Chapter 32: Might Guy vs. Kisame Hoshigaki  

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"Akatsuki has come to Konoha!"

After Obito finished speaking, his figure vanished into the void.

Orochimaru watched as Obito disappeared, and a shiver ran down his spine. Orochimaru's instincts screamed that he was no match for the man who had just appeared.

In fact, Orochimaru sensed a strange familiarity from him.

The presence of Obito made Orochimaru hesitant to act. After a long silence, Orochimaru asked Sasuke, "Sasuke-kun, who was that man just now?"

Sasuke replied casually, "He's my little brother."

With that, Sasuke left, leaving Orochimaru standing alone.

A sense of unease settled in Orochimaru's heart. If the masked man could move through the void, Orochimaru realized he might never know if Obito was lurking nearby. This thought made Orochimaru question his plans to take Sasuke's body. It felt like everything he'd worked for might be in vain. The presence of Obito was a significant blow to his confidence, forcing him to rethink his strategies with even greater caution.

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Two members of the Akatsuki had entered Konoha. One was tall and carried a massive, bandaged weapon on his back. The other was leaner—it was Shisui Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki.

Although Shisui couldn't see, he relied on his memory to navigate. Shisui asked Kisame, "Kisame, is there a dango shop up ahead?"

Kisame responded, "Yes, Shisui."

Initially, Kisame was frustrated with being paired with a blind partner. A missing hand or eye was one thing, but both eyes? Kisame found it hard to believe.

Kisame once tried to test Shisui, but in the face of Shisui's green chakra, he relented, recalling what Ao had once told him: "Among the strong enemies I've faced, I will never forget that green chakra!"

Kisame remembered that Shisui was known as "Shisui of the Body Flicker." Over time, Kisame grew to respect Shisui deeply.

Shisui bought two boxes of three-colored dango—Itachi's favorite treat.

At the same time, someone else was buying dango. It was a beautiful girl.

Uchiha Izumi said to the vendor, "Two boxes of three-colored dango, please. And add extra sugar."

While waiting for her order, Izumi noticed the two figures in the black cloaks adorned with red clouds. Although she hadn't seen them before, something about their silhouettes seemed familiar.

Sensing Izumi's gaze, Kisame felt a twinge of annoyance. Shisui cautioned, "Kisame, don't draw attention from Konoha's higher-ups."

Kisame nodded.

Upon hearing Shisui's voice, Izumi gasped, "Brother Shisui?"

Shisui frowned slightly. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. "Who are you?"

Izumi's eyes lit up with excitement. "Brother Shisui, it's me—Uchiha Izumi!"

Shisui, who had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan, recognized the name. But what truly made him remember Izumi was her close relationship with Itachi.

Shisui smiled warmly. "Izumi, I didn't expect to see you here. How is the Uchiha clan faring in the village?"

Izumi felt a lump in her throat. The current peace and prosperity of the Uchiha clan were inseparable from Shisui's sacrifice. He had given up his eyes to Danzo and endured the poison of a salamander for the sake of both the village and the clan. The victory in the first conflict between the Uchiha and the village was largely due to Shisui's eyes.

She replied, "Brother Shisui, the clan is doing well now. The elders are at peace, the family and village leaders have reached an agreement, and the clan members have what they need. But... will you come back?"

Shisui shook his head gently. "I can't return. I'm branded a traitor. This scar on my forehead will never fade, and the Akatsuki organization is the only place for me now."

Shisui and Kisame had come to Konoha with two objectives.

The first was for Shisui to see how the Uchiha clan was doing and to check on Itachi. He wondered if Itachi had managed to keep his emotions in check without him around.

The second was to investigate the tailed beasts. The Two-Tails Jinchuriki had disappeared three years ago, and there had been no news since. Nagato needed to know where the Two-Tails was.

Although Obito knew that Sasuke was now the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, he hadn't shared this information with Nagato. Thus, Nagato remained unaware of the Two-Tails' whereabouts and sent Kisame and Shisui to investigate if the Two-Tails was in Konoha.

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"Youth is found in exertion!"

"The sweat you shed is the glory of youth!"

At that moment, two green-clad figures raced by at incredible speed. It was Might Guy and Rock Lee, running through Konoha as part of their training.

The dust kicked up by their rapid movement settled on Kisame, dirtying his clothes and sparking his anger.

Unexpectedly, Might Guy and Rock Lee turned around and started running backward. Might Guy stopped and squinted at Shisui and Kisame.

Might Guy eyed Shisui, "You look familiar..."

He then turned his gaze to Kisame, "And you... Take this kick!"

"Konoha's Strong Whirlwind!"

Might Guy launched a powerful kick at Kisame. The force of the blow knocked Kisame's hat off, revealing the mark of a traitor on his forehead.

Might Guy exclaimed, "I knew it! You're no good—you're a traitor!"

Kisame blocked the kick but was sent flying ten meters back. He used his blade, Samehada, to anchor himself to the ground and stabilize.

Kisame stared at the green-clad shinobi, surprised that such a slim figure could unleash such tremendous power. He couldn't help but wonder why this "green beast" had chosen to attack him instead of Shisui, despite them wearing the same cloak.

Undeterred, Might Guy charged at Kisame again.

After seeing that his two kicks hadn't caused much damage, Might Guy grinned, "I didn't expect you to be this strong, but let's see how you handle this!"

Kisame gripped Samehada tightly, and the scales of the blade began to unfurl, shredding the bandages. He swung it menacingly at Might Guy.

With a sinister grin, Kisame taunted, "Heh, you picked the wrong opponent, Green Beast! Remember the name—Hoshigaki Kisame!"

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