Kimimaro calmly slipped off his shirt, folding it neatly on the sidelines.
Experience had taught him—he'd only ruin it if he didn't.
Facing Naruto, he raised both hands. The skin on his palms split open, revealing polished, snow-white bone blades that gleamed in the sunlight.
"Whoa! That's almost as cool as Sasuke's Sharingan!" Naruto exclaimed before he could stop himself.
"Almost?" Sasuke muttered, lips twitching.
Kimimaro blinked. This loudmouthed idiot… with that personality, he wouldn't survive three days in Otogakure's "Genius" training.
"The match begins!" Kitazawa announced.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto slammed his hands together.
Boom!
A massive cloud of smoke erupted, sweeping across the training ground. When it cleared—
Hundreds of Narutos filled the entire field.
Kimimaro froze mid-step.
Even with his stoic nature, his pupils shrank.
From the sidelines, Jugo's mouth fell open. So much chakra… Even with his Sage Transformation, he couldn't reach this level.
Tayuya just gawked. "What the—how can he make this many clones?!"
She knew the theory behind the technique: Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu was an elite ninjutsu that devoured chakra like a monster. Even Jōnin struggled to maintain more than twenty clones.
And this seven-year-old idiot had summoned hundreds.
"Eh, you'll get used to it," Ino said, patting Tayuya's shoulder sympathetically.
"But—"
"Don't worry," Shikamaru interrupted, yawning. "This is just the warm-up. The really crazy part hasn't even started yet."
Tayuya turned to stare at him. What could possibly be crazier than this?
The clones charged.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Two Narutos attacked from the front, legs sweeping low.
"Dynamic Entry!"
Another clone dove in from above, foot spinning in a sharp aerial kick.
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
Two more appeared at Kimimaro's sides, twisting their bodies for simultaneous back-roundhouse kicks.
Tayuya's heart jumped. Kimimaro was surrounded—five Narutos nearby, a sea of them swarming from every direction.
Kimimaro didn't even flinch.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow."
Bone spikes slid from his forearms, elbows, knees, even his palms—a chilling display of the Kaguya Clan's deadly kekkei genkai.
He stepped forward, moving like a dancer.
The blades in his hands flickered— crack!crack!
Two Shadow Clones burst into smoke.
Kimimaro ducked, twisted, and drove his elbow backward—two sharpened bones extending and striking the next clones in the legs.
They vanished in puffs of smoke.
He pivoted sharply, delivering an upward knee strike—another bone blade shot through two more clones before they disappeared in a swirl of chakra.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
A clone spun in with an elbow strike. Another followed from behind.
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
Kimimaro crossed his arms, blocking both hits with his bone-plated forearms. The impact rang like steel on steel.
The first clone dissipated. The second kicked again—Kimimaro raised his leg, bone extending, and blocked it clean.
And just like that, the field exploded into a full-on brawl—dozens of Narutos versus one Kimimaro, bone blades slashing through the storm of green.
"No way," Kiba muttered, eyes wide. "He's holding his own against all that?"
He had underestimated Kimimaro—badly.
Ino stared, awed. "So that's Shikotsumyaku… no wonder it's legendary. It's like fighting a living weapon."
"Not many of us can last this long surrounded by Naruto's clones," Tenten said, arms folded.
Neji's pale eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Troublesome opponent.
Gentle Fist's power relied on striking chakra points directly—but against Kimimaro's reinforced skeleton, that was useless. And the bones could extend unpredictably, making his whole body a hazard.
Vacuum Palm might push him back, but not enough to win.
The key would be vision.
Use the Byakugan to predict the movement of the bones, then break through his defenses with Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's Sharingan flickered to life, both tomoe spinning.
Kimimaro's movements were fast—but readable. Barely.
"Shikotsumyaku really does live up to its name," Sasuke muttered under his breath.
"Who's stronger?" Sakura started to ask, then quickly caught herself. "Never mind, I'll save that for later."
"How's that?" Tayuya said proudly, hearing everyone's impressed murmurs.
Kimimaro might not have overwhelmed Naruto, but he was holding his ground against an army—and that was enough for her.
Then Naruto's voice rang out across the field.
"Violent: Leaf Hurricane—Strong Whirlwind!"
Chakra burst from his legs like a shockwave. His kick connected with Kimimaro's ribs—the impact echoed like thunder.
Kimimaro was launched backward, skidding several meters before planting his feet and stabbing bone spikes into the ground to halt his momentum.
Tayuya froze, the smile fading from her face.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
In the original timeline, Kimimaro shredded Naruto's clones effortlessly with Dance of the Willow. But this wasn't that Naruto.
This Naruto had spent months under Gai's brutal taijutsu training. His movements were sharper, cleaner—and his chakra control had evolved beyond raw instinct.
Kimimaro was still powerful, but he wasn't yet in his prime.
Naruto stood tall among his fading clones, a wild grin on his face. "Heh, not bad, bone guy! You can actually take a hit!"
Kimimaro straightened slowly, the bones retracting into his skin with a faint, chilling crackle. His expression didn't change, but a faint gleam flickered in his pale eyes.
"You're better than I expected," he said quietly. "This might actually be… entertaining."
"Your Taijutsu is amazing! It's making my youth burn!"
Naruto flashed a gleaming grin and gave a bold thumbs-up, sunlight glinting off his teeth.
Kimimaro rose to his feet, expression hardening. His body ached faintly beneath the calm mask.
He had lasted this long thanks to his Shikotsumyaku—the bones that turned his body into a living weapon.
But in pure Taijutsu, he was undeniably outmatched.
This boy's physical ability… was frightening.
Kimimaro exhaled slowly, raising his left arm. The skin split open with a sound like tearing silk.
From within, a long, ivory blade of bone slid out, gleaming coldly.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia."
He vanished.
A heartbeat later, he was right in front of Naruto. The bone blade flashed so quickly that afterimages filled the air like petals in a storm.
Naruto's nearby clones tried to rush in for support, but Kimimaro's strikes were relentless.
Every arc of his blade swept through multiple clones at once— poof, poof, poof!
Within seconds, the air was full of smoke.
"Samehada!"
Naruto bit his thumb, slammed a summoning scroll onto the ground, and shouted.
A surge of chakra rippled.
Kitazawa's clever modification came into play—rather than carrying the massive sword everywhere, Naruto used summoning.
After all, Samehada wasn't a mere blade. It was a living being—a chakra-eating weapon worthy of a contract.
Kimimaro's bone blade sliced straight through the air—but then stopped, jammed mid-swing.
Something rough and alien had caught it.
He looked down.
A massive, sharkskin sword blocked his path, its surface bristling with scales and barbs that bit into his blade.
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed. Before he could react, Samehada's jagged "mouth" opened wide and snapped toward him.
He twisted away instantly. The sword's bite caught only air, followed by a wet, rasping sound—almost as if it were disappointed.
"Leaf-Style Swordsmanship!"
Naruto charged in, gripping the hilt with both hands and swinging Samehada in a powerful arc.
Kimimaro blocked with his bone blade, but the impact sent tremors up his arm.
The raw force behind the strike made the ground crack beneath his feet.
And then Samehada lunged again—biting down on his hand this time.
"Tch." Kimimaro jerked back, his expression tightening.
Samehada slammed into the ground, blasting out a crater with a dull boom.
Naruto didn't let up. He lifted the sword overhead and brought it down like an axe.
Kimimaro leapt away, flipping midair, and slashed diagonally downward.
"Samehada: Flying Chain Slash!"
Naruto twisted the hilt.
Samehada shot forward, spinning wildly as a hidden chakra chain extended from the handle. The sword curved mid-flight like a living beast, looping behind Kimimaro in a deadly U-turn.
Kimimaro's instincts screamed. He twisted his wrist, blocking with his bone blade, while two thick bones erupted from his back to reinforce his defense.
Clang!
Samehada crashed into his bones, sending him hurtling backward. He skidded across the ground, landing hard—but uninjured.
He raised his head, eyes narrowing at the grinning blonde across the field.
Once again, he was being pushed back.
Impossible… He doesn't even have a Bloodline Limit. So how—
"Is that… still Leaf-Style Swordsmanship?" Sakura murmured, hand pressed to her forehead.
She had seen Sasuke's Leaf-Style Swordplay—graceful, elegant, like flowing wind.
Naruto's, in comparison, was brute strength and chaos.
"Looks rough," Shikamaru said, watching calmly, "but it fits Samehada's temperament. Honestly, I wouldn't want to fight him either."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Naruto's movements were crude, yes—but effective. That swordsmanship carried real weight.
If they fought using blades alone, he wasn't certain he'd win.
"That's… not a regular sword, is it?" Tayuya asked, shaking off her awe and scowling to hide it.
Ino smirked. "Ever heard of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"
Tayuya frowned. "No. Should I have?"
"Samehada's one of their swords," Ino explained proudly. "It eats chakra instead of cutting."
Tayuya blinked. "Then why does Naruto have it?"
"Because Kitazawa-sensei gave it to him."
Tayuya turned sharply. "...What?"
Ino nodded, eyes shining. "Kitazawa-sensei beat one of the swordsmen in single combat. Took Samehada as a prize."
Tayuya fell silent.
Defeating Orochimaru she could understand—but defeating a Mist swordsman and then handing that weapon to a student?
Her concept of "normal strength" was starting to crumble.
"Wait, what's happening to Kimimaro?" Sasuke asked suddenly.
All eyes turned to the field.
Dark markings were crawling across Kimimaro's skin, spiraling outward until they covered his body entirely. His chakra flared, heavy and oppressive.
"That's the Curse Mark of Earth," Jugo explained quietly. "It boosts strength and chakra… at a price."
Sasuke's Sharingan flickered, studying the transformation.
For a fleeting moment, temptation stirred—the allure of raw, borrowed power. But he quickly dismissed it.
It was ugly. Unrefined.
Besides, the Uchiha didn't need such crutches.
In Kitazawa's teachings—and in his own heart—the Sharingan was the purest path to strength. Not cursed power.
"This was created by Lord Orochimaru himself!" Tayuya declared proudly, as if defending her faith.
The others exchanged uneasy glances. Everyone in Konoha had heard that name—and not in a good way.
"What's the catch?" Shikamaru asked, eyes narrowing as he watched the battle unfold.
No one answered immediately.
On the field, Kimimaro's power had exploded—his movements faster, sharper, the air around him crackling with chakra pressure.
The tide of battle shifted once more.
Naruto swung Samehada down, and Kimimaro met him head-on, bone blade striking against scales.
The sound that followed was like thunder tearing across the sky.
"If the Curse Mark is used for too long," Jugo said calmly, "it goes out of control. You'll lose your sanity—maybe even yourself."
The air grew still.
Upon hearing that, Sasuke immediately dismissed the thought.
He wasn't about to gamble his mind for power.
The others also looked uneasy. Whatever curiosity they'd felt toward the mark vanished instantly.
"It really does resemble Sage Mode," murmured Hiruzen after observing for a while, his tone thoughtful.
"The Sage Mode… from the three sacred summoning lands?" Kosuke asked, eyes widening slightly.
Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. Orochimaru modeled this Curse Mark after the principles of Sage Mode."
He had reviewed Tsunade's reports—he knew more about it than anyone else present.
Maruboshi let out a low whistle. "As expected of your student… twisted as he is, it's still an impressive creation."
"The burden on the body is immense," Kakashi interjected, revealing his Sharingan to study Kimimaro's chakra flow. "If it were flawless, Otogakure would've already surpassed the Five Great Villages."
Maruboshi nodded. "That does sound like Orochimaru's style—brilliance wrapped in self-destruction."
"Kitazawa's been researching an improved version," Hiruzen added after a pause. "If he truly succeeds… and we can control it… it might actually benefit Konoha."
Kosuke tilted his head. "And what do you think, Hiruzen? Can Naruto win this?"
Hiruzen's lips curled into a faint smile. "Does that even need asking? He hasn't gone all out yet."
Kakashi sighed quietly. That's what worries me.
Naruto's fighting style was heavily influenced by Gai—reckless, close-range, and full of heart.
He'd push with Taijutsu until he couldn't win, and then switch to sheer chakra dominance.
And speaking of chakra… Kakashi couldn't help grimacing.
The kid had more chakra than him. At seven years old.
Unbelievable.
"What's he doing now?" Tayuya frowned. "Is he giving up on close combat?"
Kiba's eyes widened. "No… he's setting up for something big. It's coming!"
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto threw aside Samehada and flashed through a series of seals.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In a series of explosions, hundreds of clones burst into existence again, filling the field like a golden sea.
Kimimaro steadied his breathing. The longer the Curse Mark stayed active, the more it drained him—even in State One, his body was starting to strain.
Still, if this was going to be another Shadow Clone brawl, he preferred that to facing Samehada's chakra-devouring bite.
But then—
"What… what is this?"
Naruto's clones divided neatly into two long rows.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
The first row clapped their hands together.
Compressed wind burst forth, howling as it tore across the field.
"Wind Release: Shuriken!"
The second row followed up, flinging dozens of spinning projectiles—each one glowing faintly with Wind Release chakra.
Kimimaro stared, dumbfounded. Even he couldn't maintain composure.
"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, the wind already whipping at his hair.
Realizing he couldn't hold back, Kimimaro released his power fully.
The black markings of the Curse Mark of Earth spread across his body, twisting and pulsing until they covered him completely.
His skin darkened, and massive bone spikes erupted from his back.
Curse Mark of Earth, State Two.
The storm hit.
Kimimaro crossed his arms, bones jutting from his forearms like shields. The wind pressure slammed into him like a wall of iron.
The sheer force made the ground beneath him shatter and crack. His white hair whipped violently in the gale, his eyes glowing red.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia!"
He swung his bone blade in a storm of afterimages.
Each strike deflected the incoming Wind Shuriken with sharp, metallic clangs.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound was deafening.
But every block forced him back, step by step.
The combined assault of gales and chakra-infused shuriken was relentless.
Kimimaro's arms shook. His eyes burned crimson, veins bulging.
For Lord Orochimaru, he told himself—he would not fall here.
"Am I seeing things?" Tayuya whispered, stunned.
Kimimaro looked like a reed in a hurricane, barely staying upright, bones splintering and regenerating under the wind's pressure.
She had never—not once—seen him struggle this badly.
"So strong…" Kiba breathed, half in awe, half in disbelief.
"Kimimaro's power easily puts him in the Genius Class top five," Shikamaru said, analyzing the fight.
Ino shot Tayuya a sympathetic look—remembering all too well how proudly she'd claimed she'd reach the top five herself.
"..."
Tayuya sank lower in her depression, her earlier confidence gone without a trace.
"Kimimaro's close to his limit," Jugo said grimly. "If he doesn't release the Curse Mark soon, it'll damage him permanently."
And right as he spoke, something dark flickered behind Kimimaro.
Samehada.
The living sword slithered across the ground, circling him like a shark scenting blood.
Before Kimimaro could react, it lunged—sinking its jagged mouth into his shoulder.
"Samehada!" Kitazawa's voice rang out.
The sword growled lowly, greedily draining chakra until Kimimaro's markings began to fade.
He gasped, the Curse Mark's transformation peeling away like ash in the wind.
In a blur of motion, Kitazawa appeared beside them.
He clapped his hands, summoning an Earth Wall that rose up to block the raging wind and shuriken storm.
Then he turned to Samehada, his tone calm but firm.
"Give it back."
Samehada froze for a second—then obediently pulsed, flooding the drained chakra back into Kimimaro.
Tayuya's jaw dropped. "Wait… it can share chakra too?"
Her voice was trembling—not out of fear, but disbelief.
Her entire understanding of power, of what made someone strong, felt like it was being rewritten right before her eyes.
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