61-65

Chapter 61: Protagonist's Reward

"Up ahead is the Land of Waves. Pass through it, and another day's journey will take us to the Village Hidden in the Sound," Kimimaro said, putting down the map and looking towards the small country shrouded in mist in the distance.

The Land of Waves, what a familiar name.

That was where the ninja dream began.

A small country without ninja, in this world, it didn't even have the ability to protect itself, and was currently controlled by a businessman named Gato.

The Land of Waves mission, a story of fighting for freedom.

"The bridge in the Land of Waves is almost complete. It seems I've arrived at the right time," Kimimaro said with a smile.

The Land of Waves mission event!

Although it should be nearing its end now, he didn't know if he could get an event photo reward by getting involved, but all four members of Team 7 were here, maybe he could get a photo reward with all four of them.

This was a considerable temptation for Kimimaro.

"There's still time. It wouldn't hurt to meet the protagonists first."

Kimimaro took out the Sound Village headband from his luggage and put it on.

Sound ninja, Kimimaro Kaguya, reporting for duty!

...

In the forest, Naruto, who had been training all night, was fast asleep.

"Sasuke! I will definitely surpass you!"

Even in his dreams, Naruto was still murmuring the name of the black-haired boy.

"Sleeping here will give you a cold, Leaf boy."

Naruto was woken up in a daze.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the person in front of him.

White hair and green eyes, a white-haired boy even more handsome than Sasuke.

He also had a similar coldness to Sasuke, but there was a smile in his eyes and a sense of closeness.

Of course, what attracted Naruto the most was the headband on the boy's forehead.

That symbol wasn't from the Leaf Village, it must be from another village.

But Naruto, who hadn't paid much attention in his cultural classes, didn't know the name of the ninja village represented by this headband.

"Big brother, who are you?"

"Sound ninja, Kimimaro. You look like a ninja too, don't you? You're so unguarded. Sleeping in a place like this, if you encountered someone with bad intentions, you'd be dead."

Hearing Kimimaro's concern, Naruto immediately perked up.

"I'm a Leaf ninja, Naruto Uzumaki! Nice to meet you! I often come here to train, it's fine."

As he spoke, Naruto extended his right hand.

Seeing this, Kimimaro couldn't help but feel a little more expectant.

The protagonist of Naruto, taking a photo with him, what kind of reward would he get?

Would it be his signature ninjutsu, the Rasengan and Sage Mode?

Or high-level skills from other worlds?

With these expectations, Kimimaro shook Naruto's right hand.

"Congratulations, tourist, photo successful. Reward obtained: Seduction Technique."

Kimimaro: "..."

What the hell!

Seduction Technique?

What the heck is this!

The protagonist of Naruto, and this is the reward?

Is this reasonable?

All his expectations just now were shattered!

"Big brother, what's wrong? Your face looks so pale, are you feeling unwell?"

Looking at Naruto's innocent look, Kimimaro took a deep breath and calmed down his anger.

"It's nothing. Naruto Uzumaki, right? I want to ask you something."

Kimimaro, in a bad mood, didn't have the leisure to chat and went straight to the point.

"What is it?"

It was rare to meet such a friendly boy, Naruto really wanted to make a friend.

"Do you know where Gato is?"

"Gato? That name sounds familiar... Oh right! Isn't that the big bad guy Tazuna-san mentioned? What do you want with him? Don't tell me you're Gato's accomplice, like that bad guy Zabuza!"

As Naruto said this, he belatedly raised his guard and took a few steps back.

Seeing Naruto suddenly become so "clever," Kimimaro wondered if he had found the wrong person.

"No. I just took on the mission to kill Gato."

"The mission to kill Gato? You alone?"

Naruto was full of surprise.

Kimimaro nodded.

"You, a genin, can go out alone to carry out an assassination mission? This... this is at least a B-rank mission, right? Even under Kakashi-sensei's leadership, we had a hard time and almost got wiped out. You dare to take on such a mission alone?"

Naruto was shocked.

"Just a small fry like Gato, I... Who's there!"

Kimimaro was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly looked towards a certain spot and shouted in a low voice.

And right there, a figure flashed by.

He moved his feet and immediately chased after it.

"Wait for me!"

Seeing this, Naruto wanted to follow Kimimaro.

But he was so fast that in a few seconds, he left Naruto behind.

"So fast... How can he be so fast? It feels like he's even faster than Kakashi-sensei..."

Naruto was shocked again.

"Kimimaro? He doesn't look more than two or three years older than me, but he's so strong, no wonder he can take on an assassination mission alone. The Mist ANBU from before was the same, they're all about the same age, why are they so powerful?"

Naruto's heart was full of envy, and at the same time, a bit of unwillingness.

The gap was too big.

"Right! He just said he was here to kill Gato. I have to tell Kakashi-sensei about this!"

Naruto immediately ran towards Tazuna's house.

On the other side, Kimimaro chased out and quickly stopped the figure.

It was a beautiful boy with long black hair, wearing a pink kimono.

The boy looked wary, holding a senbon in his right hand.

"Move."

The boy said in a low voice.

"What if I don't?"

"Don't force me to attack."

"We're old acquaintances, do we have to fight the moment we meet?"

Kimimaro smiled.

Although the boy in front of him was a little different from before, Kimimaro still recognized him at a glance.

Haku!

The orphan of the Yuki clan from the Land of Water.

On the night the Kaguya clan was wiped out, the Water Release: Water Body Technique Kimimaro got from him played a big role.

Haku frowned slightly, clearly not recognizing him.

"I don't know you."

"You're quite forgetful. I remember very clearly the night you and Zabuza left Kirigakure."

Haku's pupils shrank.

Fragments of memories flashed through his mind, and the image of the white-haired boy overlapped with the person in front of him.

Although many years had passed, he still had a slight impression of Kimimaro.

"It's you! The boy from the Kaguya clan back then. You're still alive?"

Haku was a little surprised.

The Kaguya clan should have become a symbol of history that night.

Existing only in the past, not in the present or future.

But the appearance of this white-haired boy in front of him meant that he hadn't died in that tragic battle.

"I was lucky enough to escape. We're both orphans with kekkei genkai from the same village, there's no need to be so formal, is there?"

Kimimaro looked at the senbon in Haku's hand and said.

"What do you want?"

Haku didn't let his guard down.

Even after so many years, he still felt that the white-haired boy from that night was strange in every way.

Now, although he was still kind, he was no longer the innocent boy he once was.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 62: The Meeting

"Are you collecting herbs nearby? Is Zabuza injured?"

Seeing that the basket in Bai's left hand was filled with medicinal herbs, Kimimaro immediately made a reasonable guess.

Bai gripped the senbon tighter.

"Mr. Zabuza is fine. Collecting herbs is just my hobby."

Bai was clearly not good at lying, and his current expression didn't look like he was telling the truth at all.

"Take me to see Zabuza."

"What do you want to do?"

Earlier, Bai heard Kimimaro tell Naruto that he had taken the mission to kill Gato.

And Gato was Zabuza's employer.

Zabuza was Kimimaro's biggest obstacle.

Meeting now was not appropriate.

Even though Bai didn't sense any killing intent from Kimimaro, it was always better to be cautious.

"I can heal him."

Kimimaro's right hand emitted a green chakra.

A medical ninja!

Bai was a bit surprised that this young man was actually a medical ninja.

It was quite strange for the warlike Kaguya clan to heal and save people.

"Mr. Zabuza's body has already recovered and doesn't need your treatment. Thank you for your kindness."

Bai politely declined.

"It seems you're very wary of me."

Kimimaro smiled helplessly.

"Mr. Zabuza said you're a strange person."

When they first met, Kimimaro was indeed strange.

"Alright, we'll meet again."

Kimimaro smiled slightly, turned around and left directly, without any hesitation.

Bai looked at his departing figure, even more puzzled.

What did this guy want to do by chasing after him?

Bai originally thought Kimimaro wanted to wait for him to relax his guard and then follow him.

But soon he discovered that Kimimaro was really gone.

"This guy is really strange. I need to tell Mr. Zabuza about this as soon as possible. Copy Ninja Kakashi is already difficult to deal with, and this strange guy doesn't look weak either."

Thinking of this, Bai quickly returned to the base after confirming he wasn't being followed.

"Bai, you were out for quite a while this time."

Zabuza, who had almost recovered, found it strange to see Bai rushing back.

"Mr. Zabuza, I just met that Kaguya boy from before."

"Kaguya Kimimaro?"

Zabuza quickly thought of it, which showed that Kimimaro had left quite an impression on him.

"Yes, that's him. I saw him wearing the Otogakure forehead protector and telling that yellow-haired boy from Konoha that he was here to kill Gato."

"The orphan of the Kaguya clan joined Otogakure? That's interesting."

Zabuza pondered.

"He also discovered my spying. When I retreated, he chased after me. He was extremely fast, no slower than me."

"He could keep up with you? Did you fight?"

"No. He said he wanted to see you and heal your injuries. But I thought he was strange, so I refused. After I refused, he didn't pester me and just left. He also said we would meet again. Mr. Zabuza, what do you think he wants to do?"

Bai conveyed his doubts to Zabuza.

"He probably knows that Gato hired me. But he doesn't seem to have any hostility towards us. His purpose is still unclear for now."

"Mr. Zabuza, should we abandon the mission? Dealing with the Konoha team is already very difficult for us. If we add another Shikotsumyaku ninja of unknown strength, our chances of success will decrease again."

"No. It's not time to give up yet. This Kimimaro may not be our enemy. He wants to kill Gato, which doesn't conflict with our mission. We just need to complete the mission and get the payment from Gato. After that, his life and death have nothing to do with us."

"Then we need to act quickly."

"My injuries have basically healed. Tomorrow we'll go to that almost completed bridge, kill the Konoha team first, and then kill Tazuna!"

"Yes! Mr. Zabuza."

On the other side, Kimimaro came to the commercial street of the Land of Waves.

This was the most deserted commercial street he had ever seen in this world.

Ever since Gato took control of the Land of Waves, the people of this country had been living in dire straits.

Kimimaro could see the despair of life on everyone's faces.

"Seeing this scene, it's no wonder the protagonist group wants to help."

Mumbling to himself, Kimimaro started asking around for the location of Tazuna's house.

Earlier, because of Bai, he temporarily left Naruto behind. When he went back, Naruto was already gone.

Now he naturally had to go find him.

After all, the protagonist group was his biggest goal for coming here this time.

Although one Sexy Jutsu made Kimimaro feel a bit numb, the remaining three shouldn't be so useless, right?

With this thought in mind, he quickly found out the location of Tazuna's house.

Tazuna was the most famous bridge builder in the Land of Waves, and at this moment, he was taking the huge risk of being assassinated by Gato to build a bridge that could change the Land of Waves. Finding out where his house was, was an extremely simple matter.

"Is that it?"

Looking at the house built by the water, Kimimaro couldn't help but sigh. This Tazuna really knew how to enjoy himself.

Knock, knock, knock.

Kimimaro knocked on the door.

"Hello, who are you looking for?"

The person who opened the door was a young woman, who seemed to be Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami.

"I'm looking for Mr. Tazuna."

"Dad, someone is looking for you."

Tsunami turned around and called.

"At this time, who would be looking for me?"

Tazuna walked out with some confusion, and beside him was Naruto, whom he had seen before.

"Ah! Kakashi-sensei, that's him! That Otogakure genin."

Naruto shouted loudly when he saw Kimimaro.

Kakashi's gaze quickly swept over.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon, Konoha genin, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hello, I'm the team leader for this mission, Hatake Kakashi. Naruto told me that you're an Otogakure genin and you're here to kill Gato, is that right?"

Kakashi stepped forward, his posture seemingly lazy, but he subtly shielded everyone behind him.

"That's right."

"Then may I know who your employer is?"

"Mr. Kakashi, as a ninja, not revealing the employer's information is basic professional ethics."

"Ah, I'm so sorry. I overlooked that. Because usually employers don't request confidentiality."

"With Gato's power in the Land of Waves, it's not strange that my employer wants to keep it a secret."

Kimimaro's words didn't make Kakashi too suspicious.

He had already felt how much the people here feared Gato during this time.

Gathering enough money to hire a ninja to kill Gato was the most normal thing to do.

Anonymity was the right and smart thing to do, because if things were exposed, they would be mercilessly killed by Gato.

It was just that this employer didn't seem to have enough funds. Otherwise, they wouldn't have only hired an Otogakure genin.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 63: A Complete Mess

"Then why did you come to Mr. Tazuna?"

"There are many strong people protecting Cardo. It would be dangerous for me to go alone. I heard that Mr. Tazuna hired a Konoha team to protect him while he was building the bridge. And he happens to be Cardo's target.

I think if we work together, it should be beneficial to both of us. You protect Tazuna, and I'll deal with Cardo. Mr. Kakashi, what do you think?"

The young man in front of him was no more than two years older than his own students, but he already possessed a wealth of experience. Kakashi couldn't help but admire him.

No wonder he could go out on missions alone.

Of course, this was partly due to the lack of manpower in the Sound Ninja Village, but the excellence of the person in front of him was the main reason.

"Of course. We are actually a bit short-handed against Cardo's men."

Kakashi smiled with his eyes narrowed, looking harmless.

But Kimimaro didn't dare underestimate this seemingly ordinary ninja.

"Happy to cooperate."

Kimimaro extended his right hand.

Kakashi politely shook it.

"Happy to cooperate."

Although he didn't fully trust Kimimaro yet, if there was a problem, keeping him close was easier than letting him hide in the shadows.

If he was really an ally, cooperation would naturally be a win-win situation for both sides.

With this in mind, Kakashi decided to accept Kimimaro's offer of cooperation.

"Congratulations, tourist. The photo was successful. You received a reward: a pupil fragment. Collect seven to obtain a special pupil technique."

Kimimaro was slightly surprised.

Pupil fragment?

Collect seven to be useful?

Like Dragon Balls?

He wondered what kind of pupil technique it would be that required seven fragments to exchange.

In front of Kakashi, Kimimaro could only suppress his doubts and lower his right hand.

"Kimimaro, who were you chasing earlier? Did you catch them?"

At this time, Naruto stepped forward and asked curiously.

"I caught them. It was a young man. He was just collecting herbs, I must have been too sensitive. But he's skilled, not like an ordinary person."

Kimimaro didn't tell the whole truth, but only revealed some key information to them.

"A skilled young man? Could it be..."

Naruto quickly thought of something and looked at Kakashi with a shocked expression.

Kakashi's face was serious.

"Was the young man's hair black? About this tall."

Kakashi gestured to indicate Haku's height.

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"Mr. Kakashi, it must be him. He must have been collecting herbs to treat Zabuza's injuries!"

Naruto said with certainty.

Kakashi nodded slightly.

"If we're not mistaken, the young man you saw is one of our opponents this time.

Last time, we fought a hard battle with Zabuza Momochi, a missing-nin from Kirigakure hired by Cardo. We initially won, but he disguised himself as a Kirigakure ANBU and suddenly appeared, making Zabuza appear dead in front of us and taking his body away.

By the time we reacted, it was too late."

Kakashi explained to Kimimaro.

"If that's the case, Zabuza's injuries must have almost healed. Those herbs are all for treating external injuries."

"After nearly a month, Zabuza's injuries should have healed. Mr. Tazuna's bridge construction has entered the final stage. In this case, Zabuza should join forces with that young man to attack again in the next two days. A tough battle is inevitable."

Kakashi showed a worried expression.

Although he was confident in killing Zabuza alone, the young man's strength was definitely not just that of a genin.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura might not be able to stop him.

He wondered what the odds of winning would be with this Sound ninja boy.

"That's good. The sooner it's resolved, the sooner I can return to the Sound Ninja Village."

Compared to Kakashi's worry, Kimimaro thought this was a good thing.

"Mr. Kakashi, Sasuke and I have both become stronger. This time, we'll definitely teach that Zabuza a lesson!"

Naruto was also very excited.

After the last battle, he was no longer a rookie genin who hadn't seen blood, but an excellent ninja with an unwavering fighting spirit.

His vow of fearlessness, sworn with the blood of his right hand, would never change.

Seeing Naruto's growth, Kakashi felt a sense of relief.

Worthy of being his teacher's child.

"Thank you for your hard work for the sake of the Land of Waves."

Tazuna expressed his gratitude at the right time.

He knew that the reason Kakashi and the others were still here to help him was entirely out of a sense of justice.

This wasn't just lip service about justice, but justice fought for at the risk of their lives.

There weren't many people in this world who could do that.

"You're welcome, Mr. Tazuna. Please arrange accommodation for this Sound ninja friend. He will protect your safety with us tomorrow."

"No problem. Tsunami, clean up a room for this friend to stay in."

"Okay. Ninja-sama, please wait a moment, I'll go prepare it now."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Ninja-sama."

Kimimaro's polite attitude naturally won Tsunami's favor.

She had always heard that ninjas were arrogant, but after interacting with them this time, they seemed to be quite good.

"Kimimaro, are you very strong? How about we spar? I'm a super awesome genin from Konoha!"

Naruto was eager to try.

Kakashi surprisingly didn't stop him from causing trouble, seemingly wanting to test Kimimaro's strength.

No matter how strong Kimimaro was, he could tell something from his fight with Naruto.

"Okay."

Kimimaro didn't refuse because he also saw through Kakashi's thoughts. Hiding his strength at this moment would only arouse suspicion.

He didn't want any unnecessary doubts.

An experienced elite jonin like Kakashi wouldn't trust others easily. Maintaining a certain level of vigilance was the biggest secret to a ninja's survival during missions.

In the courtyard.

Kimimaro and Naruto stood facing each other.

"I'm going to attack, Kimimaro."

Naruto said excitedly.

"Come on!"

Naruto charged forward and punched with his right fist!

The momentum was strong, but in Kimimaro's eyes, this punch was full of flaws.

Kimimaro dodged sideways, and Naruto missed.

But he didn't stop, throwing another punch with his left hand towards Kimimaro's face.

Tilting his neck, Kimimaro dodged again.

Naruto became a little impatient. He sped up his attacks, but his punches became increasingly chaotic, and Kimimaro's dodges became even easier.

"Weak punches! Poor kicks! Sloppy footwork! Slow reactions! Not a single decent move. This taijutsu is a complete mess!"

Kimimaro shouted coldly, then kicked Naruto in the abdomen!

Bang!

This kick sent Naruto flying several meters away, landing awkwardly.

Kakashi showed a surprised expression.

"Such powerful taijutsu, not a single wasted movement. Such taijutsu, appearing in a genin? Has the Sound Ninja Village reached this level?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 64 Temporary Teammate

After a brief taijutsu exchange, Naruto was completely overwhelmed.

Taijutsu has always been the specialty of the Kaguya clan, and Kimimaro has not neglected his taijutsu training all these years.

He has mastered the Kaguya style taijutsu to a considerable degree, incorporating every move into his instincts.

To deal with Naruto now, Kimimaro doesn't even need to use the Kaguya Dance. Just his basic punches and kicks are enough to easily suppress him.

"Damn, this guy is so strong. In taijutsu alone, I'm no match for him at all. Then..."

Naruto crossed his fingers and formed a hand seal!

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

Nine shadow clones appeared around Kimimaro, surrounding him.

"Human wave tactics?"

Kimimaro muttered to himself. Such tactics can only bully those weaker than him.

They are useless against opponents of the same level.

Unless there is some special coordinated attack.

Like multi-person combos or formations.

But Naruto clearly hasn't trained in that area.

This Multiple Shadow Clone Technique is just a gang-up tactic.

"Everyone, attack!"

Naruto shouted, and together with his original body, a total of ten people attacked.

The shadow clones attacked alternately, but there was basically no coordination between them.

Kimimaro shook his head slightly.

"Full of openings."

He stepped back, dodging the incoming punch, and his right hand suddenly reached out, grabbing the shadow clone's arm, fixing his body, and his left hand formed a fist, punching out!

It hit the shadow clone's ribs.

With a bang, the shadow clone immediately disappeared.

Kimimaro didn't even look, he lowered his body, just dodging the fist behind him.

Then, his right leg kicked back!

Hitting the abdomen!

Another bang!

Another shadow clone down!

Using the remaining force from the kick, Kimimaro turned his body and stood up, his right fist clenched, hitting a charging shadow clone!

Three down!

His legs moved, a mid-air sweep kick, hitting two people in the face.

Five down!

Left and right punches crossed!

Seven down!

Turning fists into blades!

Two palm strikes slashed at the necks.

Nine down!

In an instant, all nine shadow clones disappeared, leaving only Naruto's original body.

Kimimaro formed a sword with his fingers and pointed it at his forehead.

A drop of cold sweat slid down Naruto's temple.

The gap!

A real gap.

Their taijutsu skills were worlds apart, not even on the same level.

Gulp.

Naruto swallowed, his face full of disbelief.

They were about the same age, how could their strength be so different?

The two fingers on Naruto's forehead felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.

A powerful sense of oppression emanated from the fingertips.

If Kimimaro wanted to take his life, it would be a matter of moments.

Kakashi's eyes widened.

His gaze fell on the ground where the two were fighting.

The ground was full of footprints, mostly left by Naruto and his shadow clones, while Kimimaro's footprints remained within a circle with a diameter of only one meter.

This meant that every move he made had minimal movement and was completely under his control.

He even predicted which direction Naruto would attack from.

Or rather, he deliberately exposed openings, making Naruto think there was an opportunity to attack.

However, all of this was an illusion created by Kimimaro.

Those movements were bait, luring him in step by step, and then counterattacking.

This was normally a difficult task, but Kimimaro incorporated these movements into his taijutsu.

This way, his movements could be done without any excess.

Even dodging and counterattacking were just right.

Such taijutsu amazed Kakashi.

The technique was almost perfect, the only things left to improve were speed and power.

"You're welcome."

Kimimaro smiled slightly and lowered his sword fingers.

Naruto felt the pressure disappear and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Your taijutsu is amazing, you must have trained very hard."

Naruto's face was full of admiration.

Such strength must have come from hard work.

"It's alright. To survive in this world, you have to work hard."

Hearing this, Kakashi carefully looked at Kimimaro.

Being able to say such words meant that this young man's past was extraordinary.

A powerful young man with a mysterious past.

It was a character setting that easily attracted people to want to understand him.

The boy who pretended to be from the Mist Anbu was like this, and now this Sound ninja boy was the same.

Kakashi understood such people quite well.

Because he was once one of them.

"Naruto, why are you fighting with someone?"

Sakura and Sasuke returned, just in time to see the scene of the two fighting.

Kimimaro's strength also shocked them.

"You're back. This is Kimimaro, a Genin from the Sound Village. I just had a spar with him, hahaha."

Naruto enthusiastically introduced, and Kimimaro's gaze swept over Sakura and landed on Sasuke.

"This guy... is so strong."

Their eyes met, and Sasuke frowned, feeling a sense of comparison.

At this moment, he was eager for power. Whenever he encountered a strong peer, he wanted to compete to confirm whether his growth rate was qualified.

The genius of the Uchiha clan has always been invincible among his peers.

"So handsome..."

Sakura exclaimed.

"Hello, my name is Kimimaro, a Genin from the Sound Village."

Kimimaro extended a friendly hand towards them.

Sakura shook his hand and said, "Hello, I'm Haruno Sakura, a Genin from Konoha. Nice to meet you."

"Congratulations, tourist, the photo was successful. You have obtained the Power Clow Card. It enhances strength with the power of your will. The stronger your will, the stronger the power."

The Power Clow Card suited Sakura quite well.

I wonder which is stronger compared to her monstrous strength.

After interacting with three members of the main group, they finally obtained something useful.

If it were another useless reward, Kimimaro would feel like this trip was a waste.

Releasing Sakura's hand, he reached out to Sasuke.

"Uchiha... Sasuke."

Sasuke said his name coldly and proudly.

The Uchiha surname was the glory he was most proud of.

"Congratulations, tourist, the photo was successful. You have obtained a Sharingan fragment, current quantity: two."

Another Sharingan fragment?

Kimimaro complained inwardly, but he became more curious about this so-called Sharingan.

Both Sasuke and Kakashi's photo rewards were Sharingan fragments, indicating that this Sharingan must be something special.

"Now that everyone knows each other, the following cooperation will be much easier."

At this time, Kakashi spoke.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's going on?"

Sakura asked curiously.

After going out for a while, they came back with a temporary teammate as handsome as Sasuke. Of course, she was curious.

Kakashi then explained the situation to the two of them.

Learning that Kimimaro was actually from the Sound Village, Sasuke and Sakura became curious.

A small village that had just emerged not long ago could actually cultivate such a powerful Genin.

This village was not simple.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 65: The Fog Rolls In

"Based on the information Kimimaro just provided, Zabuza's injuries have almost healed. I suspect that in the next few days, he will likely launch another attack. Therefore, starting today, until the bridge is completed, we need to protect Mr. Tazuna closely."

In the room, Kakashi made the arrangements, and Sasuke's group nodded.

Kimimaro, however, said, "In addition to Mr. Tazuna, his daughter Tsunami and grandson Inari also need protection. Gato is a ruthless businessman, and it's not impossible for him to use Mr. Tazuna's family to threaten us."

Kakashi nodded slightly, agreeing with Kimimaro's statement.

"In that case, we need to split into two groups."

Splitting into two groups wasn't easy.

Kakashi himself definitely had to stay with Tazuna, that went without saying.

And among the remaining four, Kimimaro was the one who needed to be watched.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, no matter which one, probably couldn't keep an eye on him.

Then he could only bring Kimimaro with him.

From the current situation, Gato shouldn't have hired any other ninjas, so any of the remaining three should be able to protect Tsunami and Inari.

"Why split into two groups? Wouldn't it be better to have Mr. Tazuna's family move with us?"

At this time, Kimimaro suddenly said.

Kakashi was taken aback.

Right.

Why not let them come along?

It would also be convenient for protection.

"That's true, then it's decided. I'm just afraid Miss Tsunami and Inari won't be willing."

"Now is not the time for them to be willful, I believe they should be able to distinguish the priorities."

Kakashi nodded slightly, expressing agreement.

"I'll take care of persuading them."

Sakura volunteered for the task.

Naturally, the others had no objections.

After their discussion, it was completely dark outside.

Starting tomorrow, the five of them would protect Tazuna together as he built the bridge.

In the room, Team 7 gathered.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's so late, why did you call us here?"

Naruto yawned, looking sleepy.

"That Sound ninja suddenly appeared, and I can't be sure if he's friend or foe. So, during tomorrow's operation, you all need to be careful."

"Kakashi-sensei, are you saying he might be Gato's man?"

Sakura exclaimed.

"That possibility can't be ruled out. Even if there's only a one percent chance, we need to be careful. The Sound Village is too mysterious, I don't know much about it, and I'm not clear about their methods, so I can't make an accurate judgment.

But this person's strength is definitely not that of an ordinary Genin. From his fight with Naruto, it can be seen that his strength far exceeds the Genin level. But as for how strong he is specifically, he didn't reveal much, so I can't judge. What's certain is that the three of you together are no match for him."

Kakashi's words surprised Sasuke's group.

Especially Sasuke, who clenched his fists, feeling somewhat unwilling.

"Kakashi-sensei, I don't think Kimimaro seems like a bad person."

Naruto felt it was wrong to doubt a new friend like this, so he spoke up.

"No matter what, it's better to be safe than sorry. If this person is a friend, that's the best. But if he's an enemy, then this mission will be troublesome. We must be prepared to fight to the death."

Kakashi's expression was serious, and he was definitely not exaggerating the danger.

Worry appeared on Sakura's face, and she looked at her teammates.

But she saw that neither Sasuke nor Naruto showed any fear, only excitement.

They seemed to be from a different world.

"Kakashi-sensei, don't worry, that drunk old man's life will definitely be protected. I said it!"

Naruto was full of confidence.

"No matter how powerful the enemy is, they can't make us back down. Through this period of training, we have become stronger. Powerful enemies will only make us progress faster!"

Sasuke's smile turned into an arrogant curve, and he was even less afraid.

"I... I won't easily give up either!"

With the atmosphere like this, Sakura also felt she should say something to echo them.

Kakashi laughed.

"As expected of my students."

Team 7's pre-battle meeting ended.

At this moment, Kimimaro was in his room, unaware of what Team 7 was doing.

He didn't care either.

He could see that Kakashi was wary of him.

That wasn't strange.

It would be strange if Kakashi didn't have any suspicions about him.

Kimimaro took out the Poké Ball from his ninja tool bag and released Pikachu to get some air.

He didn't want to expose Pikachu in front of Kakashi and the others for the time being.

After all, there was a risk of Tsunade finding out.

Kimimaro hadn't figured out how to explain it to Tsunade yet, so he didn't want to add unnecessary trouble.

Pikachu, who had been cooped up all day, climbed onto his shoulder and rubbed against his cheek.

Pikachu's smooth fur felt extremely comfortable to Kimimaro.

Kimimaro didn't know the joy of petting a cat, but petting Pikachu was truly joyful.

"If nothing unexpected happens, tomorrow both the Demon Brothers and the Yuki Clan will become history, which is a bit of a pity. But, aren't I the biggest unexpected factor?"

Thinking of this, Kimimaro smiled slightly.

"If I can get that Executioner's Blade back, Suigetsu would probably like it very much. I haven't seen him in two years, it wouldn't be bad to get him a gift.

As for Jugo, I need to speed up the research on the Cursed Seal."

In these two years, Kimimaro hadn't given up on researching the Cursed Seal either.

However, the research on the Cursed Seal reached a deadlock half a year ago and couldn't break through for a while.

But now there was a new breakthrough.

That was the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

The Yin Seal could store chakra in a certain part of the body, and the Strength of a Hundred Seal could perfectly release the chakra within, achieving a hundred percent utilization rate while also improving various physical attributes.

If these two could be perfectly combined with the Cursed Seal, it would be the most perfect Sage Cursed Seal.

So, whenever he had free time these days, Kimimaro would try to incorporate the Strength of a Hundred Seal into it.

Tsunade told Kimimaro not to teach the Yin Seal and the Strength of a Hundred Seal to others, but after the fusion, it would be his own thing, a brand new technique, so it wouldn't violate his oath.

Furthermore, Kimimaro only planned to implant the Cursed Seal in Jugo, not teach him how to create it, so there was even less of a problem.

"At this rate, I should be able to create a trial version of the Controlled Cursed Seal by the time I return to the Sound Village. After implanting it in Jugo, I still need to observe his reactions to make corresponding adjustments."

However, Kimimaro was still very satisfied with this progress.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next day, the group headed towards the bridge in a grand procession.

"In two more days, this bridge will be completed. At that time, the Land of Waves will usher in a new life."

Tazuna looked at the bridge being built in his hands, his heart filled with pride.

This was the courage of the entire Land of Waves, and also their last hope.

Although others didn't dare to support him openly, they were all silently paying attention to all of this in secret.

Watching the bridge being built step by step, everyone's hearts were filled with hope.

The group stepped onto the bridge, only to find it empty, without a single person in sight.

"Strange, where did all the workers go?"

Tazuna looked puzzled.

Kakashi and Kimimaro both raised their guard at the same time.

"Fog is rolling in."

(End of Chapter)