The next day, Deidara received a mission from Nagato: the Three-Tails had been reborn in the Land of Water and was now in a wild state. Their task was to capture it and bring it back.
"Finally, a mission after such a long break," Kisame remarked with a sigh.
"But why does it feel like Akatsuki only relies on the two of us to get things done these days?"
"Ha!" Deidara sighed along with him. Kakuzu was severely injured, leaving only him and Kisame as the organization's active operatives.
Despite Akatsuki's growing influence and success, it oddly felt like the group was on a downward spiral rather than reaching its peak.
Flying on Deidara's trusty Clay Bird, the duo crossed the Land of Fire, passed through the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Waves, and then spent two days flying over the vast ocean before finally arriving in the Land of Water.
Among the Five Great Nations, the Land of Water was the smallest in terms of landmass. Its main territory consisted of a massive central island surrounded by numerous smaller islands. However, the nation was rich in resources, especially food, which allowed Kirigakure to maintain its isolationist policies for so long.
"According to the intel, this should be the place," Kisame said as they landed on a small, uninhabited island southwest of Kirigakure. Akatsuki had only discovered this location by chance when a former Kirigakure ninja, now aligned with Amegakure, secretly returned to their homeland. During their covert entry through a remote area, they stumbled upon the recently resurrected Three-Tails.
Standing before a massive lake, Kisame's face lit up with excitement. "Deidara, you've already captured the Seven-Tails and completed your assigned target for the organization."
"This time, leave the Three-Tails to me."
Deidara nodded. He had already harvested Shock Value from the Three-Tails during their battle with Yagura Karatachi, so he was content to let Kisame take the lead this time.
"I heard a rumor that Samehada used to serve under the Three-Tails. Is that true?" Deidara asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Not at all," Kisame replied.
"Samehada was brought back to Kirigakure by one of our village's predecessors from the distant outer seas. Those areas are so remote and untouched by humans that they still harbor many ancient beasts. Samehada is one of them."
According to the myths of the ninja world, before Kaguya Ōtsutsuki descended, humans were not the dominant force on the continent. Instead, powerful beasts with innate abilities ruled the land. The most prominent survivors of this era were the three Great Sage Regions.
However, with Kaguya's arrival, the appearance of the Sage of Six Paths, and the widespread use of chakra, these ancient beasts were either destroyed or reduced to the status of summoning creatures. Only in remote areas like the outer seas could one still find original ancient beasts—like the giant turtle Deidara had hunted with Sasori previously.
As Deidara pondered this, Kisame stepped onto the surface of the lake. "Although the Three-Tails has the home-field advantage here, this environment is just as advantageous for me."
"After all, I'm known as the Tailed Beast without a tail. Let's see which of us is the superior beast today."
"Water Release: Thousand Feeding Sharks!"
Countless giant sharks surged into the depths of the lake, searching for the hidden Three-Tails.
"Got it!" Kisame declared as the lake's surface began to churn violently.
What started as faint ripples quickly escalated into turbulent waves. Finally, with a massive surge of water, a colossal turtle emerged from the lake.
Unlike ordinary turtles, this one had three tails. Its limbs and back were covered in hard, spiked shells, making it an incredibly formidable opponent.
Among the Tailed Beasts, the Three-Tails was considered one of the tougher ones in terms of combat ability. While its chakra reserves were relatively low, its physical form gave it a significant advantage.
Like Shukaku, whose power was amplified in the desert, the Three-Tails excelled in watery environments. Its high defense could withstand attacks that would injure even the Eight-Tails, making it nearly invincible in its element.
"Damned humans! You dare disturb me again!" the Three-Tails roared, its standard reaction to humans.
"Water Release: Water Cannonball!"
Massive water projectiles shot out of the Three-Tails' mouth, but Kisame deftly dodged them, weaving through the barrage with Samehada in hand. His agility and swordsmanship were indeed impressive.
"Water Release: Exploding Torrent!"
Seeing that its water cannonballs were ineffective, the Three-Tails switched to a wide-range attack. High-speed torrents of water, enhanced with advanced chakra manipulation, surged toward Kisame.
But Kisame showed no signs of slowing down. He threw Samehada forward, and its hilt extended like a chain, stretching over ten meters. Under Kisame's control, Samehada lightly skimmed the surface of the torrents.
Crack, crack, crack!
Samehada let out an excited growl as it grew larger, its spikes becoming even more menacing.
The torrents lost their chakra-infused properties after being absorbed by Samehada, turning into ordinary streams of water. Kisame easily passed through them and began weaving hand signs.
"Water Release: Water Stream Whip!"
Massive water whips coiled around the Three-Tails, binding it in place. Seizing the opportunity, Kisame slashed at the beast's head.
"Roar!"
The Three-Tails let out an enraged cry. "Damned humans! You dare absorb my chakra?!"
It had met its natural predator. Without Samehada, breaking through the Three-Tails' defenses would have been a nightmare.
Kisame's face lit up with exhilaration as he shared the chakra absorbed by Samehada. He felt like he was overflowing with energy, ready to unleash it all.
"Water Release: Multiple Water Dragons!"
The Three-Tails summoned dozens of water dragons in a spectacular display.
But Kisame was unfazed. "Water Release: Multiple Water Dragons!"
Matching the Three-Tails in both quantity and quality, Kisame's water dragons neutralized the beast's attack.
Sensing danger, the Three-Tails tried to retreat, but its sluggish movements couldn't outpace Kisame's relentless pursuit.
"Water Release: Giant Shark Bomb Jutsu!"
A massive shark leapt from behind Kisame, its gaping maw seemingly ready to swallow the Three-Tails whole.
"My shark bomb can absorb chakra too, you know," Kisame said smugly.
Seeing no way to evade, the Three-Tails withdrew into its shell. The giant shark bit down on the spiked shell, driving the beast deep into the lake's depths. However, it failed to inflict any damage or absorb chakra, as the Three-Tails had fully retracted.
"Hmph! Typical turtle behavior," Kisame scoffed, gripping Samehada as he prepared to dive back into the fray.
Meanwhile, Deidara, who had been enjoying the show from the shore, found himself in trouble. A group of Kirigakure shinobi had appeared, led by none other than the renowned beauty of the Hidden Mist, Mei Terumī.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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