Tailed Beast Kisame.

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"It's not ninjutsu! Why are you yelling, Shark?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What Kirito-sensei performed is not a ninjutsu, what is it?"

"You're still slandering Kirito-sensei, who are you trying to deceive?"

Naruto retorted angrily as he saw Kisame mocking Kirito.

But at that moment, Kisame ignored the words of the foolish boy. His eyes became more serious.

Because only through firsthand experience can you truly understand the strength of the man standing before you. His power could not be explained in just a few words.

For a moment, Kisame stood there, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya, completely concealed by the leaves on the large branch, observed quietly. Itachi stood nearby, watching the scene coldly.

Both of their minds were struck hard in that moment. They now fully understood the meaning behind Kisame's words.

Kakashi, holding the White Fang, slowly regained his senses.

The short blade in his hand suddenly dropped to the ground.

*Snap!*

The crisp sound startled everyone from their deep thoughts.

Uchiha Itachi, with his red eyes, gazed intently at Kirito. The more he observed, the more shocked he became.

Yes, Kisame had been right. There wasn't a trace of chakra energy in Kirito's body. But using his Sharingan, Itachi could see something else.

His eyes noticed that Kirito's entire body was filled with a golden energy that kept flowing throughout.

At first, Itachi thought it was some form of light-attribute chakra, but upon closer inspection, with Kisame's reminder, he realized the truth.

The golden light surrounding Kirito's body wasn't chakra at all—it was an energy he had never seen before.

Jiraiya, perched in the tree, was deep in thought.

"If it's not chakra, could it be a sage technique?" he wondered silently, rubbing his chin.

He didn't intervene immediately, choosing instead to observe and analyze the situation further.

Kisame, who knew the truth, felt somewhat depressed. He had originally thought that with the knowledge gained from Orochimaru and his chakra-absorbing blade, Samehada, he could easily defeat Kirito. But now, it seemed that Orochimaru, too, had been deceived.

No, it wasn't exactly a lie. They had always believed Kirito's power came from a bloodline limit, perhaps a light-release technique. But now, Kisame realized they had been wrong all along.

Yet, despite understanding the truth, Kisame didn't show any discouragement. Instead, his desire to fight only intensified.

"Good, very good!" he grinned, his voice dripping with excitement.

"Kirito, you've really surprised me today. If I don't fight back now, I'll be looked down upon!"

With those words, he slowly drove his massive sword, Samehada, into the ground.

He began forming seals with both hands.

"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"

Kisame called out softly.

He shifted into a horse stance and opened his mouth wide, releasing streams of water into the air.

The water gathered around him, and his mouth grew larger, producing more water. Within seconds, a massive water barrier formed around Kisame, creating a five-meter radius of water.

Once he finished, Kisame grinned at Kirito.

"My big sword, Samehada, does more than just absorb chakra," he said with a malicious smirk. "It has another feature I'll show you today."

With that, Kisame pulled the sword from the ground, and as he did, his black cloud cloak was torn off.

His appearance began to change. His skin turned a bluish hue, resembling that of a shark. His muscles swelled grotesquely, his head began to elongate with a shark fin-like structure, and his arms grew sickle-like fins.

The transformation was monstrous and terrifying.

A hoarse voice echoed from within the water.

"This is the form I take when I merge with Samehada—the half-man, half-fish state."

"My strength in this form is at least two or three times greater than normal."

"I don't believe your disappearance technique can keep up with my speed in the water."

"And my attacks aren't just fast."

With that, Kisame launched into action.

"Water Style: Great Exploding Water Wave!"

The water surged from his mouth, quickly engulfing Kirito's body.

Everyone watched in shock as Kirito's figure was instantly submerged in the water.

Yuhi Kurenai gasped, her lips slightly parted in concern for Kirito.

But when she looked more closely, she noticed that Kirito's calm, steady eyes showed no hint of distress. The worry in her heart slowly faded.

As the water completely enveloped Kirito's form, Kisame raised his head slightly and grinned.

"You're trapped now, Kirito. You're just like a lamb to the slaughter."

He chuckled darkly. "Even if your light technique can dodge my attacks, I'm in the water prison now. I can use all of my ninjutsu. And with my increased power, you can't escape."

"Sharks of Five Devouring!"

Kisame slammed his hand against the water, summoning five massive sharks from the depths.

The sharks swam toward Kirito with terrifying speed. Kisame followed closely, his face twisted into a menacing grin.

As the sharks neared, everyone outside the water prison felt the tension rise.

Naruto, his cat-face expression filled with worry, turned to Sasuke.

"Do you think Kirito-sensei will be alright?"

Sasuke, still processing Kisame's words, nodded slightly but remained silent, his fists clenched. There was a flicker of worry in his eyes, but deep down, he felt reassured. After all, this was Kirito—someone who had never failed them before.

On the tree, Jiraiya watched the events unfold. Though he knew the dangers of Kisame's jutsu, he didn't act right away. Instead, he waited, confident in his ability to intervene when the time came.

As one of the three legendary ninjas, he was certain he could save Kirito if necessary.

But in the water prison, Kirito stood unfazed as Kisame's five sharks closed in.

His calm gaze hardened for a moment before he exhaled slowly.

Suddenly, a powerful and domineering aura burst forth from Kirito's body, radiating outward like an unstoppable force.

The invisible shockwaves crushed the approaching sharks, halting their advance in an instant.

At the same time, the water prison collapsed.

The water exploded outward in all directions, shattering the prison and sending waves crashing into nearby trees.

"Yoshi, what just happened?"

Naruto was dumbfounded.

The cold and stoic Uchiha Itachi's eyes narrowed as he observed Kirito, his expression growing darker. He realized that Kirito had just stopped everything Kisame was doing with a single look.

This couldn't have been achieved by normal means. Something unknown and powerful was at play here.

Kisame, standing amidst the chaos, recovered from the shock.

"Why? Why is this happening again?" he muttered, his frustration rising.

"I won't accept it!"

With a roar, Kisame's chakra exploded outward. A red chakra cyclone formed around his body, engulfing him.

The air around him became thick with the sheer force of his power. Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they witnessed Kisame's final transformation.

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