On the screen—
Guy's eyes had shifted from red to pure white as he stared directly at Kisame beneath his feet.
"Don't move."
At that moment, Kisame's right hand, submerged in the water, twitched slightly.
BOOM!
But Guy reacted faster than him, instantly landing a punch to Kisame's gut, sending water splashing several meters high.
"I thought I told you not to move!"
In an instant, Kisame's whole body bent like a shrimp, blood spilling from his mouth.
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Akatsuki Hideout]
Deidara remarked with some emotion: "Kisame, this guy really is your natural counter. Though you're good at dealing with close-combat shinobis, but who would've thought this guy uses just pure Taijutsu!"
Meanwhile, Kisame had already straightened up in his seat, staring blankly at himself on the screen.
He felt… that even with prior intel, he still wouldn't be a match for Guy. After all, the version of himself on the screen had the home-field advantage—fighting in the ocean—and still couldn't beat Guy. Anywhere else, he'd stand even less of a chance.
This "Odd Beast" really was formidable!
Super Kage-level!
No… according to the Sky Screen, the Daytime Tiger could repel even a Six Paths-level fighter. So, losing to a Jutsu like that wasn't really shameful.
Now, thinking back to how he'd been itching to go pick a fight with him… Kisame shook his head slightly.
It was a good thing the screen had revealed this intel in advance, otherwise he'd have walked right into it.
Still, with someone like that around, how were Obito and Nagato supposed to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan?
After all, capturing the Tailed Beasts would inevitably mean clashing with Konoha. But as long as this guy was around, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki would be absolutely untouchable.
Comparing the intel, Nagato definitely couldn't beat Guy with seven gates open. His Shinra Tensei had been broken through by both Naruto and the rampaging Nine-Tails. So, against the Daytime Tiger, a Jutsu that could repel a Six Paths-level fighter, he'd stand even less of a chance.
Moreover, Nagato's body seemed to be a problem too; he couldn't fight prolonged battles.
What about Obito then?
Kisame turned his gaze toward Obito in the distance.
Soon, he shook his head again.
Although the space-time Mangekyō ability was troublesome, and in a surprise attack Guy could definitely lose, but in a head-on fight against a Taijutsu specialist like him, Obito probably wouldn't fare well either.
Troublesome.
---
[Land of Rain. Amegakure, Tall Tower]
Nagato, who had long since calmed down, stared fixedly at Guy on the screen.
Eight Gates… huh?
And Guy with the Seventh Gate open could actually repel Six Paths-level Madara?
Nagato committed the Jutsu firmly to memory. Unfortunately, his body was already too damaged to learn it. If only Guy could be brought under his control.
As for the Eye of the Moon Plan… if it really couldn't be done, then so be it. After all, that was Obito's plan anyway.
Furthermore, once Naruto grows up, he will defeat numerous Six Paths-level enemies and save the world, and the Shinobi World would maintain peace for a period of time.
His own goal now was to first make Amegakure prosper on a foundation of stability. At the very least ensuring it wouldn't become the ruined mess it was in the future.
Gradually, through the information from the Sky Screen and the reality of the situation, the thoughts in Nagato's mind began to shift.
---
[Konoha, Hokage Office]
Tsunade leaned on the desk with one hand, watching the man glowing blue on the screen, destroying a giant shark with a single punch.
"Guy... his Taijutsu truly is ridiculously strong. Daytime Tiger… not a bad name either."
Hiruzen, seated across from her, nodded. "Indeed. But it seems we underestimated Guy's strength before. The Eight Gates' upper limit is extremely high."
"I've been training it recently myself, but… perhaps I'm too old, and my body's strength has declined. My progress hasn't been great."
"Heh—old man, what are you trying to prove at your age? Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Even Guy's father, Might Duy, couldn't have matched Guy's Seventh Gate even with all Eight Gates open, no?"
"True…" Hiruzen sighed. If only he had learned the Eight Gates when he was young. "Still, that child Lee seems to have the same talent as Guy. He's worth cultivating properly."
"Mm. We can allocate more resources to Team 3 and let them train in peace." Tsunade replied. She knew that besides Lee, Neji was also practicing it.
And knowing the full story, she understood Neji's motivations, but she didn't think much of it. If Neji could break the Hyūga's main-branch and branch-family system, all the better. It would effectively abolish the Hyūga clan's "nation within a nation" status.
---
[Land of Waves, Tazuna's House]
Kakashi looked at Guy on the screen, recalling how this man used to walk around the village on his hands, run endless laps, and every time they met, give a thumbs-up, flash his white teeth, and shout about youth with burning passion.
'Guy… he really is something.'
With just the Seventh Gate open, he'd reached Super Kage-level. If he opened all Eight Gates…
No wonder the Sky Screen called him the only true "god" before the Fourth Great Ninja War. In other words, Guy was currently the strongest in the Shinobi World?
Then thinking about himself—barely Elite Jōnin and not even Kage-level—it was honestly embarrassing.
'Father… you were right. He really did surpass me.'
The corners of Kakashi's mouth curled up slightly; he wasn't discouraged at all, just genuinely happy for Guy.
On the screen, the scene continued.
Kisame had already been firmly restrained by Yamato, his head and hands bound, while Yamashiro began extracting intelligence from his brain.
But mid-investigation, Kisame bit his own tongue and regained consciousness.
"Hahahaha…"
A flashback of Obito speaking to a younger Kisame about the Eye of the Moon Plan appeared.
"I want to see it too…" As Kisame continued to exert force, the restraints binding him actually broke apart.
"Water Prison Jutsu!" He pressed his palms together, instantly encasing himself in a water prison, then summoned two sharks.
At this point, though blood continued to spill from his mouth, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
'Itachi-san, it's just like you said. No matter who you are... you do not know what kind of person you are until the very end.'
'Itachi-san… did you also realize the kind of person you were... at the moment of your death?'
Suddenly, the water prison turned from clear to murky as blood stained everything.
[Speaking of which, the duo of Kisame and Itachi was truly a perfect match, and not just in combat style, as one specialized in burst damage while the other in attrition.]
[But their life experiences also had similarities, and the emotions between them were complex. Itachi knew Kisame was sent by Obito to monitor him, but can anyone really say there was absolutely no camaraderie between them?]
[Definitely not. It truly echoed Itachi's own words: One realizes their true nature at the moment of death. In the end, both Itachi and Kisame saw themselves clearly and found their release.]
Across various timelines of the Shinobi World, people watched in shock as Kisame met his end in the jaws of his own summoned sharks.
This guy... was truly loyal to the end!
---
[Land of Water. Kirigakure, Mizukage's Office]
Mei stared at the final frozen frame on the screen and fell silent for a long time.
"It seems the matter of contacting Kisame will have to be set aside for now."
The others nodded.
A man with that kind of character would certainly not return.
'What a pity… such a valuable asset, and Kirigakure let him slip away with its own hands.'
*****
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