Suigetsu and Kimimaro had already begun their journey back.
Now, only the great sword Samehada remained—but it was in the hands of Kisame Hoshigaki. For the time being, acquiring it was out of the question.
Because by Kisame's side stood a truly formidable ally—Itachi Uchiha.
Kimimaro no longer felt the same overwhelming pressure from the Akatsuki as he once had. Yet, there were still two members he preferred not to provoke—at least, not for now.
One was Hidan, the immortal Jashinist. His cursed ritual, Death Controlling Possessed Blood, was nearly impossible to resolve once activated. While Kimimaro could likely deal with Hidan in a one-on-one battle, the risk escalated dramatically if companions were involved. Suigetsu's liquefying Water Style body gave him an edge against Hidan's blood-activated curse, but the others weren't so lucky.
The second was Itachi Uchiha. Kimimaro still had no effective means to counter Tsukuyomi. That genjutsu's sheer absurdity left little room for resistance—one would need a Mangekyō Sharingan of their own or a level of mental resilience bordering on inhuman.
With the upcoming Chūnin Exams approaching—the ones Hanabi would be participating in—Kimimaro didn't plan to stir up unnecessary trouble.
Their group of four reentered the Land of Fire, heading toward the Fire Temple.
"That young man often trains in the hills nearby at night. We can approach him directly," Fubo reported.
Kimimaro nodded. There was no need to raid the Fire Temple and antagonize the Land of Fire without reason. Their target was just one person—Sora.
That night, in a cave near the temple, Sora trained alone in his monk's attire.
"Beast Wave Palm!"
His iron claws gleamed as they slashed the air, channeling Wind Release chakra in explosive bursts.
From a distance, Kimimaro watched with his Red Eye and Byakugan simultaneously activated. This hybrid vision granted him unparalleled insight.
"There it is… that sealed chakra in his right hand," Kimimaro thought. "According to Kazuma, it's only a sliver of the Nine-Tails' chakra that leaked out during the sealing process… and even that small portion radiates terrifying power."
He narrowed his eyes.
"The Nine-Tails is far beyond Kage-level… For Uchiha Madara to have subdued him, and for Senju Hashirama to wrestle control back—what kind of monsters were they? Not to mention the Six Paths level beyond that. My current strength… it's barely Kage-level. Bloodline abilities alone aren't enough. If I want to rise higher, I'll need more than talent—I'll need relentless training."
Of course, the Naruto world never used concrete power-level terms. Kimimaro was simply borrowing classifications from the online culture of his past life.
Ninjas like Tsunade or Mei Terumī fell into the standard Kage-level tier. Most Akatsuki members, too, sat at this level. But Pain—or rather, Nagato behind the scenes—was clearly beyond it. The likes of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, even before any augmentations, stood in a higher class. And Rinnegan-wielding Madara or the original Sage of Six Paths? That was an entirely different scale.
Kimimaro's goal was to break into the realm beyond Kage-level. As for reaching Six Paths level… he would need an incredible stroke of luck.
Right on cue, his Bloodline Evolution System notified him:
"Nine-Tails chakra detected nearby. If the host acquires it, the system may be able to research a method to activate the Six Paths Sage Body in the future."
As if summoned by his thoughts.
[Wait a second—didn't I meet Naruto before? Why didn't the system react then?]
"At that time, the host had not yet awakened Sage Mode. Now that Sage Mode is active, the corresponding opportunity can be detected."
"So… I need to take that Nine-Tails chakra sealed within Sora."
With a flicker, Kimimaro appeared in front of the training boy.
Sora froze. "Who are you?!"
"Your name's Sora, right?"
"You know me?"
"Of course. You resemble your father greatly—you even use the same techniques."
"You met my father?" Sora's eyes narrowed. "That's impossible. He died when I was a kid."
"Are you sure?" Kimimaro asked calmly.
The question stung with subtle doubt.
Kimimaro smiled. "He's alive."
Sora's voice trembled. "You're serious?"
"Why would I lie?"
"Then prove it."
"You're using Beast Wave Palm, correct?"
"So what?" Sora snapped. "Any monk at the temple can use that."
"You're right. But you haven't shown them the Beast Wave Gale Palm, have you?"
Sora's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?"
"Because I know your father. I've never met this Chiriku you're thinking of."
"That… doesn't make sense."
"I'll show you."
Kimimaro raised his hand. "Wind Release: Beast Wave Palm!"
A high-speed, spiraling wind slash roared out, pulverizing the rocks nearby with ease.
Sora stared, stunned. "Yours… is stronger than mine…"
"I learned it directly from your father," Kimimaro said smoothly. "Do you want to see him again?"
"Yes! Where is he?"
"In my territory."
Sora hesitated. "Let me return to the temple first. I need to say goodbye to Master Chiriku."
He had always been treated coldly at the Fire Temple—except by Chiriku, who had shown him rare kindness. Sora couldn't leave without at least informing him.
"If you do that, you may never leave," Kimimaro warned.
"Why? Master Chiriku is—"
"He's kind, yes. But he'll stop you. He'll say you're being deceived, or manipulated. And the others? They've never accepted you."
Sora's fists clenched. He looked at Kimimaro—this stranger who somehow knew the things he'd always longed to hear.
"…Then take me to him. Take me to my father."
Kimimaro nodded. "Let's go."
Kimimaro shook his head. "But your father and Chiriku might not have had a good relationship."
"What are you talking about? That's impossible! My father and Master Chiriku were both members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. My father gave his life in service to the Fire Daimyō—Master Chiriku looked after me precisely because of that."
Kimimaro let out a quiet chuckle. "It seems you really don't know what happened back then."
He had learned the truth from Orochimaru, and recently confirmed the details in a conversation with Kazuma. The history of the Guardian Twelve was far more complicated than what the public believed.
"I'm really not sure what you mean. Can you explain? Why would you say that Master Chiriku had a bad relationship with my father?"
"Because your father and Chiriku were on opposing sides of an ideological rift. The Twelve Guardian Ninja were split in two: one group believed in strengthening the Daimyō's military independence from the Hidden Leaf, while the other believed in preserving the balance with the village. Your father was one of the radicals. That faction, including the five who stood with him, were eventually purged."
He paused before continuing, "You've seen the graves outside the Fire Temple, haven't you? You know who lies there?"
"Hokuto, Nango, Seito, and Tōu…"
"Exactly. They were members of Chiriku's faction. They died fighting your father's comrades. Officially, the radicals were wiped out—but your father survived. He lived, though the world thought him dead."
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