In any case, Kisame Hoshigaki joined the [Ember] Organization in this manner. The entire process went very smoothly, except for the unexpected address at the end, which left Naruto at a loss for how to respond.
However, after the initial shock, Naruto calmed down and thought carefully, realizing that it wasn't entirely unreasonable for Kisame to mistake him for someone else.
The Flying Thunder God Technique, similar Ninjutsu like Rasengan, the grand ideal of 'peace' as a goal, and the Nine-Tailed Chakra—in the common perception of the Ninja World, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, sacrificed himself to seal the Nine-Tailed. With these clues combined, it seemed only natural for a misunderstanding to occur.
In Kisame's mind, accustomed to dark logic, he had probably already filled in a complex drama: 'The Fourth Hokage faked his death to escape, became corrupted by his complete disappointment with Konoha, and then founded the [Ember] Organization with the intention of reshaping the world.'
Facing this misunderstanding, Naruto felt a bit helpless. Should he reveal his identity directly? Not to mention whether Kisame would believe a Konoha Genin was the leader of the organization, how would he then explain all the intricate details?
After much thought, Naruto decided not to clarify for now. He would let Kisame maintain this misunderstanding, perhaps explaining it at a more suitable time in the future.
After that, Kisame was assigned to the [Ember] Organization's Anbu, directly led by Uchiha Shisui. Shisui was initially very surprised that this 'Tailed Beast without a Tail,' infamous in the Ninja World, would join the organization. After a brief exchange of greetings, they were considered to have made their initial acquaintance.
However, when Kisame saw Zabuza Momochi at the organization's stronghold, his face showed an even more pronounced astonishment than when he met Shisui.
Even more surprisingly, Kisame's attitude towards Zabuza thereafter showed an obvious respect.
If judged solely by strength, Kisame was undoubtedly several levels stronger than Zabuza. But facing this former colleague, who was much weaker than him, Kisame proactively lowered his stance, even showing a few hints of the respect a junior would show an elder.
The reasons behind this could perhaps only be deeply understood by those who had personally experienced the cruelty of the Bloody Mist era. During that dark period, most Hidden Mist Ninja were like cogs with their edges ground down, numbly accepting the Village's brutal policies, becoming cold tools for carrying out missions.
Kisame was one of them; he was repeatedly forced to wield his blade against his comrades, enduring immense pain internally, yet only able to barely convince himself with the illusory righteousness of 'this is all for the Village,' until his faith completely collapsed.
Zabuza Momochi, on the other hand, was an extremely rare anomaly in that era. He was the only one who not only harbored thoughts of rebellion but also took earth-shattering action—launching a coup to assassinate the Mizukage.
One could say that Zabuza did what Kisame deeply desired but dared not put into practice.
The 'Tailed Beast without a Tail' and the 'Demon Man' were both 'monsters' born from the brutal system of Hidden Mist. But towards another 'kindred spirit' who dared to challenge the source that created the monsters, Kisame, whose heart had long detested all of it, naturally felt a respectful emotion mixed with admiration and sentiment.
However, Kisame seemed to unilaterally believe that Zabuza, like him, joined the [Ember] Organization for some grand goal, such as changing Hidden Mist Village or even the entire Ninja World.
If he were to know that the primary reason this 'Demon Man' senior, whom he respected so much, joined the organization was to protect a young man named Haku, intertwined with a bond almost like 'romantic love'... what complex and interesting expression would Kisame's face show then?
——————
The story returns to the current Konoha Village.
After receiving the Chunin Exams application form from Kakashi, Naruto and Satsuki naturally walked together towards Naruto's small apartment.
Sakura Haruno initially seemed to want to follow, but Kakashi timely pulled her aside, taking her away with an excuse like 'Teacher has some mission details to discuss with you.'
This was already an unspoken routine between the two—unless there was a special mission or situation, Satsuki would definitely personally escort Naruto to his doorstep. This had almost become a slightly obsessive daily ritual for her.
Naruto had long grown accustomed to this subtle 'yandere' behavior.
Of course, if the timing coincided with mealtime, Naruto would naturally invite Satsuki to stay for dinner. Today was one such occasion.
After contentedly enjoying Naruto's top-notch cooking, Satsuki, with a hint of post-meal languor, reluctantly prepared to get up and leave.
Naruto had long since completely adapted to Satsuki's increasing tenderness in front of him, a stark contrast to her switching back to the aloof Uchiha genius mode when facing outsiders.
He didn't have any masochistic tendencies, but this unique gentle transformation, though it had left him a bit flustered in the first few years, now only made him feel incredibly relieved and happy.
At the apartment door, the two said goodbye to each other, agreeing to meet tomorrow. Just as Naruto thought their time together today was about to end as usual, Satsuki suddenly made an unexpected move. She reached for a separate small Ninja tool pouch at her waist—the one usually used to store the most important or private items—and under Naruto's slightly surprised gaze, carefully took out what appeared to be a handmade doll?
It was a cute, chibi white cat doll with a humanized design. Its two black eyes sparkled, and notably, this 'kitten' was wearing a miniature Uchiha clan uniform, with the Uchiha family crest, resembling a ping-pong paddle, embroidered on its back. The stitching looked a bit naive but was exceptionally meticulous, clearly showing a lot of thought and effort.
Satsuki's cheeks were slightly flushed, and her gaze was a bit evasive, but she feigned a casual demeanor, stuffing the doll into Naruto's hand, "...This, is... is something I made a few days ago on a whim. Anyway... it's not a troublesome thing... your room is empty, so it can serve as a decoration."
"But... don't stuff it into a dusty corner of the closet! Put it... put it somewhere conspicuous! Do you hear me? If... if you don't like it, I'll take it back right now!"
Looking at the kitten doll wearing the Uchiha clan uniform in his hand, a strong sense of surprise and warmth welled up in Naruto's heart.
Satsuki would actually make such a heartfelt little gift, something only ordinary girls would give? This was too far from the 'Nizhu Zi' image he had, always burdened by deep-seated resentment.
But then, a deeper sense of relief overwhelmed him. Seeing Satsuki able to escape the shadow of being bound by revenge, as she was in the original story, and capable of showing a slightly clumsy tenderness appropriate for her age, made him happier than anything else.
And... cats? Speaking of which, the Uchiha's ancestral summoning animal seemed to be the Ninja Cat clan, right?
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