Nishimura Suzuko looked at Kisame who stood in front of her; there were tears flowing in her eyes.
She didn't know whether, at this moment, she was happy or unhappy.
But at least, suddenly she felt she had the courage to keep living.
She nodded several times, tears still falling, and said, "Thank you, Kisame-nii… no, Kisame."
Kisame, however, could not pay attention to Nishimura Suzuko.
His hand gripped the sword tightly, and his gaze stared fixedly at Nishimura Tatsuto.
Tatsuto's eyes narrowed; inside he didn't know whether he should be joyful or sad.
He could only try to discard useless emotions and make himself turn into a machine again.
He said coldly, "It seems I must deal with you before the other Kirigakure ninja arrive. Kisame, are you… prepared?"
Kisame did not speak; his expression hardened a few degrees. As the weaker fighter in this battle, and with someone even weaker to protect, he could only adopt a defensive posture.
Perhaps the enemy in front of him was more anxious; when a person becomes anxious, they easily expose a flaw.
The next moment, Nishimura Tatsuto moved.
In one instant he appeared before Kisame, the kunai in his hand thrusting toward Kisame's heart.
His move was not flashy, but efficient and neat.
In traditional shinobi combat, even a small kunai can kill, and Tatsuto was exactly that kind of traditional shinobi.
For a moment, Kisame felt immense pressure, as if it were about to crush him.
Under that pressure he could no longer bear it and was forced to raise his long sword, chopping down toward Tatsuto's position.
That slash carried an oppressive feel, with a heavy aesthetic of violence.
A trace of appreciation showed in Tatsuto's eyes, 'Very imposing. Indeed the excellent heir of the dull-blade style. If he trains a few more years, perhaps I won't be able to take advantage so easily.'
Saying so, Tatsuto's movements did not slow. He barely sidestepped as Kisame's blade came down, then without retreating pushed forward; the kunai in his hand continued to aim for Kisame's heart.
Kisame was startled. If any other person faced that thrust, even dodging would be humiliatingly awkward, yet Tatsuto looked utterly composed.
As danger closed in, Kisame had to fall back. There was simply no better counter.
However, that retreat was slow.
The next moment, Tatsuto's kunai had already pierced Kisame's body; because of Kisame's evasion it did not hit the heart directly but was off by a few inches.
Kisame emitted a muffled groan and staggered back to stand beside the Suzuko he had been shielding behind; this step was his limit. He did not back up further. He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Tatsuto turned the kunai in his hand and said lightly, "This thrust was askew; the next one may not be so. I am the most traditional kind of assassination shinobi. I don't know many tricks, only how to kill a person more efficiently. You should feel it now, some symptoms are starting to manifest."
Kisame clutched the wound on his chest; blood kept flowing from between his fingers. His face was ashen, even paler than his already pale skin.
He panted, feeling his vision blur, and asked, "You poisoned the kunai?"
Tatsuto said, "Of course. It's a neurotoxin that temporarily paralyzes your nerves, tailored for ninjas with your kind of constitution. Soon you'll have no ability to resist. I advise you not to endure pointless injury, just accept death obediently."
Beside them, Nishimura Suzuko rushed forward and steadied the unsteady Kisame, asking with concern, "Kisame, how are you?"
Kisame felt his body becoming increasingly uncontrollable; just as Tatsuto said, the neurotoxin was taking effect.
Still he forced his body to stand and said, "I'm fine, Suzuko. You run first. I'll hold him off. This won't remain hidden for long, soon the Kirigakure Anbu will arrive. If I can get out of danger, I'll come find you."
But Nishimura Suzuko shook her head, "Kisame-nii, don't lie to me. Father will kill you soon."
After saying that, she turned to look at Nishimura Tatsuto standing a short distance away, eyes full of pleading, "Father, Kisame and I don't know anything. We won't leak your information, why can't you just spare us?"
Tatsuto's face was expressionless, "Suzuko, every time you act cute I yield and indulge you, which is why you're still so naive."
"But this time, sorry."
Having said that, afraid his heart would weaken, Tatsuto did not linger. In one instant he moved to stand before them, kunai raised, and again thrust downward.
This time, his target was Nishimura Suzuko.
Suzuko did not react in time; her mind went blank, her pupils fixed, her whole body tensed reflexively.
Seeing this, Kisame did not hesitate, he shoved Suzuko hard away. Under the enormous force, Suzuko's whole body was flung outward and thus avoided the attack.
Moreover, Kisame's blade followed the motion and slashed down. Even though he had already been hit by the neurotoxin and his body was growing numb, this strike still carried his fighting spirit.
Tatsuto did not regret missing; perhaps attacking the daughter to force Kisame to protect her and make him attack recklessly was exactly the effect he wanted.
Now that the effect had been achieved, he easily sheathed his strength, brought his body to an abrupt stop, and stepped back. Kisame's blade had just cut through the air, nearly grazing Tatsuto's body.
With that missed strike, a huge opening formed before Kisame—exactly the opportunity Tatsuto needed to seize.
Assassins like him played with inches and risks: first expose oneself to danger; if one fails to react to the enemy's attack, one dies; if one does react, the enemy dies.
Tatsuto barely opened his mouth, "Goodbye, Kisame."
His kunai once again aimed precisely and neatly for Kisame's heart.
Kisame, already poisoned and in worsening condition, had just pushed Suzuko away and made a slash; he was still in after-swing recovery and had no leftover strength to dodge.
He could only watch helplessly as Tatsuto's kunai drew ever closer…
However, just as the kunai was about to pierce, Kisame suddenly as if recovered some of his remaining strength. His cheek muscles bulged without him noticing, then he suddenly opened his mouth wide.
"Water Release: Great Explosive Water Shockwave!"