Uchiha Yu looked utterly exasperated. Did they really have to start fighting at the drop of a hat?
I'm actually kind of scared!
Deidara also stepped up beside Uchiha Yu and said, "I told you, I'm going to the Land of Fire first. Why do you keep pestering me?"
With that, he flung out a string of Explosive Clay, sending it flying toward Kisame Hoshigaki.
A series of explosions went off, blasting Kisame Hoshigaki back several steps.
Looking at his body, now covered in soot, Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, baring a mouthful of sharp teeth.
"Not bad, kid. I'd like to see what else you can do!"
With that, Kisame Hoshigaki formed Hand Seals and shouted,
"Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"
Water appeared out of nowhere all around them, gathering into a massive shark-shaped projectile that hurtled straight at Deidara.
"Get out of the way! That thing will drain your chakra!" Uchiha Yu hurriedly kicked Deidara out of its path, then immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to move five meters away.
The shark-shaped projectile smashed into the ground, tearing up all the earth in its path and leaving a small lake behind.
"To create a Water Release on this scale in the middle of a desert!" Deidara's expression turned grave as he realized Kisame Hoshigaki was no pushover.
Gripping Samehada, Kisame Hoshigaki chuckled and continued walking toward Deidara.
Deidara formed Hand Seals and sent a string of Clay Spiders crawling toward Kisame Hoshigaki.
"Detonate!"
Several explosions boomed, kicking up clouds of dust.
But Kisame Hoshigaki didn't stop in the dust cloud. He kept charging toward Deidara.
"Damn it!"
Uchiha Yu drew the Kusanagi Sword and created four clones with the Shadow Clone Technique, sending them straight at Kisame Hoshigaki.
Kisame Hoshigaki swung Samehada, slashing Uchiha Yu's clones one after another.
Since Samehada could absorb chakra, Uchiha Yu's clones practically burst apart at a touch, with no chance to resist.
Fortunately, Uchiha Yu's real body could still hold his own against Kisame Hoshigaki.
With his mastery of Konoha-Style Taijutsu, Uchiha Yu wielded his enhanced Kusanagi Sword, striking at Kisame Hoshigaki again and again.
The Mangekyō Sharingan also let him read Kisame Hoshigaki's every move.
After several exchanges, Kisame Hoshigaki was rather surprised. Uchiha Yu truly wasn't as simple as he'd first assumed.
Not only was he incredibly agile, but every move was sharp and deadly, forcing Kisame Hoshigaki to take him seriously.
What Kisame Hoshigaki found hardest to believe was how much sharper the Kusanagi Sword in Uchiha Yu's hand was than he'd expected.
If Kisame weren't wielding Samehada, one of the Seven Ninja Swords, he might already have been in trouble.
Sasori of the Red Sands noticed Kisame Hoshigaki's confusion. Standing behind him, he said quietly, "That kid's carrying the Kusanagi Sword. It's a troublesome Ninja Blade, all right. This kid has given us plenty of surprises."
Kisame Hoshigaki rolled his shoulders and loosened up. "Yeah. This is getting me more and more excited! I want to see just how strong this kid really is!"
With that, Kisame Hoshigaki leaped into the air, raised Samehada, and brought it crashing down toward Uchiha Yu's head!
The speed and force behind it could have smashed Uchiha Yu to pieces!
Is he trying to kill me? He just said he wanted me to come with him, and now he's going all out to finish me off? Uchiha Yu cursed inwardly.
Fighting Kisame Hoshigaki wasn't all that exhausting, and Samehada couldn't absorb chakra unless it actually struck him.
On top of that, his Sage Body kept his chakra and stamina consumption relatively low.
But Kisame was no slouch either. His chakra reserves rivaled those of a Tailed Beast.
He couldn't be underestimated!
"Great Luo Heaven!"
A line of blood ran from Uchiha Yu's eye, and Kisame Hoshigaki was frozen in midair.
In an instant, Kisame Hoshigaki's expression turned ghastly, and his entire body trembled.
"What's going on?" Kisame Hoshigaki's eyes widened. Being frozen in midair was no pleasant experience; it felt as if his whole body were being torn apart.
Kisame Hoshigaki quickly figured it out and smiled faintly. "Is this your dōjutsu? You're quite impressive."
Uchiha Yu leaped into the air and thrust the Kusanagi Sword straight at Kisame Hoshigaki's throat.
Controlling Kisame Hoshigaki consumed far too much ocular power, and Uchiha Yu couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a moment.
Kisame Hoshigaki snorted and used chakra to activate every cell in his body.
In an instant, wave after wave of monstrous strength surged through him.
With a loud crack, his tremendous strength tore straight through Great Luo Heaven's hold.
Uchiha Yu grunted. A sharp pain shot through his left eye, and he squeezed it shut.
The backlash from having his dōjutsu broken hit him, and Uchiha Yu's movements faltered for an instant.
"What incredible strength. He really is a monster like a Tailed Beast!" Uchiha Yu couldn't help exclaiming.
Strength like that was a rare sight in the Ninja World.
Kisame Hoshigaki threw a punch with his other hand and sent Uchiha Yu flying. He slammed into the ground with a thud.
Dust shot several meters into the air, and the ground cracked apart with a roar.
"Cough!"
A mouthful of blood spurted from Uchiha Yu's lips.
"Great Luo Heaven's control depends on ocular power, and the stronger the opponent, the harder they are to control." Uchiha Yu took a deep breath and covered his eye. "Kisame Hoshigaki's monstrous strength is unbelievable! He's even harder to deal with than Gaara!"
At its strongest, Great Luo Heaven had only managed to control a whole bunch of Shuriken.
Compared with Kisame Hoshigaki's Tailed Beast-level strength, that was nothing.
"Your ocular power is impressive, but you're still too weak to take me on." Kisame Hoshigaki continued toward Uchiha Yu, Samehada in hand. "Maybe in a few years you'll be able to kill me, but you won't live long enough to see that day."
Before you continue