"If you want to fight so badly, then let's begin!"
Kimimaro stared at the eager Hayashi, taking a step forward as chakra surged around him.
Black marks began to appear on his body.
It was the cursed seal.
Flames of chakra traveled across Kimimaro's skin, eventually forming into several cursed seals. At the same time, terrifying energy erupted from his body.
At that moment, Kimimaro felt as if he had an endless supply of chakra.
He knew he couldn't win against Hayashi under normal circumstances, so he activated the cursed seal right from the start. This was his only hope of defeating Hayashi.
Even if he couldn't win… he would at least drag Hayashi into a prolonged fight, draining his chakra.
This would increase Orochimaru's chances of capturing him.
"And I'm in too!"
Jugo stepped forward as well. His body underwent a transformation, becoming more violent as his chakra surged uncontrollably.
"Is this... the power those markings give him?"
Hayashi watched Kimimaro's transformation, feeling a chill in his heart.
A month ago, Kimimaro didn't possess such terrifying power or overwhelming presence. But in just one month, he had changed so much.
The only explanation was the marks on his body.
Cursed seal?
The word flashed in his mind.
Recently, Genya had asked Hikari's teacher to study the cursed seal, though there didn't seem to be much progress.
But now... he was truly feeling the power of the cursed seal for himself.
The cursed seal could multiply a person's strength many times in a short period, continuously replenishing their chakra.
No wonder Genya was so obsessed with researching the cursed seal.
"Let the battle begin!"
Kimimaro didn't plan to give Hayashi much time to prepare. With a flick of his hands, two hard bone knives shot out from his palms, heading straight for Hayashi.
The speed was two or three times faster than last time!
Hayashi didn't dare be careless and quickly blocked. But even with just a simple collision, he could already tell that Kimimaro's strength at this moment was worlds apart from their previous encounter.
Vines from the ground quickly wrapped around Kimimaro, trying to capture him the same way as before.
"Wood Ox, have you forgotten about me?" As Hayashi and Kimimaro fought, Jugo charged from the side, throwing a punch directly at Hayashi.
The speed was so fast that Hayashi almost couldn't react in time.
He hurriedly controlled the vines to block, but Jugo's punch, like a breaking bamboo, shattered the vines and slammed into Hayashi.
Although most of Jugo's strength was absorbed by the vines, Hayashi was still sent flying two or three meters away.
The first round ended with Hayashi slightly at a disadvantage due to his carelessness.
But the battle quickly continued, with vines and bone chains spreading.
"Is Hayashi this strong?" Shisui, who knew Hayashi but had never personally experienced his strength, couldn't help but feel some surprise.
After seeing him in action, Shisui was impressed.
No wonder Genya held Hayashi in such high regard. He was indeed a powerful Wood Style ninja, and even though he was slightly at a disadvantage just now, it was only because of carelessness.
But if Hayashi was this strong, what about Hikari? Shisui thought of the little girl from the Senju clan who sometimes treated him.
She was also a Wood Style ninja, and her talent and chakra reserves weren't weaker than Hayashi's. How many talented ninjas were there around Genya?
"Has Kimimaro already gained control over the cursed seal's power?" Compared to Shisui's observations, Genya's focus was different.
He was observing the power of the cursed seal.
This cursed seal can absorb surrounding chakra to strengthen itself, much like a simple Sage Mode.
No wonder... Kimimaro became so strong.
Cursed seal... cursed seal.
Orochimaru has studied this deeply: "It looks like I need to have an in-depth conversation with Orochimaru soon!"
He must learn how to apply and control the cursed seal technique.
Jugo and Kimimaro must be taken back as well.
As for Hayashi's strength, while it has increased, he's still just at the level of Elite Jonin in the ninja world. Even with his current power, he hasn't reached the level of a Kage yet.
While Genya was observing the cursed seal, the battle had already entered its climax.
Although Kimimaro had the cursed seal's enhancement, he was still young and hadn't fully mastered its power. As Hayashi grew more serious, he steadily gained the upper hand.
Vvvrrrm~~
With vines continuously wrapping around him, Jugo was clearly struggling, the vines completely binding him as if sealing him away.
Other vines were also wrapping toward Kimimaro, following the same pattern. As the vines stacked up, Kimimaro was also close to being completely enveloped.
"Hehe... Orochimaru, your subordinate is going to lose!" Kisame, watching the battle, looked over at Orochimaru with a mischievous grin.
As he spoke, his interest grew.
Seeing Hayashi's strength made him even more excited. Once Orochimaru's two subordinates lost, it would be their turn.
"Wait... it's not time yet!" Orochimaru calmly glanced at Kisame, signaling him to be quiet.
His gaze remained fixed on the battlefield.
They saw that Kimimaro, who was about to be completely enveloped by the vines, seemed to have stopped moving, as if he was gathering strength.
Especially after seeing Orochimaru's serious expression, Kisame and Itachi also wanted to see what other cards Kimimaro had up his sleeve.
But as the vines continued to wrap around him, the battlefield seemed to calm down.
Bang~~
Just before the vines fully encased Kimimaro, a hand suddenly reached out from the vines and ripped a hole through them.
However, this hand didn't resemble Kimimaro's normal hand. Instead, it was dark grey, resembling something like the transformation of Jūgo.
On the arm, at the palm, and even at each joint, sharp bone spikes grew, glinting with a chilling cold light on the battlefield.
Through the hole, they could see Kimimaro's face, which was completely covered by red markings. It was clear that the cursed seal had taken over his body.
Riiip~~
As everyone watched, another hand reached out from the hole.
The two monstrous hands gripped the edges of the hole and forcefully ripped~~, instantly tearing open the vine seal and revealing Kimimaro inside.
At this moment, Kimimaro had completely transformed!
His once pale skin had turned black and grey, and his frail form had become more menacing and powerful, brimming with explosive strength. A few long, thick bone spikes protruded from his back.
Especially the protrusions along his spine, which resembled the dorsal fins of a shark, flashing with a chilling light, extending to a tailbone that had sprouted a tail.
Yes, now Kimimaro also had a tail, as thick as a T. rex's, and as it swung, the vines it touched instantly shattered.
A monster!
When Hayashi saw Kimimaro in this form, he couldn't help but mutter inwardly. Kimimaro had become stronger, but he had also fully transformed into a monster.
****
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