Naruto : Cruel Rebirth

At dawn, Kumogakure's search team, following the trail of information gathered, found the battlefield where Killer Bee and Kisame had fought. 

A Kumogakure Anbu said: 

"There are a lot of marks left by a blade, definitely Bee-sama's. There's also another sword, and judging by the cuts, it's Kirigakure's great sword, Samehada!" 

Raikage growled: 

"Hmph! Hoshigaki Kisame. He is from Akatsuki for sure!" 

Anbu continued: 

"The battle traces are fresh, likely from last night. Bee-sama didn't use a Tailed Beast Bomb, or else this area would've been flattened!" 

Indeed, before the fight with Kisame, Killer Bee had been learning enka from Master Sabu. Using a Tailed Beast Bomb would've risked harming his teacher, so Bee hadn't fought with his full strength. 

Raikage demanded: 

"What about Bee? Can you find him?" 

Anbu replied: 

"The ground here is soaked, with a large amount of water left behind. The chakra signature indicates it's from a massive Water Release jutsu. If the caster had died, the water would've disappeared quickly. Since it's still here, it means the caster is alive. 

"Bee-sama isn't skilled at such large-scale Water Release techniques, so this must be the enemy's doing. Based on this, it's highly likely that Bee-sama... lost the fight." 

"Damn Akatsuki!" 

Raikage, enraged, punched a tree, breaking it in half. 

"The battle was last night! They couldn't have gotten far with Bee! Search! There's no way he's unscathed after fighting Bee. He must've left some trail. Find that Akatsuki scum! I'll personally twist his head off!" 

And so, Kumogakure launched a full-scale pursuit of Kisame. 

By noon, Kisame was only ten miles from the agreed village. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

A series of loud explosions echoed from the forest behind him. 

Kisame stopped and turned back. 

"The traps I set are being triggered one after another. It's obvious they know about the traps but are still charging straight through. This way of doing things…" 

He glanced at the still-unconscious Killer Bee. 

"It's your big brother, coming to save you." 

Knowing a fight was inevitable, Kisame took out an iron chain and firmly secured Killer Bee to his back. Holding Samehada tightly, he faced the forest behind him. 

Lightning flashed as Raikage led the charge, followed by Darui, C, and a group of Kumogakure Anbu. 

Kisame showed no fear and said: 

"Raikage, your brother is right here on my back. If you want to save him, you'll have to turn me into a corpse!" 

Raikage shouted: 

"I'll grant your wish! Darui, no one else is to interfere. I'll take down this Akatsuki scum myself!" 

Crackling lightning surrounded Raikage's body. He landed, bent his knees, and launched himself forward. The distance of a hundred meters disappeared in an instant as he struck with his lightning-infused elbow, charging straight at Kisame! 

"—Heavy Thunderstorm!" 

This was the same move that had reverted Jugo from his Curse Mark state! 

Kisame raised Samehada to block. With a dull thud, Raikage's elbow slammed into the sword. 

"!" Kisame struggled to hold his ground, stepping back repeatedly. He quickly braced the sword with his other hand, summoning his monstrous strength to resist. Even so, he continued to retreat. 

Boom! With Raikage adding force to his elbow, Kisame was sent flying backward. As he slid across the ground, Samehada stabbed into the earth to slow him down. After skidding dozens of meters, he finally came to a stop. The surrounding trees were shattered in the process. 

Feeling his numbed arms, Kisame admitted, 

"What a terrifying monster. This power is even stronger than your brother's version of human-tailed beast transformation."

"Hmph!" Raikage snorted coldly, twisting his neck with an audible crack.

"It's too late to be scared now…" 

He launched another aggressive attack. Kisame didn't dare let his guard down. 

**Shark Skin: Flying Chain Slash!**

The hilt of the Samehada sword extended over ten meters, twisting like a chain as the blade whipped toward Raikage.

Crack! Snap! Raikage shifted his position mid-charge, dodging the attack.

Kisame frowned. 

"His speed is even harder to handle than his strength…"

Releasing his grip on Samehada, Kisame quickly formed hand signs. 

**Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Jutsu!**

Whoosh! A massive, chakra-compressed shark-shaped water projectile surged forward at high speed.

"Hmph! A petty trick!" 

Raikage snorted and charged straight through the water bullet without dodging, smashing it apart. However, the water's resistance slowed him down for a moment. 

Kisame had already retrieved Samehada and stood to the side. 

"Normal water-style jutsus are meaningless against a body like his. Time for *that* move…" 

He formed more hand signs, his chest swelling.

**Water Style: Great Exploding Water Wave!**

Whoosh!!! A massive torrent of water erupted from his mouth, instantly creating a giant elliptical water prison. From above, the flooded forest looked like a vast, submerged landscape. Darui and the others providing support in the distance quickly retreated, awed by the enormous water sphere.

"A technique only a monster could use. So the water left on the previous battlefield came from this move?" 

"Fighting in the enemy's domain puts the boss at a disadvantage!" 

Clang! Darui drew his blade.

"Get ready to back him up!"

When Raikage came to his senses, he found himself trapped in an endless watery domain. His vision was limited, and the water's tension restricted his movements. Worst of all, he couldn't breathe. And as for why water doesn't conduct electricity? That's because Lightning Release chakra gets absorbed by the water itself.

Swish, swish, swish! Across the water, Kisame had fused with Samehada, transforming into a half-human, half-shark form. 

In this state, Kisame could breathe and swim freely in water, while also gaining chakra absorption and sensing abilities. 

"Your greatest advantage, speed, is now useless. That lightning armor of yours is made of chakra, which means you can't escape being drained. I'll just speed up the process myself…" 

Splash! Thud! Splash! Thud! Kisame darted through the water, repeatedly slamming into Raikage. 

As Kisame merged with Samehada, he essentially became the sword itself, draining massive amounts of chakra with every collision. Raikage's lightning cloak grew dim, and he buried his face deep into his chest.

Kisame smirked.

"Losing chakra, unable to breathe… must be unbearable, huh? Don't worry; it'll all be over soon." 

Outside, Darui asked anxiously, 

"What's the situation?"

C responded with his sensory ability, 

"The boss hasn't moved at all…"

"It's no good then!!" Darui prepared to rush in.

"Wait!" C interrupted. "The boss's chakra isn't decreasing—it's rising!" 

Darui stopped in his tracks, sheathing his blade. 

"Looks like he's about to use *that*. Guess he doesn't need our help after all. What a stubborn guy. Could've just let us gang up on him, but no—he insists on fighting solo." 

Crackle! Zap! Inside the water, even more intense lightning surged around Raikage as his hair turned into sharp, rigid spikes.

**Lightning Release Chakra Mode: Full Power!**

Swish! Kisame darted at him again but hit nothing.

"What?! He resisted the water pressure and dodged my attack? His chakra suddenly surged to a level rivaling a Tailed Beast's. What's going on!?" 

Bubbles rose furiously in the water… 

Raikage held his breath and charged forward!

Kisame quickly switched tactics, moving away from Raikage as fast as he could. The water prison moved with Kisame as its center, so as long as he maintained distance, Raikage couldn't escape the prison's boundary.

With his chakra draining and the constant suffocation, even Raikage wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Raikage realized Kisame's intentions and pushed himself harder to close the gap. Unfortunately, while his speed was impressive, the water prison still restricted his movements. Besides, this was Kisame's domain, and Raikage couldn't sense his chakra.

Gradually, Raikage began to falter. 

"Damn it! Every member of the Akatsuki has such annoying abilities!" 

Focusing all his senses on Raikage, Kisame relaxed a bit. 

"Now, it's only a matter of time…" 

"The eighth blade."

At that moment, Killer Bee, bound by chains behind Kisame, muttered softly.

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