"Lord nma..."
Kisa tried using his habitual mockery to disguise the throbbing nearly bursting from his chest. "To be so valued and trusted by soone like you, I'm... truly flattered beyond asure."
He forcibly suppressed that impulse to imdiately pledge loyalty. The more he yearned, the more he needed final confirmation. He had to ask that question—that question circling in his mind like a final shackle.
However, unprecedented apprehension gripped him. Should he really ask? This question was the highest-level secret that major nation intelligence agencies had expended countless efforts trying to discover. On the black market bounty list, its value rivaled a Kage's or daimyo's head. Asking so directly was undoubtedly an enormous offense.
Wouldn't it be better to just agree? A voice tempted him in his mind. For his filthy, confused life to find such reassuring belonging, to write this intoxicating answer...
But another voice feared—what if... what if this question angered nma and made him retract this only invitation? Kisa could almost foresee the imnse sense of loss that would follow, even darker than his current confusion, enough to completely devour him.
nma quietly observed Kisa. That shark-like fierce face now revealed such clear unease and struggle, surprising him slightly.
He understood what lay at the core of Kisa's inner turmoil.
He wanted to see the face beneath the mask. In the original tiline, Kisa had been awed by the shock and intimidation the na "Uchiha Madara" brought, thus throwing himself into the Moon's Eye Plan.
At this mont, a trace of uncertainty crossed nma's mind. His identity—Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha Village, a still-young genin, albeit the Nine-Tails jinchuriki—could this truth satisfy Kisa's expectations?
Could it match those grand declarations just made about breaking the world's hypocrisy?
But the situation differed completely from Obito's ti. The Kisa before him had already been deeply attracted by the "truth" and "comrades" nma depicted. What he needed wasn't so ethereal legendary na for intimidation, but sought thorough, honest "truth" as final reassurance.
After all, wouldn't a leader who constantly spoke of severing falsehood and seeking truth while always hiding his true appearance itself constitute another kind of "falsehood"?
Whoever lay beneath the mask, the current Kisa only needed one answer to fill that final gap of unease in his heart, allowing him to hand over everything without hesitation.
"Kisa, I understand." nma's voice was calmly placid. "It seems what I need to do is remove this mask from my face."
Kisa's pupils suddenly contracted. Once again, nma had precisely pierced his deepest hesitation and desire.
"Very well then, I'll give you the answer you want."
Naruto steeled himself. Within the Ember organization, all core combat mbers must demonstrate absolute loyalty to the organization. They served the organization's goals, while he as leader must respond and strive to fulfill what each sought and wished for.
Uchiha Shisui wanted his clan to continue, Kakuzu craved wealth, Deidara pursued art, Zabuza sought Haku's safety, while Haku's wish was rely staying by Zabuza's side...
At this mont, facing Kisa, nma had made his decision. If Kisa refused to join even after learning the truth, he'd have to use force to subdue and bring him back for confinent.
Watching nma slowly raise his hand toward that signature fox mask, Kisa's breathing involuntarily grew heavy, every muscle tensed, awaiting the mont truth would be revealed.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the mask's edge, nma's movent abruptly stopped.
"...Perhaps another thod would let you understand more profoundly. I hope your answer won't disappoint ."
Under Kisa's confused and uncertain gaze, nma didn't remove the mask, but instead stepped forward, extending his right hand to rest lightly on Kisa's muscular shoulder.
Simultaneously, in a distant location, Naruto's true body had already loaned out the stored violent red chakra, transmitting it through subtle connection to this Shadow Clone.
Instantly, visibly crimson chakra flas appeared flickering around nma like fire, emanating heart-pounding pressure.
Imdiately after, this violent chakra flowed with seeming life along nma's arm, slowly spreading to contact and envelop Kisa's body.
"!!!"
The instant chakra touched his body, Kisa's entire fra violently shook! This chakra... massive, scorching, filled with beast-like fury and destructive will, absolutely not belonging to humans!
This was a type he'd never experienced—pure pressure from an ancient demon beast!
In the next mont, Kisa felt his vision spin. The surrounding cave scenery shattered like broken mirror fragnts. When he steadied himself again, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar bizarre space.
Surroundings were endless pitch-black void. Only beneath his feet spread a dark red liquid rising past his ankles, viscous and cold, emanating an unsettling aura.
Kisa didn't know this was his own ntal world forcibly invaded. Just as he stood startled and suspicious, that familiar crimson chakra gathered before him again!
This ti, the chakra was no longer rely presence, but wildly coalesced and took form! Finally, within that surging energy torrent, an imnsely massive, purely chakra-ford phantom Nine-Tailed Fox, those vertical pupils, appeared starkly before Kisa's eyes!
A tailed beast! And the strongest of the nine tailed beasts—the Nine-Tails!
In this mont, all clues connected. Kisa finally obtained the answer he'd desperately sought. So that's it!
No wonder the Ember organization's leader could perform those legendary jutsu, possess such subversive power! His true identity was actually...
When consciousness was pulled back to reality, Kisa gasped sharply, only then realizing his back was already soaked with cold sweat, clothing clinging icily to his skin.
That violent chakra seeming to burn souls had receded like tide, leaving only a bone-deep trembling sensation.
He had no ti to process the strange agitation Sahada transmitted from behind—both excited and carrying a trace of fear. All attention locked firmly on that man before him still wearing the fox mask.
After brief deathly silence, a low laugh erged from Kisa's throat, gradually growing louder.
"Hmph hmph hmph... hehehe... I see! So that's how it is!" His laughter filled with shock and relief. "I understand everything now! So it's you... This is truly... too shocking!"
nma carefully observed Kisa's reaction. When he confird those small shark eyes held only dawning excitent without any disappointnt or contempt, he secretly breathed easier. Seems the most worrying situation hadn't occurred.
So then... this matter was settled?
Indeed, in the next mont, Kisa's laughter subsided. His massive fra leaned forward slightly as he said decisively.
"Then... from now on, this life of Hoshigaki Kisa belongs to you. To sever falsehood, for that world without lies... please allow to join your organization!"
"Mm." nma nodded. "Welco aboard. Now, let's leave this place. I'll give you a safe foothold."
Speaking thus, he extended his hand again, preparing to place it on Kisa's shoulder to use Flying Thunder God and leave this gloomy cave.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch Kisa, Kisa's voice—suppressing enormous excitent with that tone of "having grasped the truth"—clearly reached his ears.
"Mm, then... please take care of —"
"Fourth Hokage-sama."
...Huh?
***
80 advance chapters at patreon/Eatinpieces
User Comments
0 comments from readers