Naruto: The Architect

"You know, you've been running for hours. Without saying a single word, people might think I'm a bad traveling companion."

"You are," Konan said.

Hiroshi let out a mock gasp, clutching his chest as if wounded. "Harsh! I've been nothing but charming."

"If by 'charming' you mean your endless chatter, then yes." Konan rolled her eyes.

Hiroshi smirked, opening his mouth for another—but before he could speak, a rough voice called out.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

A group of bandits emerged from the shadows, about a dozen of them armed with rusted blades and stolen armor.

"Looks like a couple of lovebirds wandering where they shouldn't be," the leader sneered.

Konan's eyes twitched. Hiroshi noticed this and barely able to hold back his laugh.

"Lovebirds?" Hiroshi echoed, pretending to look shocked. He glanced at Konan, feigning seriousness. "Did you hear that, dear? They think we're married!"

Konan's glare was sharp enough to cut steel. "Don't."

But Hiroshi wasn't about to stop. He placed a hand on his chest, looking at the bandit leader with mock sincerity. "It's a bit early to call us lovebirds, but I'll take the compliment."

The bandits chuckled, "Well, if she's your wife, she's a real looker. How'd someone like you manage that?"

Hiroshi grinned, ignoring Konan's growing fury. "It's all about charm, my friend. Charm and persistence."

The leader took a step forward, his grin widening. "Well, how about you hand her over? We'll take good care of her."

And just like that, the humor drained from the scene.

"Alright," Hiroshi said, his tone light but with a dangerous edge, "I was having fun, but now you've ruined it."

The bandit leader laughed, mistaking Hiroshi's words for bluffing. "What're you gonna do, pretty boy? Scare us to death with your good looks?"

Hiroshi sighed, glancing at Konan. "Let me handle it."

Before Konan could respond, Hiroshi raised a hand.

"Gravity release: 10G"

The air around them grew heavy as invisible force pressing down on them.

"What the hell is this?!" the leader shouted, struggling to stay upright.

"This is me teaching you why you shouldn't bother people on the road."

Hiroshi clenched his fist, and the pressure increased. Several bandits collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand the crushing force.

Weapons shattered—they dropped to the dirt—gasped for air.

The leader, still struggling, glared up at Hiroshi. "You think you're tough, huh? You're just—"

Hiroshi flicked his wrist, and the man's body slammed into the ground with a sickening thud.

The other bandits stared in horror, realizing they were completely outmatched.

"Stop!" one of them cried. "We give up! Please, don't kill us!"

Hiroshi tilted his head as if considering the plea. Then he glanced at Konan. "What do you think? Should we let them go?"

Konan's expression was unreadable, but her voice was cold. "If we leave them now they will harm others...They die."

"Well, you heard the lady."

With a casual wave of his hand, the gravitational force spiked for a brief moment. The bandits didn't even have time to scream before their bodies crumpled under the pressure. When it was over, the clearing was silent except for the sound of rain.

Hiroshi turned to Konan, his usual smirk returning. "Feel better?"

She crossed her arms, giving him a sidelong glance. "I didn't need your help."

"Maybe not," Hiroshi said, walking past her.

"But admit it, my way was more fun."

Konan didn't respond.

After this small incident, the journey to the Hidden Mist was uneventful, except for the occasional awkward silence between Hiroshi and Konan.

She wasn't much of a talker.

"So," Hiroshi began, trying to sound casual,

"do you like... origami?"

Konan shot him a cold glare. "Focus on the mission."

"Right, of course," Hiroshi said, clearing his throat. "No small talk. Got it."

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the hidden mist village. Hiroshi could feel the oppressive atmosphere of the place as if the air itself was heavy with distrust and despair.

"This place is cheerful. Are we recruiting Kisame or planning a funeral?" Hiroshi said.

…

Hiroshi crouched by a murky pond just outside the Hidden Mist village, squinting at a wiggling worm he had impaled on a fishing hook.

Konan stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her stoic expression unshaken despite the bizarre sight before her.

"What... are you doing?" Konan finally asked,

Hiroshi didn't look up, carefully adjusting the hook. "Setting a trap."

"For Kisame?" Konan tilted her head, clearly unimpressed.

"Yup," Hiroshi said with exaggerated confidence. He held the hook up to admire his handiwork. The worm dangled limply, its wiggling utterly unimpressive. "See, Kisame's a shark. Sharks are fish. Fish eat worms. Kisame will fall for this."

Konan pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long sigh. "He's not an actual fish, you know. He's a highly trained shinobi with one of the most dangerous swords in existence. You can't trap him with... that."

Hiroshi looked up at her, his Oni mask tilting slightly. "Oh, come on. Where's your sense of humor? Besides, it's not about the worm. It's about the trap."

Konan stared at him, unconvinced. "He's not a dumb fish."

Hiroshi waved her off. "Just wait. He'll walk right into it."

Not long after, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the mist. The air seemed to thicken as Kisame Hoshigaki emerged from the fog, his massive sword, Samehada, slung casually over his shoulder. His shark-like grin widened as he spotted akatsuki member that he was looking for.

"Well, well, What's this? A couple of Akatsuki hopefuls playing fisherman?"

Hiroshi stood up dramatically, holding the fishing line with the dangling worm in front of him like it was Excalibur. "Ah, Kisame! Just the man I wanted to see."

Kisame's grin faltered as he noticed the worm. "What... is that?"

"It's bait," Hiroshi said matter-of-factly, wiggling the hook in Kisame's direction. "Come on, you know you want it."

Konan facepalmed, muttering something about how she should've just stayed in the Land of Rain.

Kisame's eye twitched. "Are you mocking me?"

Hiroshi tilted his head innocently. "Mocking? Me? Never. This is a genuine invitation. Look at this worm! It's fat, juicy, delicious—"

Kisame let out a low growl, his grip tightening on Samehada. "You think I'm some kind of mindless animal?"

Hiroshi shrugged. "I mean, you are part shark..."

That was it—Kisame's patience snapped—with a roar, he unsheathed Samehada and charged at Hiroshi.

"I'll show you what a shark can do!"

Hiroshi, instead of retreating, held his ground and casually started reeling in his imaginary fishing line. "Oh no, he's biting! Quick, Konan, get the net!"

Konan simply stared at him, deadpan. "This is your plan?"

As Kisame closed the distance, ready to cleave Hiroshi in half, the ground beneath him glowed faintly.

Too late—Kisame was already inside the trap Hiroshi had set.

A series of seals lit up, before Kisame could react—adamantium sealing chains erupted from the ground, wrapping tightly around his arms, legs, and torso!

"What the—?!" Kisame roared, struggling against the chains. Samehada fell to the ground with a heavy thud, just out of his reach.

Hiroshi dusted off his hands, clearly pleased with himself. "And that's how you catch a shark, folks."

Konan blinked, momentarily stunned. "When did you put those seals there?"

"Never doubt the power of a well-placed worm," Hiroshi said.

Kisame thrashed against the chains. "You tricked me!"

"No, no, Kisame. You tricked yourself. All I did was provide the worm."

Kisame glared at him, his sharp teeth bared in frustration. "Let me out of here, and I'll show you exactly what I think of your stupid worm."

Hiroshi stood up, brushing off his cloak. "Tempting, but no thanks. Now, Konan, can you help me get him back to Pain? He's not going to drag himself, and I'm not about to carry him."

Konan sighed but nodded. "Fine. But next time, you're doing the heavy lifting."

As they hoisted the still-chained Kisame onto a makeshift cart, Hiroshi couldn't resist one last jab. "See, Kisame? I told you it was a good worm."

Kisame let out a frustrated growl, muttering under his breath about revenge as they disappeared into the mist,

…