Inside Kirigakure's Internal Affairs Department.
Nakamaro's whisper drifted lightly into Kisame's ears.
The volume was low, yet it sent wave after wave crashing through Kisame's heart...
Was he doing alright?
How could he possibly be alright?!
The moment he returned to Kirigakure, Kisame had been excited.
Because he could finally see how the village had changed over the past year under the rule of the Third Mizukage...
After all, Uchiha Madara had painted him a very enticing picture...
But only a few days after returning, Kisame realized something was wrong.
Unlike Guy, who called himself the Green Beast of Konoha, Kisame truly carried the blood of a ferocious beast within him. He possessed the bloodline of the sharkfolk.
Because of that, he had a special kind of instinct...
From the numb expressions of Kirigakure's shinobi, he could smell the stench of a place where survival itself had become difficult...
At first, Kisame comforted himself, telling himself that perhaps it was merely the necessary pain of reform.
But later, when he sought to learn more about the village, Nakamaro arranged for him to join Kirigakure's Internal Affairs Department, the organization responsible for conducting internal purges...
Kisame had thought that perhaps his own perspective was too narrow, that he simply could not comprehend the grand vision of the Third Mizukage and Genji-sama, and that he had been misled by the suffering before his eyes...
So he threw himself into his work with remarkable enthusiasm.
Yet over these past three months, the pressure on him had risen exponentially, and his mental state had steadily deteriorated...
Kill one person, and you could say that person had been rotten to the core from birth.
Kill ten people, and you could say they were members of the same faction, colluding together as an opposition force.
But what about hundreds?
These people were scattered among Kirigakure's various shinobi clans and had no connections with one another.
Old grudges between the remaining supporters of Hōzuki Gengetsu and the Third Mizukage were constantly being dredged up and settled...
Some were shinobi with Kekkei Genkai. Others had merely voiced slight dissatisfaction with the Bloody Mist policies. Some were simply caught up in clan vendettas and implicated by association.
Anyone with eyes could see that the overwhelming majority of them still remained loyal to Kirigakure at heart.
The problem was that the Bloody Mist had grown increasingly extreme, and the situation had already slipped beyond the Third Mizukage's control.
The Kaguya Clan, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and the various bloodline clans all harbored their own agendas. Under the banner of loyalty, they crushed rivals and eliminated dissenters.
Even worse, some shinobi had mentally collapsed under the pressure. Their behavior became increasingly violent and deranged, turning the Bloody Mist into an ever-worsening vicious cycle...
Recently, Kisame had personally executed a group of Kirigakure shinobi who opposed the Third Mizukage.
What shocked him was...
That group of Kirigakure shinobi had connections to Konoha!
They were the very prisoners whom Konoha had rescued from Kusagakure...
The reason for their execution was that they had been weak enough to be captured, thereby damaging Kirigakure's reputation throughout the shinobi world!
According to the shinobi code, executing shinobi who failed their missions was considered perfectly normal...
Among the charges, one in particular stood out.
"Glorifying the weak Konohagakure while disparaging their own village. Unforgivable spies!"
One of the main reasons Kisame and the others had gone to Konoha in the first place was because the Kirigakure shinobi originally dispatched to retrieve those prisoners had been killed. They had arrived as the second team...
During the three or four months those Kirigakure shinobi spent in Konoha, they had been kept under strict supervision, but they had also experienced certain things that made Konoha feel very different...
Shinobi were highly observant.
The problem was that they had never received a warning from Uchiha Madara—disguised as Genji—to keep their mouths shut. Under the oppressive environment of the Bloody Mist, comparisons were inevitable...
"Even being a prisoner in Konoha is more comfortable than being a shinobi in Kirigakure!"
Words like that were obviously unbearable for the Third Mizukage to hear...
They had to be eliminated!
"What exactly did those shinobi say that was wrong? Konoha really is just as they described it. In fact, they barely scratched the surface..."
Ignoring Nakamaro, Kisame slowly turned both palms upward. His small eyes stared fixedly at his hands, as though he could still see blood staining them...
"As a Kirigakure shinobi, I was forced to kill my own comrades."
"It makes my existence feel meaningless."
"Like a walking corpse trapped inside a lie."
"Even the fish of the sea are better than us..."
"Fish do not casually devour one another. When facing freezing currents, they gather together for warmth."
"As a shinobi, living has become painful."
"Where can I find a place that contains only truth... a place where my heart can finally be at peace?"
Kisame's voice remained calm, but his body trembled uncontrollably.
Watching Kisame's reaction, Nakamaro smiled faintly.
'Exactly as Great-Uncle predicted...'
'For a shinobi who takes things this seriously, you can't give him time to slowly adapt. You have to let Kisame return from Konoha and immediately confront the bloodiest side of Kirigakure while the experience is still fresh in his mind...'
'As expected, he couldn't endure it anymore!'
Nakamaro spoke softly.
"What did you think of the place we stayed before?"
"You mean..." Kisame suddenly turned his head, but then shook it. "That was fake too!"
A silent smile appeared on Nakamaro's face as he motioned for Kisame to follow him into the Internal Affairs Department's lounge.
Kisame hesitated briefly.
At this point, he no longer trusted most of his fellow Kirigakure shinobi.
But Nakamaro, Terumī Mei, and Snow were different. The four of them had lived under the same roof in Konoha and spent what was arguably one of the most relaxed and enjoyable periods of their lives together...
After entering the hidden room, Nakamaro jerked his chin toward the walls.
"Can you use Water Release to soundproof this place?"
Kisame sighed and formed seals with meticulous precision.
A dense, compressed wall of water completely sealed off the room, ensuring that not a single sound could escape.
A complicated expression flashed through Kisame's eyes.
In the past, he had never possessed such refined Water Release techniques.
He had always relied on his enormous chakra reserves and his unique chakra-devouring physique, bulldozing through problems with overwhelming force...
"I actually learned this in Konoha from an old man named Maruboshi Kosuke."
"He's only a genin, but he's incredibly strong."
"And he's genuinely kind-hearted..."
Once the room was isolated from outside noise, Kisame visibly relaxed and spoke quietly to Nakamaro.
"A genin is still a genin, but he's actually a member of Konoha's Council. The Second Hokage personally guided him."
Nakamaro shrugged.
Under Hyūga Tenzō's guidance, he had already become something of a "Konoha expert."
When it came to the village's key figures and Konoha's history, he knew far more than he did about Kirigakure...
"Is that so?" Kisame's mood remained heavy.
His thoughts drifted once more to Konoha's Ninja Academy...
Compared to Kirigakure's graduation-by-death system, Konoha's academy was such a paradise that even genjutsu would struggle to recreate it.
Kisame seriously doubted whether Kirigakure's genjutsu specialists could even imagine such a place...
"Nakamaro, don't you realize that Konoha is fake too?"
Kisame stared directly at the companion he still barely considered trustworthy.
"Genji said that Konoha's prosperity comes from excessively draining its own potential. It's fundamentally unsustainable in the long run!"
"Much as I dislike him, I have to admit his analysis makes sense."
Kisame had not read many books, nor had he seen much of the world...
Uchiha Madara's narrative was highly convincing to someone like him.
After all, most shinobi struggled to understand the relationship between extraordinary commodities and the ordinary economy, and had no access to the full story behind the Sage Region Pills project...
"What part of that makes sense?"
Nakamaro chuckled softly and replied in an even tone.
"Let me ask you something first. You've probably heard all those reports lately about how weak Konoha supposedly is, right?"
Kisame nodded with an ugly expression.
"They've exaggerated it way too much. They make it sound like Konoha is on the verge of collapse!"
Although Kirigakure was largely isolated from the outside world, a certain number of merchant caravans were still allowed to enter.
This had been specifically authorized by the Third Mizukage.
On one hand, they could obtain information about the other hidden villages through Konoha.
On the other, they could gather information from an entirely different perspective through the merchants. Only by cross-referencing both sources could they avoid becoming trapped in an information bubble.
There was nothing wrong with the Third Mizukage's approach.
He was a Kage, after all.
He understood the danger of relying solely on Konoha as an intelligence source.
While Hiruzen was an overly kind old man who was easy to push around, Shimura Danzō still existed...
There was no guarantee Konoha would pass all of its genuine intelligence to Kirigakure, so additional verification was necessary.
The problem was that the Third Mizukage's alternative source of information about Konoha also originated, in a sense, from a former Konoha shinobi—a man named Uchiha Madara.
Thanks to the diligent efforts of Madara and Hi-kun, a group of intelligent, highly capable White Zetsu had temporarily abandoned part of their surveillance duties across the shinobi world and instead disguised themselves as merchant caravans visiting Kirigakure.
It was practically an artificial Infinite Tsukuyomi!
The information they provided subtly misled the Third Mizukage, Genji, and the others, leaving them trapped at a crossroads where the same facts could be interpreted in entirely different ways...
"Konoha really is prosperous, but there are always shinobi worried it can't last forever..."
"Wow, there are so many Hyūga branch family members active around the village, but you hardly ever see the main family!"
"The Uchiha Clan is fierce. They're not just working in the Military Police anymore—they're taking missions outside too!"
"Konoha's shinobi service is terrible these days. If a mission fails, they just pay compensation. The negligent shinobi aren't even punished, and the Hokage doesn't do anything about it!"
These seemingly minor details, the kind that encouraged people to extrapolate grand conclusions from small observations, gradually wove themselves into a tangible web inside the minds of the Third Mizukage and Genji, carrying their reasoning further and further down the wrong path...
Their conclusion:
Konoha's leadership had completely lost control of its shinobi!
As a result, the Third Mizukage and Genji became even more confident.
No matter how severe the internal pressure became, military victories and plunder could easily resolve those sharp contradictions while perfectly proving that the Bloody Mist's policies were correct!
First, ruthlessly deal with the disobedient shinobi.
Then use the loyal troops to bite off a fat chunk of Konoha and replenish the village's resources.
In one stroke, every faction in the village would be forced into obedience while the village itself profited...
"Do you know why Genji and the Third Mizukage keep pushing that narrative?"
Nakamaro spoke slowly.
"Because they want the Bloody Mist to continue! If Konoha's development is truly successful, then how could a village like Kirigakure, which has taken the exact opposite path, possibly justify itself?"
"And as for your claim that Konoha's policies are unsustainable—that's another lie Genji fed you."
Kisame's tiny eyes widened instantly!
It wasn't the realization that he had been deceived that shocked him.
Rather, a thunderous thought suddenly erupted from deep within his heart...
There was still hope for the shinobi world!
If Konoha wasn't fake, then a village where people could work with peace of mind truly existed!
Seeing the expression on Kisame's face, Nakamaro felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction welling up inside him.
He had never managed to leave another shinobi this shaken with words alone...
Let alone a genius like Kisame.
In the past, other shinobi only feared him when they saw his Shikotsumyaku.
'So this is what it feels like to win with your brain?'
Nakamaro savored the sensation for a moment before speaking leisurely.
"Listen carefully. Next, I'm going to show you the logic behind Konoha's economy and social security system!"
Kisame stared at Nakamaro in disbelief.
Wait...
What was with that tone? He sounded like some kind of research shinobi!
Was this really a member of the Kaguya Clan?!
"Let me tell you how Konoha and Lord Hokage actually do things..."
Nakamaro recalled the lessons taught by his Great-Uncle Tenzō. This was an essay he had memorized and could recite by heart.
Starting from how the Sage Region Pills project converted idle noble wealth into productive capital, and the necessity of maintaining industries that were small but highly efficient...
Then moving on to the establishment of the shinobi welfare system, the practical embodiment of the Will of Fire, Hiruzen's reconciliation and alliance with the nobility through his position as Shōgun of the Land of Fire, research initiatives, orphanages, and countless other unseen measures...
Every single one of these topics had been drilled into Nakamaro by Hyūga Tenzō over the course of six relentless months.
When Nakamaro had finally mastered it all, Tenzō had sighed with immense satisfaction and said: "Actually, Nakamaro is quite talented. He's definitely better than Hiashi. That brat isn't even half the man Hizashi is. I had to swallow my pride and beg Lord Hokage to find him a job..."
"I wasn't able to help Hizashi much either..."
"But Nakamaro can truly be called my finest work!"
Kisame listened with complete concentration.
Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, he interrupted Nakamaro directly and asked questions without hesitation. He seemed incapable of tolerating even the slightest deception or selective storytelling anymore.
But Nakamaro answered every question with complete composure.
Tenzō had already prepared standard answers for all of this.
Every question Kisame asked happened to be one that had already been anticipated.
In the end...
Kisame let out a long, murky breath.
He suddenly felt like crying.
Thank goodness...
Even if he wasn't a Konoha shinobi, there was still at least one village in the shinobi world that genuinely treated people well. The world wasn't completely submerged in a sea of damned lies...
And as a Kirigakure exchange student, he had been fortunate enough to experience a year of that life, unlike most of his comrades.
That was already something worth appreciating...
"Nakamaro, what do you want me to do?"
"You understand Konoha this well. You must have seen through Kirigakure's hypocrisy long ago, right? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Kisame asked with a trace of anger.
"Because we're friends."
Nakamaro met Kisame's gaze directly.
"If I hadn't let you see this bloodshed for yourself, you might have gradually adapted to it, just as some hardy fish can adapt to different water temperatures..."
"Only a wake-up call can shatter your illusions."
"If my approach hurt you, then I'm sorry..."
As he spoke, Nakamaro bowed deeply to Kisame.
That completely caught Kisame off guard.
A member of the Kaguya Clan apologizing with a bow?
It wasn't that he lacked experience.
He had simply never seen anything like this in his entire life.
"Don't..."
Kisame quickly helped Nakamaro back to his feet.
"I... I know you meant well! If you didn't consider me a friend, why would you risk coming to the Internal Affairs Department and telling me all this?"
"I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you. I'm sorry."
A simple yet sincere apology appeared on Kisame's face.
Nakamaro smiled inwardly as he slowly straightened up, his face filled with helplessness.
'Just like Uncle Tenzō predicted. This guy is an honest man. Being straightforward is the ultimate weapon against him.'
As for how Tenzō knew Kisame's personality...
It was because the large number of Hyūga clan members who had entered the ANBU could easily obtain information on nearly anyone in the village—provided they had the Hokage's authorization.
Tenzō had received special permission from Hiruzen to monitor Kisame. By analyzing everything from his words to his actions, he had built a detailed psychological profile and designed a tailor-made plan.
Of course, this wasn't something Hiruzen had instructed him to do.
Tenzō simply wanted to achieve results far too badly!
After all, his son Hizashi had accomplished so much despite being a branch family member.
As both clan head and father, if he failed to produce any achievements of his own, then even with the title of Konoha Council Member, he would have trouble holding his head high...
"So what should we do now?"
"The village is rotten. Both the Third Mizukage and Genji are corrupt to the core!"
"Are you planning to defect?" Kisame sighed.
"I'd understand if you were. If you defect, take me with you."
To his surprise, however, Nakamaro shook his head.
"No..."
"Or rather, I originally planned to defect, but I've changed my mind."
"Kisame, do you know who I am?" Nakamaro asked softly.
Kisame looked at him in confusion.
"The greatest genius the Kaguya Clan has produced in the last thirty years?"
"More or less."
Nakamaro nodded without the slightest trace of modesty.
"At first, I didn't really care about things like villages or clans."
"I only wanted to kill people so I could feel that I existed."
"Partly because of the Kaguya bloodline, and partly because I suffered from a severe bloodline disease."
"When you subconsciously know you won't live much longer, it's hard to think about the future."
"But after Hokage-sama's fireside talks, I became interested in Konoha. I spoke with Great-Uncle Tenzō many times, and he discovered the problem with my body..."
"Not only did Great-Uncle Tenzō provide one of the Hyūga Clan's treasured secret methods and use Gentle Fist to treat my condition, he also used his authority as a Konoha Council Member to apply for medical treatment on my behalf."
"I'm much stronger now than I used to be!"
Nakamaro looked directly at Kisame.
"So, do you understand now? I'm a member of the Kaguya Clan, yes—but I'm also a Kaguya who has close ties with the noble Hyūga Clan of Konoha..."
"The Hyūga Clan has two Konoha Council Members."
"One is Great-Uncle Tenzō, Lord Hokage's strategist."
"And the other is Big Brother Hizashi..."
The moment he mentioned that name, Nakamaro's previous confidence visibly diminished. A trace of awe entered his voice.
"He's Lord Hokage's right-hand man... the person he trusts most!"
Whether in terms of the Hokage's trust or sheer combat ability...
Before Nakamaro left Konoha, Hizashi's surgery had already been completed.
Nakamaro had personally witnessed Hizashi transform his arm into a bow-like weapon and use an extremely compressed Lightning Release from over a kilometer away to kill an enemy scout.
Although Shikotsumyaku granted incredible defense and regeneration, Nakamaro had thought about it many times and always arrived at the same conclusion:
If he ever fought Hizashi, there was a very high chance he'd end up serving as nothing more than a living target, shot into a human pincushion.
To put it bluntly, if he truly angered Hizashi and the man killed him on the spot in violation of the rules, Nakamaro doubted Lord Hokage would say a single word about it.
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