Sora's worldview crumbled in an instant.
"You mean… my father died at the hands of Master Chiriku and the others?" he asked, voice shaking.
"You can't exactly say that," Kimimaro replied. "He didn't die—not yet."
"But Master Chiriku…" Sora's emotions spiraled into confusion and anger. "I have to find him!"
Without waiting for a response, Sora turned and ran full speed toward the Fire Temple, ignoring everything else around him.
In the shadows, Kimimaro gave a subtle signal, and Fūbō silently followed.
Before long, they arrived outside the Fire Temple. The monks had rushed after Sora when he barged in, creating a perfect opportunity for Kimimaro and Fūbō to slip in unnoticed.
Inside, Sora confronted Chiriku, his voice trembling with betrayal.
"Master Chiriku! Were you and my father enemies?"
Chiriku's brows furrowed. "Where is this coming from?"
"Just tell me the truth!" Sora snapped. "Were you?"
Chiriku exhaled. "Kazuma and I were once comrades. We were members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja under the Fire Daimyō. But later… we clashed over ideology."
"So it's true…" Sora muttered. "You've been lying to me this whole time."
"No, Sora," Chiriku said calmly. "Kazuma and I had different beliefs. But we were not enemies in the beginning."
"You still lied! You never told me the truth!" Sora's right hand twitched, then began to swell with red, bubbling chakra.
"Sora, don't let that power take over!" Chiriku warned, stepping into a martial stance. "You're being manipulated!"
But Sora had already released a wave of raw Nine-Tails chakra from his right arm.
Chiriku responded instantly: "Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva!"
A radiant golden construct of a multi-armed Buddha manifested behind him, its fists blurring as it intercepted the wave of tailed beast chakra.
From the shadows, Kimimaro narrowed his eyes.
"An advanced taijutsu-chakra fusion. Impressive," he murmured, activating his Sharingan—something he retained in this alternate narrative due to Orochimaru's modifications.
Sora roared, lashing out with more power, but Chiriku refused to strike with lethal intent. The Bodhisattva's hands shifted into red chakra fists, parrying without harming.
This power… it's even greater than Kazuma's, Kimimaro thought. Was Kazuma weaker because he was injured back then?
Having seen enough, Kimimaro turned to Fūbō. "I've copied the technique. Ready to proceed?"
"I can absorb the Nine-Tails chakra," Fūbō confirmed, "but not for long. I'll need to transfer it to you quickly."
"Then let's move."
Kimimaro pulled on the chakra armor he had acquired during a previous mission in the Land of Snow, careful not to expose his identity as an agent now operating under Tsunade's reluctant approval.
Moving at high speed, Kimimaro appeared behind Sora and struck a pressure point at the base of his neck.
The jutsu he used, Kōan Nyūten Suishū—a technique modified to suppress jinchūriki chakra surges—instantly knocked Sora out.
"Who are you!?" Chiriku shouted, moving to intercept, but Kimimaro tossed a handful of explosive tags, sealing his retreat.
"I never thought I'd actually use these," he muttered. "But I've got no business with the Fire Temple. Just the boy."
In a quiet clearing far from the temple, Kimimaro placed Sora down and roused him.
"You're awake."
"It's you…" Sora groaned. "What… what happened?"
"You fought Chiriku. Don't you remember?"
"Me? Fight Master Chiriku? No way… I couldn't win against him."
"You underestimate yourself. That power in your right hand—you know what it is, don't you?"
Sora shook his head. "I just know it's dangerous… I've always been afraid of it."
"But you've used it before. Why do you think the monks keep their distance from you?"
"Why?"
"Because you went berserk as a child," Kimimaro said coldly. "You nearly destroyed the temple. You lost control of the Nine-Tails' chakra sealed inside you."
"Nine-Tails?!" Sora recoiled. "You mean… the Nine-Tails? The one that attacked Konoha?"
"That's right. A portion of its chakra was sealed into you. You were meant to become a pseudo-jinchūriki— a weapon."
Sora clenched his fists. "Who would do that to me?"
"Who else?" Kimimaro smirked. "Your father—Kazuma. He planned it all. You were his insurance."
Sora's rage exploded.
"That bastard!"
Kimimaro turned to Fūbō. "Begin."
Revealing the truth was a calculated risk—provoking Sora to draw out more of the Nine-Tails' power. Kimimaro's ultimate plan was to extract it, analyze it, and possibly weaponize it under his own control. Besides, Kazuma had never completely submitted to him. Taking his son was a message.
According to Fūbō's surveillance, Sora had potential. Misunderstood, isolated, but strong. With the right push… he could become something more.
Kimimaro was pleased to absorb such a rare chakra.
Fubo's long hair extended like tendrils, binding Sora's unconscious body. The residual Nine-Tails chakra within him began to be extracted, slowly but steadily.
"My Lord, I can't contain it for long. I'll have to transfer it directly to you."
"Very well. Proceed," Kimimaro replied, extending his hand.
"My Lord... my hands are still immobilized."
"Haha, I forgot. In that case, you'll have to use your mouth."
Fubo flushed slightly. She hadn't imagined she'd share a kiss with Kimimaro under such circumstances—but she wouldn't miss the chance.
Thankfully, Sora had already lost consciousness and couldn't see anything.
"Nine-Tails chakra detected. Commencing analysis…"
"Chakra volume: minimal. Host may store it safely within the internal chakra system."
Excellent—Kimimaro wouldn't need to exert additional effort to suppress it.
"[Progress on unlocking the Six Paths Sage Body?]"
"[Confirmed: The host must gather chakra traces from all nine Tailed Beasts. This chakra can be acquired directly or via blood, body tissue, or other residual essence. The components must be synthesized into a specific compound.]"
"[That's it?]"
"[No. That compound only forms a proto-catalyst. To complete the transformation, the host must also absorb vital life energy from a shinobi who has accessed either Six Paths Sage Mode or has become a Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails. This energy acts as a trigger. Time is required for full activation, though additional life energy can accelerate the process.]"
"[How much life energy is needed?]"
"[Unknown. Quantification is only possible after the base compound is created.]"
Kimimaro's expression darkened. So unless another shinobi with Six Paths-level power emerged, he'd be stuck at a plateau?
He had originally considered eliminating Madara and Black Zetsu early—but now it seemed his plans needed a new trajectory.
"[Is the Six Paths Sage Body absolutely required to attain that level of power?]"
"[Not necessarily. There are alternate paths to Six Paths-tier combat ability, though they may come with their own limits or risks.]"
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