As Deidara and Kisame squared off on the ocean's surface, Sasori, piloting Hiruko, hurried to the scene. Before their departure, the Leader had specifically sent Konan to warn them about Kisame. Now, the warning was proving its worth.
"Fire Style! Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A scorching fireball came hurtling toward Hiruko from behind. Sasori quickly maneuvered aside and turned to face Uchiha Itachi.
"Uchiha Itachi, are you betraying the Akatsuki too?" Sasori questioned coldly.
I've been a spy from the start!
Though he couldn't make out the argument on the ocean's surface from this distance, Itachi's objective was clear. Anything to slow down the Akatsuki's collection of Tailed Beasts was fine by him. From a personal standpoint, even if it was a petty squabble, his allegiance was with Kisame.
"Sasori, let them settle this themselves," Itachi said calmly.
With a flick of his wrist, Sasori unsealed several scrolls. Puppets, including the Third Kazekage, members of the Hozuki clan, and a few other exceptional human puppets, emerged, forming a tight encirclement around Itachi.
"My puppets don't fear your genjutsu, Uchiha Itachi," Sasori said menacingly.
Itachi scanned his surroundings, his face devoid of emotion. "Then let's see."
On the ocean's surface, Deidara created hundreds of clay sea serpents that slithered swiftly through the water, surging toward Kisame.
Kisame, unfazed, slung Samehada over his back and began forming hand seals.
"When it comes to creating living things, I'm pretty skilled too!"
"Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!"
From Kisame's position, countless blue sharks emerged, surging forward. These weren't disposable summons like Orochimaru's creations but water bullets molded into sharks by Kisame's chakra. Their sinister expressions and razor-sharp teeth were a testament to their deadly nature.
"Ha!"
Explosions echoed across the ocean as hundreds of sharks were obliterated. Even so, nearly half of them survived, continuing their relentless pursuit of Deidara.
"Deidara, you're getting tired, aren't you?" Kisame taunted.
"Surely, you're not struggling with this, are you?"
Kisame refrained from pressing the attack, his lack of hostility offering Deidara a momentary reprieve. The artist, now short on energy, was in no condition to continue fighting.
"Don't underestimate me!" Deidara yelled.
"C1: Sea Serpent Swarm!"
From Deidara's hands poured a new wave of clay sea serpents, smaller in size but far more numerous. They surged forth, countering Kisame's sharks.
Boom! Boom!
The Thousand Feeding Sharks and Deidara's serpents annihilated each other, leaving nothing but void in their wake. Deidara retreated to his clay bird, ascending to the skies to board his C2 Dragon. After the battle with Yagura, his dragon had shrunk to a third of its original size, with only a fraction of its dragon swarm left intact.
"Kisame, if you can take down my clay dragon, Yagura is yours," Deidara challenged.
"Easy."
Grinning widely, Kisame reached behind to grab Samehada. With a flick, the bandages unraveled, revealing a grotesque, toothy maw and a spiked body—the weapon's true form.
"Krk! Krk! Krk!"
Samehada trembled with eagerness, emitting a guttural sound.
"Oh? Feeling excited?" Kisame chuckled, patting the sentient sword.
"Too bad this opponent won't be to your taste. You'll be disappointed."
Above, the remnants of Deidara's dragon swarm dove toward Kisame in a synchronized assault.
With a quick set of hand seals, six enormous water dragons erupted around Kisame, leaping into the air to intercept.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"This feels so odd. Using jutsu instead of slicing things up with Samehada... I'll never get used to it," Kisame muttered.
He glanced at the high-flying Deidara and smirked.
"At this height, I should be able to pull it off."
"With this much water to work with, the possibilities are endless."
Clapping his hands together, Kisame executed his next technique.
"Water Style! Great Exploding Water Shockwave!"
An enormous torrent of water burst from his mouth, forming a colossal, oval-shaped water prison that extended high into the sky, enveloping the entire battlefield, including Deidara's dragon.
Unreal!
Deidara's heart sank. Even after seeing this in the anime during his past life, experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely.
If raw ninjutsu were the measure, even Madara might struggle to surpass Kisame's Water Style.
If Kisame had a system tracking shock value, it would undoubtedly be blaring with notifications.
"It's coming, Deidara!" Kisame yelled, opting not to fuse with Samehada. Instead, he gripped the sword tightly and swam upward with startling speed.
Underwater, Deidara scrambled. His dragon tried to ascend, attempting to escape the water prison, while he hurriedly crafted new clay bombs.
"C2: Twin Dragons!"
Two clay dragons, modeled after the Water Dragon Bullet technique, coiled together in a Twin Dragon formation and dove toward Kisame.
"A knight fighting dragons? How poetic!" Kisame quipped, his sharp humor suggesting he'd spent far too much time goofing off with Itachi at movie theaters.
Swinging Samehada, Kisame sliced clean through one of the dragons with a single strike, sending it crumbling into two pieces.
Boom!
The other dragon exploded, the force of the blast propelling water currents toward Kisame. But as the surge reached him, Kisame extended his left hand, effortlessly splitting the water to avoid harm.
"I know explosions are stronger underwater," Kisame said.
"But my Water Style jutsu can neutralize the shockwaves easily."
"It's far more efficient than fighting in open air, Deidara!" Kisame grinned.
How is he so knowledgeable?
Deidara was stunned. Kisame not only understood the science of underwater explosions but also knew how to counteract them. This beast of a man knows more about science than I do!
With the water prison centered around Kisame, Deidara couldn't outpace him. Exhausted and running low on clay, he reached into his pouch and pulled out his trump card.
From the bag emerged a pre-crafted clay octopus, infused with chakra. In an instant, it expanded into a massive deep-sea creature, blocking Kisame's advance.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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