Kimimaro slowly took off his top. If he didn't, he'd lose a piece of clothing every time he fought anyway.
He looked at Naruto and raised both hands. The skin on his palms split open, revealing sharp, snow-white bones.
"Wow, that looks as cool as Sasuke's Sharingan!" Naruto exclaimed immediately. Of course, the Sharingan was still cooler.
Sasuke curled his lip, unimpressed. Typical Naruto—completely scatterbrained.
Kimimaro merely shook his head. With Naruto's personality, he thought, this kid wouldn't have lasted even three days in Otogakure's so-called "Genius Class."
"The battle begins!" Kitazawa announced.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A thick cloud of smoke exploded, and when it cleared, hundreds of Narutos filled the Training Ground.
Kimimaro, who was about to charge forward, froze mid-step. His pupils contracted sharply.
Jugo was dumbfounded. Even entering Sage Mode, he couldn't muster this much Chakra.
"Why are there so many Shadow Clones!?" Tayuya shouted, eyes wide.
She hadn't learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu herself, but she knew one thing about it—it consumed a terrifying amount of Chakra.
In Otogakure, even the Jōnin could only create ten or twenty Shadow Clones at most.
But this? Over a hundred Narutos? How was this even possible?
"Ah, don't worry. Naruto's just like that—you'll get used to it," Ino said, patting her shoulder.
"But…" Tayuya opened her mouth, unable to find the words.
"Relax," Shikamaru said calmly. "This is only the beginning. The real shocking part hasn't even started yet."
"…?" Tayuya was speechless. What could possibly be more shocking than this?
Is this guy even seven years old? She wanted to curse, but couldn't take her eyes off the field.
"Konoha Whirlwind!" Two Shadow Clones charged toward Kimimaro, their right legs swinging in perfect unison.
"Dynamic Entry!" Another Shadow Clone leaped into the air, aiming a flying kick at Kimimaro's head.
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!" Two more appeared behind him from the left and right, launching synchronized roundhouse kicks.
Tayuya's breath caught in her throat. Kimimaro was surrounded—five Shadow Clones already nearby, and an endless sea of them still coming.
Dance of the Willow! Kimimaro crossed his arms as several sections of bone sprouted from his body.
He twisted fluidly, stabbing forward with the bones in his palms like a pair of blades.
Two sharp impacts sounded—thud! thud! The two Shadow Clones in front of him vanished in puffs of smoke.
Kimimaro dodged the airborne kick with a quick backstep, then drove his elbows backward. Two bones extended from his joints, striking the legs of the incoming Shadow Clones.
Both Narutos let out a sharp cry before disappearing.
Kimimaro pivoted and thrust his knee upward—another bone shot through two more Shadow Clones, dispersing them instantly.
"Konoha Hurricane!" A Shadow Clone darted in, swinging its elbow toward Kimimaro's head.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!" Another came from the side, aiming a spinning kick.
Kimimaro raised both arms to block—
The first Shadow Clone's elbow slammed into his forearm bone and vanished in smoke. He followed through with a powerful kick of his own, bang!—deflecting the second attack cleanly.
A fierce melee erupted.
"Oh no…" Kiba muttered, watching with growing awe.
He had thought Kimimaro's strength was on par with Tayuya's or Jugo's—but clearly, he was far beyond that.
"Is that Shikotsumyaku?" Ino gasped. "No wonder it's so famous… It's incredible!"
"Not many people in the Genius Class can last this long against Naruto's Shadow Clone onslaught," Tenten added.
Neji stayed silent, but his eyes narrowed. Gentle Fist targeted Chakra points—but what if those points were covered in bone?
It would be completely ineffective.
And since the bones could extend and retract freely, Kimimaro's entire body was essentially a weapon—a direct counter to Gentle Fist.
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm could work, but one technique alone wouldn't be enough to bring him down.
Neji's mind began racing. The key to victory was still the Byakugan—and Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
If he could predict the bone movements with his Byakugan and strike precisely, there was still a chance.
Sasuke frowned slightly. So this was the power of the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku… it truly lived up to its reputation.
He activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, his eyes gleaming red. With it, he could see Kimimaro's every motion clearly, and that gave him some relief.
"But I still think Sa—" Sakura cut herself off.
Sasuke and Kimimaro hadn't fought yet. Better not jinx it.
"How is it?" Tayuya asked, sounding proud as she listened to everyone's reactions.
Even though Naruto's strength had exceeded her expectations, Kimimaro was holding his ground.
That alone made her satisfied.
Shino was just about to comment when—
"Violent: Leaf Adamantine Strength Whirlwind!" Naruto's shout echoed through the field.
He surged forward, Chakra flaring around his leg, and kicked Kimimaro squarely, sending him flying.
Tayuya froze. Her confidence was shattered instantly.
In the original work, Kimimaro had overwhelmed Naruto's Shadow Clones effortlessly with Dance of the Willow.
But that Naruto didn't truly understand Taijutsu—he had always relied on brute-force Shadow Clone tactics.
This Naruto was different. He had trained under Might Guy, honing real Taijutsu skill. And this Kimimaro wasn't yet at his peak.
In pure Taijutsu, Naruto was not inferior at all—he was simply countered by Shikotsumyaku.
"Your Taijutsu is excellent! It's making my youth boil!" Naruto shouted, flashing a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming.
Kimimaro stood up silently, expression tense. He had survived this long by relying on his Shikotsumyaku—his bones harder than steel.
Without them, in pure hand-to-hand combat, he would be at a disadvantage. Taking a deep breath, he drew a bone blade from his left arm.
Dance of the Camellia!
He vanished from sight—
Reappearing right in front of Naruto, the bone blade was slashing at blinding speed. Dozens of afterimages surrounded them as the blade cut through the air.
The nearby Shadow Clones rushed in to assist—but before they could even get close, they were shredded by Kimimaro's multi-stage assault and vanished one after another in clouds of smoke.
"Samehada!" Naruto hurled out a Summoning Scroll.
It would be far too strange for a seven-year-old to carry the Samehada around every day, so Kitazawa had come up with a solution — using a Summoning Scroll as a scabbard.
That way, Naruto could summon it only during battle.
Since the Samehada was essentially a living Summoning Beast rather than a mere sword, this method worked perfectly.
Kimimaro's bone blade sliced through the Summoning Scroll. A thick cloud of smoke spread — and then his heart jolted.
The bone blade in his hand suddenly refused to move forward another inch.
Before him appeared a bizarre sword, covered in barbs that had jammed his bone blade in place.
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed sharply as he examined it. The Samehada twitched — and then, to his shock, opened its mouth and bit toward him.
Kimimaro immediately leapt back without a word. The Samehada snapped at empty air, then smacked its lips in annoyance.
Konoha Style Swordsmanship!
Naruto stepped forward, gripping the hilt with both hands, and swung the Samehada down in a heavy arc.
Kimimaro reflexively raised his bone blade to block.
The impact drove his arm downward, and before he could react, the Samehada's jagged mouth snapped at his hand.
Troublesome. Kimimaro yanked his arm back quickly.
The Samehada slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crater where he had just stood.
Naruto raised both hands again — the Samehada swung like an enormous axe, cutting toward him.
Kimimaro jumped high, dodging the strike, and slashed diagonally downward with his bone blade.
Samehada: Flying Chain Slash!
Naruto twisted the hilt — the Samehada suddenly flew off, curving midair before whipping back to strike Kimimaro from behind.
It was tethered to the hilt by a chain.
Kimimaro turned his wrist and blocked behind him with his bone blade, while two more bones extended from his back to defend.
The Samehada smashed against them with a loud clang! Kimimaro was thrown backward by the force, landing hard — but uninjured.
He steadied himself and stared at Naruto, realizing grimly that he was once again at a disadvantage.
Kimimaro frowned. Naruto didn't seem to have any Bloodline Limit — so why was his power so absurd?
"Is this still Konoha Style Swordsmanship?" Sakura asked, pressing a hand to her forehead.
She had seen Sasuke's Konoha Style Swordsmanship before — graceful, precise, and elegant.
"But it's quite suitable for the Samehada," Shikamaru said, hands clasped behind his head. "At least, I definitely couldn't beat him."
Sasuke's brow furrowed slightly. Though Naruto's swordsmanship looked rough and wild, its sheer strength was terrifying.
If the two of them fought seriously with swords, he couldn't say for certain who would win.
"Is that really a sword?" Tayuya, who had been frozen in disbelief by Naruto's performance, finally snapped out of it and complained.
"Do you know the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Ino countered.
"I don't." Tayuya shook her head.
She'd spent her days locked underground, dueling with test subjects — she knew little about the Hidden Mist Village.
"The Samehada is one of their seven legendary swords," Ino explained.
"Then why is it in Naruto's hands?" Tayuya asked in confusion.
"Kitazawa-sensei gave it to him," Ino said, then briefly recounted Kitazawa's past exploits.
"…" Tayuya fell silent.
That Kitazawa could defeat Orochimaru didn't surprise her — but Naruto's strength had once again completely stunned her.
"What is that?" Sasuke suddenly asked, his expression changing.
Tayuya looked up — and froze. Kimimaro was now covered in black markings from head to toe.
Had he already been forced to that extent?
"This is the Cursed Seal of the Earth," Jugo explained simply. "It's a cursed seal that can temporarily increase one's power."
Sasuke's eyes flickered with curiosity — but he quickly dismissed the idea.
First, it looked hideous. Second, he didn't need it. No Uchiha did.
As Kitazawa often said, the Sharingan itself was already an invincible path — there was no need to rely on external crutches.
In the original story, Sasuke had accepted Orochimaru's Cursed Seal out of revenge. But this Sasuke was content — he had no need for such shortcuts.
"This was created by Lord Orochimaru!" Tayuya said proudly.
Everyone immediately turned to her, clearly intrigued — the name Orochimaru carried weight everywhere.
"What's the price?" Shikamaru asked, watching Kimimaro in the arena.
After activating the Cursed Seal of the Earth, Kimimaro's power, speed, and Chakra surged dramatically.
Moments ago, he had been at a disadvantage, but now, he was roughly on par with Naruto, wielding the Samehada.
Still, he avoided letting the Samehada bite him at all costs.
"If used too long, it goes out of control," Jugo said plainly. "You might even lose yourself."
At that, Sasuke immediately abandoned any lingering thought of it. That kind of seal was better left untouched.
The others also shook their heads in agreement.
"It really does resemble Sage Mode," Sarutobi Hiruzen observed after a moment.
"The Sage Mode from the three great Summoning regions?" Maruboshi Kosuke asked in surprise.
"Yes." Hiruzen nodded. "Orochimaru created this Cursed Seal of the Earth based on the principles of Sage Mode."
He had seen Tsunade's research data firsthand, so he understood it well.
"As expected of your student," Kosuke praised. "The Cursed Seal seems quite effective."
"The burden on the body is enormous," Kakashi added, activating his Sharingan to observe more closely. "If it were flawless, Otogakure would've surpassed the Five Great Villages already."
Kosuke nodded — he wasn't surprised.
"Orochimaru is already working on an improved version," Hiruzen continued. "If it succeeds, it could benefit Konoha as well."
"Do you think Naruto can win?" Kosuke asked, changing the topic as the battle raged on.
"Does that even need to be asked?" Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled. "Naruto hasn't even used his full strength yet."
Kakashi's mouth twitched.
Naruto had been heavily influenced by Might Guy — he loved fighting up close with Taijutsu. When Taijutsu didn't work, he'd switch to long-range attacks and overwhelm his opponents with raw Chakra power.
Speaking of Chakra, Kakashi couldn't help but grumble inwardly. Seven-year-old Naruto already had more Chakra than he did. It was honestly absurd.
"What's Naruto going to do? Is he giving up close combat?" Tayuya noticed that Naruto had suddenly widened the distance between himself and Kimimaro.
"It's coming!" Kiba immediately guessed what Naruto was planning.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto threw the Samehada aside and rapidly formed hand seals.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Hundreds of Shadow Clones appeared again in an instant.
Kimimaro, panting heavily, watched in silence.
The longer the Cursed Seal of the Earth remained active, the greater the strain on his body — especially after such an intense fight.
Fortunately, he was still only in State One. He could barely maintain it. But… was Naruto planning another large-scale Shadow Clone brawl?
To his own surprise, Kimimaro actually felt a sense of relief.
Between Naruto wielding the Samehada and Naruto using Shadow Clones, he'd rather deal with the latter.
But then— What was this?
Kimimaro blinked, confusion crossing his usually calm face. The Shadow Clones had divided neatly into two rows.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!" The first row of Shadow Clones clapped their hands together.
Wind Chakra swirled violently between their palms, compressing into a powerful air current.
A deafening roar filled the air as countless gales surged forward, merging into a storm that covered the sky.
"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!" The second row of Shadow Clones threw shuriken one after another.
But these weren't ordinary shuriken — they were shuriken wrapped in Wind Release Chakra, spinning like miniature typhoons.
"???" Kimimaro's expression twisted.
Even with his composure, he found it difficult to keep a straight face in this situation.
With no hesitation, Kimimaro activated the Cursed Seal of the Earth, State Two. His skin darkened to black, and massive bones jutted out from his back.
Then came the storm. Kimimaro crossed his arms, summoning more bone armor to shield himself.
A violent pressure slammed into him as his hair and clothes whipped wildly in the wind. He roared and held his ground with sheer willpower, refusing to be blown away.
But just as he steadied himself, a barrage of Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken came slicing through the air.
Dance of the Camellia! Kimimaro drew his bone sword and unleashed a flurry of slashes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The shuriken were deflected one after another, but the combined pressure of the storm and the cutting wind still forced him backward.
His eyes turned bloodshot, and the motion of his sword blurred into a streak of white. For Orochimaru, he could not afford to fall here.
"Am I under a Genjutsu?" Tayuya stared blankly.
Kimimaro looked like a weed caught in a hurricane — swaying violently, yet refusing to fall.
It was her first time seeing him in such a state, even under the Cursed Seal of the Earth, State Two.
"So strong!" Kiba said sincerely — and for once, it wasn't sarcasm. He was referring to Kimimaro.
"Kimimaro's strength should be among the top five in our Genius Class," Shikamaru observed calmly.
Ino subconsciously glanced at Tayuya.
After all, Tayuya had once proudly declared that she would make it into the top five of the practical exam.
"…" Tayuya went completely silent.
No matter how confident she'd been before, she didn't dare utter those words again.
"Kimimaro's reaching his limit," Jugo said worriedly. "If he doesn't deactivate the Cursed Seal soon, there'll be side effects."
Just then, the Samehada silently slithered behind Kimimaro. It opened its mouth, clamped down on his back, and began devouring Chakra at a terrifying rate.
Kimimaro's Chakra dropped sharply, forcing him to deactivate the Cursed Seal of the Earth, State Two.
Kitazawa flashed forward.
He clapped his hands — and an Earth Wall rose instantly, shielding everyone from the raging storm and the flying shuriken.
Then he turned to the Samehada. It immediately loosened its bite.
"Give it back to him," Kitazawa said flatly.
Without hesitation, the Samehada regurgitated Chakra back into Kimimaro's body.
"It can not only absorb Chakra but also share it?" Tayuya's eyes widened in disbelief. Her entire worldview felt like it had just shattered.