In the Land of Earth, at a cliff covered by dense forest.
A gentle breeze blew, and Uchiha Itachi sat quietly at the edge of the cliff.
He wasn't being lazy; he was waiting for his partner, Hoshigaki Kisame.
Kisame had insisted on handling the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, by himself.
Itachi didn't mind. He wasn't fond of killing and seemed uninterested in anything other than his brother.
Behind him, Hoshigaki Kisame and Roshi faced each other.
Kisame grinned menacingly, "Finding you took quite some time. I'm in a hurry, so why don't you just come with me? Hehehe..."
Roshi's face was serious. "I don't know who you are, but challenging me is a mistake!"
"I'm going to turn you to ashes in an instant!"
Roshi made the first move, quickly forming hand signs while puffing up his cheeks, shouting:
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
Several blazing lava balls shot from Roshi's mouth.
Kisame, with a cold smile, gripped his sword, Samehada, and swung it forcefully, blocking all the lava balls.
"Wa-lalala~"
Samehada howled excitedly, absorbing the flames from the lava balls and converting them into chakra.
"Tsk tsk, my sword Samehada seems to really like your chakra. Come on, let it feel some more."
"Hmph!" Roshi's face darkened as he responded, "Judging by your headband and sword, you were part of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. So, your techniques are probably water-based, right?"
Kisame: "You guessed it. Not bad, not bad~"
There was a mocking tone in Kisame's voice.
"You'll pay for this, brat!"
"Heh!"
An angry Roshi roared. In an instant, his entire body was enveloped in high-temperature lava.
This was the Lava Release Chakra Mode he had developed over years of training with the power of the tailed beast.
It was top-notch in both offense and defense against ordinary foes.
Most importantly, Roshi's taijutsu was extremely strong.
In this mode, the Lava Release armor enhanced his taijutsu to its peak.
"Hehehe, now that's more like it~" Kisame touched his nose playfully. "In this state, you're worth fighting."
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Whoosh!"
A waterfall-like torrent of water surged from Kisame's mouth.
The water waves lifted Kisame high into the air.
Seeing the terrifying water release technique, Roshi frowned.
This opponent was indeed a strong counter to him.
Roshi had never seen a ninja capable of such powerful water techniques.
But now, there was no turning back.
Even if it was a counter, Roshi was determined to give him a tough fight.
"Swish!"
Roshi leaped into the air, moving swiftly like a blazing meteor towards Kisame.
"Ugh!"
Kisame groaned in pain as Roshi's body slammed into his stomach.
"Hmm?" Roshi raised an eyebrow. This sensation felt off.
Kisame sneered, "Hehehe, quite a punch~"
The next moment, Kisame's body turned into a stream of water.
"You can't escape now, old man~"
"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"
Kisame's water clone enveloped Roshi's burning body completely.
"Hmph!" Roshi scoffed, "You think a little water ball can trap me?"
With that, he raised his fist and shattered the water prison around him.
"Idiot~"
Kisame's lips curled into a smile, pointing a finger at the river below.
"See everything around you?"
"The Great Waterfall Technique isn't just for show. Everywhere you can see is my water prison!"
...