95. The Ambition of the Demigod

When Kisame was languishing in Hozuki Castle Prison, the Rain ninja who had “escorted” him there had already returned to the Land of Rain.

The Land of Rain was a small country caught between the great nations, a place that had once been torn by endless internal strife and had known little but ceaseless war.

It was not until the mighty Hanzo of the Salamander descended and, by sheer strength, unified the entire Hidden Rain Village, leading his shinobi in resistance against the invasions of the major powers, that peace was finally won back at great cost.

Hanzo himself came to be hailed as the “demigod of the ninja world,” standing at its summit and becoming a living legend.

It rained in the Land of Rain all year round, without ever stopping.

For that reason, the country’s architecture was distinctive. Its structures were built mainly of gray-black steel, rising high like a forest of spires. Wrapped around their exteriors were pipes of every size, used to drain away the water.

Together, they formed a landscape unlike any other.

After returning, the Rain ninja headed straight for the tallest building in the center of the village.

In an office there, the leader of the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzo, was waiting for their report.

“Lord Hanzo, the man has been successfully delivered to Hozuki Castle. We also left two men behind on the island to lie in wait and gather intelligence from outside the prison. I believe it won’t be long before we receive news.”

The group entered the office and bowed respectfully as they made their report.

“Hmm. Well done.”

Hanzo, already past fifty, sat in a broad and comfortable leather chair and offered his subordinates a faint word of praise. A glint flashed through his cloudy eyes.

It turned out that the prisoner they had escorted, the man known as Scarface, had not been exiled to Hozuki Castle as punishment for defying Hanzo.

On the contrary, Scarface had long been one of Hanzo’s most trusted men, an elite member of the Rain ninja’s black ops, known as Hanzo’s left hand.

The reason Hanzo had sent his left hand to Hozuki Castle was infiltration.

To pry into the rumors surrounding the so-called Box of Ultimate Bliss.

“If there’s nothing else, you may go and rest,” Hanzo said after hearing their report, waving a hand.

“My lord, there is one more matter.”

The men exchanged uneasy glances, but in the end they reported honestly, “We encountered a man named Kisame Hoshigaki...”

Oh?

When Hanzo heard of Kisame’s habit of hitching a ride on the prison transport, he too frowned, sensing something amiss.

He was naturally suspicious. Hearing this, he immediately ordered his subordinates, “Investigate Kisame Hoshigaki at once. I want every scrap of information on my desk within a day.”

“Yes, sir.”

His men dared not delay and hurried off at once.

Just then, two more Rain ninja rushed into the office and reported to Hanzo that a new organization had recently appeared within the Land of Rain.

It was called Akatsuki.

Information on Akatsuki’s members was placed into Hanzo’s hands, and the most eye-catching among them were the leader, Yahiko, and the other two core members: Konan and Nagato.

“So young... they don’t even look fifteen yet.”

Hanzo could not help but sigh. When he saw Nagato’s file and photograph, his expression turned even more startled.

“This child’s red hair... he’s a survivor of the Uzumaki clan? And these strange eyes...”

He did not recognize the Rinnegan, but the instincts of a top-tier warrior made him feel the intense threat lurking behind Nagato’s gaze.

“Post men to watch them for now. Keep gathering more intelligence.”

After a brief silence, Hanzo cautiously gave the order.

Soon, all his subordinates withdrew, leaving the office empty save for Hanzo.

He stood and looked through the office’s enormous floor-to-ceiling window at the rain beyond.

In the past, Hanzo of the Salamander had been a heroic figure who dared challenge the Five Great Shinobi Villages alone. His dream was to bring the great nations to the negotiating table and thereby realize peace and unification in the ninja world.

But even heroes grow old.

This year, Hanzo was already fifty-five. His body was inevitably aging, and the fire of his convictions in his heart had gradually faded. Many had begun to doubt whether he was still worthy of the title “demigod.”

Did this man still have the force to rule?

Amid such talk, the aging Hanzo grew more and more anxious, increasingly addicted to power, forever suspecting that someone meant to kill him.

He arranged for bodyguards to rotate around the clock, frequently suppressed emerging powers within the Land of Rain, and spared no effort in crushing any individual or group that might threaten his rule.

But even that was not enough.

Deep in his heart, Hanzo longed to return to his youth, longed for the day when he might once again stand at the peak of his strength.

Thus, when he happened to hear that the Grass Village possessed a miraculous Box of Ultimate Bliss that could grant any wish, he could not help but be tempted.

After years of intelligence gathering,

Hanzo became more and more convinced that the legendary Box of Ultimate Bliss truly existed, and that it was hidden by the Grass ninja in the prison of Hozuki Castle.

So he sent Scarface to infiltrate and spy.

As for the Box of Ultimate Bliss, Hanzo was determined to obtain it at any cost.

Once the intelligence came back, he would go in person.

...

Hozuki Castle Prison, solitary confinement.

Late at night, when all was quiet.

This was the second day Kisame had spent in solitary.

In the darkness, he sat cross-legged and tried to gather chakra. As expected, the prison’s sealing technique instantly activated, turning into chains of burning fire that seared his body.

Kisame ignored it and continued to force the hand seals to completion.

With a crash, a wall of water slowly rose and enveloped his entire body, quickly extinguishing the blazing chains.

If Kisame continued to maintain his chakra, he could dispel the Fire-style Prison seal within minutes. But he did not do so.

He did not want to arouse Mui’s vigilance or suspicion.

For Kisame, even if he could not use ninjutsu, he still had the abilities of his blade; and if he could not reveal those either, he still had pure taijutsu.

After all, his physical strength was more than enough, and with the aid of unrestricted hand-to-hand combat, it was perfectly suited for a place like this prison.

During his confinement, Kisame remained as still as a mountain lake, practicing prison workouts and meditation each day, eating and sleeping on schedule.

Three days later, when he walked out of solitary, he showed no sign of decline. On the contrary, his eyes were bright and piercing, and both his body and mind were in excellent condition.

He had clearly replenished his strength.

The prison guards exchanged looks and whispered among themselves: this guy, Kisame Hoshigaki, was no ordinary man.

Kisame was taken back to his cell.

“You?”

The moment he returned, he found that his new cellmate was an old acquaintance.

Indeed, it was Scarface, the Rain ninja prisoner.

“Lord Kisame, you’re back.”

Scarface greeted him with a sycophantic grin. He flattered Kisame endlessly, speaking ingratiatingly all the while as he massaged his shoulders and hammered his back.

He was like a loyal underling.

From the man’s mouth, Kisame learned that Scarface had bribed the prison guards in order to be assigned to the same cell as him.

As for the reason, it was simple.

Scarface had long known that Kisame was a ruthless man, and intended to throw himself under Kisame’s protection so he could survive in this cruel prison.