As the fusion with Samehada progressed, Kisame's body transformed into something resembling a true shark. Membranes grew between his fingers, fins sprouted from his elbows, and three gill slits appeared on each of his shoulders. A long shark tail, covered in dense scales, extended from his back.
His face became even more distorted, taking on the predatory visage of a great white.
Samehada Fusion Mode.
This was the form that allowed Kisame to merge with the sword's power, turning him into a half-man, half-fish entity capable of breathing and maneuvering freely underwater. In this state, his natural chakra-draining ability was amplified to an absurd degree. Through ninjutsu or physical contact, he could siphon a foe's chakra instantly.
Moreover, he now possessed an immense sensory range.
"He doesn't have much chakra left," Byaran, standing atop the ice dragon with his eyes closed, calmly analyzed Ren's weakness before laying out the tactical plan. "Kisame, you handle the attrition and absorb his techniques."
"I will block his Sage Art attacks for you, and I will personally dispel any genjutsu he tries to cast."
"We will drive him into a corner."
"And then, I will use Slaying Water Soaring Flight to freeze his limbs and dismember him!"
Having finished his command, Byaran leaped from the dragon's head. His body eerily dissolved into the ice prison, reappearing like a figure in a painting on the mirror-like walls.
This was the Secret Ice Style: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
The user could move between mirrors at the speed of light. In the original history, Haku had used this, but Byaran was performing it while simultaneously maintaining the massive Polar Ice Prison, integrating himself directly into the structure.
Hearing them shamelessly discuss his death right in front of him, Ren's face twitched, and his expression turned extremely cautious.
In a one-on-one fight, killing Kisame wouldn't be much of a chore; both Sage Arts and Sharingan genjutsu were natural counters to the shark-man.
But now? It was one-on-two.
Any Sage Art attack would be neutralized by the Third Mizukage's strange Polar Ice Shield, and the Mizukage could move instantly through the mirrors to dispel any ocular genjutsu Ren landed on Kisame.
A Kisame with no fear of consequences was practically immortal in this environment, using the chakra stored in Samehada to heal wounds instantly. All they had to do was let Kisame keep attacking until Ren was drained.
It was an open, ruthless strategy, and the Mizukage didn't care that Ren heard it.
But what truly baffled Ren was... How was the Third Mizukage doing this?
He could observe everything without using his eyes. Ren could only do that because of his Mind's Eye; did the Mizukage have the same ability?
He could fire off ninjutsu instantly without hand signs. Even the God of Shinobi, Hashirama, usually clapped his hands together to form the 'Snake' or 'Rat' sign. Even Ren's own "one-handed" jutsu required at least a final seal and a mountain of buffs.
The only people in history who cast ninjutsu without signs lived thousands of years ago in the era of Ninshū.
Is the Third Mizukage so fierce that he's transcended the boundaries of a ninja and become a master of Ninshū?
But if he were that powerful, how did he lose the competition for Second Mizukage to the mustache-man, Gengetsu Hōzuki? And how could he be suppressed so quietly by Uchiha Madara without making a sound?
The inconsistencies in the information made Ren feel a sense of profound dissonance. He glanced again at the silent, closed-eyed man in the mirror.
Beyond the raw power, the logic of the fight was more important! There was a piece of the puzzle he was missing. If he could grasp that secret, he could turn this situation around.
Across the ice, Kisame took an offensive stance. He grinned, his shark-like eyes locked onto Ren as he spoke with mock politeness:
"Well then, Lord Mizukage, I leave my life in your hands—"
"Also, would you mind closing the skylight?"
Clap!
Kisame slammed his palms together, his eyes bulging as he threw his head back.
"Water Style: Great Explosive Water Colliding Wave!"
"Here it comes!" Ren's face hardened. He brought his left hand to his chest, forming the 'Tiger' sign.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Ren twisted mid-air, his chest swelling as he unleashed a condensed dragon of flame toward the ice wall!
Simultaneously, Ren raised his right palm toward Kisame, who was currently vomiting a massive flood of water onto the ground. The Black Sun mark on his palm flared, charging a Multiple Lotus Non-Self Connected Cannon.
He attacked both at once.
If the Mizukage chose to save Kisame, the ice wall would shatter, allowing Ren to escape the mirrors and buy time. If the Mizukage chose to block the fire dragon, Kisame would be blasted by a Sage Art cannon he couldn't absorb.
"How will you choose, Mizukage!?" Ren looked toward the mirror.
On the surface of the ice wall, the Third Mizukage tilted his head slightly. He snapped his eyes open, revealing those icy blue pupils as he looked toward Kisame!
"Ice Style: Polar Ice Shield!"
A thin, fragile-looking layer of frost manifested instantly in front of Kisame.
As I thought! The key to his jutsu is opening his eyes!
Now!
The veins around Ren's eyes bulged, and his three tomoe spun frantically.
"Sage Art: Sharingan · White Agony Pupil!"
This ocular technique ignored distance and didn't require direct eye contact; as long as the target was within his 360-degree field of vision and their eyes were open, it was a guaranteed hit. Ren's two-pronged attack was a feint specifically designed to force the Mizukage to open his eyes.
In that split second, Ren's gaze met the Mizukage's icy blue pupils!
However—
Crack!
The sound of shattering ice echoed from a spot near Ren's side. The "Third Mizukage" Ren was staring at in the mirror vanished instantly.
The ocular technique had missed!
Ren whipped his head toward the source of the sound. There, floating in the air and hidden by the mist rising from the ice, was a single eye made of pure ice.
No—it wasn't just appearing. It had developed a tiny crack from the impact of the chakra wave of the ocular technique, making it visible against the environment.
This floating eye was hauntingly similar to a technique Ren had seen before: Gaara's Third Eye.
This was Byaran's technique: Ice Style: Eye of Polar Ice!
Ren froze. Looking at that ice eye, a realization began to dawn on him.
But before he could process it, the "Mizukage" in the mirror—now a fading illusion since the eye had cracked—failed to block the fire dragon. The Great Dragon Fire slammed into the ice prison wall, blasting it open.
At the same time, Kisame's Great Explosive Water Colliding Wave crashed toward Ren like a tidal wave!
BOOM!!!
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