"Jugo, I have a mission for you. Go to the Land of Claws and the Land of Fangs and bring back some capable rogue ninjas. Remember—quality over quantity. They must genuinely align with our ideals if they are to join us."
Jugo nodded. "Understood. But aside from ideology, what should I use to attract them? Surely I can't just offer bloodline abilities."
The use of the bloodline gene serum had to remain strictly confidential—only known to Kimimaro's inner circle.
"Tell them we can offer something even more valuable," Kimimaro said. "A complete and structured ninjutsu education."
Where do rogue ninjas come from?
Some were missing-nin who defected from the Five Great Shinobi Nations. They weren't inherently evil—just as not all Konoha shinobi were paragons of virtue. Their divergence often lay in ideology, not morality.
Others were independent wanderers—civilians with latent talent who had picked up a handful of jutsu from other drifters, never having access to formal instruction.
Ninja reserves in villages like Konoha or Kiri were tightly controlled. Recruitment from the common populace, when it happened, was rigorous. Royal courts and daimyo families also had their own elite guards. So rogue ninjas—cut off from such structured systems—rarely mastered a full ninjutsu curriculum.
But that wasn't a problem for Kimimaro.
Thanks to Orochimaru's vast collection of stolen knowledge, both Kimimaro and Guren had access to countless jutsu scrolls. Even if they couldn't use them all, they understood the theoretical foundations.
Karin had knowledge from the Hidden Grass Village. Suigetsu, hailing from Kirigakure, knew many of its water-style techniques. Even little Hanabi, trained in Konoha's Academy system, could perform basic ninjutsu proficiently.
Combining these sources with the modest resources of the Land of Vegetables, they could form a reasonably complete foundational curriculum.
Basic ninjutsu—E-rank and D-rank—was widespread and easily taught. Even rogue ninjas who lacked formal training often knew a few. Hanabi, raised in the Hyuga Clan, had no reservations teaching the basics.
They also pooled together a large library of D-, C-, and B-rank jutsu. Suigetsu's contribution was especially valuable—his loyalty to Kiri was minimal, and he freely shared everything he knew.
As for A- and S-rank techniques, they existed in their records but would be withheld for now. Rogue ninjas didn't need such power right away. B-rank jutsu were already sufficient to serve as incentive.
Kimimaro even planned to visit the Land of Snow eventually. Though not a major power, it had a developed chakra armor system and a self-contained ninjutsu system born from Snow Technology. Integrating such knowledge would bolster his cause.
With the resources he currently had, Kimimaro believed he could found a proper shinobi village.
A ninja village—like any organization—needed two things: ninja and ninjutsu.
He had the latter, and the former would follow. With just a few willing recruits, momentum would grow.
"Kimimaro, have you thought about what to name our ninja village?" Karin asked, propping her chin on her hand. "It needs to sound powerful."
Kimimaro fell silent, his thoughts drifting to the ideals rooted in his previous life. The symbol of a red flag and golden stars echoed in his heart.
"I want to call it... Hoshi Ninja."
"Hoshi Ninja?" Karin frowned. "You mean like the ones from the Land of Bears? Their village was called Hoshigakure, and they even had a self-proclaimed Hoshikage. But I heard things fell apart there recently."
"Even better," Kimimaro replied. "We can absorb them."
He pulled up the intelligence on Hoshigakure and skimmed through it. The Star Ninjas had long relied on the meteorite for power—but without it, they lacked a strong ninjutsu base. They were ripe for recruitment.
"They want strength. I can offer it," Kimimaro said with a smirk. "They have numbers. I won't even change their name. I'll just reshape their identity. That's fair, isn't it?"
"But wouldn't that make us their successors, not a new village?"
"Not necessarily," he said. "Using their existing structure gives us a foundation. But the heart of the village will be ours. We won't become them—they will become us. Even their symbol can change."
He drew the Hoshigakure forehead protector: a hollow five-pointed star. With a few strokes, he connected the tips, turning it into a solid star—a symbol of unity and rebirth.
"This will mark the new Hoshi Ninja."
Hoshigakure had just suffered internal chaos. Its ninjas didn't yet know their fate had already been decided.
Kimimaro thought deeper.
The Land of Bears. The Star Village.
Although not superstitious, the symbolism struck him.
To put it bluntly, Kimimaro's mindset now exemplified self-actualization—the highest tier of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. With the Bloodline Evolution System in his grasp, and a general understanding of the shinobi world's structure and history, he no longer doubted that his personal strength would one day stand at its peak. But that also meant he needed a new purpose—something beyond power.
After all, what is life without purpose?
So, Kimimaro began to think deeply: what did he want to do? What did he love doing?
Once he reached a conclusion, his internal deliberation ended like a successful war council. That night, riding a rare wave of elation, he even carried Karin into Haruna's chambers.
The rest of the night was filled with heated passion.
Meanwhile, governance in the Land of Vegetables proceeded steadily.
The first civil service examination was complete. Unsurprisingly, many of the selected officials still came from noble or merchant backgrounds. Hidden among them were remnants of the old guard—some possibly holding grudges—but there were also a few bright commoners, genuinely grateful for Kimimaro's reforms. These included policies that reduced hereditary privilege and promoted meritocracy, something rare across the Five Great Nations and minor countries alike.
Kimimaro didn't concern himself too much with the backgrounds of those chosen. He knew well: as long as the top leadership stood firm, new ideas and customs would gradually reshape the Land of Vegetables over time.
Or rather—by then, his influence would spread far beyond just this land.
Ten days after the conclusion of the exam, the Land of Vegetables had already begun to take on a renewed spirit.
At the same time, Kimimaro's newly developed Super Soldier Serum was complete.
All 1,000 elite royal guards were now successfully transformed—each empowered beyond conventional Genin-level shinobi, though still beneath true Chūnin or Jōnin in versatility. Based on their individual affinities and physical characteristics, Kimimaro had divided them into two corps:
Bone Guards: Enhanced using genetic traits derived from his own Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai, giving them reinforced skeletal structures and limited bone manipulation.
Ice Guards: Augmented using a diluted form of the Yuki clan's Ice Release genes, granting them minor cryogenic capabilities, suitable for battlefield utility and terrain control.
He brought both divisions to the military training ground for a demonstration.
The spectacle stunned the assembled generals.
"My lord," said one broad-shouldered man in polished armor, his eyes gleaming with ambition, "when will we take these troops to war?"
His name was Karin (not to be confused with the red-haired medic), and despite the feminine-sounding name, he was a seasoned tactician and one of Kimimaro's earliest supporters—a true hawk advocating for preemptive strikes against rival nations and rogue elements.
The fire in his voice mirrored the fire sweeping through the Land of Vegetables.
And Kimimaro smiled. The time of quiet preparation was nearing its end.
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