Suikazan Fuguki smirked, his hair and the surrounding mist obscuring his movements. Suddenly, his blade, Samehada, swept toward Ryoho Kyohiko’s side.
Kakashi immediately stepped forward to block.
However, he quickly realized something was off—this blade seemed to be absorbing his chakra.
Samehada slashed, cutting through Kisame’s bonds but also wounding him in the process. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Kisame kicked Ryoho Kyohiko away, freeing himself.
Suikazan Fuguki moved swiftly, flipping his blade for another strike. Ryoho Kyohiko dodged, but the chakra he had gathered was completely drained.
Ryoho Kyohiko cursed inwardly, finally understanding how frustrating it was to fight against Samehada.
The two turned and fled.
Suikazan Fuguki chased after them, a sinister grin on his face.
Seeing this, Kakashi said, "You go ahead, I’ll hold him off!"
Before Ryoho Kyohiko could finish, Suikazan Fuguki’s expression changed. He grabbed Kisame and turned back toward Hoshigaki Kisame and Hozuki Mangetsu’s location.
But halfway there, he changed direction again, abandoning the two.
He glanced at Ryoho Kyohiko, confusion written all over his face.
"Why did he suddenly run away?"
"Teacher Jiraiya made his move," Ryoho Kyohiko whispered.
He stopped, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
Jiraiya had set his trap.
Although Suikazan Fuguki had escaped, they could still capture at least one of the other two. It wasn’t a total loss.
Still, it was a shame. Suikazan Fuguki must have been alerted by Samehada; otherwise, he wouldn’t have noticed.
Just as they were letting their guard down, a frog’s croak sounded nearby. Jiraiya emerged from behind it, looking frustrated.
Ryoho Kyohiko relaxed.
So, Jiraiya had been following them all along. Even if Suikazan Fuguki had tried to attack, it would have been difficult for him to kill them.
At critical moments, Jiraiya was reliable.
Jiraiya sighed deeply, unable to hide his disappointment. "After all that effort, the biggest fish got away."
"The one with the big sword?" Kakashi asked.
Jiraiya nodded. "That’s Suikazan Fuguki. He’s been making a name for himself in recent years. I’ve always suspected his sword was unusual, and today confirmed it."
"His sword can absorb chakra," Kakashi said.
Jiraiya nodded, then noticed Ryoho Kyohiko deep in thought. "What do you think?"
"At the end, he was about to head toward you but suddenly turned and ran. It didn’t seem like he sensed you directly but rather through some other means," Ryoho Kyohiko replied.
Jiraiya pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I had just emerged from the toad’s mouth and was preparing to trap him with a barrier technique."
"Could it have been the chakra?" Kakashi suggested.
Ryoho Kyohiko agreed. "That’s the only explanation. He must have sensed the chakra from the barrier technique. It’s likely a feature of the sword."
Jiraiya fell into thought.
A sword that could absorb chakra.
In recent years, Kirigakure had been restless. The long peace was truly like a moon reflected in water—illusory.
Then, Jiraiya consoled himself. "At least we caught the other two. One of them is from the Hozuki Clan, and apparently a genius at that. They won’t give up on him easily. It’s not a total loss."
Kakashi looked at Ryoho Kyohiko, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Ryoho Kyohiko shook his head.
A moment later, they returned to the courtyard.
The flesh walls were receding, revealing the captured individuals inside: one person, a jar of water, and Jiraiya standing beside them.
The Jiraiya who had brought them here disappeared—it had been a shadow clone.
Ryoho Kyohiko stepped forward.
Hoshigaki Kisame couldn’t hide his frustration and anger.
As a jonin, being outmaneuvered by two genin was a hard pill to swallow.
Especially since he had been captured because of it.
If only he hadn’t taken that hit to the knee, he could have escaped!
Of course, this was just Kisame’s inner monologue.
In reality, escaping from Jiraiya would have been nearly impossible.
Jiraiya smiled as he looked at the jar of water.
"If it weren’t for catching you, I wouldn’t have needed to be so careful. The Hozuki Clan... Orochimaru will be thrilled."
Hearing Orochimaru’s name, Hozuki Mangetsu inside the jar trembled in fear.
At this stage, he was far from the powerhouse he would become. Like Ryoho Kyohiko and Kakashi, he was still a "child genius," while Orochimaru was already a notorious figure in the ninja world.
Unlike Jiraiya, Orochimaru was known for his experiments. As a user of the Hydrification Technique, Mangetsu had every reason to be terrified.
But now, sealed in the jar, he couldn’t move at all.
"Teacher, what should we do with them?"
"Capture them and have Kirigakure ransom them. Otherwise, send them for research. We might uncover the secrets of the Water Release Technique."
Jiraiya hadn’t gone through all this trouble for nothing.
Kirigakure had changed in recent years.
Capturing ordinary ninjas wouldn’t achieve much—Kirigakure might just abandon them.
But the Hozuki Clan was different.
They held a high status in Kirigakure, with significant influence. Capturing one of them might be more valuable than capturing a jonin.
Jiraiya glanced at the Kirigakure jonin with the shattered knee.
"You’re a jonin, yet you ended up . That’s quite embarrassing!"
Hoshigaki Kisame felt like vomiting blood.
A moment of carelessness had led to this outcome, something he never expected.
If he could do it over, things would be different!
He snorted and closed his eyes, refusing to speak.
"Failure is failure. No excuse can change that. Staying silent is the right move," Ryoho Kyohiko added.
Kisame opened his eyes, glaring at him.
But he had to admit, the kid was right.
Failure was failure. No excuse could change that.
His voice was hoarse. "What do you want?"
"Nothing much. We’ll wait for your village to ransom you. Hehehe, a jonin and a member of the Hozuki Clan should fetch a pretty price, right?"
Kisame remained silent but inwardly sighed in relief.
At least he wouldn’t die.
He wasn’t afraid of death, but if he could live, why not?
Jiraiya created a shadow clone to imprison them.
Then, he went upstairs and found Matsuyama Ichiro, who had been taken to safety by Yuhi Kurenai.
The night’s attack had shaken Matsuyama Ichiro.
He had planned to purchase more materials in the Land of Waves but now decided to return home immediately.
Money could be earned again.
But if he lost his life, everything would be over.
The turbulent night soon came to an end. Kakashi, Ryoho Kyohiko, and Yuhi Kurenai sat together, the atmosphere heavy.
After a while, Ryoho Kyohiko broke the silence.
"Ahem, keeping you all in the dark wasn’t very fair."
"I was worried all night!" Yuhi Kurenai glared at him.
Kakashi didn’t say anything, but he had been ready to let Ryoho Kyohiko escape first, showing his resolve to face death.
In the end, though, Jiraiya had never left, staying hidden the entire time.
"Alright, let’s not dwell on the details. The outcome was good, and it was Teacher’s plan. I was only woken up in the middle of the night and didn’t know much either!"