Swish!
The moment Guy's passionate declaration finished echoing across the battlefield, his figure suddenly vanished completely from Kisame's field of vision. The disappearance was so instantaneous and complete that it seemed to defy the very laws of physics, as if he had simply ceased to exist in the space where he had been standing.
Of course, Guy hadn't actually disappeared through some supernatural means – his movement had simply become so incredibly fast that normal visual perception was unable to track or process his location. The human eye, even enhanced by ninja training, had fundamental limitations when confronted with speed that exceeded certain thresholds.
"So impossibly fast!" Kisame exclaimed in genuine shock, his predatory confidence wavering for the first time in the encounter.
The speed of Guy's approach was so overwhelming that Kisame found himself with no time to form the hand seals necessary for defensive ninjutsu. In desperation, he repeatedly reached back to grab Samehada from its position strapped across his shoulders, relying on his weapon rather than technique to survive the incoming assault.
Kisame's reputation was built on more than just his chakra-absorbing blade. Although Samehada's unique ability to devour enemy chakra was certainly his most famous capability, his physical combat skills were also quite formidable and had been honed through years of deadly missions.
Just as Guy was about to reach striking distance, Kisame's trained reflexes finally kicked in with the kind of desperate speed that could only come from a lifetime of surviving impossible situations. He swung the massive wrapped sword directly downward with tremendous force, attempting to intercept Guy's charge with overwhelming power.
"Boom!"
Guy's fist collided with Samehada in a tremendous impact that sent shockwaves through the surrounding forest. The collision created a sound like thunder as supernatural physical force met legendary weapon craftsmanship.
A confident smile suddenly appeared at the corner of Kisame's mouth as he felt the contact between his weapon and his opponent. His expression carried the satisfaction of someone who believed they had just won a decisive victory.
"It turns out he's just another reckless fool after all," Kisame thought with predatory anticipation.
Samehada possessed the unique and terrifying ability to absorb chakra directly from anything it touched. If Guy thought he could survive simply by relying on the layer of green energy that surrounded his body, then he was being incredibly naive about the true capabilities of the legendary blade.
However, when Samehada made contact with Guy's chakra-enhanced form, the green light that enveloped his body showed absolutely no signs of dimming or being drained away. Instead of the expected absorption, something completely unexpected began to occur.
Samehada itself began to writhe and squirm in obvious pain and distress, making disturbing "hissing" sounds that suggested the weapon was experiencing something far outside its normal operational parameters. The legendary sword, which had devoured the chakra of countless opponents throughout its existence, was somehow being hurt by this encounter.
Kisame's eyes suddenly widened in shock and confusion as he processed what was happening. At that same critical moment, Guy's slightly bent body began to spin with fluid grace, building momentum for his next devastating attack.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!" Guy announced as he channeled the full power of his opened gates into a spinning kick technique.
Recognizing the incoming attack, Kisame desperately attempted to defend himself by swinging Samehada's blade diagonally across his body to create a barrier between himself and Guy's kick.
"Bang!"
The tremendous force generated by Guy's Sixth Gate-enhanced kick was absolutely undeniable in its power. The impact launched Kisame directly backward through the air like a projectile fired from a cannon, his body completely unable to resist the overwhelming kinetic energy.
He crashed through more than a dozen massive trees in succession, each ancient trunk splintering and exploding from the force of his passage. Finally, his flight ended when he slammed heavily into a huge boulder that had stood in the forest for centuries, the impact so severe that the solid rock developed multiple stress fractures from the residual force.
Kisame felt a distinctly sweet taste in his throat as blood began to well up from internal injuries. When he coughed, bright red foam spattered from his mouth, and his hands holding Samehada were trembling uncontrollably from the trauma. Even more disturbing was the fact that Samehada itself was still writhing and making sounds of distress.
"Why wasn't his chakra absorbed by Samehada? This should be completely impossible," Kisame murmured in disbelief, his understanding of combat fundamentals being challenged by what he had just experienced.
At that critical moment, a distinctive white form emerged from the ground beside him with the fluid movement characteristic of White Zetsu. The artificial being attached itself to Kisame's injured body and immediately began the process of healing his physical wounds through its unique regenerative abilities.
While providing medical treatment, the creature that was actually Black Zetsu spoke directly into Kisame's ear with information that would explain the mysterious circumstances.
"That individual known as Might Guy, much like his father before him, specializes exclusively in taijutsu techniques," the voice explained with clinical detachment. "Therefore, your Samehada cannot absorb his power because it's not dependent on chakra in the way that most ninja abilities are."
Kisame's expression twitched with surprise and growing comprehension as he processed this revelation. "His father possessed the same kind of abilities? There are actually people in this world whose taijutsu mastery reaches such an extraordinary level?"
"Hehe," White Zetsu suddenly chuckled, and there was something distinctly meaningful and ominous hidden within that apparently innocent sound.
"What's so amusing about this situation?" Kisame asked with growing curiosity and concern.
"You'd be wise not to pursue that line of inquiry," White Zetsu replied with obvious caution. "Lord Madara has specifically forbidden anyone from discussing that particular incident ever again."
When Might Duy had used the Eight Gates Release Formation to devastating effect against the The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path controlled by Madara on the battlefield, the regular Mist ninja forces had not yet joined the active combat. Moreover, Kisame had been quite young at that time and had not witnessed the legendary confrontation personally.
However, through the underground networks of information that connected all missing-nin and criminal organizations, Kisame had naturally heard various rumors and accounts of that battle and its shocking outcome.
He immediately began to understand the broader context of what had transpired on the coast of the Land of Fire and the true scope of the conflicts that had shaped recent ninja history.
It became clear that Madara's influence had extended much further back in time than most people realized, and that the current war was merely the culmination of plans that had been decades in the making.
"How interesting indeed," Kisame chuckled with dark appreciation for the complexity of the situation he found himself in.
Using Samehada to prop himself up from the ground where he had fallen, Kisame prepared to continue the battle with renewed understanding of his opponent's capabilities. At that moment, Guy was already rushing toward his position with the same overwhelming speed that had caught him off guard initially.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!" Kisame called out as his hands moved through the familiar sequence of seals.
He opened his mouth and released a tremendous stream of water that roared outward like an actual waterfall descending from a mountaintop. The water-style ninjutsu rushed directly toward Guy's approaching form with enough force to level buildings and reshape terrain.
On the other side of the battlefield, Nawaki and the First Mizukage had resumed their own intense water-style confrontation, turning the entire dense forest into something resembling a turbulent ocean with waves crashing between the massive trees.
The waterfall technique poured downward with devastating force, but Guy was far too experienced and agile to be caught by such a straightforward attack. He dodged with fluid grace and retreated from the immediate danger zone, his enhanced speed allowing him to stay ahead of the rushing water.
However, Kisame had anticipated this exact response and was already prepared for Guy's tactical withdrawal. The reason he had chosen to use such a large-scale but relatively slow-moving ninjutsu was not to strike Guy directly, but rather to control his movement options and force him into a predetermined position.
"Crash!"
Another tremendous volume of water gushed forth from Kisame's mouth as he executed the second phase of his tactical plan. The liquid roared forward like ocean waves, systematically blocking Guy's escape routes and herding him toward exactly where Kisame wanted him to be.
The water streams quickly gathered together with purposeful coordination, demonstrating the sophisticated level of technique mastery that had made Kisame one of the most feared water-style users in the world.
"Water Prison: Shark Chrysalis Technique!" Kisame announced as he deployed one of his most powerful and inescapable techniques.
The controlled water flow surrounded both combatants and formed an enormous elliptical water prison that sealed Kisame and Guy inside together. The technique created a completely enclosed aquatic environment where Kisame's advantages would be maximized while Guy's strengths would be severely compromised.
Within the water prison, Guy's eyes locked onto Kisame with the focused intensity of someone who understood that this battle had just become significantly more dangerous and complex.
At that moment, the Samehada in Kisame's hands began the disturbing process of gradually merging with his body. His appearance underwent a dramatic and horrifying transformation as his clothing was torn apart by his expanding physique.
Kisame's human form shifted and mutated until he had become a grotesque half-human, half-shark monster whose appearance was truly nightmarish. When he smiled at Guy through the water, his expression was indistinguishable from that of a predatory beast that had cornered its prey.
The next moment, he suddenly launched himself toward Guy through the water with the fluid grace and terrifying speed of a genuine shark in its natural element.
"Boom!"
Guy responded by swinging his fist violently and launching multiple fireball attacks toward the approaching monster, but the water pressure and resistance significantly reduced their speed and effectiveness compared to his normal aerial combat capabilities.
Kisame easily avoided the slower-moving projectiles with the aquatic maneuverability that his transformation had granted him, weaving between the attacks like a predator playing with its prey.
"What a terrifying transformation," Guy observed with genuine concern as he watched Kisame swimming toward him through the firelight with movements that seemed more animal than human.
Guy could feel his physical strength beginning to drain away rapidly as the aquatic environment placed demands on his body that his land-based training had not prepared him for. Fighting while submerged was fundamentally different from aerial combat, and the difference was becoming more apparent with each passing second.
Swish!
Recognizing that continuing to attack under these conditions would be futile, Guy immediately abandoned his offensive strategy and attempted to swim toward the edge of the water prison to escape the controlled environment.
However, no matter how powerfully he swam or what techniques he employed, his position within the seemingly large water sphere remained essentially unchanged. The technique was designed to create the illusion of space while actually trapping its victims in a relatively small area.
Guy couldn't immediately understand the mechanism behind this spatial distortion, and his confusion cost him precious time and energy. Fortunately, he recognized the futility of continued escape attempts and refocused on the approaching threat.
In this way, Kisame was able to close the distance between them with increasing speed and confidence.
"Slam!"
Guy threw a powerful punch through the water, but Kisame had no intention of meeting such a devastating attack head-on. Instead, he simply brushed past Guy's extended arm, making brief contact before continuing his circular movement pattern.
"My chakra is being drained away," Guy realized with alarm as his enhanced sensitivity detected that a portion of his internal energy had been absorbed during that momentary contact.
Although he specialized in taijutsu rather than ninjutsu, Guy was still a ninja and therefore possessed chakra like all members of his profession. The fundamental essence of the Eight Gates technique was the manipulation of internal chakra to break through the natural limitations imposed by the human body's safety mechanisms.
Within this water prison, he had no effective way to avoid or escape from Kisame's hit-and-run tactics, while his opponent was able to gradually absorb his chakra through brief contacts that would eventually drain him to the point of exhaustion or death.
This represented Kisame's most powerful and devastating combat strategy. When facing an opponent like Guy whose abilities posed a serious threat to his survival, he was not holding back any of his capabilities or techniques.
"In that case," Guy said to himself as he watched Kisame complete another circle and begin swimming toward him again, his eyes showing the determined resolve of someone who had made a critical decision.
"Eight Gates Release Formation: Seventh Gate, Gate of Wonder, Open!"
"BOOM!"
The entire water prison shook violently as if struck by an earthquake, and the originally green energy aura that had surrounded Guy suddenly deepened dramatically in color and intensity. The power radiating from his body transformed into brilliant blue air waves that seemed to possess a life of their own.
The blue energy swept outward from Guy's position with such tremendous force that it actually succeeded in pushing away the surrounding water, creating a temporary air pocket within the aquatic prison. The display of raw power was so overwhelming that it defied conventional understanding of what human beings were capable of achieving.
"What in the world...?" Kisame could hardly believe what he was witnessing as Guy demonstrated the ability to use pure physical aura to tear through the water prison that he and Samehada had created together.
The technique should have been absolutely inescapable, yet the evidence of its failure was undeniable before his eyes.
After creating the clear space around himself, Guy brought his hands together and formed a distinctive hand seal that seemed to channel and focus the tremendous energy flowing through his body.
"His mastery of the Eight Gates has actually reached this incredible level?" White Zetsu's voice expressed genuine surprise and concern from within Kisame's transformed body.
Under the power provided by the Seventh Gate, Guy drew back his fist and prepared to unleash an attack that would demonstrate the true pinnacle of taijutsu mastery. As he moved, a sound like the roar of a mighty tiger began to emanate from his position.
"ROAR! AHHHHH!"
"Roar, youth!"