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Midorima's taijutsu truly was lacking. In many situations, when he tangled with an opponent, he relied on his body's agility and his physical energy to pull through. He had never undergone the kind of systematic taijutsu training that someone like Might Guy or a member of the Hyūga clan had drilled into them. Kisame, who had personally witnessed Midorima's match against Rūri years ago, was absolutely certain of this fact. Back then, taijutsu had been Midorima's greatest weakness, and it was precisely this certainty that served as the source of Kisame's confidence. Since Kisame knew this, Midorima was obviously just as aware of it himself.
As Kisame swung Samehada in a relentless succession of strikes, Midorima evaded while simultaneously watching for any opening. After dodging attack after attack, he finally spotted a moment of carelessness on Kisame's part. The instant Samehada swept past his face, Midorima lunged forward with a large step and drove his elbow toward Kisame. Kisame recoiled, pulling Samehada back at the same time to shield himself. Just as relief was about to wash over him, a hand shot out from the side and clamped around his throat. In a dazed blur, a tremendous force blasted him backward, sending him crashing straight through a massive tree. The trunk snapped clean through.
"Kisame, you're weaker than I expected," Midorima said with a smile.
"Cough, cough... and you're a little stronger than I imagined," Kisame replied, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, a faint grin still lingering on his face. "But that alone isn't enough to defeat me!"
Midorima's brow gave a slight twitch. Kisame's monstrous resilience was truly a headache. Yet Midorima also understood that if he didn't kill Kisame now, once Pain arrived and the two of them joined forces, his own situation would become extraordinarily difficult.
"You're hesitating," Tagitsuhime observed, sensing that Midorima's heartbeat was no longer as steady as before. She wasn't sure whether that last strike had drained his strength, or whether he simply found the enemy in front of him a headache to deal with.
"He's relatively easy to handle, but that sword of his is the real problem," Midorima said.
"That's simple. Just chop off his hand. Problem solved, right?" Tagitsuhime suggested.
"That's not a bad point," Midorima replied casually. Trying to wrest Samehada away would be nearly as difficult as killing Kisame outright. It would be far more efficient just to kill him directly. With that thought solidified, Midorima once again activated his Sage Jutsu. This time, the senjutsu chakra he gathered was even more immense than what he had used for the Sage Art: Great Water Dragon Bullet. A massive sphere of lightning gradually coalesced in his palm. When Kisame saw the sheer volume of chakra enveloping Midorima, his whole body bristled with exhilaration. The moment Midorima closed in, Kisame took the Lightning Cutter head-on without flinching. In an instant, flesh and blood went flying. The ribs beneath the torn flesh were exposed, and more than one bone snapped apart. Blood erupted from Kisame's mouth like a fountain.
Watching this from his perch in the trees, Zetsu's brow furrowed deeply. He couldn't comprehend Kisame's action. There had clearly been a chance to evade—why had he chosen to deliberately take that strike from Midorima? But then he saw Samehada suddenly open its enormous mouth and sink its fangs into Midorima's leg. At once, Zetsu remembered Samehada's ability, and the realization hit him. Kisame had used his own body as bait, engineering a moment of close proximity with Midorima to let Samehada attack and drain his chakra. The more powerful the opponent's chakra, the more Samehada could absorb. This was exactly why Kisame relished fighting enemies with vast chakra reserves.
Midorima gritted his teeth. He tried to shake Samehada off, but after two attempts it still clung fast. Without wasting another moment, he slammed a Giant Rasengan directly into Kisame's chest. Having now taken a Lightning Cutter and a Giant Rasengan in rapid succession, Kisame could hold on no longer. His entire body was hurled sideways through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, blood still gushing from his mouth.
"Are you alright?" Tagitsuhime asked urgently.
Midorima checked his wound. It wasn't as severe as he had feared, and what was more, his chakra was already working rapidly to heal the damage. Samehada might have been formidable, functionally far surpassing blades like the Executioner's Blade, but it had a distinct drawback—it was not a "normal" sword. Without a cutting edge, the direct physical damage it could inflict on an opponent was actually inferior to something like the Executioner's Blade. Still, in the mere seconds he had been in contact with Kisame, Midorima had felt his chakra being siphoned away at a shocking speed. The sensation was unmistakable.
"A significant amount of my chakra is gone," Midorima murmured.
Hearing this, Tagitsuhime also heightened her vigilance, carefully regulating the natural energy. If the balance between natural energy, physical energy, and spiritual energy tipped even slightly out of proportion, Midorima himself could begin to petrify.
Kisame, catching the exchange between Midorima and Tagitsuhime, let out a grin. "Midorima, do you know something? I actually envy you. Back in the Hidden Mist, you were just a medical ninja, but your combat talent was undeniable. Even the Fourth Mizukage and the higher-ups were stunned by what you showed. It's hard to imagine what you'd have become if you'd been given two or three more years to grow. After you became a rogue ninja, I'll admit, I felt a little relieved. It wasn't until I joined the Akatsuki that I finally put all of that out of my mind. Still, having a chance to eliminate you... that genuinely makes me very happy."
"Why betray the Hidden Mist and join the Akatsuki?"
"You're wrong about that. I never betrayed the Hidden Mist. The truth is, I knew all along that the Fourth Mizukage was nothing but a vessel for the Akatsuki's will," Kisame replied with sophistry.
Just then, the torn flesh and fractured bones on Kisame's body began visibly knitting themselves back together at astonishing speed. Even Zetsu, watching from the side, was taken aback. It was clear now: unless Samehada itself was destroyed first, killing Kisame would be impossible.
"Don't look so surprised... Your chakra is certainly formidable, but once Samehada absorbs it, that power becomes mine to wield. You inflicted these wounds, but the very reason they're healing now is also because of you. You attacked me just now. This time, it's my turn!"
Kisame rose from the ground, gripping Samehada tightly with both hands. At the same moment, his jaws opened wide and a colossal surge of water burst forth from his mouth. The relentless torrent came crashing down like a raging flood, rapidly submerging the forest around them. Zetsu leaped upward, scrambling to escape the onrushing deluge, when a dark silhouette suddenly appeared before him. A fist smashed into him, plunging him straight into the floodwaters. In the final instant before he was swallowed by the water, Zetsu caught sight of Midorima suspended in the air, watching him descend into the depths. That bastard... Kisame, kill Midorima now, hurry! Zetsu tried to scream the words, but the moment his mouth opened, water rushed in and filled it completely.
As for Kisame, he stood motionless in the water, Samehada clutched in both hands, utterly still.
Tagitsuhime stared at the submerged Kisame and asked Midorima, "Was this part of your plan as well?"
Midorima pointed a finger to his temple. "Do you know what matters most in the shinobi world?"
"I don't."
"Intelligence." A faint smile curled at the corner of Midorima's mouth. "The one who holds the intelligence holds countless advantages. My greatest advantage here is that Kisame had no idea about the danger of senjutsu chakra."