Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 118: Kisame Hoshigaki: My Handler Seems a Bit Stupid

Evil God = Jashin

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Shigen had an incredibly strong mental fortitude.

Even when Hidan claimed to be a devout follower of the "Evil God," Shigen was certain that someone had been acting in his name rather than believing he had unknowingly exposed his true nature.

Maybe he had hidden himself too well.

So much so that even he found it impossible to believe he could ever be considered an "Evil God."

In contrast...

Hidan's mental resilience was rather weak.

When he learned that the man who had decapitated him with a single strike was none other than Shigen himself, he flew into a rage, cursing Shigen for blaspheming the very god he worshiped.

"You dare defile the name of Lord Evil God?!"

"Do you even know who the Evil God is?!"

Hidan glared up at Shigen with fury, shouting, "Lord Evil God was the strongest medical ninja of the ancient era!"

"..."

Shigen was utterly dumbfounded.

"You're the one defiling Lord Shigen's name."

Kakuzu gripped Hidan's severed head tightly and slammed a fist into his face, roughing him up before forcing him to spill everything about this so-called "Evil God Cult."

"..."

Bruised and battered, Hidan coughed up all the information.

Hidan had been raised in the Evil God Cult.

This cult had always worshiped Shigen.

While others respected Shigen's medical expertise, the cult had dedicated itself to using his surviving medical research to create living weapons through human experimentation.

Years ago, the cult finally succeeded.

Through a secret experiment, they had created Hidan—their first successful immortal specimen. Overjoyed by their achievement, they immediately sent Hidan out to spread the name of the "Evil God Shigen" across the world.

"I don't understand any of this 'genetics' stuff!"

"All I know is that I must slaughter everyone in the world!"

Hidan's eyes gleamed with fanaticism as he recited the cult's doctrine. "This is the power granted to me! I will sacrifice all their souls to Lord Evil God Shigen!"

"..."

Kakuzu slapped Hidan across the face again.

"You idiot!"

Hidan growled in frustration.

"What happened to the rest of the cult?"

Shigen rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"I killed them all!"

Hidan stopped cursing at Kakuzu, instead grinning wildly as he proudly declared, "Only I am worthy of being the true disciple favored by Lord Shigen!"

"..."

Kakuzu squeezed Hidan's head tightly.

"Take him back to the Akatsuki base."

Shigen took a deep breath before instructing Kakuzu to carry the only successful experiment back to headquarters. He would find time later to study the secrets behind Hidan's immortality.

Most likely...

Hidan's abilities were tied to DNA and genetics.

When human biology advanced, it was inevitable that someone would begin conducting experiments to create monsters.

Who knew how many failures the now-extinct cult had produced before finally perfecting their methods with Hidan?

"What about you, Lord Shigen?"

Kakuzu hoisted Hidan's body over his shoulder while carrying his severed head in his other hand. "If you need any intelligence in the Land of Hot Water, you could visit the orphanage there. The Uzumaki survivors have lived in this country for a long time..."

"Understood."

Shigen didn't refuse Kakuzu's suggestion.

However, he didn't need to gather any intelligence from them—because before arriving in the Land of Hot Water, he had already located Kisame Hoshigaki.

Besides...

Kisame hadn't even bothered to hide his whereabouts.

With his distinctive shark-like features, Kisame stood out wherever he went. His dead, predatory eyes, gill-like facial markings, and rows of razor-sharp teeth made him an unforgettable sight.

Whenever he opened his mouth, the sheer terror he inspired made people instinctively step aside, nervously making way for him.

But for Kisame...

This was nothing new.

After leaving Orochimaru's base, he had wandered aimlessly, waiting for the Akatsuki to recruit him.

However...

The Akatsuki was taking its time.

After spending several days soaking in hot springs, Kisame began to suspect that they hadn't noticed him.

So, he decided to stir up some trouble.

And yet—

Kisame failed to notice...

That someone had been silently tailing him.

By the riverbank in the Land of Grass.

Kisame had just slain the leader of the Hidden Grass Village and the feudal lord of the Land of Grass.

These two assassinations were bound to attract the ninja world's attention.

At the moment, he was casually tending to Samehada, his living sword, after the battle.

To be honest—

Life had been rather relaxing lately.

As a Mist ninja, Kisame had spent his entire life killing. He had to kill his enemies. He had to kill his comrades.

And yet...

The Hidden Mist Village had only issued a bounty on him rather than sending hunter-nin after him.

Perhaps the village lacked the manpower.

Or perhaps it was still in turmoil after the Fourth Mizukage's death.

For the first time, Kisame had the freedom to relax.

Though he occasionally had to commit violent acts to draw the Akatsuki's attention, it wasn't a particularly stressful task.

Kisame wasn't in a hurry.

Even though his handler, Obito Uchiha, was growing impatient, Kisame remained unbothered, fully enjoying his travels.

But...

That leisure was about to end.

A voice suddenly whispered in his ear, finally drawn in by his latest killings.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, rogue ninja of the Hidden Mist. You've caused quite the commotion..."

"!!!"

Kisame's hand instantly gripped Samehada's hilt.

Years of battle-hardened instincts kicked in, putting his body on high alert!

This man...

Had to be an expert in sensory abilities.

Kisame prided himself on his own chakra perception, yet he hadn't noticed any trace of this individual's presence!

And worse—

The voice came from above.

Kisame abruptly turned his head upward, locking eyes on the figure descending from the sky.

It was a young man in a black cloak adorned with red clouds.

And more striking than the cloak—

Were his Rinnegan.

But Kisame's attention wasn't on those legendary eyes.

Instead, he focused on the red cloud pattern on the cloak.

He recognized it immediately—

The Akatsuki's uniform.

At last, they had come for him.

"They're here..."

Kisame felt a small pang of regret that his days of leisure were over.

At the same time—

He was relieved that his infiltration mission was finally about to begin.

But...

Who was this man?

"I am Shigen."

Shigen calmly stated his name.

"!!!"

Kisame's eyes widened slightly.

He had already learned from Obito that Shigen was the true leader of the Akatsuki.

But he hadn't expected—

That Shigen himself would be the one to recruit him.

A man of such importance...

Had personally come to find him?!

"I'm here to bring you into the Akatsuki."

Shigen was blunt, his tone indifferent. "Since you killed the Fourth Mizukage, my schedule has freed up a bit..."

"...Well, isn't that something."

A grin slowly spread across Kisame's face.

He wasn't skilled with words.

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He wanted to respond appropriately—to express his surprise without revealing that he had already known of Shigen's existence.

But—

"No need to act surprised."

"You were already aware of my existence."

"I'm sure you're well-informed about the Akatsuki as well."

With a single sentence, Shigen saw through Kisame's pretense.

He was remarkably straightforward with him, as if treating him like an honest man.

"..."

A bead of cold sweat slid down Kisame's cheek.

"...So you knew everything already?"

His grip on Samehada tightened, his heart pounding.

This—

This was completely unexpected.

Obito, his handler, had sent him to infiltrate the Akatsuki.

But Obito had no idea...

That the Akatsuki already knew everything.

"Yeah."

Shigen nodded. He wasn't concerned about Kisame's tension.

Instead, he casually reassured him, "No need to be nervous. Let's talk terms."

Kisame had always believed that Obito was a flawless manipulator.

But after today...

He began to realize.

His handler...

Might actually be a bit of an idiot.

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