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At this time, Kimimaro was still very young—only about eight or nine years old. His combat skills and chakra control had not yet reached their peak.
However, Midorima did not let his guard down. An opponent like Kimimaro could very well take a bite out of him if he wasn't careful.
"Camellia Dance" was incredibly fast, and ninjas who lacked taijutsu proficiency could easily be caught off guard. Once Kimimaro closed the distance, it became difficult to counter with ninjutsu, forcing Midorima to rely on taijutsu to keep up.
Compared to Might Guy, Midorima's taijutsu was undoubtedly inferior—Guy was a man capable of opening the Eight Gates, after all. However, Midorima had spent a long time sparring with and learning sword techniques from Zabuza and Mangetsu Hōzuki. He had even defeated Zabuza in combat before. Thus, when faced with "Camellia Dance," he didn't panic. Instead, he deftly dodged and countered with kunai.
The bone sword clashed against the kunai, and no matter how hard Kimimaro pushed, he couldn't overpower Midorima. The illusion of multiple bone swords in "Camellia Dance" was merely an afterimage created by the extreme speed of the attacks. Once the momentum was halted, the technique could be broken.
After two failed attempts to overwhelm Midorima, Kimimaro retreated slightly, preparing to gather strength for another assault.
Seizing the opening, Midorima suddenly used "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Three figures lunged at Kimimaro simultaneously.
"Are you looking down on me?!" Kimimaro roared.
Bone blades shot from his elbows, instantly piercing two of the shadow clones. Meanwhile, the real Midorima took advantage of Kimimaro's attack to unleash "Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu." A violent surge of water crashed toward Kimimaro.
Just as Midorima thought he had forced Kimimaro back, a bone sword suddenly pierced through the water, aiming straight for his face.
Reacting almost instinctively, Midorima caught the bone sword barehanded. The sheer force of the impact sent him stumbling back a step.
The cursed seal spread from Kimimaro's neck, covering his face. His eyes burned like those of a furious beast—savage and fearless.
"Will he be alright?"
Outside the training ground, a chubby boy watched the enraged Kimimaro with deep concern.
"What kind of monster he is, have you forgotten?" A dark-skinned boy rubbed his jaw, recalling the brutal beating he had suffered not long ago.
"That's not the point… He coughed up blood recently. Didn't you know?" the chubby boy said uneasily.
"Yeah… But he made us promise not to tell anyone. He said it was nothing serious. I wonder if that's true…"
"Lord Orochimaru would be furious if he found out. That idiot! Why does he have to take such risks? Now we'll all be punished because of him!" A red-haired girl frowned, her eyes fixed anxiously on Kimimaro.
"We can't let them keep fighting like this… Kimimaro might really get hurt," a gray-haired boy said grimly.
"What do we do? None of us know medical ninjutsu…" The dark-skinned boy's gaze swept across the training ground just in time to see Kimimaro's body sprouting bone blades from various angles, attempting to strike Midorima. However, Midorima, still gripping the bone sword, hurled Kimimaro to the ground.
Kimimaro, furious, tried to rise, only for an earthen wall to collapse on top of him.
"Enough! There's no need to fight to the death!" Midorima said.
"Like hell there isn't!" Kimimaro, now fully enraged, burst from the rubble and glared at Midorima. "I still have stronger techniques—"
Blood trickled from his mouth, but he ignored it. His body darkened as he began unlocking the second stage of the "Earth Cursed Seal."
"Stop! If you keep going, something terrible will happen! Are you really okay?!" the gray-haired boy shouted.
"Shut up! You don't understand anything!" Kimimaro's blackened body even grew a tail. "This time, I won't lose—"
Another mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips.
Seeing this, Midorima was horrified. Had Kimimaro's condition already deteriorated?
I can't delay any longer… Otherwise, he'll really be in danger.
"Midorima Asachi, fight me!" Kimimaro snarled, only to see Midorima transform into a bolt of lightning, suddenly appearing right in front of him.
His ribs jutted outward, forming a protective barrier, but Midorima reached through and pressed a hand against his face, slamming him back into the ground.
"Do you really want to die that badly?" Midorima asked.
"What do you know?!" Kimimaro struggled to rise, but Midorima kept his head pinned firmly.
He grabbed Midorima's arm, attempting to pierce it with his bone spikes, only to find it completely ineffective.
Midorima's arm had turned black.
"This is 'Earth Spear.' It hardens the body. Nothing but Lightning Release can break through it." Midorima turned his head toward the Sound Four. "Go get Orochimaru. Now."
"Don't you dare! If you go to him, I'll kill you!" Kimimaro growled, his furious gaze locking onto the four as they hesitated.
The Sound Four froze, exchanging uncertain glances.
"If you don't go, Orochimaru will kill you instead. Your choice," Midorima said coldly.
This time, all four turned away in unison.
"Get back here, or I'll slaughter every last one of you!!"
Kimimaro thrashed violently, trying to break free, but Midorima's grip remained unyielding.
After two or three minutes of struggle, Kimimaro finally exhausted himself and went limp.
"You feel threatened, don't you?"
Instantly, Midorima sensed the muscles in Kimimaro's face stiffen. He didn't speak, but his breathing grew heavier.
"Relax. I'm not a threat to you."
Midorima had long suspected that Kimimaro harbored a deep-seated fear—the fear of being discarded. Logically, someone of Kimimaro's strength shouldn't feel this way, especially since the "Dead Bone Pulse" was an incredibly powerful kekkei genkai.
However, the toll this bloodline took on the body was undeniable.
Though the Kaguya clan had been wiped out, Kimimaro had lived among his kin as a child. He had likely witnessed firsthand how the "Dead Bone Pulse" ravaged his clansmen, leaving them as hollow shells. He feared suffering the same fate—becoming useless once the kekkei genkai consumed him.
Orochimaru, for all his flaws, had not abandoned Kimimaro despite his illness. Instead, he had provided some degree of treatment. And in return, Kimimaro had remained fiercely loyal.
"...And if Orochimaru is someone you trust, then you should believe he won't abandon you."
Unfortunately, Kimimaro's illness was truly relentless.
Hearing these words, Kimimaro's struggling gradually ceased.
Midorima released his grip and stared at his own palm.
Something felt different about his chakra, though he couldn't pinpoint why.
Was it because of the "Cursed Mark"?
He discreetly touched the cursed mark on his neck but found no answers.