Kisame stood up, feeling pain radiating from every part of his body.
After merging with Samehada, his defenses were far superior to those of most jonin.
In the original storyline, he even managed to survive Might Guy's Daytime Tiger attack after opening the Seventh Gate.
But now, he faced someone stronger in both power and defense, Shinho Aburame.
Kisame glanced in the direction of Itachi.
Due to the distance, he couldn't discern what was happening.
But with Itachi's strength, did he really need this much time to deal with Sasuke?
As expected, it's hard for brothers to be truly ruthless to one another.
Kisame recalled Itachi's words earlier: If things get dangerous, don't worry about me. You can leave on your own.
It seemed Itachi had foreseen the current situation.
But just leaving wasn't that simple.
Forcing an escape would only lead to quicker defeat.
Kisame looked up at Shinho, who stood above the water, and took a deep breath.
He had to gain a temporary upper hand to make his escape.
But from the start of their battle, he had been suppressed at every turn.
It was proving to be incredibly difficult.
Still, Kisame decided to give it a try.
Water Style: Great Shark Bullet Technique!
Kisame quickly formed hand seals in the water.
In an instant, a massive, shark-shaped water projectile leaped from the surface, its jaws wide open as it lunged toward Shinho.
Sound fixing Gu!
An invisible sound wave rippled out, freezing the shark in midair.
Shinho remembered that this jutsu absorbed chakra, so there was no need to make direct contact to suppress it.
Kisame's face darkened.
He had indeed hoped to drain Shinho's chakra.
In his understanding, a ninja's power and defense—everything—stemmed from chakra.
A Thousand Feeding Sharks!
Once more, Kisame formed hand seals.
The surface of the lake churned. From his position, a thousand giant sharks emerged, their swift movements creating afterimages in the water with a gigantic wave.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sharks shot out of the water like arrows, hurtling toward Shinho in unison.
Shinho remained calm as he activated his primeval essence.
Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon Gu!
The heavens darkened, and storm clouds gathered.
Above him, a dragon formed formed entirely of the clouds descended.
Around him, fierce winds howled, coalescing into tigers.
Thousands of wind tigers and cloud dragons intertwined, clashing head-on with the sharks.
Boom!
It was like fireworks exploding.
Countless water droplets splashed everywhere, the lake shook as if in an earthquake, and massive waves surged.
Kisame was nowhere to be seen.
Shinho glanced around.
He was certain Kisame hadn't escaped the confines of the lake.
Heavenly Cascade of Light!
Shinho activated the three Gu's simultaneously in the killer move.
The lake, created by Kisame's jutsu, began to evaporate.
Suddenly, a blinding light appeared above the lake.
Countless beams of light twisted and converged, forming a radiant river in moments.
The river plunged downward, piercing through the lake.
From above, the once-round lake was split in two, and its water level dropped by two-thirds.
On the eastern side of the lake, a horrified Kisame emerged.
He had tried to sneak up on Shinho but hadn't even gotten close before suffering a devastating counterattack.
If he hadn't retreated in time, he felt he would've been obliterated by the light.
"This guy's strength is absurd," Kisame muttered.
He knew that the longer this dragged on, the more certain his defeat would be.
Taking a deep breath, he formed hand seals.
Boom!
The remaining water in the lake surged upward, transforming into a thick mist before materializing into water clones.
The clones continued splitting until their numbers exceeded 500.
The densely packed Kisame clones surrounded Shinho.
Ordinary ninja wouldn't have enough chakra to pull this off.
But as someone nicknamed the "Tailed Beast without a Tail," Kisame could easily create 500 clones in one breath.
To put it simply, this was like a water-style version of Naruto Uzumaki.
Water Style: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!
Kisame didn't pause and formed more seals.
This time, it wasn't just him. Three of his clones joined him.
Four torrents of water erupted from their mouths, surging like a tsunami, creating waves that seemed to overturn the world.
The 500 water clones dove into the water.
Moments later, they shot out with the waves, attacking Shinho in droves.
Djinn transformation!
Shinho activated another of the three Gu's simultaneously.
His body suddenly expanded in size.
Kisame's clones swarmed him like giant ants, unpreturbed.
Instead of using jutsu, they struck shinho's massive form with punches and kicks.
Dragon Elephant Strength Gu!
Shinho threw a punch, and the phantom of a dragon elephant appeared.
In front of him, dozens of clones shattered simultaneously, bursting into rainwater that scattered in all directions.
But the rest of the clones charged on, unconcerned.
Shinho fought with wide, sweeping movements, taking full advantage of his size.
Every punch was accompanied by a gale-like roar, and every kick caused countless water clones to explode.
Meanwhile, Kisame's true body was moving farther and farther away.
The reason he had used the quadruple-layered Water Style: Great Exploding Water Shockwave wasn't just to show off his abundant chakra, it was to refill the massive lake.
Without looking back, Kisame swam outward.
But he didn't dare cause too much commotion, afraid of drawing Shinho's attention.
Listening to the sounds of battle behind him, Kisame's heart raced.
For the first time in his life, Kisame truly understood what it felt like to be nervous.
Suddenly, the noise behind him ceased.
The surroundings fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of water and Kisame's heartbeat.
A chill ran down Kisame's spine as he sensed an unprecedented danger.
Realizing the severity of the situation, he abandoned all pretense and pushed himself to his fastest speed.
At that moment, a golden light suddenly appeared, cutting through the stillness.
Kisame halted, his expression dark.
"Are you running away already?"
Shinho stood in front of him calmly, his voice even.
Kisame said nothing.
Splash!
A large wave erupted from the water's surface as Kisame leaped into the air.
Massive amounts of chakra gathered around him, while the water beneath his feet was drawn upward to encircle him.
In less than a second, Kisame transformed into a giant shark.
Its gaping maw opened wide, as though intending to swallow Shinho, who was now over five meters tall in his Djinn Transformation whole.
"What incredible chakra," Shinho murmured with a hint of admiration.
He suspected that Kisame might come from a unique ninja clan or something along the lines =.
After all, chakra of such immense quantity rivaled that of the Uzumaki Clan.
Moreover, Kisame's appearance was peculiar, not resembling a typical human.
Labor Gu
Effort Multipler Gu
Shinho's gaze sharpened as he threw a punch.
The phantom of dragon-elephant strength reappeared, distorting the air.
A shockwave rippled outward, creating a deafening roar like an invisible nuclear explosion.
Kisame's expression shifted drastically.
He felt an oppressive force bearing down from all sides.
In this life-threatening moment, Kisame knew he had to gamble everything.
There was no way to evade as it was already too late.
In his shark form, Kisame lunged forward, aiming to bite Shinho's fist while channeling Samehada to absorb chakra.
To Kisame, this was his only chance of survival.
But the moment his jaws met Shinho's fist, the shark was obliterated.
The water splintered into countless droplets, scattering like bullets.
Blood streaked across Kisame's body as wounds appeared.
In the next instant, Shinho's fist struck Kisame's body directly.
"Arghhh!" Kisame screamed in agony.
His abdomen was pierced straight through, and the overwhelming force riddled his body with countless holes, as if he had been shot by a rain of arrows.
Kisame's cries stopped.
He was sent flying, landing unconscious on the water's surface.
Blood spread from his body, dyeing the lake red.
Shinho reverted from his transformation and approached Kisame.
Despite his grievous injuries, Kisame was still alive, only thanks to Samehada.
The blade was actively channeling its stored chakra to mend Kisame's body.
As Shinho neared, Samehada's spiked exterior bristled, standing upright like the quills of a porcupine, ready for battle.
"Loyal, aren't you?" Shinho remarked with a raised eyebrow.
Samehada's loyalty depended on its preference for the chakra of its wielder. The greater the quantity and quality, the better.
A thought occurred to Shinho.
How would Samehada react to his Primeval Essence?
Shinho's Primeval Essence, refined through his system modifications, was equivalent to Sage Chakra.
In his early days as a Gu Master, it had been a weaker version.
But now, as a Rank Five Gu Master, his Primeval Essence far surpassed even Sage Chakra.
Shinho raised his hand, letting his Primeval Essence flow outward.
Samehada trembled.
The previously bristling spikes softened.
However, it didn't immediately abandon Kisame, appearing hesitant.
With a flick of his thoughts, Shinho directed his Primeval Essence onto Samehada.
The living blade froze momentarily.
In the next second, it scurried toward Shinho, absorbing his Primeval Essence as it approached.
When it reached him, Samehada bent its blade-like body, rubbing against his leg like an excited puppy.
..
[Achievement Unlocked: "Cuckolded Blade"]
[Reward: White Form Immortal Snake Gu]
[White Form Immortal Snake Gu: A Rank Five Gu insect. Emits a fog that disorients enemies, rendering them unable to discern direction and engulfing their vision in a white haze.]
..
Shinho's lips twitched.
What the hell is with this name?
'It's just a blade for fucks sake.'
I, a Pure-Hearted gentleman with honour, refuse to accept this slander!
Despite his exasperation, Shinho shifted his focus to the reward.
At first glance, it didn't seem particularly useful. But upon closer inspection, it was highly practical.
The Gu was perfect for someone like Hinata.
Combined with her Byakugan, it would be devastating in close combat.
Unlike the Hidden Mist Jutsu, the White Serpent Fog wouldn't be easily dispersed as it was a rank 5 Gu.
Additionally, during battle, Hinata could continuously release the mist, maintaining its effect.
..
[Achievement Unlocked: "The Ocean, All Water!"]
[Reward: Water Strength Gu]
[Water Strength Gu: A Rank Five Gu insect. When paired with Borrow strength Gu, it allows the user to draw strength from nearby water.]
..
Shinho let out a soft hum of approval.
This achievement was likely tied to defeating Kisame.
As for the reward, the Water Strength Gu completed the final piece of his Rank Five killer move: Six-Armed Heavenly Zombie King.
Now, Shinho was fully confident in facing Nagato, the wielder of the Rinnegan, and his Six Paths of Pain.
Thinking about it, Shinho felt a flicker of anticipation.
I wonder when Nagato will come to Konoha to stir things up.
"You, heal him first," Shinho said, glancing at the barely breathing Kisame.
Killing him now would be a waste.
At the very least, Kisame could serve as a chakra battery in Ancour Vantian.
Samehada remained motionless, staring at Shinho.
"Heal him, and I'll give you more chakra," Shinho said with a faint smile.
He wasn't particularly attached to Samehada.
After all, it was technically just a sword.
join my patreon for the completed story: patreon.com/HyppoTL