"Not good!" Kisame Hoshigaki's eyes widened. Without hesitation, he burst chakra beneath his feet and shot upward through the water.
Almost the instant he began to rise, a murderous light flared in his eyes. His hands flashed through seals beneath the surface. "Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!"
Hundreds—no, thousands—of water sharks surged forth, their jaws wide open as they collided head-on with the wooden spears closing in from all directions.
Crash!
The water sharks and wooden spears clashed head-on, ripping into each other in a frenzy. Splashes and splinters burst everywhere, turning the entire area into a chaotic maelstrom.
The struggle lasted only a few moments. Kisame's Thousand Feeding Sharks were completely overwhelmed by the endless barrage of spears, thinning out before his very eyes.
'How is it this fast?!' Panic gripped Kisame Hoshigaki.
"Futile," Tejima Shinichi muttered coldly. From within the rapidly expanding forest, he pressed his palms tightly together, summoning an even wilder force. "Expand!"
Boom!
A deep roar erupted beneath the water. In an instant, the massive tree within the sphere swelled again at an impossible speed, surging forward to crush Kisame.
Kisame kicked upward. Though the Thousand Feeding Sharks had been destroyed, they had bought him precious time. He had already fused completely with Samehada, transforming into a shark-like hybrid.
Man and blade as one.
Facing the surging timber, he no longer tried to evade. His hands came together in a final seal at his chest.
"Water Release: Super Shark Bomb Jutsu!"
The surrounding lake water rapidly condensed, forming a house-sized chakra shark. Its fangs gleamed as violent energy churned around its massive body.
"Devour him!" Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, his eyes locked onto Tejima Shinichi.
"Super Shark Bomb isn't an ordinary jutsu—it feeds on its opponent's chakra. The stronger your technique, the stronger it becomes! And you, Tejima Shinichi… your chakra far surpasses mine. What will you do? Use an even stronger ninjutsu? If you do… you're finished!"
Below, Shinichi tilted his head slightly, watching the savage chakra shark tear through the water. There wasn't a trace of panic on his face—only a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Super Shark Bomb… a technique that grows stronger by devouring strength. Impressive," he said calmly. His gaze remained steady, unshaken. "But after all this… haven't you realized?"
"My Wood Release… is purely physical force."
With that, Tejima Shinichi dropped his stance and slammed his palms together.
"Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!"
Boom!
The lake's surface exploded as a colossal wooden figure surged up beneath him. The moment it rose, it drew back its arm, fingers tightening into a massive fist, and drove it straight into the diving shark.
Crash!
White shockwaves rippled outward from the impact.
But the expected scene never came. Instead of devouring chakra, the shark's fangs scraped harshly against the wooden fist, producing a grating screech—unable to absorb even the slightest trace of chakra.
Pure physical force. The Super Shark Bomb's absorption was completely nullified!
'What? The Super Shark Bomb didn't grow... it can't absorb his chakra?!' Beneath the water, Kisame felt his breath hitch. The savage grin on his face froze, quickly replaced by stunned disbelief.
Crack!
A sharp fracture echoed through the lake. The shark's head split under the crushing force of the wooden fist, cracks racing across its fluid body.
The next instant—
Boom!
The Super Shark Bomb detonated, water exploding in all directions.
Yet the wooden golem's fist barely slowed. Carrying terrifying residual force, it tore through the spray and turbulence, driving straight toward the stunned Kisame.
"No!"
Thwack!
A heavy, muffled impact echoed as Kisame Hoshigaki was struck head-on by the colossal wooden fist. The force was overwhelming—like a mountain collapsing onto him. Samehada let out a sharp wail as it was forcibly torn away, man and blade sent flying like a kite with its string cut.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
They tore through three half-submerged tree trunks in succession, their momentum barely slowing, before slamming into the muddy forest beyond. A long trench was carved into the ground, mud and splinters blasting skyward.
Without Kisame's support, the giant water sphere collapsed, a deluge of water and wood chips gushing everywhere. What remained was a tangled forest of warped trees—and a towering wooden colossus standing dozens of meters tall.
On a distant branch, Itachi Uchiha watched the entire fight through his three-tomoe Sharingan. His brows slowly furrowed.
Too fast.
From the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave, to the collapse of the Thousand Feeding Sharks, to Kisame's fusion with Samehada, the release of the Super Shark Bomb… and finally being blown away by the wooden golem—
It had all unfolded in mere moments.
'Our intel was lacking. Kisame's tactics were completely countered,' Itachi Uchiha analyzed silently. 'The Super Shark Bomb's absorption is useless against purely physical Wood Release—that was the decisive flaw. But more importantly…'
His gaze lifted toward the figure standing atop the wooden giant.
'Tejima Shinichi's raw power far surpasses Kisame's.'
Meanwhile, in the trench carved through the forest, the churning mud slowly began to settle.
Kisame Hoshigaki lay flat at the bottom of the pit, staring upward. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth. His shredded clothing exposed skin mottled in bruised purples and greens.
He tried to move a finger—
A surge of searing pain shot through his body. Every bone felt shattered.
He couldn't get up.
"Cough... cough..." He spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged foam. The murderous glint in his eyes was now clouded with shock—and defeat.
That punch... had been way too heavy.
'The Super Shark Bomb absorbed most of the impact. Otherwise…' Another cough cut him off, more blood bubbling up, though it let him draw a steadier breath.
Just then, a soft splash sounded nearby.
Samehada, thrown aside earlier, trembled as thin tendrils slipped from beneath its bandages. It dragged itself forward, hopping awkwardly until it reached Kisame's side, gently tapping his arm with its handle.
Bzzt.
A steady flow of chakra passed from Samehada into Kisame's body. His agony eased slightly; broken bones began to mend under the chakra's influence, and his strength slowly returned.
Kisame drew a deep breath and sat up in the mud. He wiped the blood from his lips and looked past the devastated forest toward the top of the towering wooden golem.
"Heh heh heh..." His chest heaved. After a few strained breaths, he bared his bloodstained shark teeth in a hoarse laugh. "As expected… of the genius who managed to capture Orochimaru alive…"
Hearing this, Tejima Shinichi looked down at him and spoke calmly...
"It seems your water isn't enough to cage my Wood Release."
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