51-55

*Chapter 51: The Triple Silence*

A pitch-black bone sword slashed down heavily, with Kimimaro pouring all the strength of his right arm into the strike. Yugito’s eyes widened in disbelief.

This attack was clearly premeditated.

Otherwise, it couldn't have been executed so smoothly.

He must have predicted her attack path to be able to perform such a precise sword technique.

But how did he figure it out?

He hadn’t even opened his eyes.

Even if he had, ordinary eyes wouldn’t be able to catch her movements.

Could he possess strong sensory abilities?

Yugito was puzzled.

Kimimaro managed to do all this thanks to the Silent Barrier.

The Silent Card had many functions, and the one he was using now was its third level.

The first level of Silence allows the user to enter a state of tranquility, not only enhancing learning efficiency but also clearing negative emotions.

The second level of Silence creates a barrier within a certain range, causing the voices of those within to be transmitted outside the barrier. However, this only works on opponents far weaker than the user.

The third level of Silence feeds back all sounds within the barrier into the user's mind, allowing them to pinpoint the location of others. At higher levels, it can even detect the sound of chakra flowing, providing more information.

It's somewhat like a sensory ability.

In short, the Silent Card can capture all disruptive factors.

So, when Kimimaro closed his eyes to eliminate visual interference and unleashed the Silent Barrier to its fullest, he could fully track Yugito’s rapid movements.

With her trajectory known, he could easily plan his counterattack.

The bone sword, carrying immense force, slashed down!

Clang!

It hit!

But the sound wasn't that of a blade cutting through flesh.

Kimimaro's grip on his sword went numb from the shock, and then a blue tail marked with black patterns swung toward him!

The bone sword blocked it, but both Kimimaro and his sword were knocked away!

Boom!

Kimimaro was sent flying over ten meters.

In mid-air, he twisted his body and landed steadily on a large tree.

The tree trunk sank under his feet, leaving two deep imprints, and the bark shattered!

"What incredible strength. Has she transformed into her tailed beast?"

Kimimaro murmured, his gaze fixed on Yugito.

Just as his strike was about to land, she had unleashed the chakra of Matatabi, the Two-Tails.

The blue tail marked with black patterns was Matatabi's, now attached to Yugito's back.

When Kimimaro's bone sword struck the tail, his attack was instantly nullified.

At Kimimaro's current strength, breaking through the defenses of a tailed beast was still beyond his capability.

"No wonder you serve under Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin. You’re certainly capable. Defeating you with just my own power is too difficult. But now that I’m using the power of the tailed beast, even if you don’t die, you’ll at least be severely injured!"

Yugito sneered. She waved her right hand, sending ten blue fireballs flying!

They were incredibly fast, reaching Kimimaro in the blink of an eye.

He quickly dodged, but the ten blue fireballs seemed to have a mind of their own, persistently chasing him.

They moved far faster than the earlier Fire Rat Jade attack.

Looking over at Yugito, her fingers were dancing, as if controlling something.

If a Byakugan or Sharingan user had been present, they would have seen chakra strings extending from her ten fingers, like those used by puppet masters.

These chakra strings were connected to the blue fireballs.

Her finger movements controlled the flames!

"Explode!"

One of the fireballs suddenly accelerated and shot toward Kimimaro.

Just half a meter away from him, it exploded!

Boom!

A blast of blue flames surged out, engulfing Kimimaro in smoke and dust.

But Yugito didn’t stop there. Under her control, the remaining nine fireballs followed suit.

The roar of explosions echoed continuously, the dust cloud growing larger, and blue flames enveloped everything.

"There’s no way you’re unharmed after that."

Yugito smirked coldly. But the next moment, her eyes widened in shock.

Whoosh!

From the smoke, Kimimaro shot out!

His face was missing patches of skin, revealing white bone underneath, and his clothes were torn in several places.

But as he dashed forward, the skin on his face rapidly regenerated, and the white bone disappeared.

The terrifying regeneration power of the Kaguya clan’s Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) was on full display.

Yugito hadn’t even noticed the moment his wounds healed.

The earlier explosion had been fully absorbed by Kimimaro’s Shikotsumyaku.

This level of attack was still within his tolerance.

As he dashed forward, the black bone sword in his right hand was already aimed at Yugito.

Demon Sword Assault!

This strike was aimed directly at Yugito’s heart!

By this point in the battle, Kimimaro was no longer holding back.

When facing a stronger opponent, any hesitation would be a fatal mistake, leading to irreversible defeat.

His sword seemed to pierce through space, appearing right in front of Yugito.

Her pupils contracted. How could he launch such a fierce counterattack after only having his clothes torn by her earlier assault?

Ding!

The black bone sword stabbed into Yugito's chest, but no blood flowed—only deep red chakra.

It was the chakra of the tailed beast!

"Roar!"

Yugito let out an inhuman roar as a layer of crimson chakra rapidly covered her body.

The Tailed Beast Cloak!

Two crimson tails sprouted from her back, replacing the blue tail from before, and swept toward Kimimaro.

Having been struck once already, Kimimaro wasn’t going to get hit again.

Instant Step!

He narrowly dodged the attack.

The tail struck the nearby tree, slicing it cleanly in half!

The power was even more terrifying than before.

"Yugito is taking this seriously now. Two tails... Aside from fully transforming into the tailed beast, this is the strongest state for a Two-Tails jinchūriki."

Kimimaro’s face grew tense, not just because of Yugito’s new form, but also because his shadow clone in the Hidden Cloud Village had been dispelled.

The commotion here was growing louder, and the Hidden Cloud ninjas had already been alerted. Several were heading this way.

He was running out of time.

If he delayed any longer, once the main forces from the Hidden Cloud arrived, he wouldn't be able to escape.

At that moment, Yugito, in her Two-Tails form, opened her mouth.

Blue and crimson chakra began mixing together, forming a chakra sphere.

"That’s... a Tailed Beast Bomb!"

Kimimaro’s pupils dilated in shock. He hadn’t expected Yugito to use such a powerful move right after entering her Two-Tails state.

Her earlier attacks hadn't broken through his defenses, so the Tailed Beast Bomb was Yugito’s last resort.

The crimson Two-Tails bit down on the chakra sphere, its mouth swelling.

"This is bad!"

Kimimaro’s toes lightly tapped the ground, and he used his Instant Step technique repeatedly, trying to evade the direction of the Tailed Beast Bomb’s attack.

But Yugito had locked onto his position, and his speed wasn’t enough to escape such a wide-ranging attack.

In the next moment, the Tailed Beast Bomb was launched!

(End of chapter)

Chapter 52: Double Rashomon!

Kimimaro's expression grew serious, knowing that this attack was impossible to avoid.

If Tailed Beast Bombs were easy to dodge, they wouldn’t be so feared by most ninja.

“If I can’t dodge it, I’ll have to take it head-on!”

Kimimaro quickly retreated, pushing his body to its limit with instantaneous movement.

At the same time, he placed his right hand to his mouth. Using the power of his Shikotsumyaku, his teeth became sharp. A light bite left a bleeding wound on his right hand as blood quickly oozed out.

He formed hand seals!

Kimimaro didn’t know many jutsu, but for those he did, he knew the hand seals intimately.

His sealing speed was naturally fast as well.

In an instant, he completed the five-seal Summoning Jutsu!

Kimimaro slapped the ground with his right hand, and a black summoning formation appeared on the earth.

"Summoning Jutsu! Double Rashomon!"

Two massive gates rose from the summoning formation!

The first gate!

A dark red door!

The second gate!

A dark green door!

Each door was carved with images of fearsome demons, with chains extending from both sides of the demons' mouths to the edge of the doors.

The demons’ faces were twisted and menacing, almost as if they were mocking something.

The two towering gates, each over a dozen meters high, stood firmly in front of Kimimaro.

In the blink of an eye, the Double Rashomon and the Tailed Beast Bomb were about to collide simultaneously!

Boom!

The Tailed Beast Bomb fired straight toward Kimimaro.

But the two demon gates blocked every angle of the Tailed Beast Bomb's approach.

A collision was inevitable!

In an instant, the Tailed Beast Bomb struck the first Rashomon gate.

The dark red demon gate took the full brunt of the attack!

After a brief stalemate, the dark red gate shattered into dust and disappeared.

The power of the Tailed Beast Bomb was truly evident.

At the same time, the energy of the Tailed Beast Bomb, now greatly diminished, hurtled toward the second Rashomon gate!

The dark green demon gate was designed to absorb and diminish the force of attacks.

If the first gate was brute defense, the second was a softer, absorbing defense.

It could continuously reduce the impact of even the most powerful attacks, making its defense even stronger than the first gate!

The Tailed Beast Bomb struck, and the stalemate lasted for a full second.

After that second, the second Rashomon gate also collapsed.

Smoke and dust filled the air!

Both Rashomon gates dissipated, but the power of the Tailed Beast Bomb was almost completely nullified, leaving only shockwaves sweeping the area.

“It actually blocked it?”

Yugito was stunned.

Her Tailed Beast Bomb had never been met head-on like this.

Anyone hit by it would either die or be gravely injured.

In the swirling smoke, Kimimaro knew this was his best chance to escape.

“This dust cloud is perfect for me to take advantage of.”

Kimimaro immediately recalled the reward he had just received from his encounter with Yūkimaru.

"Bakudō #21: Sekienton!”

With the dust stirred up by the Tailed Beast Bomb, the power of the Red Smoke Escape Technique was amplified, and upon release, the original dust cloud was tinged with a crimson hue.

Visibility dropped to nearly zero, making it more effective than the Hidden Mist Technique.

His Silent Killing Technique would help Kimimaro slip away unnoticed in this crimson smoke cloud.

The red smoke spread rapidly, covering a vast area, and in moments, even Yugito was engulfed.

“This smoke... something’s not right. Damn! He’s trying to escape!”

Yugito quickly realized what was happening.

Within this crimson smoke, she couldn’t track his movements at all.

This was his perfect opportunity to flee.

Yugito wasn’t about to give up so easily.

Relying on her memory of Kimimaro's last known location, she charged forward, unconcerned about ambushes thanks to the protection of her Tailed Beast cloak.

But when she reached the spot, Kimimaro was already gone.

“Damn it.”

Frustrated, Yugito suddenly sensed someone approaching from not far away.

“There!”

In her half-transformed state, she swiped her clawed hand toward the approaching figure!

Her claws neared their target but were blocked by a long blade crackling with lightning, deflecting all her attacks.

“Yugito, stop! What’s going on here?!”

The familiar voice made Yugito pause for a moment.

The crimson smoke had dispersed enough for her to make out the figure’s face.

It wasn’t Orochimaru but Darui.

Darui, the future Fifth Raikage, was known for his expertise in Lightning Release and Storm Release.

Beside Darui were two other Cloud ninja.

“Why is it you?”

“This place isn’t far from the village, and the commotion from your fight was too loud. Lord Raikage sent me to check it out.”

Darui sheathed his sword and scanned the area with a serious expression.

What kind of opponent could make Yugito resort to using the Tailed Beast Bomb?

And what were those two demon gates that appeared earlier?

How could they block a Tailed Beast Bomb from Yugito?

While the Two-Tails’ strength was among the weakest of the tailed beasts, and its Tailed Beast Bomb was far weaker than that of the Eight-Tails, it still wasn’t something any ordinary ninja could withstand.

Darui himself didn’t believe he could handle that move at his current strength.

The Two-Tails’ chakra quickly dissipated from Yugito’s body, returning her to her usual beautiful appearance.

“It was Orochimaru. He infiltrated the village and kidnapped the boy I brought back. When I found out, I gave chase and caught up with him here. We fought fiercely, and as expected of one of the Legendary Sannin, he managed to withstand my Tailed Beast Bomb.”

Kimimaro’s earlier defense made Yugito both frustrated and impressed.

This was a world where strength spoke the loudest. The stronger you were, the more respect you commanded.

Even from the opposing side.

“Orochimaru, huh? So it was him. Did he get away?”

Darui scanned the surroundings but found no trace of Orochimaru.

“He probably didn’t want to provoke us Cloud ninjas any further. Using the smoke from the Tailed Beast Bomb, he cast some strange jutsu, creating a massive cloud of red smoke, and escaped with the boy in the confusion.”

“Well, it’s good that you’re okay. It seems the boy you brought back was very important to Orochimaru. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have risked entering the village alone to take him. That boy must really be connected to the Fourth Mizukage.

“But why would Orochimaru want him? Could it be that after betraying Konoha, he’s now working with the Hidden Mist?”

Darui thought for a moment, scratching his head before giving a resigned look.

“This is such a hassle. I don’t want to think about it anymore. Let’s head back and report to Lord Raikage. And you—running out here alone in a situation like this—if Lord Raikage finds out, he’s going to blow up again. You and Lord B always make his life difficult.”

“Hmph, I don’t need you to worry about me.”

Yugito snorted, glancing around one last time to confirm that “Orochimaru” was truly gone, then headed back to the village.

Darui and the other two Cloud ninja remained on the battlefield, looking for any other clues.

And with that, the battle came to an end.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 53: The Land of Tools

In the distance, Kimimaro came to a stop, leaning on a tree with his right hand, looking a bit exhausted.

His clothes were torn in several places, and his face was slightly smudged with dirt, making him look quite disheveled.

Cough, cough, cough...

Kimimaro coughed violently, covering his mouth with his right hand. When he removed it, a splash of blood bloomed in his palm.

"This bloodline disease is really troublesome... Cough, cough, cough..."

After a fierce battle, his bloodline disease had flared up again.

Taking a deep breath, Kimimaro quickly circulated the remaining chakra in his body, suppressing the illness once more.

"Whew... That was really close. If it weren't for Orochimaru's Rashomon, things could've turned out very differently."

Feeling a sense of relief, Kimimaro leaned against the tree to rest for a moment.

Rashomon, the strongest defensive summoning technique, consumed a tremendous amount of chakra. Given his current reserves, he could only summon two gates while keeping some energy in reserve.

Luckily, the Two-Tails wasn’t as fearsome as the Nine-Tails, and Yugito wasn’t a perfect Jinchuriki, which weakened the power of the Tailed Beast Bomb significantly. Otherwise, even two layers of Rashomon wouldn’t have been able to withstand the attack.

His chakra had also been significantly depleted from using Shunpo to flee at high speed. Combined with the activation of his bloodline disease and the need to circulate chakra to suppress it, he was understandably fatigued.

But now, at least, he was safe.

As for the clone of Gyuki, he had already dispelled it during his escape.

"It was dangerous, but I also got a firsthand experience of a Jinchuriki's power. Tailed Beasts really are something amazing."

Kimimaro muttered to himself, developing a keen interest in the Tailed Beasts.

In this world, one of the most powerful forces was the power of the Tailed Beasts, especially the combined power of all nine, which formed the Ten-Tails—the pinnacle of power in the shinobi world.

More importantly, Tailed Beasts were immortal. Even if killed, they would resurrect.

If he could thoroughly research the biology of Tailed Beasts, immortality might no longer be a mystery to him.

The thought excited Kimimaro.

But for now, it was too early to think about hunting a Tailed Beast. At the very least, he needed to reach Kage level before he could even consider it.

For him, reaching Kage level wasn’t far off. If he hadn’t spent the past two years studying medical ninjutsu, he might already have one foot in that realm.

"For now, I need to focus on curing my bloodline disease. That’s the most important thing."

After resting for a while, Kimimaro wasted no time and set off again.

Meanwhile, in the Raikage's office...

Bam!

The Raikage’s fist slammed down on his desk, shattering it.

The desk, which had only been replaced a week ago, was now completely destroyed.

The others in the room weren’t surprised at all. They were used to this; the Raikage's office went through desks faster than anything else.

Darui looked on with a helpless expression and silently added the broken desk to the expense report.

Seeing that the Raikage was furious, he didn’t dare mention it.

"Damn it! Orochimaru dared to sneak into my village and kidnap someone?! He doesn’t even see me as a threat!"

The Raikage's eyes burned with anger.

"Raikage-sama, are we sure it was Orochimaru? According to Yugito, the man never used snake-related jutsu; he only used sword techniques," Darui said with some doubt.

"It’s definitely him. Orochimaru is a master of swordsmanship. More importantly, those two demon-faced gates had to be Rashomon! There’s no one else in the current shinobi world who can use that summoning technique except Orochimaru.

He ruined quite a few of our plans during the Third Shinobi World War with that jutsu."

Even from a distance, the Raikage had recognized the two towering Rashomon gates in the village.

He had no idea that Orochimaru had generously passed on that jutsu to Kimimaro.

"If it really was Orochimaru, then this Gyuki kid must be far more valuable than we thought."

The Raikage calmed down slightly upon hearing this.

"We haven’t heard any intel from our spy in Kirigakure. We don’t know what’s happening over there. If Gyuki really is the son of the Fourth Mizukage, and Orochimaru has him, then something major must have changed in Kirigakure.

Mabui, get in touch with our spy in Kirigakure immediately. We need to know what’s going on! That village is too suspicious."

"Yes, Raikage-sama! Should we send the Anbu after Orochimaru?"

"No. Dealing with a rogue ninja like Orochimaru doesn’t require us to make a move. Send a message to Konoha, twist today’s events a bit, and pressure them. If they can’t even handle their own rogue ninja, the Third Hokage is proving to be more of a failure every day.

Back in the day, he commanded the legendary Sannin, White Fang, the Yellow Flash, and the Uchiha Clan and had the guts to take on all four of the Great Shinobi Villages. But now, he’s just a relic of the past. It’s kind of sad, really."

Mabui noted the Raikage’s orders and immediately set to work.

The Raikage's plan to pit Konoha against Orochimaru showed that he wasn’t just a brute, but also a sharp strategist.

He had once deeply respected the Third Hokage.

But now, the aged Hokage only filled him with pity.

Konoha could no longer claim the title of the strongest village.

The Hyūga Incident had revealed Konoha’s weakened state. The once-glorious village had fallen into decline.

If it weren’t for the fact that Kumogakure had lost many powerful shinobi, including the Third Raikage, in the Third Shinobi World War, the Fourth Raikage might have already made a move against Konoha.

With Kumogakure growing stronger every year, its military power was now the greatest in the shinobi world.

The Raikage, full of ambition, was only waiting for the right time to launch a war and seize more resources.

Meanwhile, Kimimaro, who had long since left, had no idea that his impersonation of Orochimaru had stirred up a bit of trouble for Konoha.

He was already on his way out of the Land of Lightning, heading toward a small country known as the Land of Tools.

This was where Tsunade had agreed to meet him.

Two days later, within the Land of Tools, a handsome, white-haired boy arrived.

Perched on his shoulder was a small, yellow rodent-like creature, about thirty centimeters tall.

Its cute appearance caught the attention of many girls.

Many eyes lingered on the boy, and if not for the aura of "stay away" he projected, he would have been approached by several people.

The white-haired boy, disguised with Gaia foundation, was none other than Kimimaro. And the adorable creature on his shoulder was Pikachu.

"Little guy, you sure have a lot of charm."

Kimimaro noticed the attention and chuckled.

"Pika?"

Pikachu tilted its head, seemingly not understanding.

Having just emerged from the system, Pikachu was like a blank slate and naturally didn’t understand these things.

Luckily, Kimimaro had the ability to communicate telepathically with it, allowing them to talk normally.

However, it still couldn’t grasp the meaning behind his teasing.

Kimimaro laughed and patted Pikachu on the head, feeling uplifted.

Cute things really did have the power to heal the soul.

No wonder so many people kept pets.

Having Pikachu with him had definitely brightened Kimimaro’s journey.

Of course, Pikachu wasn’t just a pet.

After proper training, it could develop formidable combat abilities.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 54: A Rough Start

*In the Lab*

Tsunade and Shizune were examining a white bone. They were surrounded by various advanced medical instruments, with the bone clamped between them, seemingly undergoing some kind of experiment.

Tonton, the little pig, was peacefully napping in a corner, embodying tranquility.

“Tsunade-sama, I think we did it!” Shizune exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy as she looked at the reaction on the lab table.

They had repeated this same experiment over a hundred times in the past few days, all of which had failed. But this time, hope flickered in Shizune’s eyes.

The reaction before her was unlike anything they had seen before.

The energy within the bone was being activated. It vibrated continuously, as if trying to escape the grip of the instruments.

Tsunade’s face changed slightly, and she immediately grabbed Shizune, pulling her back several meters.

At first, Shizune didn’t understand what was happening, but in the next moment, an astonishing sight unfolded.

The white bone turned gray, and in an instant, both the bone and the instruments around it disintegrated into ash.

“What...?” Shizune was stunned.

The power that had been unleashed was so strong that everything nearby had turned to ash in a mere moment.

“The destruction radius is around thirty centimeters,” Tsunade murmured, stepping forward to examine the remains.

The leftover equipment confirmed that the unbelievable event had really happened.

The bone was completely gone, and no trace of the energy remained.

It was as though nothing like it had ever existed.

“Tsunade-sama, the energy in Kimimaro’s bones is terrifying. No wonder, even with his medical skills, he couldn’t suppress his Kekkei Genkai disease.”

Shizune was deeply shaken. If such an event had happened inside Kimimaro’s body, not even his ashes would remain.

Tsunade bit her lip, a troubled expression crossing her face.

How could anyone control energy like this once it was activated?

No human body could withstand such power.

To make it gentle enough for a body to accept seemed almost impossible.

How could the Kaguya clan possess such uncontrollable, terrifying energy? Could this disease be a curse carried in their bloodline?

Seeing Tsunade so troubled, Shizune found herself at a loss for words.

If even Tsunade couldn’t find a solution, what could she possibly do?

Thinking of the white-haired boy, Shizune felt a pang of regret. Such a kind person, cursed with such a terrible disease.

Just then, Tonton suddenly woke up.

The little pig’s nose twitched, as though it had caught a familiar scent, and it became visibly excited.

“Oink oink…”

Tonton’s squeals caught the attention of both Tsunade and Shizune.

“You smell Kimimaro? He’s here?” Tsunade asked.

Tonton nodded repeatedly.

“Tsunade-sama, I’ll go greet him with Tonton.”

Tsunade waved her hand, allowing them to go, though the worry on her face didn’t fade.

Following Tonton, Shizune soon found Kimimaro, who was gathering information nearby.

“Kimimaro! Over here!” Shizune waved, and Kimimaro quickly spotted them.

“Shizune-nee, this place was harder to find than I thought. Where’s Tsunade-sensei?”

“Tsunade-sama is researching your Kekkei Genkai disease. Tonton smelled you, so we came to meet you.”

“I see. Thanks for coming. I’ve brought all the herbs we need,” Kimimaro said, patting the bag on his back.

“That’s great. Oh, what’s this?” Shizune’s eyes lit up as she noticed a small yellow head poking out from behind Kimimaro.

Tonton’s eyes also sparkled, as though it had spotted something fun.

“I found it on the road. Its name is Pikachu. It wanted to follow me, so I brought it along.”

“Pikachu? It looks pretty smart, and cuter than Tonton,” Shizune said with admiration in her eyes.

Pikachu’s appearance was undeniably charming.

Tonton, on the other hand, let out a disgruntled grunt, clearly unhappy with Shizune’s comment.

Pikachu jumped down in front of Tonton, curiously observing the pink pig.

“Pika pika.”

“Oink oink.”

The two exchanged sounds and quickly seemed to bond.

“Looks like they’re getting along,” Kimimaro chuckled.

“Yeah, with Pikachu around, Tonton won’t feel lonely anymore. Let’s go see Tsunade-sama now. She’s been working hard on your case these past few days. The experiment just succeeded, but the results were a bit... unexpected. She’s probably still wrestling with it.”

Kimimaro’s brow furrowed.

He had anticipated this outcome, but hearing it confirmed made his heart sink.

Even Tsunade was having trouble? It seemed the situation was more complicated than he had thought.

As Shizune explained what had just happened, she led him back to the lab.

When Kimimaro entered, he saw Tsunade deep in thought, with the damaged equipment around her—evidence of the power within his bones.

He was taken aback. This kind of destruction… it had to be Shikotsumyaku, his clan’s deadly Kekkei Genkai.

“Tsunade-sama, Kimimaro is here,” Shizune said.

Tsunade looked at Kimimaro’s familiar face and sighed.

“You’re back? Did you find everything?”

“Yes, I did, and I brought enough to last two years.”

Kimimaro opened his bag to reveal the herbs he had gathered over the past few days.

“You work fast,” Tsunade said with approval.

“It’s my life on the line—I couldn’t afford to slack off.”

“Unfortunately, things aren’t looking great on my end. It’ll take more time to find a way to extract the energy in a more controlled way. For now, we’ll have to focus on strengthening your body.”

Strengthening the body could be done in many ways. Some methods were only effective in the short term and could leave lasting damage, but with medical ninja on hand, any harm could be quickly remedied.

Tsunade handed Kimimaro two sheets of paper.

“One has instructions on how to improve your physical condition, and the other details how to use the herbs. With your medical skills, you should have no problem. For now, work on these.”

Kimimaro glanced at the papers, then nodded.

“I understand, Tsunade-sensei.”

“Also, leave two more bones for me. I need to continue the research.”

After leaving two bones behind, Kimimaro and Shizune were quickly ushered out of the lab by Tsunade.

“Tsunade-sama doesn’t like being disturbed when she’s deep in thought, especially when she’s frustrated. It’s best we stay out of her way for now,” Shizune said.

“Let’s hope she finds a solution,” Kimimaro said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 55: Body Strengthening*

Under the waterfall, Kimimaro sat shirtless on a stone.

The powerful stream of water constantly pounded against his body, but he remained motionless, his skin emitting a blue glow.

This blue glow was unique to the Palm Healing Technique.

Originally, the blue light only appeared in his hands, but now it flowed throughout his entire body.

With the help of this blue glow, the force of the waterfall couldn't harm Kimimaro's body. Instead, it was quickly converted into a means of tempering his body, making it stronger and sturdier.

The blue light gradually dimmed, as if it could no longer be sustained.

At that moment, Kimimaro opened his eyes. His right hand extended, and from the palm, a bone sword shot out, which he grasped firmly.

"Devil Sword Slash!"

Kimimaro lightly tapped his toes, and his whole body leaped into the air!

Where the bone sword pointed, a dazzling flash of light erupted, instantly splitting the waterfall in two.

In the blink of an eye, Kimimaro, carving a path with his sword, passed through the waterfall and landed gracefully on a large rock above it.

Pikachu was training nearby.

Its lightning-shaped tail had turned into a steel color and was repeatedly striking a large rock.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The tail's impact produced sounds like steel striking metal.

After hundreds of hits, the large rock cracked and then shattered!

"Hey, little guy, come help me with my training."

Hearing Kimimaro's words, Pikachu immediately stopped training its tail, steadied itself, and sparks of golden lightning flashed from the two red circles on its cheeks.

"Pika... Pikachu!"

Thunderbolt!

Pikachu's signature move.

Golden lightning erupted from its body, striking Kimimaro.

The power of the lightning was already comparable to a mid-level ninja's Lightning Style technique.

But Kimimaro bathed in the thunder with a look of enjoyment, completely immune to any harm.

The lightning strike lasted for about a minute before Pikachu stopped, looking exhausted.

"You worked hard, little one."

Kimimaro gently patted Pikachu's head and put on the clothes beside him.

"Pika!"

Pikachu jumped up and landed on Kimimaro's shoulder.

"It's been two years, and my physical strength has improved tremendously compared to before. Tsunade-senpai's methods really work. But I couldn't have come this far without the help of this little guy."

Unknowingly, Kimimaro had already lived in the Land of Tools with Tsunade and Shizune for two years.

During this time, most of his focus had been on improving his physical strength.

Training under waterfalls and lightning tempering were common yet effective methods.

At first, training under the waterfall caused Kimimaro to be swept away by the water before he could even steady himself.

His body was often left bruised and battered.

Fortunately, with the help of medicinal herbs, these injuries not only didn’t harm him but also strengthened his body.

Six months ago, Kimimaro was finally able to move freely under the waterfall.

From then on, he started practicing sword techniques under the waterfall, training his strength, which led to the scene just now.

As for lightning tempering, it was inspired by the secret technique of the Hidden Cloud Village—Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

With Pikachu, the Thunder-type beast, around, using this method became extremely convenient.

At the same time, it helped Pikachu train its control over the intensity of its electricity.

Kimimaro had progressed from not being able to withstand even basic electric shocks to now enjoying the effects of Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack, showing remarkable improvement.

Every muscle on his body was now a product of two years of intense training.

Of course, this was only part of his training during these two years.

The most important issue was his Kekkai Genkai disease.

Though Tsunade's research had made some breakthroughs, the results were not promising.

They had yet to begin any actual treatments.

Instead, they spent time exchanging medical knowledge and studying the disease together, hoping to spark new ideas.

During this period, Kimimaro taught Tsunade the Stitching with Chakra Threads technique.

Initially, he thought Tsunade wouldn't be able to learn it due to the differences in training systems.

However, since the version of the technique he used was powered by chakra, Tsunade was naturally able to learn it.

After learning the Stitching with Chakra Threads technique, Tsunade realized how brilliant it was.

Her admiration for Kimimaro grew.

To think that this young man could develop such an advanced medical technique on his own was truly terrifying.

Tsunade even thought that, given a few more years, her title as the greatest medical ninja in the ninja world might have to be passed to him.

To balance things out and to help with his Kekkai Genkai disease, Tsunade decided to teach Kimimaro the Yin Seal.

The Yin Seal, passed down from Uzumaki Mito, was the basis for Tsunade’s development of the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

It was well known that chakra was a combination of physical and spiritual energy, and it only gathered when performing a technique.

When not in use, chakra wasn't retained in the body.

This was why most ninjas had high attack but low defense.

Without actively channeling chakra, a ninja's body was no stronger than a regular human's and couldn't resist sharp weapons.

Only ninjas who had trained their muscle density to a high level could have adequate defense without constantly using chakra.

The Yin Seal broke this rule of chakra not being stored in the body.

It allowed a person to create a storage space within their body to hold excess chakra gathered over time.

For those with limited chakra, this was a godsend.

However, there was one important thing to note.

The chakra stored in the Yin Seal had to remain untouched for three years.

During these three years, the chakra in the Yin Seal could not be used, even for an instant, or the entire process would be undone.

Moreover, the amount of chakra required for the Yin Seal was at least two-thirds of the user's total chakra.

In other words, for three years, only one-third of the user's chakra would be available for training and battle.

After three years, once the Yin Seal was complete and a diamond-shaped mark appeared on the forehead, the process was considered successful.

The biggest challenge, however, was the precise chakra control required throughout the process.

This level of control could only be achieved by top-tier medical ninjas.

Regular ninjas had no chance.

Even a medical ninja of Shizune's caliber couldn't manage it.

Once the Yin Seal was formed, it offered three main benefits:

First, the user could fully access their chakra again, and upon releasing the Yin Seal, they would gain a multiple of their chakra.

Even if the stored chakra was exhausted and the diamond mark disappeared, it would not require another long process to rebuild. The mark would reappear as long as the body recovered.

Second, the Yin Seal could finely adjust chakra, boosting the body's functions and effectively halting the aging process, which was the reason Tsunade wanted to teach it to Kimimaro.

By making these adjustments, Kimimaro would have a clearer understanding of his body's condition and could formulate treatment plans accordingly.

Third, it allowed the use of the forbidden techniques Creation Rebirth and Strength of a Hundred Technique.

Creation Rebirth instantly heals all wounds but at the cost of lifespan.

The Strength of a Hundred Technique floods the body with chakra, enhancing overall abilities.

Tsunade hadn't taught Kimimaro these forbidden techniques yet, as there was no need.

These three benefits showed just how powerful the Yin Seal was, and learning it was classified as S-rank difficulty.

Kimimaro had only been practicing for a year and would need two more years to fully form the diamond mark.

Having only one-third of his chakra available was a challenge, but he had grown rapidly over these two years, and his chakra levels were surging.

Even with only a third of his chakra now, it was more than what he had two years ago.

What interested Kimimaro the most was the principle behind the Yin Seal.

If this principle could be applied to the Cursed Seal, not only would it solve Jūgo’s problem, but it could also help Kimimaro create a perfect Cursed Seal for himself.

However, he needed to wait until he fully formed the Yin Seal before considering this further.

At present, his abilities are not enough to accomplish this.

Laboratory.

Tsunade stared at the white bones before her, her expression grave.

The white bones were gradually turning gray, looking quite eerie.

"It must succeed!"

For two years, she tried many methods, hoping to make the energy within the bones milder.

But hundreds of experiments failed.

The only consolation was that there was a little progress each time.

And this was the three hundredth experiment.

Under Tsunade's gaze, the white bones stopped just as they were about to turn completely gray.

At the end of the bone, the last bit of white remained!

"Success!"

Tsunade was overjoyed!

"Tsunade-senpai, what's making you so happy?"

Kimimaro had just returned from training and asked when he saw Tsunade's joyful expression.

"Kimimaro, come and see. After a series of operations, the white bone stopped when it was about to completely turn into gray bone. This means that its energy has become much milder.

Although it's just experimental data, there's a fifty percent chance that it can completely suppress your bloodline disease."

Kimimaro showed a hint of a smile. Although there was good progress, this was not the result he wanted most.

Suppressing the power within his body was like blocking a flow, and it was better to疏导than to block.

He wanted to completely solve this hidden danger, not just suppress it.

Because no matter how much he suppressed it, his bloodline disease would not disappear.

But, having a way was better than having no way at all.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Kimimaro suddenly started coughing violently again.

Tsunade's face showed concern, and she stepped forward and gently patted his back.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just an old problem. Tsunade-senpai, I'm willing to try this method. Even if it only extends my life for a few years, it's better than dying. After all, there's hope in living."

"Kimimaro, don't worry. After this treatment, I should be able to find a cure."

(End of Chapter)