The headquarters of Root, what could be considered the anbu among anbu in the Land of Fire, was normally a lifeless place. Sarutobi ordered them disbanded years ago, not that they ever listened. In their eyes, they were the best defense against the worst threats to the Leaf Village. Regular anbu could be entrusted with tasks jonin would find reprehensible. Root would take ones even anbu couldn't stomach.

A dozen or so men kneeled before one in the middle of the complex's central room. They just relayed the recent events to him. It was a matter of the utmost importance, and one that could threaten their existence. Only they and the dead Third Hokage knew how dire it was.

"Shall we pursue?" A captain of their squads asked.

Danzo Shimura shook his head. "If Itachi wanted to turn against the Leaf, we wouldn't be having this conversation. He was only sending a message." His eye narrowed. "What purpose he saw in rendering Hatake comatose, I do not understand, but it is possible he thought him that great of a threat."

Another cleared his throat. "Shall we wake him?"

"There is likely nothing any of you can do if he hasn't been woken up by now. Are there any reports from the other villages?"

"The Rock is stirred, but they have yet to truly consolidate their forces. Onoki the Fence-Sitter is true to his name."

"The Sand is too busy recovering from their failed attack to make any moves. No one can find the Kazekage either, so Baki is acting temporary Kazekage."

"The Mist has been sending envoys to the minor villages for the sake of establishing trade and diplomatic ties. Military is quiet. Yagura Karatachi's regime instability is still lingering.

"The Cloud's research teams are more active than usual. If there's any time for the jutsu they've been hoarding, it will be in the coming days. All they're waiting for is the right moment."

Danzo hummed. "It will be the three greatest villages again with the dismal other two floundering about. The Rock will wait until hostilities begin with us and the Cloud to strike at us both. Eventually, the Mist will be forced into it by a reckless action from the Cloud or the other officials in its government. The Sand will be completely at our or the Rock's mercy." His eye looked down at the cement floor. "An alliance is possible yet not preferable after their failed treachery."

"Shall we make them comply?" A masked captain asked.

"Don't waste your time or our resources. Onoki won't extend an offer for alliance until the fighting is certain, and the Cloud has never interacted with the Sand in a meaningful manner. Let them come to us begging for forgiveness. They will be of some use." He looked up to his followers. "For now, stay in the village. Jiraiya has taken our jinchuriki with him to retrieve Tsunade. We cannot risk any possible lingering spies escaping with that information."

They nodded and dispersed, leaving Danzo alone in the darkness.

Perilous times were ahead. He could see it coming and could feel it in his old bones. The last two heads of the Shimura clan, his father and grandfather, died in war. It was a fate awaiting many shinobi yet one he was uncertain would claim him. Still, it was too early for him to discount that possibility.

Anko's training of the leftover Team 7 was stopped short by one of them running out of chakra. She warned her it would happen, but she pressed on regardless. While not chakra exhausted, the girl was nearing it. Her partner was low but still up after more than a dozen thunderbolts, which scorched his hands. He wasn't anywhere near Naruto's level of sheer reserves yet still had more than most ninja. It would be impressive if she wasn't used to the other boy and her own built up reserves. They were stopping by their actual sensei's place to see what his condition was.

"Who could've been strong enough to put Kakashi-sensei of all people in a coma?" Sakura asked.

The substitute sensei shrugged. "It's a big world, and there are a lot of powerful shinobi in it."

"Shouldn't that at least make who did it recognizable?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I find it hard to believe any normal shinobi could come into the village, fight three jonin, and manage to put one in a coma before getting away without anyone knowing who they are."

"Like I said, it's a big world out there, kid." She stopped at the front door to her comrade's small home. "It might be a bit ugly so…" Drifting off, she shrugged and opened it.

The inside of the Hatake Residence was just as barren as the Mitarashi Residence. A couch was in the living room next to a dusty coffee table. It would've been a picture perfect replica if the kitchen wasn't more spruced up. To his genin, it was a bit of a surprise.

Sakura frowned before following the jonin in. "I knew he was lazy, but this is a bit much."

"Surprised he keeps it this clean when he has you guys to worry about."

"Having other responsibilities is not a valid excuse for being a slob," Sasuke said, shutting the door behind him.

"You can talk all that good shit when you're a jonin too, baby genin." She stopped at the only other door in the house. "Now you can brace yourselves." Her hand twisted the door knob and opened the entrance to their sensei's room.

Guy sat at a physically undamaged Kakashi's bedside, Asuma was leaning against a wall, and Kurenai did the same on the opposite. When they turned to see the newcomers, they froze at the sight of the Uchiha. The details of what happened are what he'd hear sooner or later, but they didn't want it to happen then. His brother was still nearby.

Sakura walked over. "He's not hurt?"

"He was put under a genjutsu," Kurenai said.

"What kind of genjutsu can put you in a coma?" Sasuke joined his teammate. "I know there are types meant to mentally damage an opponent, but this is extreme."

Anko hummed. "If you're under the Interrogation Jutsu for too long, the pseudo-seizure can give you brain damage like a real one."

"I didn't know that!" Sakura grimaced at the possibility of her training for it going too far. "But I know you can still move during it. Just really hard to do even with resistance training. What happened?"

"We underestimated our enemy," Asuma said, sparing Anko a why-did-you-bring-them glance.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Just who were they?"

They turned to the door at the sound of running footsteps and saw a ninja with shades wearing a slanted forehead protector. "Is Itachi really back?!" He looked to the mortified, frustrated, and dour faces of the jonin. "And he's after Nar...uto?" He blinked as the brother of the rogue ninja darted past him.

Anko facepalmed. "Aoba." She dragged her hand down as she placed her other on Sakura's shoulder, preventing her from running off with him. "You dumbass fucking Tokubetsu loser!" Looking to the others, she pushed the girl towards them. "I'll get him!" She sprinted off after the younger Uchiha.

She moved to the door only for Asuma to flicker in her way. "It's his brother!" Her hands tightened into fists. "I can't let him do it alone!"

"He's got Anko at his back, and he's probably not going to outrun her," he said.

Kurenai put a hand on her shoulder. "You can't save him from himself."

"I know." Sakura felt her sink. "But I want to be there for him." A choked cry left her as the last of the real jonin pulled all three in for a crushing hug.

Guy sobbed. "I understand all your feelings and share them emphatically!" He looked at their distressed faces. "While I could drag Kakashi from the darkness, I could never drag the darkness out of Kakashi! All you can do is be there for them, but you can't do anything other than follow if they go further regardless!"

"That's sweet," Asuma managed to say.

Kurenai nodded as best she could. "Can you let us go now?"

"...Please?" Sakura wheezed before breathing a sigh of relief. "You are really strong."

"But I wasn't fast enough." He looked down in shame.

Asuma took a drag from his cigarette, having a far better understanding then of what he was going through. "Lee made his own choices and stood by them." He took several steps back and blew the smoke out into Aoba's nervous face. "Tsunade's coming back, so don't be too down. Just be here for them."

"The Sannin Tsunade?!" The tokubetsu jonin, between coughs, and Sakura exclaimed.

He nodded before rolling his eyes. "She's going to be the Fifth Hokage. Jiraiya went out with Naruto to fetch her."

"That's great!" Sakura blinked at the dour faces of the jonin. "What's wrong?"

"You haven't heard much about Tsunade since you read about her in the Academy, have you?" Kurenai took a deep breath and sighed when the kunoichi-in-training nodded.

Many young girls joined the Leaf's Ninja Academy in hopes of becoming like Tsunade or out of the shared belief with boys that being a shinobi was cool. The reality was never as they expected it to be. She never saw her, but the countless stories she heard on the road made her realize they were chasing the shadow of a woman who lost herself a long time ago. With Itachi and Kisame going after his charge alongside Sasuke chasing after, Jiraiya more than had his work cut out for him.

By the time Naruto and Jiraiya reached the nearest town in their path, it was the afternoon. The edges of the sky were beginning to turn amber, signaling the coming sunset. Hustling and bustling of the populated streets with various stands and signs relieved them from the awkward silence of their journey. It was the boy's first time in a real town that wasn't a run down squalor like the one in Wave. He immediately noticed and appreciated the lack of hateful eyes aimed at him.

"This is a nice place."

The experienced traveler tilted his head from side-to-side. "It's not that interesting. Where we're going is somewhere really fun." He laughed at the memories as he led the boy to a nearby hotel.

"A town like a super red-light district?"

"Eh, not really. It's pretty wholesome, all things considered. You'll like it more if you like this place." He couldn't help but smile when his student's son hummed in wonder.

They stopped by an outside reception desk. Jiraiya fished through his wallet for the correct amount of ryo. His charge looked around, taking in the little details that separated the town from the village. As odd as they looked together, they weren't out of place.

"Alright, we–" The man's eyes froze on a beautiful woman in a cocktail dress with long-flowing black hair looking in their direction not far away.

Naruto followed the line of his gaze to the stranger. "Pervy Sage, I'm pretty sure that's a whore." He felt his blood rush when she brushed aside her hair and winked. "Yeah, that's a whore."

He scowled, cheeks red. "What do you know about women, kid?!"

"More than I should, less than I think; I've been in the red-light district enough times to know what that dress, that look, and keeping herself open means."

He put the key in one of his hands, balled his fingers around it, and began walking towards her. "Work on that jutsu!"

"I was going to anyway," he deadpanned. Opening his hand, he lifted it and saw a room number engraved into the key. He closed it before going into the hotel proper.

The halls were a somewhat dirty white with maroon flooring. It reminded him somewhat of the Leaf Village Hospital, but that was pure white. Several minutes of wandering passed until he found the room in the back. As far as rooms went, it beat out what was waiting for him in the apartment he hadn't been in for well over a month.

Naruto jumped flat on to the bed, held out his hand, and concentrated chakra into his palm. "Three years for dad, a few days for Pervy Sage, and who knows how long for me."

"He based it on our secret weapon."

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow as the chakra fizzled out. "You've been quiet."

"Never mind that. Your father developed that jutsu to mimic one of our abilities. Not even close to the real thing. I am surprised he was capable of doing that much though."

"So you know how to do it?" He focused chakra into his palm again.

"In theory. The power and containment elements are similar yet the rotation is unnecessary, at least for us Tailed Beasts."

"What's the real thing then?"

"A massive explosion I could have leveled almost your entire village with."

He blinked at his latest failure. "Oh… Can you teach me that?"

"Our chakras are completely different from yours. You would have to use mine."

"Then I'll stick to this."

"Good luck destroying the village then."

The boy scoffed. "I don't need luck." He smiled as the swirling ball vaguely began taking shape, twisting the air around his palm. "See? I–" His brow twitched when it faded and the Nine-Tails began laughing. "Well, you try it then!"

"Hand over your body for a moment, and I will!"

"Oh no! I'm not handing control over again."

"Then keep failing!"

"I will!" The swirly-death-ball jutsu refused to form in his hand again. "Son of a bitch." He kept trying.

"Why are you even bothering with his jutsu? Asking about who he was? I thought you finally made up your mind."

"...I don't know. Still some longing, I guess."

"He's dead. Your questions will bring you no satisfaction."

"I know, I know; he chose them over me, so nothing will change anyway."

"You've finally chosen true vengeance."

He clucked his tongue as his latest attempt singing the skin on his palm. "For me, not for you."

"Oh, I know. Our interests align however."

"I'm not relying on you for help." His eyes glared into his chakra powerful enough to be visible.

"Then what do you call asking me for information about the Sharingan?"

"A question you answered."

"Please!"

A knock on the door interrupted the boy's argument with the ancient being. It was precisely two knocks. Calm, collected, and methodical. Really, it threw him off for a moment. The man he traveled with was more the type to bang on the door or try to open it. He was likely depressed after realizing the woman was a street-walker though.

He crossed his pointer and ring fingers, poofing another him into existence on the bed. "I told him so."

"Why do I have to answer it?" The clone rolled on to its stomach to kick up its legs.

"I gotta practice a jutsu."

It raised an eyebrow. "Can't I practice the jutsu?"

"That…." He raised a hand to stroke his chin. "Would that work?"

His clone shrugged before rolling off the bed on to its feet. "I'll open it." It walked over, grabbed the doorknob, turned its hand, and blinked at the cloaked man behind.

"Pervy sa–" Naruto saw the fully matured Sharingan, closed his eyes, and made the shadow clone jutsu sign to create a dozen or so more clones.

Itachi met eyes with the clone's and put him under the Sharingan's basic genjutsu. Then they widened as the world faded to black, leaving only the two of them below a mountain-sized orange-red fox.

Lowering its head to glare directly at him, it inched its forelegs around the target of his genjutsu. "Dirty Uchiha."

"…What?" He was back in the real world.

The original clone looked down at its stomach. "Hey! Stay out of this!" Looking up, it locked eyes with him again. "Do that again!"

Naruto and the others shot it looks. "What?"

"When you split yourself with the Shadow Clone Jutsu, I am split among them as well."

"Really?" They all said in unison.

"Itachi?" Kisame called out. "What's going on?"

His partner stepped back, betraying no emotion. "The Nine-Tails disrupted his chakra network and disabled my genjutsu."

"…He's a perfect jinchuriki?"

"Yes."

"I think we should run."

"Indeed."

The Narutos scowled when they turned. "Hey!"

"Itachi!" A voice familiar to, not counting clones, two of them yelled from down the hall.

"Sasuke?" The Narutos blinked.

Putting a hand on his partner's shoulder, the elder brother faced the uneasy younger. "Kisame, can you hold him off for a while?"

"I think?" He raised a hairless brow as the clones spawned clones of their own. "He's no–" He grabbed the hilt of his sword to slash one of them, but it exploded him into the opposite room.

Itachi, having flickered towards his brother on instinct, watched a line of giddy clones, presumably explosive, follow after the rogue swordsman. "You've made a peculiar friend."

Naruto walked out of the room and leaned against the wall as his copies pushed back the shark-like man with their explosions. "Need my help?" He glared at the remaining stranger. "Your brother's kind of an asshole."

"I'm fine." Sasuke's Sharingan remained on the last of his kin. "Why did you do it?"

"I alrea–"

"I saw you crying!" He stomped forward and pointed a finger at him. "I thought it was just me wishing there was one last shred of love in you, but I can see now that was real!" Gritting his teeth, his face scrunched in anger and sadness. "Why did you do it, big brother?!"

Itachi snatched him by the throat. "Do I have to rem–" From the corner of his vision, he saw a red-eyed jinchuriki concentrating swirling chakra in the palm of his hand. "The Rasengan."

Naruto barely managed to stabilize it before launching himself at the enemy. His red eyes widened as he grabbed his wrist and directed it into the nearby wall, warping it only somewhat. "Dammit!"

"Needs far more refining." He nearly smiled at the look of concern he gave to his brother. Before either could retaliate in any way, he flung his target down the hall and followed with the other.

"Sasuke!" He caught his teammate, set him down, and stood up with him. "I take right, you take left?"

"No, I still want answers."

"I get it, but he's not really giving you any."

"Still have to try."

Naruto shook his head and scoffed. "And you called me a dumbass."

"This from the person who punched his own explosive clone?" Sasuke scoffed back.

"It was the one time!"

"You still did it!"

Itachi laughed. It was sinister, bitter, and warm. "So you do remember what I said." He understood why his little brother veered off the track he set for him, and he now understood how to set him back. While unfortunate, it was for the best. "Killing him will surely awaken your Mangekyo."

"Kill me to awaken the mangay-what-now?" Naruto smirked. "P lease! Sa–" He turned and froze at the sight of teammate shaking with a horrified look on his face. "…Sasuke?"

Their hearts cracked.

Kisame Hoshigaki was an S class rogue ninja with chakra reserves on the level of a Tailed Beast. He also carried Shark Skin, the most terrifying sword to ever exist: it was sentient and ate chakra like it was disappearing from existence. An entire army would fall at his hands if he really went all out. That's what made his current predicament as humiliating as it was horrifying.

"Thought… Itachi was the only o–" He put his sword between him and the next explosive clone, still being sent back by sheer force alone through another wall. It couldn't absorb ambient chakra, which was what a Shadow Clone turned into when transferring back to its owner Also, it wasn't fast enough to absorb pure chakra explosions. The initial direct blast seared more than half of his body. "Sorry about this."

The collection of odd scales quivered, emitting a sound his explosion-rocked ears couldn't hear.

Holding it off to the side, he regretted his course of action when another clone jumped after him. "Oh for–" He put Shark Skin in its way in time to safely be blasted into another seemingly populated room. "Aren't you concerned about bystanders?!"

"Noooo!" The head clone yelled, oblivious to his lack of hearing.

One clone cleared its throat, took a deep breath, and put its hands over its mouth. "Attention all civilians! Please avoid the blonde kids with blue eyes! We are explosive! We are deadly! But, most of all, we are fucking awesome!" It kept repeating its words.

"Damn right!" An explosive clone with less chakra than usual charged after the rogue mist ninja.

He was sent back one final time into the streets of the town. "Deidara would love you." He stood up and implanted his sentient blade into the ground. There were other, frozen people in the blast radius. "But this is the end of the line."

The head shadow clone pointed to its warning kin. "Listen to him, you worthless idiots!"

"I'd say it was fun." He began going through hand seals. "Exce–" Lightning coursed through his body, frying a good deal of what was left.

"Was that shark bitch bothering you?!" Anko flickered to the boy and would've hugged one if they didn't push out their arms.

"I might explode!"

Clone Head Naruto, on the other hand, jumped joyfully into her arms. "Anko-sensei!" It blinked. "The main man is still inside with Sasuke's brother, who's kind of an asshole."

She glanced at the current threat and widened her eyes at the strange sword impaling his limp body with its scales. "What the fuck?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" The rest of the explosive clones rushed over while everyone cleared out to finish off their enemy, leaving only a smoking bloody crater behind.

"…Well, fuck me!" Anko giggled as the clone wiggled his eyebrows. "You actually killed him!"

Beneath the earth, a one-armed and legless Kisame regrew his body with the help of his blade. "Mid-range is suicide. Close-range and long-range are preferable. Too late for close-range, and that woman had me at long. Thanks for telling me she was coming."

It shivered, emitting a strange yet comforting coo.

"Really, I'm sorry. When we get our next assignment, I'll be sure to feed you all the chakra you want." He laughed. "These Leaf ninja are tricky. I can see where Itachi gets it from." He hummed before looking at his direction. "I'm sure he'll be fine. We'll regroup after he's ditched them."

In spite of the setback, they gained much information on what could be their greatest obstacle. The Nine-Tails broke his jinchuriki out of genjutsu, which meant they had a working relationship. He didn't like being reliant on its chakra, so he was likely weakest when relaxed. His natural reserves were on the level of a Tailed Beast, just like his, and he liked spamming high chakra costing jutsu. Granted, the Explosive Shadow Clone Jutsu was extremely effective, as his injuries could attest. He was one of the best candidates for the job, but it seemed like his partner's expertise was inefficient.

What was supposed to be an answer to a long-awaited question between brothers was a revelation to a somewhat related third party. In truth, the thought never crossed the younger brother's conscious mind. He shut out everyone with the sole goal of murdering his brother for what he did to their family. Then a boy much like him asked a valid question he did not want to consider. His anger and hatred was the same, but the buried joy and love he had made him reach out when he saw him for what he truly was: a sad child. It bonded them.

"Sasuke, what is he talking about?"

"The Mangekyo Sharingan." Itachi's eyes bore into his shaking brother's. "A stage beyond the fully matured three tomoe. I achieved it when I killed my best friend, and I told Sasuke to do the same, if he ever wanted to kill me."

Naruto glanced from one Uchiha to the other, knowing full well what the fourth stage of the Sharingan was. "You're… He's lying, right?!" He scoffed, trying to keep his unruly composure. "You…" Drifting off, he couldn't stop denying the truth in his teammate's unsteady form.

"It's true, but I n–" Sasuke stared at the one person in the entire world that broke through to him run off through the holes in the building his clones made.

"Your Mangekyo's escaping," Itachi said.

He grit his teeth. "You!" His hands flashed through the hand seals before concentrating lightning chakra into his palms.

The elder brother flickered over, grabbed his wrists, and directed what could've been two concentrated blasts of lightning at him into the ceiling. "Too slow, too weak, and too naive; you still lack the hatred to kill me." Approaching footsteps from behind drew his eyes, saving the younger from a traumatizing genjutsu. "Anko Mitarashi." He let go of his brother's wrists and moved behind him before she could draw a kunai.

"I don't know what you did to the main man," the Naruto clone at her side said, glaring at him with red eyes, "but I'm going to kill you, if you don't let go of Sasuke!"

"Even if I do, you're going to try."

"Smartass!" The former delinquents yelled.

To everyone present's disgust, the interior of the hotel hallways became writhing flesh.

Jiraiya stepped into the center hall from one of the other ones with the woman from earlier over his shoulder. "There's nowhere for you to run, Itachi." He glared at the man. "I don't need genjutsu to woo a woman."

"What the fuck is this?!" Anko felt her stomach twist at the uneasy 'ground' beneath her feet.

"Now is not the time!"

Clone Naruto kept its gaze on the rogue ninja. "Pervy Sage is right for once, Anko-sensei." It drew a shuriken and stomped toward him. "Sasuke's more of a brother to me than you ever were to him!"

Itachi smiled, looked down the hall, and activated his other Mangekyo, burning through the flesh wall with black fire. Letting go of the other Uchiha, he flickered over and jumped through the opening before flickering away again.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at the strange fire, set down the woman, grabbed a scroll from his belt, took out a brush, and began inscribing while the punks approached. "What happened to the other one? They travel in two."

"Blew him the fuck up," Clone Naruto answered. It looked to the real one's frozen partner and hugged him. "What the hell are you doing here?!" It blinked at his lack of response before separating. "Did...something happen with the main man?"

"What is that?" Anko asked, squinting at the black flames.

"I'm wondering the same thing." Jiraiya went through several hand signs. Slamming his palm down, he finished, sending the black flames into the scroll. "And there." He, to everyone's relief, dispelled his odd summoning jutsu, returning the surroundings back to normal.

Clone Naruto hummed. "So that's what Sealing Jutsu looks like." It glanced back at the Uchiha. "You're alright. That's all that matters." Smiling, its eyes went back to blue. "I know things will work out between us: we always fight." It set a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You said you'll care for me, no matter what…" it drifted off, blushing. "So I'll care for you guys, no matter what happens." With the Shadow Clone Seal, it dispelled itself.

Sasuke slammed his fist into the nearest wall with a grunt. Growling, his other joined it. He turned and began wailing on the durable material, leaving imprints of his fists. Anger, hatred, sadness, and fear all overwhelmed him.

"Hey!" Anko grabbed him from behind and pulled him back. "He's gone! You're alright!"

He nearly attacked her before snapping out of it. "Itachi! He…" Relaxing, he looked down. "Dammit."

"Where's the real Naruto?" Jiraiya asked.

All three felt horror at the realization he was alone with a prodigal Uchiha still after him.

Trauma and emotional distress were things every human being had a limit on. Depending on how used to them a person was, it would be higher or smaller. Sometimes it didn't change regardless of how much they endured. Stoicism helped but there was a limit in that philosophy and mindset as well. There were some people too horribly broken to break any further.

Naruto didn't stop running, jumping, or pivoting until he was surrounded by greenery. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head and yelled. No tears left his red eyes. Sadness he was more than tired of at that point. Even the memories of his last clone didn't help.

"I told you in that backwater: he was an Uchiha."

"You lied to me again!"

"What I did was withhold the truth."

He stomped his foot. "There's no fucking difference!"

"Even if I did know that was how the pinwheel was acquired, does it change anything?"

"No!" He relaxed somewhat. "Not at all." Scoffing, he shook his head. "I thought…"

"He loved you?"

"I don't know what love is." He fell down into the grass and looked up at the blue sky turning amber. "I…thought we understood each other."

"Pain can be the same, but the circumstances behind it are not."

He closed is eyes. "...I wanted someone in my life who wouldn't lie to me, and I thought it was him. I didn't feel alone with him around. Until Anko-sensei, he was the only one I felt like I could really tell anything. Being close to him wasn't unbearable." His eyes opened, back to blue. "Now…that's gone."

It was the first time he ever felt a bond quite like it. Warm, fulfilling, and invigorating. They pushed each other to their limits and beyond. He wondered if it was like having a brother, and a piece of his subconscious outright said as such to Sasuke's real one. Never again would those thoughts cross his mind.

AN: Consecutive Explosive Shadow Clones! Haha! God, I really wonder why Itachi is the only one who ever used that single jutsu. Kind of broken in the right hands, but I guess that's why he only ever used it the one time. Really hard to write around if you have a chakra monster learn it as I'm discovering. Lucky for me I have tons of ideas on how to counter it or use it against the performer.

I have nothing but love for Kisame. Actually looked into Shark Skin/Samehade to see if it could eat something like it but no. Really hard to picture it eating an explosion too when it doesn't like Fire Style. Just a really bad match up in unfavorable terrain. Lucky and hilarious that he's technically an earth shark.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of a review or PM.