"Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"
Kisame's hands blurred through seals at incredible speed. After taking that kick from Naruto, he'd abandoned any notion of treating this opponent as a child.
What kind of kid kicks a jōnin hard enough to make him cough blood?!
The technique completed in an instant. A shark-shaped projectile of condensed chakra materialized before him, then shot toward Naruto at high velocity.
Kisame didn't even need to aim. Naruto's twenty-meter frame made missing impossible even with his eyes closed.
Naruto watched the approaching attack with mild interest. The shark shape was quite appealing, actually. Looked almost edible. Unfortunately, it was just chakra.
He let the water bomb crash into his chest. It splashed harmlessly against his skin, breaking apart into droplets that trickled down his torso.
Then he took another step toward Kisame.
"What?!" Kisame stared in horror. His technique had landed perfectly but accomplished nothing. This isn't human. This can't be human.
Each step Naruto took made the ground tremble slightly. An invisible pressure radiated from the giant, crushing down on Kisame until even breathing became difficult.
The strangest part—Kisame couldn't sense any chakra fluctuation from Naruto at all.
No. I can't just defend. That's not my style. Itachi-san gave me a job. I have to complete it.
Gritting his teeth, Kisame's hands flew through another sequence.
"Water Style: Great Shark Bomb Technique!"
"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"
"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"
"Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"
Four jutsu in rapid succession. The Great Shark Bomb created a massive chakra-absorbing projectile that would normally grow larger by draining the opponent's energy. But Kisame knew Naruto had no chakra to absorb—this was just a distraction, something to draw attention while he executed the real strategy.
As the super-sized shark bomb launched, Kisame completed the Water Prison seals. Not one prison, but two. The first sphere of water rushed toward Naruto, designed to trap and immobilize. The second formed around Kisame himself, a protective barrier.
Then came the third Water Shark Bullet, but this time Kisame didn't fire it as an attack. Instead, he wrapped himself in the shark-shaped water and used it to glide through the air, gaining altitude and distance.
Four consecutive techniques left him slightly winded. But he couldn't stop. The giant shark bomb and first water prison were already acting on Naruto's position.
Naruto paused, seemingly bound by the water prison's sphere.
Kisame, gliding above, saw this and allowed himself a tight smile. Success. Now to follow up with something stronger.
"Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Without hesitation, Kisame opened his mouth and released a torrent like an ocean wave. The goal wasn't to kill Naruto—Kisame had already realized that might be impossible—but to at least inflict some damage.
Mid-technique, he heard a muffled crack from below.
Then he saw a hand the size of a barn door punch through his water prison like it was tissue paper. The giant palm reached up casually toward his water torrent.
SPLASH!
One swipe scattered the massive jet completely, turning it to harmless spray.
Kisame refused to give up. He forced more water from his mouth, redoubling the pressure.
It meant nothing. No matter how much water Kisame expelled, Naruto's hand swept through it effortlessly, breaking apart each attack and sending it splashing to the ground as rain.
This is pointless.
Kisame ripped Samehada from his back and dove directly at Naruto, abandoning ninjutsu for close combat.
As he closed the distance, Kisame's pupils constricted.
Naruto was walking out of the water prison. Just walking, as if passing through a curtain. The moment he cleared it, the entire sphere collapsed, water flooding across the ground.
Then Naruto raised one hand and swung it toward Kisame.
It was a gentle motion. Almost lazy.
Every hair on Kisame's body stood on end. His heart stopped mid-beat. His pupils locked forward, unable to look away.
I'm going to die.
The thought cut through his mind with absolute certainty.
Wind pressure built ahead of the palm. The air itself seemed to flee from that approaching hand. Sound vanished. The entire space became vacuum, suffocation wrapping around Kisame like a shroud.
He struggled internally, trying desperately to move, to dodge, to do anything. But his thoughts felt trapped, his body frozen in place.
"No! I can't die!"
Kisame's mind screamed denial. He couldn't die here. He still had missions to do with Itachi. They'd agreed to work together for—
For life.
Maybe it was the desperate desire to survive, or maybe just stubborn will, but Kisame managed to force his eyes to move. He glanced toward Itachi and Sasuke's battle.
Sasuke had just pulled the streetlamp from the ground.
Itachi-san. I'm sorry. I can't accompany you on missions anymore. Can't dig any more holes for your streetlamps.
The thought drifted through his mind with surprising calm.
Then memories came flooding back, playing like scenes from a film.
Their first meeting. Kisame had deliberately mocked Itachi for killing his own clan, testing him, nearly starting a fight. At the time, Kisame had thought pairing with this particular partner was the worst luck of his life.
But during their missions together, he'd discovered the truth: Itachi was reliable. The kind of partner you could trust with your back in any situation.
Over time, Kisame had developed genuine respect. Even admiration.
He'd also discovered Itachi's secret—the way Itachi's face would twist with guilt when standing beneath streetlamps in the dark. The man felt genuine remorse for killing his clan. Kisame had never mentioned it, never brought it up. Some scars shouldn't be exposed.
Best partner I ever had. I wish I could have stayed with you longer, Itachi.
But I'm glad I met you.
That was Kisame's final thought, compressed into a fraction of a second as the palm descended.
First, the water prison shield disintegrated under the pressure. Then the shark bomb protecting him. Then—
Kisame Hoshigaki's body atomized into red mist.
The wind blew. The blood mist dispersed.
Only Samehada remained, lying quiet on the ground, proof that Kisame had existed at all.
Naruto lowered his hand without watching Kisame's end. His attention had already shifted to Sasuke's battle.
He saw Sasuke raise the streetlamp with both hands, aiming it at Itachi.
"Itachi! Stand up straight!"
As if controlled by invisible strings, Itachi's feet moved on their own. He jumped and landed perfectly balanced on top of the lamp.
The instant he settled into position, Sasuke launched his strongest attack.
"Rasengan!"