Boom!
The massive fist of the Golem slammed down, sending a huge splash of water into the air.
Kisame quickly dodged, but as soon as his feet touched the ground, several stone spears shot toward him—an attack from Kitsuchi.
"What a hassle!" Kisame grumbled as he swung Samehada, shattering the stone spears. But before he could catch his breath, a yellow stone dragon emerged from the water, swimming rapidly toward him. It suddenly rose from the surface, snapping its jaws at Kisame's legs.
"Water Release: Water Cannonballs!"
Kisame spat out several high-pressure water bullets, shattering the stone dragon. Using the opportunity, he leaped to the side.
"Looks like I'll have to use this jutsu after all!"
"Honestly, I don't even like this kind of fighting style."
Kisame raised two fingers on his left hand and brought them to his chest.
"Hidden Mist Technique!"
"Ah, right!" Deidara scratched his head, realizing he'd completely forgotten. Kisame was from Kirigakure, a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. How could he not know such an iconic jutsu?
Thick white mist began to spread, severely limiting visibility and sensory abilities. At least now Kisame wouldn't have to deal with the relentless onslaught of attacks.
"Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi, step back!" Onoki called out from above.
As he formed hand seals, a massive circular slab of rock fell from the sky, crashing into the water with a loud splash before floating quietly like a small island in the middle of the lake.
"The enemy might not stay on the surface. He could be hiding underwater. Stand on the rock."
Hearing Onoki correctly guess his intentions, Kisame clicked his tongue in frustration. He had planned to launch an underwater ambush, but that plan was now ruined.
"Well, this makes it more challenging!"
"Water Release: Thousand Feeding Sharks!"
Enormous sharks began to appear, swarming around Kisame in such dense numbers that they seemed endless.
"The enemy is coming!"
On the floating rock, Kitsuchi noticed the abnormal movement of the water. As Kisame and the swarm of sharks approached, the rock began to shake violently, like a small boat in a storm, on the verge of capsizing.
"Earth Release: Earth Surge Spears!"
Kitsuchi pressed his hands to the ground, and countless sharp stone spikes emerged from beneath the rock, piercing the incoming sharks.
"I won't let this thing injure me again," Kisame muttered, recalling unpleasant memories of the Earth Surge Spears. Crossing his hands in a seal, he pushed forward.
"Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"
A colossal shark appeared, its sheer size and presence marking it as the king of sharks. With its mouth wide open, it charged upward, smashing into the floating rock. The impact was catastrophic, shattering the rock into countless pieces.
"Take this!"
Seizing the moment of chaos, Kisame launched an attack. Samehada slashed into Akatsuchi's stomach. Akatsuchi quickly formed a Stone Fist with his right hand and swung at Samehada, but Kisame retreated just in time, delivering a powerful kick that sent Akatsuchi flying.
Crack, crack, crack!
Having absorbed chakra, Samehada began to tremble with excitement, its size increasing slightly.
"Not bad. This chakra tastes pretty good," Kisame remarked.
"Akatsuchi, are you alright?" Kitsuchi asked with concern. Akatsuchi's stomach showed clear signs of injury, but that wasn't the most alarming issue.
"Be careful, Uncle Kitsuchi. My chakra was drained by him—nearly half of it!" Akatsuchi warned.
This was the most terrifying aspect of Kisame's ability. The absorption of his opponent's chakra created a deadly imbalance.
"Father, let's attack together."
"Akatsuchi and I alone can't defeat him," Kitsuchi said, looking up at Onoki, who was still hovering in the air.
Onoki slowly descended, his gaze fixed on Kisame. "You're indeed a formidable opponent. Let me handle this next."
...
Meanwhile, as Kisame's battle raged on, Deidara had quietly infiltrated Iwagakure's prison.
He had expected a fight, but to his surprise, all the guards and prisoners he encountered along the way were already down. Some were dead, but most seemed to be under the effects of Genjutsu.
Genjutsu!
Damn it!
It must be Obito!
This confirmed Deidara's suspicion that Obito was secretly orchestrating the entire incident. Now, Obito was likely here to personally deal with Kakuzu and Hidan, frustrated that Onoki had captured them without executing them.
Damn it!
Deidara sprinted toward the high-security section of the prison, hoping he wasn't too late. If he was, he might have no choice but to use Edo Tensei to bring them back.
"Who are you?"
"Uchiha Itachi?"
In the deepest part of the prison, Kakuzu was down to his last heart, bound tightly to a pillar. He watched as a mysterious figure appeared, killing the guards in a bizarre manner and then phasing through the cell walls as if they weren't there.
The intruder wore the black cloak with red clouds of Akatsuki and possessed a Sharingan, making it impossible not to think of Itachi Uchiha.
"I'm not him," Obito replied calmly.
"Hey! Whoever you are, if you're wearing that cloak, you're one of us, right? Hurry up and get us out of here!" Hidan shouted from the side.
He was in an even worse state—his head and body were separated, leaving him with nothing to do but yell.
"That's one way to put it," Obito said, nodding slightly as he approached Kakuzu. In his hand, he held a kunai, as if preparing to cut Kakuzu's bonds.
But Kakuzu wasn't as oblivious as Hidan. He had long sensed that something was off about the intruder. This person didn't seem like a rescuer at all; if anything, he looked more like an executioner.
"Who are you really? Are you here to kill us?" Kakuzu asked coldly.
"Kakuzu, are you senile?"
"If he's wearing that cloak, he's obviously an ally! He's definitely here to save us!" Hidan continued to shout.
"Idiot!" Kakuzu snapped.
"If you're here to kill us, just do it already. I've lived long enough anyway!"
Obito smirked as he revealed his true intentions, plunging the kunai toward Kakuzu's heart.
"Then, farewell."
"Kakuzu!"
Boom!
Just as the kunai was about to pierce Kakuzu's heart, an explosion erupted behind Obito, forcing him to activate his Kamui to avoid the blast. The kunai passed harmlessly through Kakuzu's body, causing no real damage.
"It's you, Deidara," Obito said, turning to face the newcomer with a hint of annoyance. Once again, his plans had been thwarted.
"Always sneaking around, I'm starting to dislike you more and more," Deidara said, frowning. Thankfully, he had arrived in time. Otherwise, Kakuzu would have been finished.
Obito put away the kunai, resuming his calm and enigmatic demeanor. "Deidara, join me."
"Let's create a world without conflict together. Stop trusting in Nagato."
No! You just want to create a world where Rin exists. But my precious sister, Leg Shadow, is alive and well. I don't need your fake world.
Our fundamental desires are at odds!
Seeing Deidara shake his head, Obito sighed in regret. "If that's your choice, then from now on, we're enemies."
"Enemies? After all your schemes, we've already been enemies for a long time!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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