Kisame Hoshigaki held Samehada aloft, its blade skewering Mahiru, whose chakra had been nearly drained dry. His small eyes widened, and an unruly aura rushed forth.
He resembled an apex predator of the ocean, displaying his own majesty.
But as the target of that display, Kitsuchi did not look particularly pleased.
He had merely been careless just now. He had not expected Kisame Hoshigaki, renowned for his ninjutsu, to be equally formidable in taijutsu. Combined with Samehada's suppressive effect against ninjutsu exceeding his expectations, he had been knocked back in a single move, making him seem utterly helpless.
That did not reflect his true strength at all. Kisame was simply fighting without honor.
Even so, being able to retreat unscathed despite being caught off guard was enough to demonstrate his skill.
"Can't keep fighting him barehanded..."
Having learned his lesson, Kitsuchi rapidly formed hand seals and pressed his right hand to the ground, shaping earth into a staff and pulling a weapon straight from the floor.
Earth Style: Rock Stealing Staff!
This had originally been an area-of-effect ninjutsu for long-range attacks, a simplified version of Earth Style: Earth Rising Spears.
But in the hands of an Earth Release master like Kitsuchi, ninjutsu was no longer restricted to its original intended use. So long as they wished it, they could create new variations at any time.
Now, he had combined it with Earth Style: Hardening Technique, turning it into a hard weapon he could wield in his hand.
Who knew whether the inspiration had come from the Third Hokage's Ruyi Jingu Bang?
Then he swung the Rock Stealing Staff and smashed it down heavily at Kisame Hoshigaki.
Earth Style: Super-Weighted Rock Technique!
Bzzzt!
In that instant, the otherwise ordinary staff seemed to transform into a thirteen-thousand-five-hundred-pound pillar that could steady the