134. The Form of Enlightenment, the Mad Ghost Shark

On the battlefield.

As Might Duy was driven into a deep crater by a single punch from Kisame, the thousands of Konoha shinobi fell into a deathly silence once more.

Inside the massive pit, Might Duy lay sprawled out, his chest heaving violently as he struggled to breathe. By now, the muscles and meridians across his entire body were torn asunder, and it was impossible to tell how many bones had been shattered.

Despite more than twenty years of constant, unconventional, and grueling training, the immense strain placed on his body after opening the seventh gate, compounded by Kisame’s ferocious assault, had pushed him to his absolute limit.

It seemed he had no choice but to use that technique. If he waited any longer, the opportunity would be lost forever.

As a perennial Genin, Might Duy had spent twenty years in obscurity, mocked and ridiculed, all while waiting for a single chance—a chance to prove himself. Even if the price was his life.

Supported by a steel-like will of inconceivable tenacity, Might Duy slowly stood up from the crater. At the same time, a crimson steam rose from his body, driving his momentum to its absolute peak.

It was the evaporation of his blood; it was his life force burning away.

The Gate of Death, open.

"How is this possible? There is no such taijutsu in this world..."

In the distance, Hyuga Hiashi wore a look of horror. Through his Byakugan, he could clearly see the Gate of Death open within Might Duy, releasing an unimaginably vast amount of chakra—surpassing even the chakra levels of Kisame Hoshigaki.

It was well known that the Hyuga clan possessed an incredibly profound understanding of the meridians and pressure points within the human body. Precisely because of this, Hiashi understood all too well that for a human to open the Gate of Death was an impossibility. What kind of effort and sacrifice had this Genin named Might Duy paid to achieve such a feat? Compared to the other's taijutsu, the Hyuga clan’s Gentle Fist seemed insignificant, as small as a speck of dust.

The Formation of the Eight Inner Gates.

This was the final form of the Eight Inner Gates technique: sacrificing one's life to open the Gate of Death, gaining power that surpassed the entire ninja world for a fleeting moment. In the original history, Might Guy possessed the strength of an elite Jonin in his normal state, and after opening all eight gates, he attained power dozens of times greater than that of the Five Kage, nearly kicking Madara Uchiha—who had attained the power of the Six Paths—to death.

Compared to his son, although Might Duy’s talent and strength in taijutsu were far weaker, the power he unleashed with all eight gates open was terrifying.

At this moment, Might Duy was, without question, at the pinnacle of the ninja world.

*Whoosh.*

His figure flickered and vanished, reappearing before Kisame in the next instant.

Might Duy leaped high, his gaze burning like a torch, and unleashed a punch downward upon Kisame. The power of this blow was so great that it turned the air in front of him into a semi-transparent cylinder; the resulting air cannon was like a massive elephant's foot, stomping down upon Kisame. Under the immense pressure of the air cannon, Kisame was pinned, unable to move, and forced to take the full brunt of the punch.

*Boom!*

With a thunderous roar, Kisame’s legs sank into the earth, and his body slid backward for over a hundred meters, carving a long, deep trench into the ground. A deep fist mark remained on his chest, his broad torso completely caved in. Blood bubbled from the corners of his mouth, and his fish-like eyes were wide with shock. Finally, like a golden mountain collapsing, he toppled backward.

*Thud.*

Might Duy landed on the ground, his body giving way until he fell to one knee. Although he had dealt severe damage to Kisame, the bones within his own body had shattered further, preventing him from pursuing the attack to deliver a finishing blow.

Did he win?

Seeing this, the Konoha shinobi erupted into thunderous cheers.

On the other side:

"Lord Mizukage!" "Boss Kisame!"

With cries of alarm, the members of the Hidden Mist Village rushed from the village to surround Kisame. Kisame Hoshigaki was the final hope of the Hidden Mist. If he fell, the village would vanish from the ninja world.

"What is the status of the Mizukage?" Gengetsu asked anxiously.

"His entire chest cavity has collapsed. He needs immediate surgery, or his life will be in danger," Mei Terumi replied with a grave expression after a quick examination.

"Take Boss Kisame and leave. I will stay behind to cover our retreat and hold these people off," Mangetsu Hozuki ordered, beginning to weave hand signs to transform into the Water Giant once more.

Just then.

"Get out of the way, kid."

Kisame Hoshigaki, lying on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes. He sat up in one motion and shoved Mangetsu aside. Amidst the shocked and joyful gazes of the crowd, he looked down at his sunken chest and muttered to himself:

"As expected of the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates; the force was even greater than I imagined. It seems I must go all out as well."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kisame used his hands to push off the ground and slowly stood up.

"Lord Mizukage, your body..." Mei Terumi began, assuming Kisame was merely forcing himself, but she trailed off. Kisame flashed a signature grin, his rows of sharp, white teeth glinting with a cold light.

He pressed his hands together with a sharp *clap* and let out a roar from his throat:

"Ha!"

At that moment, thick veins like earthworms bulged across Kisame’s face, arms, and body. An overwhelming, gargantuan chakra surged from within him toward the sky.

*Rumble.*

The chakra released by Kisame formed powerful gusts of wind, forcing the Hidden Mist shinobi to scatter and retreat.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

He roared like a beast, his body arching in agony. The muscles on his back bulged as if something were about to erupt from within.

The next second.

Before the shocked eyes of both friend and foe, a monster that had long been dormant awakened within Kisame.

*Whoosh.*

His figure suddenly surged in height, black fur sprouted over his entire body, and his limbs rapidly stretched and elongated. Five meters, ten meters, fifteen meters—finally stopping at twenty.

The Satori form.

Kisame was now covered in black fur, with long, slender limbs and sharp, brown claws. Behind him, a pair of pitch-black wings slowly unfolded, spanning over fifty meters. But the transformation was not over. The blunt sword Kabutowari transformed into a knight's helmet; the Executioner's Blade became sharp fangs; the lightning blade Kiba manifested as a silver shark tail over ten meters long. The abilities of the Sewing Needle, Splash, and Hiramekarei also manifested on his form one by one.

This was Kisame’s ultimate form.

"What... is that?"

The Konoha army in the distance stared in stupefaction.

"Is this what Boss Kisame meant by... evolution?" Mangetsu Hozuki looked up at the towering back of Satori, his eyes growing fervent. He knew Kisame possessed a special ability to consume various ninja tools to strengthen himself. Kisame had a wild idea—to evolve into a unique, ultimate life form through this method. Now, Mangetsu had finally witnessed that creature.

In the distance, Might Duy stood up once more, leaning on his knees. His gaze remained resolute. Though he did not know what kind of monster Kisame had become, he would still use every ounce of his strength to defeat him.

Just then, Kisame flapped his wings and rose into the sky.

"Might Duy, burn your life, as humble as an insect's, to amuse me! Hahahaha!"

Kisame let out a crazed laugh and dove toward Might Duy on the ground.

"Kisame Hoshigaki! As you wish, this is the final of my youth—take this!"

Might Duy let out a sky-piercing roar. He kicked the ground, creating a massive crater, and used the recoil to launch himself into the air.

*Whoosh.*

Might Duy reached the sky and unleashed another earth-shattering punch, turning the air into a semi-transparent cylinder that engulfed Kisame. This punch could kill a Kage-level fighter in an instant and crater the earth for dozens of meters.

But his opponent was Kisame in his Satori form.

This time, Kisame was not pinned by the air cannon; instead, he raised his massive claws and shattered the incoming blast head-on.

*Boom!*

The two clashed again. A hurricane-like shockwave centered on their fists swept across the entire battlefield. The ninjas of Konoha and the Mist were blown off their feet.

"Is that all? It seems your youth is nothing more than this," Kisame mocked.

"It is not over yet."

Sparks ignited in Might Duy’s eyes. With a *whoosh*, he appeared behind Kisame and unleashed another kick. His power and speed were faster than before. With a deafening *bang*, he sent Kisame flying over a hundred meters. In the next instant, Might Duy moved like a teleporting blur, appearing before Kisame again to trade blows and strikes.

The Great Dao is simple.

Might Duy’s moves appeared plain, but they were actually the ultimate taijutsu usable only after opening the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates—the Evening Elephant. He burned his life away to create air cannons shaped like elephant feet by striking the air. He would attack five times, with each strike increasing in power and speed until reaching the limit.

Kisame was the same.

After transforming into the Satori form, this monstrous body was his strongest weapon and technique. Fighting at full power, he was capable of standing toe-to-toe with Might Duy’s Formation of the Eight Inner Gates.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Every clash between the two generated massive air explosions. The sheer shockwaves of their battle sent boulders rolling and forests toppling. It was as if they were tearing the very heavens and earth asunder.

Was this truly a battle between human ninjas?

The mortals on the ground stood paralyzed, looking up at the aerial combat as if witnessing two gods engaged in a war to destroy the world.

Finally, the end arrived.

In the sky, Might Duy pushed forward, launching the final punch of the Evening Elephant at Kisame. The massive air cylinder shot skyward, shattering the clouds above. Opposite him, Kisame roared like an ancient demon, excited and maddened, as he unleashed his own strongest blow.

*Crack.*

As their fists collided, even space seemed to fracture. The world shook violently, causing everyone on the ground to collapse.

A moment later.

*Whoosh.*

Might Duy fell from the sky like a shooting star, his legs sinking deep into the earth. Kisame flapped his wings and slowly descended.

"I never expected that even the Evening Elephant could not defeat you... Kisame Hoshigaki, you have won."

Might Duy offered a bitter smile as the red steam on his body slowly faded.

"I warned you before not to meddle in the Hidden Mist’s affairs; why didn't you listen?" Kisame sighed, his expression tinged with a hint of regret.

Might Duy paused, then looked surprised:

"So you were the one from that time..."

He remembered the long-haired freak he had encountered in the forest, the one with a Sharingan and a Byakugan, who had used a bizarre ocular technique to shatter his arm. It turned out that person was also Kisame Hoshigaki.

Before Might Duy could finish, the expression on his face froze forever.

Every muscle, meridian, and bone in his body had turned to dust. He stood there, having lost consciousness. His body, like a tree charred by a great fire, began to crumble from the areas of greatest damage, piece by piece, turning to ash and scattering into the wind.

As Might Duy had said, he had truly burned through his life and his youth.

The man died standing.

"Father!"

From the crowd in the distance came a heart-wrenching cry. A green figure rushed onto the battlefield at blinding speed, reaching Might Duy’s remains. It was Might Guy, who had opened the sixth gate.

Seeing this, Kisame spoke in a muffled tone:

"Guy, your father was a true warrior; I respect him. For him, dying on the battlefield for his village—especially at my hands—is the best possible end. Don't you think?"

"I think... you're full of crap!"

Guy let out a roar of fury, launched himself into the air, and threw a punch toward Kisame’s massive head.

However, Kisame let out a cackling laugh, reached out with his giant claw, and snatched Might Guy out of the air.

"You want to challenge me? Fine. Go back, train until you can open the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates, and then come back. Guy, for me, being too invincible is a lonely thing, which is why I need opponents like you. Hahahaha!"

Kisame laughed maniacally, squeezed his hand, and knocked Might Guy unconscious before hurling him away. Guy’s body flew like a cannonball for several kilometers, landing on the very outskirts of the battlefield.

On a hill in the distance.

"Madara’s final concerns were correct. This Kisame Hoshigaki is like a living Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—evil, powerful, and insane." White Zetsu watched the towering black monster on the battlefield, swallowing hard with fear.

Black Zetsu did not speak, but the more he looked, the more familiar the transformed Kisame seemed.

A bolt of lightning flashed through his mind, and he finally remembered.

It was the Box of Paradise.

It was the monster named "Satori" that had been hidden within that box!

He never imagined that this ultimate weapon from the era of the Sage of the Six Paths would reappear in the ninja world in such a form. Did Kisame Hoshigaki become "Satori," or had "Satori" taken control of Kisame Hoshigaki?

Black Zetsu did not know.

But regardless, he realized one thing: Kisame Hoshigaki had become an extremely troublesome existence. If he could not be used, he might one day become an obstacle to the thousand-year plan he had painstakingly cultivated.

Just then.

On the battlefield, with Might Duy’s fall, no one left on the Konoha side could stand before Kisame.

He wore a cold smile, took to the air, and began a slaughter, mowing down the Konoha invaders like grass.