ninja?"
Kazuki smirked slightly.
"They're searching too."
"If they're here, they might already have a lead."
Logical enough.
Rin nodded seriously.
"Sensei, you think ahead."
In truth—
Kazuki just wanted to test Kisame further.
But justification mattered.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
He left a clone behind with Obito and Kakashi.
The real Kazuki continued forward, carrying Rin.
Obito shouted behind him,
"Sensei! Wait for us!"
Kakashi sighed internally.
Sensei really is reckless…
And suspiciously fond of carrying Rin.
Up ahead—
Kisame glanced back.
His eyes nearly bulged out.
He's still chasing?!
And carrying a kid?!
What kind of monster is this?!
He gritted his teeth.
If I run into Lord Fuguki… or Lord Juzo…
Even he can't fight all Seven Ninja Swordsmen at once.
He sprinted harder.
After five minutes—
Even Kisame was panting.
"Where the hell is Fuguki?! I'm going to collapse!"
Behind him—
Kazuki remained calm.
Not even winded.
He studied Kisame's movements carefully.
Young.
But chakra levels were already monstrous.
It felt almost… self-regenerating.
Like it was replenishing from environmental moisture.
Bloodline trait?
Something else?
Interesting.
Suddenly—
Birds burst into the sky ahead.
A deep, wild laughter echoed through the forest.
Kisame's eyes lit up.
They're there.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
He glanced back at Kazuki.
A flicker of fear flashed in his eyes—
But inside, he was grinning.
Keep chasing.
You're about to step into a den of sharks.
And this time—
You won't be the predator.