boyutpedia Chapter 203 Doll
Chapter 203 Doll
In short, Kisame Hoshigaki joined the [Jin] organization in this way. The whole process went very smoothly, except for the unexpected address at the end, which left Naruto momentarily at a loss for words.
However, after his initial shock, Naruto calmed down and thought it over carefully, and realized that Kisame's mistaken identity was not entirely without reason.
The Flying Thunder God Technique, Rasengan-like ninjutsu, the grand ideal of "peace," and the Nine-Tails' chakra—in the common understanding of the ninja world, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, sacrificed himself to seal the Nine-Tails. With these clues combined, it seems reasonable that misunderstandings would arise.
In Kisame's mind, which is accustomed to thinking about dark logic, he has probably already completed a complex drama of "the Fourth Hokage faking his death to escape, turning to the dark side due to complete disillusionment with Konoha, and thus creating the [Jin] organization with the intention of reshaping the world".
Faced with this misunderstanding, Naruto felt somewhat helpless. Should he reveal his identity directly? Aside from whether Kisame would believe a Konoha genin was the leader of an organization, how would he explain all this complicated situation afterward?
After much deliberation, Naruto decided not to clarify for the time being, and to let Kisame maintain this misunderstanding. Perhaps he could explain it when the time was right in the future.
After that, Kisame was assigned to the Anbu of the [Jin] organization, directly under the command of Uchiha Shisui. Shisui was initially quite surprised that this infamous "tailless tailed beast" would join the organization. After a brief exchange of greetings, they became acquainted.
However, when Kisame saw Zabuza Momochi inside the organization's base, his face showed a much more obvious astonishment than when he saw Shisui.
Even more surprisingly, Kisame's attitude towards Zabuza afterwards was one of obvious respect.
In terms of pure strength, Kisame is undoubtedly several levels stronger than Zabuza. However, when facing his former colleague who was much weaker than himself, Kisame took the initiative to lower his posture and even showed a bit of respect that a junior would show to a senior.
The reasons behind this can perhaps only be truly understood by those who personally experienced the brutality of the Blood Mist Era. In that dark period, the vast majority of Kirigakure ninjas were like gears with their edges worn down, numbly accepting the village's cruel policies and becoming cold tools for carrying out missions.
Kisame was one of them. He was forced to turn his sword against his comrades time and time again, suffering immense pain in his heart. He could only barely convince himself with the illusory righteousness of "it's all for the village" until his faith completely collapsed.
Zabuza Momochi, however, 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 actions—launching a coup to assassinate the Mizukage.
It can be said that Zabuza did what Kisame longed for deep down but dared not put into practice.
"Tailless Tailed Beasts" and "Demons" are both "monsters" bred under the cruel system of Kirigakure. But for Kisame, who already loathed all of that "kind" who dared to challenge the source of monsters, a feeling of respect mixed with admiration and emotion naturally arose.
However, Kisame seems to be wishfully thinking that Zabuza, like him, joined the [Jin] organization for some grand goal, such as changing Kirigakure or even the entire ninja world.
If he knew that the primary reason this "demon" senior whom he greatly respected joined the organization was to protect a boy named "Shiro," a bond that was almost like "romantic love"... I wonder what kind of complex and interesting expression Kisame would show on his face then.
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The story returns to present-day Konoha Village.
After receiving the Chunin Exams application form from Kakashi, Naruto and Satsuki naturally headed together towards Naruto's apartment.
Sakura Haruno seemed to want to follow, but Kakashi stopped her at the right time and took her away with an excuse such as "Teacher has some mission details to discuss with you".
This had long been an unspoken rule between the two of them—unless there was a special mission or situation, Sazuki would always personally escort Naruto to his doorstep; it had almost become a slightly obsessive daily ritual for her.
Naruto was already used to this mild "yandere" behavior.
Of course, if it happens to be around mealtime, Naruto would naturally invite Satsuki to stay for dinner. That was the case today.
After thoroughly enjoying Naruto's top-notch cooking, Satsuki, feeling a bit languid from the satisfaction, reluctantly prepared to leave.
Naruto had long since become completely accustomed to the contrast between Satsuki's increasingly spoiled demeanor in front of him and his switch back to his aloof Uchiha genius mode only when facing outsiders.
He doesn't have any masochistic tendencies, but this uniquely gentle transformation, while initially bewildering for him, now only brings him immense comfort and joy.
At the apartment entrance, the two said their goodbyes, promising to meet again the next day. Just as Naruto thought their time together was about to end as usual, Satsuki suddenly did something unexpected. She reached for a small, separate ninja tool pouch at her waist—the pouch usually used to store her most important or personal belongings—and, under Naruto's slightly surprised gaze, carefully took out something from it that looked like a... handmade doll?
It was an adorable chibi-style white cat doll, designed in anthropomorphic style. Its two black eyes sparkled brightly. What was particularly striking was that this "cat" was wearing a miniature version of the Uchiha clan uniform, with the Uchiha clan crest embroidered on the back, resembling a table tennis racket. The stitching was somewhat immature, yet exceptionally meticulous, clearly showing that a great deal of thought had been put into it.
Satsuki's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes darting around, but she forced a casual expression as she shoved the doll into Naruto's hands. "...This is...something I made on a whim a few days ago. Anyway...it's nothing complicated...your room's all empty, so it'll be perfect as a decoration."
"But... don't you dare stuff it in a corner of the closet to collect dust! You have to put it... put it in a more visible place! Do you hear me? If... if you don't like it, I'll take it away right now!"
Looking at the cat doll dressed in Uchiha clan attire in his hand, Naruto felt a surge of intense surprise and warmth.
Why would Zuo Yue make such a thoughtful little gift that only an ordinary girl would give? This is so different from the image of "Er Zhu Zi" that he remembered as someone who was either bitter and resentful.
But then, a deeper sense of relief overwhelmed him. Seeing that Satsuki was able to break free from the shadow of revenge that bound her in the original work, and was able to show a gentleness that was appropriate for her age and slightly clumsy, made him happier than anything else.
And...cats? Come to think of it, the Uchiha clan's ancestral summoning beast is the ninja cat, right?