Hearing that Obito had kept his word, Mangetsu Hōzuki and Kisame Hoshigaki both let out a breath of relief at the same time. These two had adapted to the brutal environment of the Blood Mist Village and earned their current standing, and they were ninja who did not fear death, but that did not mean they were willing to throw their lives away lightly.
Obito picked up the Thundersword Kiba from the ground, walked over to Mangetsu Hōzuki, took out the Decapitating Carving Knife, and tossed it down in front of him: "One sword for one sword. No objections?"
Mangetsu Hōzuki gave a wry smile: "Even if you took all seven swords, what objection could I possibly raise?"
Obito neither confirmed nor denied it, and simply asked: "You have a younger brother, don't you?"
Mangetsu Hōzuki paused, then said: "Yes. His name is Suigetsu. He's not even two years old yet."
"When you come to report in later, bring him along." Obito turned and walked toward Kisame Hoshigaki on the other side.
Mangetsu Hōzuki watched Obito's retreating figure and said: "You seem so certain that I'll eventually have no place left in Kirigakure. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen are the most powerful force in the village second only to the Mizukage. Even a place called the Blood Mist Village cannot do without our strength."
Obito did not answer Mangetsu Hōzuki's question and came to stand before Kisame Hoshigaki. At this moment, both of Kisame's arms were split open to the bone from the rebounding force of the explosion.
That alone showed just how much power he had packed into his final strike.
After a moment of thought, Obito made a decision.
He took out Samehada and set it down in front of Kisame Hoshigaki, then picked up Hiramekarei and said: "Kisame Hoshigaki, from today onward, you are Samehada's new master. This Hiramekarei, I'll hold onto for now."
Kisame said in surprise: "Hold on. Hiramekarei's destructive power is fearsome, but in terms of unique properties, Samehada is the strongest of all seven swords. Surely you know that?"
After witnessing Obito's overwhelming power, Kisame had begun using a respectful form of address every time he spoke to him.
How could Obito not know Samehada's strength? Samehada could even devour the chakra of Tailed Beasts, and fusing with it would not only heighten one's sensory abilities but grant a near-immortal regenerative capacity.
But Obito was never going to choose to fuse with Samehada for such a modest return. Never, not ever. Because the form one took after fusing with it was simply too ugly.
He had no intention of turning himself into a half-man half-fish creature resembling a fishman from One Piece.
The only thing he, Obito, would ever fuse with was the Ten-Tails.
And so, after weighing it from every angle, Samehada should go to the hands of someone it suited.
In the original story, Kisame Hoshigaki, in order to uphold his convictions, refused to betray his comrades even unto death. After being captured, rather than let any information slip, he bit off his own tongue to break free of control, summoned sharks to devour himself, and even at the very end, faithfully completed the mission that Tobi had entrusted to him.
Whether for Tobi or for Obito, Kisame Hoshigaki was a ninja worthy of admiration and trust.
Obito said sincerely: "A fine sword belongs in the hands of a ninja worthy of it. Kisame Hoshigaki, what I value about you surpasses anything this Samehada is worth."
Kisame did not appear flattered. Instead he said: "I'm not sure why you hold me in such regard, but I'll offer my thanks for now. And I want to make one thing clear: I have no intention of betraying Kirigakure. I hope you understand that."
Obito said: "The choice is yours. All I'm offering is a platform. If there comes a day when you find that your comrades, and even your own existence, are built on falsehoods, and you can no longer tell who you truly are, two roads will lie before you. If your heart still yearns for the darkness, go to Amegakure and seek out an organization called Akatsuki. But if your heart still reaches for the light, then come to 'Ankagakure.'"
It was in that very moment that Obito had chosen a name for his future ninja village: Ankagakure, the Village Hidden in the Shadow. And he, Obito, would be the one to bear the name of Shadow.
Kisame laughed: "Named Akatsuki, meaning dawn, yet it symbolizes darkness. Named Anka, meaning shadow, yet it implies light. Forgive me for saying so, but the names you choose are a little baffling."
Obito said with a smile: "The surface of a thing and its true nature are often precisely opposite. Is that not a perfect reflection of this absurd yet real ninja world?"
Kisame said: "I can't see that far ahead right now. Perhaps, as you say, the day will come when I face that choice. But right here and right now, my heart still reaches for the light. You said that joining Akatsuki means going to Amegakure. So, how does one find the way to Ankagakure?"
Obito said: "It doesn't exist yet. But before long it will, and when it does its name will spread across the entire ninja world, and the road to it won't be hard to find. The only thing I wonder is whether, by then, your heart will have turned toward the darkness."
"Ha ha ha ha. Then let's hope your prediction doesn't come true." Kisame said with respect.
With that, Obito turned and walked away.
Passing beside Ringo Yu Yuri's body, he let his gaze linger on her for a moment longer. He had actually been somewhat surprised when he saw her, because in his understanding, the Thundersword Kiba was still in the hands of its first owner, Kushimaru Kuriarare.
Kushimaru Kuriarare was also one of the three who had survived Might Duy's assault, and he had lived all the way into Naruto's era, but thinking it over more carefully, that was simply filler content invented by the anime production team.
'It seems the anime-original storylines are not recognized in this Naruto world. The proof of that is the Thundersword Kiba, which is not in Kushimaru Kuriarare's hands but was instead inherited by Ringo Yu Yuri.'
One more thing worth noting: Ringo Yu Yuri was a distinctly memorable kunoichi, young and beautiful, but Obito had not let that soften his resolve for even a moment.
The instant an opening appeared, he struck to kill without hesitation. He was clearly not someone whose judgment was clouded by attraction.
The reason he had kept Uzuki Yūki around back then was likely because her name and the meaning it carried had stirred something in his gradually hardening heart, just slightly.
"Yūki, this is for you." Obito walked up to Uzuki Yūki and held out the Thundersword Kiba.
"You got that for me?" Uzuki Yūki seemed genuinely taken aback.
"What else would it be for?" Obito said.
Uzuki Yūki's expression wavered and she hesitated, making no move to reach out.
"Haven't you been wanting to kill me all along? Having a powerful sword like this would improve your odds of success, wouldn't it?" Obito said, with a slight note of teasing.
"Don't you dare regret this later!" Uzuki Yūki shot him a fierce glare with her beautiful eyes, took the Thundersword Kiba, and strapped it across her back.
Obito smiled faintly. He had noticed long ago that Uzuki Yūki had a natural affinity for Lightning Release and was exceptionally skilled in swordsmanship, and with the sword that suited her best now in her hands, her strength would certainly rise substantially.
After a brief rest, the three of them continued on their way.
"By the way, that Lightning Release technique you used in the fight, I've seen someone use it before. What is your connection to the White Fang's son, Hatake Kakashi?" Uzuki Yūki suddenly asked.