"Heh, Kimimaro… I didn't expect you to actually betray Lord Orochimaru."
The new voice belonged to a woman who stepped out from the mist, her sharp eyes fixed on him. She had blue hair tied back in a high ponytail, and her clothing was green on the outside and red on the inside, tied at the back with an exaggerated ribbon-like knot.
Kimimaro glanced at the bow with faint exasperation. That ridiculous knot again... Shouldn't Orochimaru be called "Oro-rope-maru" at this point? He mentally scoffed. Since his resurrection, he'd completely abandoned the style he once wore for Orochimaru's sake.
"Guren. Why are you here?"
"Lord Orochimaru sent me. Since you're alive, why haven't you returned?"
Guren. A name that didn't appear in the manga, only in the Naruto Shippuden anime. In his previous life, Kimimaro hadn't paid her much attention, but now, his current memories filled in the gaps. She wasn't just a footnote—she was significant.
Originally, he had been Orochimaru's chosen vessel, selected for his robust body and rare Shikotsumyaku. Guren, despite her powerful Crystal Release, had only ever been the backup.
Kimimaro touched the cursed mark on his chest. "The curse mark… Orochimaru must have sensed it. He always leaves contingencies."
Nearby, Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes in alarm. Orochimaru? As the granddaughter of Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, she was all too familiar with the name. A former Leaf Sannin and missing-nin with a bounty on his head and a reputation that rivaled her grandfather's… If Kimimaro had truly broken from Orochimaru, and could be swayed to side with Iwagakure…
"You dare say Lord Orochimaru's name so casually?" Guren snapped. "Kimimaro, have you forgotten everything he's done for you? You had his mark—his favor! Do you think that makes you better than the rest of us?"
Kimimaro sighed and rubbed his temples. She's been indoctrinated far too deeply.
Despite being older than him, Guren's mindset was still that of a follower yearning for approval. In truth, her cold persona from the anime was just a mask—a copy of Orochimaru's mannerisms. Beneath it all, she had a soft heart.
Her Crystal Release was certainly powerful—arguably more destructive than his own Shikotsumyaku—but she had never received a curse mark. That was the deciding factor in her not becoming the vessel: without the seal, her body couldn't properly sync with Orochimaru's soul.
She was frustrated—not just at Kimimaro's betrayal, but at being replaced again. First by him, then by Sasuke. Yet, she never once questioned Orochimaru himself.
"Guren," he said softly. "I've already died once."
"…What?"
"You know I was terminally ill. Back then, I really did die. I don't know how I came back, but I did."
In most worlds, claiming to have returned from the dead would invite suspicion. But in the world of Naruto, filled with Edo Tensei, Rinne Tensei, and ancient forbidden arts, such things weren't impossible. People would merely assume he survived by some miracle—perhaps through sheer willpower or unique physiology.
"Living again changed my perspective. Guren, I used to think like you—living only for Orochimaru. But now, I want to live for myself."
"But… Lord Orochimaru's kindness…" she protested, her voice trembling with conviction.
Kimimaro's tone turned steely.
"Guren!" he snapped. "Was it truly kindness? Or did we just worship him blindly? We admired his power, his ambition. We followed him because he made us believe we had purpose. But in the end, I gave him my life. That debt is paid."
"You..." Guren hesitated. Kimimaro's words made sense, but her unwavering loyalty to Orochimaru held her back from accepting them so easily. "I don't care. I'm still going to take you back. Say whatever you like to Lord Orochimaru—he'll decide your fate."
She stepped forward, her chakra flaring, preparing to strike.
"Hey, what's your problem?" Kurotsuchi interjected, stepping in front of Kimimaro. "Even if he owed Orochimaru something, he's repaid that debt a hundred times over! Why won't you just let him go? In the Land of Earth, we don't tolerate people stirring up trouble without a reason."
Guren narrowed her eyes. "And who are you? Some scrawny girl thinks she can stop me?"
Kurotsuchi's leg shot forward, foot pressing against the ground, molten chakra beginning to swirl at her heel. "Scrawny? Let me show you what this 'frail little girl' can do!"
Before she could make a move, a hand gently rested on her shoulder.
Kimimaro stepped forward, expression calm. "Little Leg, don't get involved. She's not just strong—her Crystal Release is dangerous. If she traps you, focus your chakra over your entire body to resist the sealing effect."
"Little what?" Kurotsuchi blinked in disbelief. "Did you just call me Little Leg? We barely met! If you're going to give me a nickname, at least call me something cooler. Like, I don't know... Little Earth!"
She looked down at her leg and muttered indignantly, "These legs are strong and beautiful..."
Ignoring the banter, Kimimaro walked calmly toward Guren.
Kurotsuchi watched him go, her tone softening slightly. "He may look frail, but he doesn't back down. Brave… and kind, too."
Jūgo silently moved to Kimimaro's side. Guren was dangerous, but he trusted Kimimaro. As long as he could protect him, he'd fight without hesitation. He didn't fear Guren's jutsu; his affinity for natural energy allowed him to harden his body and resist techniques like Crystal Hexagonal Prison.
Karin, not far behind, clenched her fists. With her abundant chakra and sensory skills, she was ready to support at any moment.
Guren scoffed. "Kimimaro, I didn't expect you to hide behind others. I told you before—without your Curse Mark, you're no match for me. The only reason Orochimaru chose you over me was because you could handle the Curse Mark's power."
Kimimaro gave her a faint smile. "I'm weak now, it's true. So how can you bear to fight me alone? Since you're so confident, then you won't mind if Jūgo joins me. Unless you're afraid?"
"Afraid? Hah! Don't flatter yourself. Come on, both of you!" Guren raised her arms, her chakra crystallizing the air around her into sharp, jagged prisms. "Let's see if you've really grown stronger—or if you're just pretending to be brave!"