The water shark and Samehada both opened their massive jaws, unleashing two laser-like attacks that surged forward with ferocious intensity.
One from above, one from below, they collided in midair!
Zzt! Zzt!
There was no explosive impact.
Faced with the combined assault of Hikari and Orochimaru, the water shark had little chance to resist. In an instant, its head was pierced clean through by the laser-like attack.
Hikari and Orochimaru poured their chakra relentlessly into the onslaught. The water stream and sword's edge, brimming with lethal intent, zeroed in on Kisame Hoshigaki's forehead and the chakra core at his heart.
They targeted his vital points—defend one, and he'd die from the other.
"Hmph!"
Kisame Hoshigaki showed no fear, flashing a shark-like grin with his pointed teeth. With one hand, he swung Samehada horizontally in front of him.
"Rrrgh…"
Samehada's body suddenly swelled, its spines bristling as it grew from just over two meters to a monstrous shark-like form over ten meters long.
Twisting its massive body to shield Kisame, it opened its gaping maw and bit down on the water stream aimed at his forehead.
Clang!
A piercing metallic clash echoed through the sky.
Boom!
The giant shark exploded into countless water droplets, the terrifying shockwave sending fine rain-like pellets shooting outward like stones.
Hikari's eyes flickered.
The invisible wind swirling around her body shredded the water curtain into mist. As the shockwave dispersed the fog outward, it revealed a massive, looming black shadow behind it.
Orochimaru's slit-pupil eyes narrowed.
Clenching the Kusanagi Sword in his mouth, he thrust it forward with all his might, but no matter how much force he applied, the razor-sharp blade was stuck fast in the black shadow, unable to advance an inch.
The mist fully cleared.
"Rrrgh!"
Dense, jet-black spines crisscrossed, locking the Kusanagi Sword in place. Samehada's bloodthirsty maw gaped wide, like a black hole swallowing the relentless torrent of wind and water.
The combined wind-and-water ninjutsu, capable of tearing through anything, was like mud sinking into the sea before Samehada. Before it could unleash its power, an inexplicable suction shattered it. The intricate balance of nature and shape transformation collapsed instantly, reduced to raw chakra that Samehada absorbed.
Orochimaru and Hikari's coordinated attack strategy was completely ineffective!
"Physical attacks and ninjutsu are useless."
Unscathed, Kisame grinned menacingly. He slowly channeled his chakra into Samehada, and the spines severed by the Kusanagi Sword instantly regenerated, sprouting anew from its surface.
The Kusanagi Sword was completely locked in place by the spines.
Samehada wriggled excitedly.
Hikari crushed the dry water orb in her hand. Her chakra was nearly depleted, and if Samehada kept draining her, she wouldn't be able to maintain her shadow clone's function.
Having swallowed the last of the torrent, Samehada twisted reluctantly, its massive jaws snapping as if savoring the taste.
Poof!
The locked Kusanagi Sword vanished in a puff of smoke, only to be summoned back into Orochimaru's hand.
"That blade is alive," Orochimaru rasped, his voice heavy with restraint, his brows furrowed.
Its body was so tough that even the Kusanagi Sword couldn't cut it. It could absorb chakra, rendering ninjutsu useless, heal itself, and extend its form to automatically protect its master.
Both were members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, but how could Zabuza's fragile Decapitating Carving Knife compare to this?
"They can also transfer chakra to each other, and genjutsu is ineffective too," Hikari said, her Byakugan observing the Yin chakra transformation in Orochimaru's body. She spoke up to stop him, saving him some chakra.
"Well said!"
Kisame hoisted Samehada onto his shoulder, pride radiating from him.
Ever since he received Samehada from Lord Madara, it was as if he'd found the other half of his soul. Man and blade were perfectly in sync, like natural partners.
His vast chakra reserves could feed the gluttonous Samehada, which in turn compensated for his weaknesses. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu—all were ineffective against him.
It had forcibly elevated him, a mere elite Jonin with exceptional water ninjutsu and chakra reserves, to a top-tier powerhouse rivaling the Kage of the Five Great Villages.
Samehada's aid was beyond imagination.
"Looks like we'll have to try sealing techniques," Orochimaru sighed helplessly.
The Impure World Reincarnation lacked materials and a vessel, and the current technique was flawed, unable to fully unleash the resurrected's power.
The Eight-Headed Serpent Technique would also be devoured by Samehada's chakra absorption, making it ineffective against Kisame.
He couldn't rely on Yato behind him either.
His infrared-enhanced body sensed that Yato's energy was nearly depleted, likely drained heavily by that monstrous blade. Yato had essentially lost all combat ability.
As expected, anyone partnered with an Uchiha wasn't to be underestimated.
While Kisame's abilities weren't as unpredictable as the Mangekyo Sharingan, his chakra absorption perfectly countered Orochimaru's arsenal of secret techniques. The Akatsuki's decision to send Kisame and Itachi Uchiha to capture him was no coincidence.
If there was no other way, he might have to sacrifice a pawn to save the king.
Thinking of the mysterious orb in his stomach, Orochimaru felt a surge of reluctance but was powerless.
"I don't think that's necessary," Hikari said.
"What?"
Orochimaru, out of options, turned to Hikari. Did she have a way to deal with this enemy?
Ignoring his confusion, Hikari stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him, raising one hand.
Her illusory heart pulsed faintly, channeling her dwindling chakra through her meridians to her fingertips. A faint purple glow appeared on her slender fingers.
Kisame's eyes narrowed, aiming Samehada at Hikari.
He'd been wary of the shadowy figure behind Orochimaru from the start. Her unique chakra always made him uneasy—familiar and familial, yet it instilled a deep, primal fear, as if one misstep would see him devoured.
Like now!
Kisame shuddered, his heart pounding. A massive chunk of his chakra vanished inexplicably, leaving him momentarily exhausted.
Was it her?
Kisame instinctively glanced at the purple glow on her fingers, but tracing the flow of his chakra, he pinpointed the true culprit.
"Samehada!"
His furious roar shook the air.
"Rrrgh!"
Samehada, obediently perched on Kisame's shoulder, quietly lowered its head. Its massive maw had, at some point, turned toward Kisame's back.
Realizing its master had noticed, Samehada's hilt sprouted sharp spines.
"Arghhh!"
Kisame roared in pain, enduring the sting of his pierced palm as he kicked the traitorous Samehada away.
"Rrrgh!"
Splash!
Samehada's massive body crashed into the water, sending waves everywhere. Shaking its head, it dragged its long hilt behind it, swimming swiftly to Hikari's feet like a fish.
It retracted its spines obediently, tilting its head up, its gaping maw aimed at the purple glow on Hikari's fingertips, drool dripping from its jaws.
"You bastard!"
Kisame's eyes were bloodshot, clutching his bleeding hand.
Seeing his partner betray him and grovel at the enemy's feet, he felt both humiliated and betrayed.
"Good boy," Hikari said, her eyes curving into crescents. She tapped Samehada's forehead with her purple-glowing finger, feeding it her chakra. Her gamble with the high-pressure water blade had paid off—Samehada, craving high-quality chakra, had indeed switched sides.
Samehada's essence was tied to the Three-Tails' subordinate, and it craved high-quality tailed beast chakra above all.
While Hikari's chakra was far less abundant than Kisame's, its quality—infused with the power of both the Three-Tails and Nine-Tails—was unmatched by few in the ninja world.
If Kisame's chakra was like filling, cheap fried chicken, Hikari's was a meticulously crafted, exquisite abalone dish.
It wasn't as filling.
But its flavor was beyond anything Kisame could offer.
A droplet of purple chakra entered Samehada's maw. Savoring it, Samehada shook its head reluctantly, then turned and offered its hilt—or perhaps its tail—to Hikari's hand.
She gripped Samehada's hilt.
Whoosh!
Like a river's flow, a terrifying yet pure chakra surged through her palm. The chakra core in her heart rejoiced, greedily absorbing and converting it. Deep, violet chakra erupted wildly within her.
Zzt! Zzt!
A violent armor of lightning crackled across her body, and the scarlet tailed beast cloak enveloped her, radiating an eerie aura. Dark clouds swirled furiously in the sky, and a storm of wind and rain tilted toward Hikari.
"Tailed Beast Cloak!" *2
Kisame and Orochimaru's golden eyes widened simultaneously. Orochimaru, standing closer, quickly darted aside to avoid Hikari potentially losing control.
Bloop! Bloop! Bloop!
Transparent bubbles rose.
Wrapped in lightning and red light, boundless power coursed through her. With Samehada replenishing her chakra, Hikari felt invigorated.
Absorbing such a massive influx of foreign chakra in a short time filled her to the brim, her body swelling with power. Backed by Samehada's stored chakra, she had surpassed her original limits, temporarily stepping into Kage-level strength!
Though this chakra would deplete quickly, she was intoxicated by the overwhelming power.
This was what she'd always pursued.
The one thing that gave her a sense of security—power!
The tide had turned too quickly.
Orochimaru, watching from a distance, was still reeling.
He'd thought the enemy was invincible, planning to try sealing techniques or, if necessary, sacrifice a pawn. But then the enemy's blade inexplicably turned on its master.
The chakra-devouring monster fish swam to Yato's side, fawning like a dog. His teammate, who'd been quietly conserving energy and only used one ninjutsu, suddenly erupted with astonishing chakra.
And she was a Jinchuriki!
Which tailed beast, he didn't know. Konoha only had the Nine-Tails, and by his calculations, the child sealed with the Nine-Tails would be about six years old now.
Looking at Hikari's small frame, Orochimaru had his suspicions.
Entrusting the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to Danzo for training—had his teacher lost his mind?
"Hiss! Yato, are you still in control?"
Orochimaru's raspy, magnetic voice snapped Hikari out of her immersion in boundless power.
"Don't worry," she said.
Lightning and the tailed beast cloak intertwined, the blue-white arcs tinged with an eerie scarlet from the tailed beast's power. Her body thrummed with vigorous chakra and strength.
Hoisting the massive Samehada onto her shoulder, she turned to face Kisame, whose eyes burned with murderous intent.
"Ready for round two?"
"Damn you!!"
Kisame roared, slamming his hands together. Though Samehada had drained nearly a third of his chakra, his eruption was still ferocious.
"Die!"
Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!
A colossal shark, nearly a hundred meters tall, formed beneath his feet, swallowing Kisame whole before charging at Hikari with its gaping maw.
Staring at the shark, growing larger like a missile, Hikari remained calm.
Having read the original story and with her Byakugan's insight, Kisame's abilities were as clear to her as a spotless window.
The Great Shark Bullet Technique was Kisame's ultimate move, a powerful ninjutsu that absorbed an enemy's chakra-infused attacks, growing stronger.
Beyond its special effects, its raw power and destructive force were staggering.
Before, she'd had no way to counter it, only able to flee with the speed of her Lightning Release chakra mode.
But now—
Whoosh!
Samehada, itching to take a bite of the tailed beast cloak, was pulled away from Hikari's body, its maw aimed at the incoming giant shark bullet.
"Samehada!"
Hikari's clear voice echoed through the air—her new master's call!
Delicious purple chakra flowed through the hilt into its body.
"Rrrgh!"
Samehada's body swelled excitedly, its spines bristling, forming a massive sword over ten meters long.
Zzt! Zzt! Zzt!
Scarlet lightning surged across her body, her muscles taut as a bow. Hikari gripped Samehada's hilt with both hands, holding it aloft.
She struck a stance like a baseball player.
Countless forces merged, her muscles and bones resonating as one!
The taut sinews and rigid bones supported the flow of power.
Hikari's eyes turned cold.
Swing!!
Whoosh!
Samehada sliced through the air at blinding speed.
The terrifying force shattered the pouring rain, and Samehada, with boundless power, collided head-on with Kisame's water shark.
Boom!!
A deafening explosion shook the air.
At the moment of impact, a crescent-shaped shockwave rippled outward, blasting the misty rain apart, splashing like a waterfall.
Step! Step! Step!
Orochimaru's feet carved lotus-like ripples in the water as his black hair whipped wildly. Shielding his face with one hand, he retreated frantically, the splashing droplets stinging his palm like pebbles.
Only when he was far from the blast's center did he steady himself.
Lowering his hand, he looked up.
Amid swirling black clouds, lightning flashed, and the rain and white mist blended indistinguishably.
At the center of the mountaintop lake…
A petite figure wrapped in scarlet lightning held a giant blade, pinning down the figure before her. The eerie owl mask remained calm and pristine.
Kisame, blood trickling from his mouth, knelt half-collapsed, his tattered clothes soaked. His bloodied hands struggled to hold Samehada, his body trembling.
"Arghhh!"
Veins bulged on his forehead, his biceps straining, but he couldn't withstand the overwhelming force pouring from Samehada.
Samehada's maw bit into Kisame's shoulder.
As the last of his chakra was drained, the weakened Kisame could no longer resist. Crushed by the giant blade, he collapsed face-first into the water, unable to move.
The battle was decided.
Orochimaru let out a slow breath.
Looking at the figure with surging chakra, three faint tails shimmering behind her, his golden snake eyes were no longer dismissive—replaced by deep wariness.
Possessing tailed beast power and now wielding that eerie blade, she was no longer someone he could underestimate.
If before he'd shown her respect for the sake of Ryoma Aburame and Danzo's disciple, now he was genuinely shaken by her power.
At such a young age, with such strength—what would she become when her chakra core matured?
A Ninja God?
Orochimaru shook his head, not daring to entertain the thought.
Thankfully, Ryoma had intervened in time, or he'd have gained another formidable enemy.
Stopping the monstrously powerful Uchiha and preemptively handling a major threat—Orochimaru felt a surge of gratitude toward his old partner.
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