Kimimaro had already subdued the rogue ninja who had secretly taken control of the Land of Bears. However, he didn't immediately seize power over the nation himself.
The reason was simple: he lacked enough capable subordinates.
To truly extend his influence into the Land of Bears or even the Land of Demons, he first needed to nurture a reliable force of trained shinobi.
Whether the Land of Bears descended into chaos after his departure didn't concern him. In fact, the more unstable it became, the better—such turmoil would justify his intervention later under the banner of "pacification."
Kimimaro planned to give these ninja three months of observation, training, and indoctrination in the Land of Vegetables. Afterward, they would return and begin reconstructing Hoshigakure.
The Star Ninja, many of whom already had foundational strength thanks to the Peacock Method and exposure to meteorite chakra, only needed proper cultivation techniques. With that, they could become a significant force within half a year.
He spent about a week settling affairs in the Land of Bears. His next destination: the Land of Birds.
Kimimaro no longer traveled openly. The major nations were bound to notice the changes in the Land of Bears, and he couldn't allow them to connect the dots. The Land of Birds was next, and he had to act discreetly—silently subduing local ninja without attracting international attention.
Small-scale coups and power shifts weren't rare in the lesser nations. As long as the Five Great Nations didn't realize that a single individual was orchestrating these events, they wouldn't interfere.
The major villages didn't have the manpower to manage every small country. Unless the conflict grew too large, they would simply turn a blind eye.
Kimimaro's strategy was still rooted in secrecy.
He had no intention of becoming a common enemy of the Five Great Nations.
Though he could now likely hold his own against a single Kage in combat, being surrounded by multiple Kage or their elite forces would still spell disaster.
Even if he fully catalyzed both the Sharingan and Sage Body potions, it wouldn't change the fact that the Five Great Nations had sheer numbers on their side.
Reaching Kage-level strength wasn't enough to confront entire villages. Only those on the level of the Sage of Six Paths could manage that.
For now, Kimimaro's strength was still not enough. He needed time to develop his own forces.
But time might soon be on his side.
The Akatsuki would begin moving soon. Once they drew the attention of the Great Nations, he could operate with far more freedom.
Still, a thought struck him: should he just catalyze the potions now?
The Sharingan and Sage Body potions had about three months left in their production cycle. If he used life energy to hasten the process, it would only cost a bit over 70,000 units—and he currently held nearly 500,000.
He had been hesitant to spend life energy freely in the past, but now he had a surplus. He should use it when necessary.
[Status: Kimimaro]
Bloodline Abilities:
Kekkei Genkai – Shikotsumyaku
Senju Bloodline
Kekkei Genkai – Wood Release (Incomplete)
Secret Technique – Hydrification
Uzumaki Bloodline
Kekkei Genkai – Ice Release
Kekkei Genkai – Crystal Release
Kekkei Genkai – Byakugan
Kekkei Genkai – Red Eye
Kekkei Genkai – Sharingan
Sage Body Bloodline
The system noted that the so-called Sage Body likely originated from the Hagoromo lineage, but lacking conclusive evidence, it retained the generic term.
[System Notification]
"Why is Wood Release still incomplete?"
"Because the host's Sharingan remains in its base state. Once you awaken the tomoe, your Wood Release will further evolve. Only upon achieving Mangekyō Sharingan will it reach true completion. However, since the Sharingan potion has already been used, the foundational integration is complete. The rest is a matter of time."
Tch, Kimimaro clicked his tongue. That wasn't just "a matter of time"—activating Mangekyō required a powerful emotional trigger.
Still, he knew the truth. Attaining Hashirama-level Wood Release wasn't something that happened overnight.
Luckily, the Sage Body could be utilized directly.
"Let me try entering Sage Mode," he muttered.
[Caution: The Sage Body bloodline allows you to enter Sage Mode but does not grant full mastery. Mismanagement of natural energy may result in chakra contamination.]
"Damn it," Kimimaro cursed.
So neither Sharingan nor Sage Mode could be used effectively right away.
Maybe he'd acted prematurely in catalyzing them.
No wonder his chakra absorption cap had only increased slightly—now at 120,000. He had hoped it would at least double.
Still, he consoled himself. The Sharingan and Sage Mode were broken abilities for a reason. Requiring time to master them was fair.
He exhaled slowly.
Let's try it anyway.
Kimimaro stilled his breathing, sensing the flow of natural energy around him.
"Sage Mode... Activate."
Dark pigment circled his eyes.
Immediately, he felt it—the immense power of natural energy. It wasn't violent, but insidiously invasive.
"If my chakra wasn't strong enough, I wouldn't be able to hold this at all," he murmured.
He carefully sensed the changes within his body.
"All my physical abilities have increased by about fifty percent. It doesn't feel overwhelming… Is it because I just started using it? No, that's not it. The potion allowed me to bypass the learning curve and directly enter Sage Mode."
He paused, then narrowed his eyes as realization struck.
"Hmm… I see now."
Kimimaro quickly understood the reason Sage Mode's boost felt less dramatic than the Cursed Seal's: the senjutsu chakra was actively purging Orochimaru's Cursed Seal from his body.
Sage Mode was a pure, natural power—its presence inherently rejected foreign chakra influences. The Cursed Seal, being an artificial and corrupted medium infused with Orochimaru's chakra, could not coexist with natural energy.
As the senjutsu chakra stabilized, the Cursed Seal on his chest disintegrated. Black smoke hissed from the mark, coalescing into a small, shadowy serpent that writhed before dissolving into nothingness.
At that very moment, far away in one of Orochimaru's hidden laboratories, the Sannin's eyes widened in shock.
"...He purged my Cursed Seal? Without dying? Interesting," Orochimaru murmured, his tone a mix of curiosity and wariness.
Back on Kimimaro's side, his aura flared visibly.
"This level of enhancement... It's already on par with the Cursed Seal's transformation," he noted.
"But the difference is clear. When I used the Cursed Seal, my body always felt strained, like it was being corroded from the inside out. Now, with Sage Mode, everything feels... harmonious."
He returned to his base state and stretched his limbs. Natural energy coursed through him gently, almost soothingly.
Sage Mode truly is a powerful tool, he thought. But it's also dangerous. If I draw in too much natural energy without proper control, I could turn to stone.
Mastery would take time. The better he synchronized with nature, the more powerful—and sustainable—his Sage Mode would become.
Feeling satisfied, Kimimaro turned his focus inward once more. He activated the Sharingan.
His irises bled into a deep crimson hue, and a single tomoe spun slowly at the edge.
Seconds passed. The tomoe rotated, accelerated—and another tomoe emerged.
"A two-tomoe Sharingan," he observed.
"Its function is close to the Byakugan's in terms of perception—but the focus differs. The Byakugan offers 360-degree vision and precise chakra flow detection. The Sharingan, on the other hand, hones in on minute detail. It reads movements, anticipates attacks, and gradually evolves its predictive ability."
Kimimaro closed his eyes, feeling the interplay between the two dojutsu—Byakugan and Sharingan—and the residual senjutsu chakra in his system.
A smirk touched his lips.
"This is only the beginning."
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