A massive wave surged across the landscape, swallowing everything in its path as it crashed through the park. Even by ninja standards, the scale was absurd—Kisame's massive chakra boost made this B-level Water Style jutsu feel like an entire ocean was dropping on top of them.
"That's... a lot of chakra." Gojo mused, still as a statue, his hands lazily tucked into his pockets while he watched the incoming wave as if it were just another show.
Right before the water hit him, the wave seemed to split in half, curving around Gojo as though he were the eye of a storm, leaving him untouched in the middle.
From her position, Kurenai clutched a tree branch and stared in disbelief. "Is he... even real?" she muttered, watching the wave engulf the entire park while leaving him safe in a pocket of untouched ground.
Meanwhile, Naruto was frantically treading water, caught up in the surging tide. "Gojo-sensei! A little help here!" he hollered, flailing helplessly.
Without a word, Gojo stomped a foot lightly on the ground. Instantly, the earth rose up into a wall, catching Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kurenai on solid ground above the waves.
"Finally—safe! Thought I was done for." Naruto gasped, coughing up a mouthful of water. His blue eyes narrowed on Kisame. "Get him, Gojo-sensei! We can't let these guys walk all over us!"
Kisame just laughed, a sharp, throaty cackle as his chakra flared around him, sending chills through everyone present. Even Naruto couldn't help but feel a tremor of unease; Kisame's chakra level was staggering, even by Kage standards.
"Looks like it's feeding time." Kisame smirked, biting his thumb and slamming it to the ground. "Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks"
From the frothing water around him, a thousand massive, spectral sharks appeared, their eyes glinting hungrily as they circled in the churning waves.
The beasts surged toward Gojo, their maws wide and dripping, a relentless wall of teeth and chakra absorption—anything they touched would be sucked dry. The Seventh Squad collectively held their breath.
But despite the incoming mass, Gojo stood there, calm and relaxed as ever, a lollipop in hand, just a slight smirk playing on his lips.
"Oh, so that's your big move?" he mused. "Guess I should show you something in return."
Without even a flicker of effort, the entire swarm of sharks stopped in their tracks, as if they'd hit an invisible wall around Gojo.
"What the…?" Kisame's smirk faltered. "How's he blocking them?"
"I really thought you'd know better, but sure, I'll let you in on it." Gojo said, raising a single hand. "Let me spell it out: the distance between us? Infinite."
The Seventh Squad looked equally confused and mesmerized, staring at him like he was some kind of supernatural being.
Gojo stifled a laugh at their puzzled expressions. "Think of it like this: the closer something gets to me, the more it has to slow down. Simple, right?"
Naruto blinked. "Wait... what?"
Kisame gritted his teeth, glaring at the smirking Gojo. "Infinite distance? Is this guy for real?"
Gojo shrugged, his face blank and breezy. "You're welcome to test it, but so far, you're not looking too good in this."
"You arrogant little…" Kisame, thoroughly unamused, thrust Samehada forward, gathering the sharks around him as he prepared to launch a second attack. This time, he'd throw everything he had into it.
But Gojo barely seemed to notice. "Haven't you noticed yet? All that big talk, but not one of your attacks has touched me. Face it—you're just out of your league."
That was the last straw. Kisame lunged forward, unleashing his massive chakra reserves into a single, colossal shark made from the very water around him. "Let's see you dodge this!"
Gojo watched, entertained, as the shark hurtled toward him. The park trembled under the weight of Kisame's attack, but Gojo didn't flinch.
Without a word, Gojo raised his fingers, channeling dark energy. "Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue." he muttered.
The air exploded as an invisible barrier surged forward from Gojo, slamming into Kisame's attack. The colossal shark dissipated into nothing.
When the dust settled, Gojo stood at the center of a crater, the remnants of Kisame's attack utterly obliterated. "Not bad, but really—got anything else interesting to throw at me?"
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
Naruto was the first to break the silence. "Gojo-sensei, how are you doing that? All that, and you didn't even move!"
Gojo chuckled, pulling his lollipop from his mouth. "Naruto, you'll understand one day—it's all about the little things. Just keep watching."
From the shadows, Itachi stepped forward, his Sharingan gleaming like a blood-red moon. "So it's true... the Gojo clan techniques are as dangerous as the rumors say."
Gojo raised an eyebrow, amused. "Well, fancy seeing you here, Itachi. So, what's the move? You ready to call it quits, or do you want me to give you both a proper beating?"
Kisame's face twisted in rage. "You think this is over, Gojo?"
Gojo grinned wider, his sunglasses glinting. "Buddy, we haven't even started."