"Over the years in Konoha, Kimimaro learned a great deal of Steel Fist–style taijutsu from Might Guy."
"Not only that—he also combined my Orochi-Fluid–based body modification with Konoha's Steel Fist, creating a taijutsu style unique to his bloodline."
"He named it Corpse Bone Vein–Style Taijutsu."
Guren watched as Jūgo was slammed into the ground again and again, his eyes slowly shifting—from feral madness, to blankness, and finally to confusion. Kimimaro had forcibly dragged Jūgo out of his berserk state. Watching it happen left her emotions tangled and heavy.
"So this is… Kimimaro's taijutsu?"
"That's terrifying…"
Kimimaro's mind was filled with memories of his childhood with Jūgo. Lost in thought, his hands struck even harder—until he finally heard Jūgo's half-dead groan.
"Ku—ah!"
"Ku… ku… Kimimaro!"
"Stop—stop throwing me!"
Kimimaro tried to halt his movement, but the final throw was already halfway through. There was no stopping it.
Driven by inertia, Jūgo was still smashed brutally into the ground, landing perfectly inside a half-meter-deep, human-shaped crater.
Kimimaro immediately stepped forward and helped him up, his voice tinged with guilt.
"I'm sorry, Jūgo."
"I couldn't stop in time. Are you alright?"
Jūgo took several deep breaths, forcing the last traces of natural chakra in his body to mend the surface wounds. His voice was weak but steady.
"I'm… fine."
"You're finally here, Kimimaro."
Then Jūgo looked up at Orochimaru.
"Lord Orochimaru… you're finally here…"
As soon as he finished speaking, his chakra completely bottomed out. His head drooped, and he passed out cold.
Orochimaru suddenly seemed to remember something and turned toward Guren.
"By the way… where's Karin?"
Guren froze. She hesitated, stammering, clearly conflicted.
"Karin… she left not long ago."
"She said she found her 'Mr. Right' and went off to chase her love…"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't expected Karin to leave for such an absurd reason.
An Uzumaki orphan—he had only encountered one in the entire ninja world so far. Finding new Uzumaki experimental material in the future would be… troublesome.
I just hope she left something behind. Hair, maybe.
"Take me to her room."
...
Half an hour later, Orochimaru stood holding a test tube. Inside were eight strands of Karin's hair, carefully preserved. He glanced around the room one last time—and felt genuinely irritated.
"…Why are all of these posters from the time Uchiha Hikaru founded the Ninja Association?"
"…Don't tell me the 'Mr. Right' she mentioned is Uchiha Hikaru."
Guren stood to the side and nodded awkwardly.
"Uh… if nothing unexpected happened, then yes. Probably. Possibly. Maybe… Uchiha Hikaru."
Orochimaru put the test tube away, his gaze flickering with uncertainty. Then he spoke suddenly.
"Hikaru already has several women."
"I hope Karin gives up."
After all, only then could he continue experimenting on her.
If Karin actually succeeded in claiming that position—even if Orochimaru had a hundred lives, he wouldn't dare touch Uchiha Hikaru's women without permission.
Thinking that far, Orochimaru chuckled and shook his head.
"Forget it."
"She won't succeed anyway."
Guren tilted her head slightly, confused.
"…Hm?"
Orochimaru looked meaningfully at the posters on the wall, his expression confident.
"After all, Hikaru only likes women with broad minds~"
Guren fell silent.
Thinking about Karin's… figure, she realized that while Karin could technically be called "broad-minded," it was very clearly not the kind Orochimaru meant.
She silently mourned for Karin in her heart.
How pitiful… (;＿;)
Meanwhile—
Karin, traveling toward Konoha in the Land of Fire, suddenly sneezed several times and rubbed her nose.
"Which bastard is talking about me again?"
"Tch, whatever—who cares."
"Let's hurry to Konoha!"
"I'm going to become the president's woman!" ☆⌒(≧▽° )
With that, she poured chakra into her legs and rushed onward.
...
It took Orochimaru, Guren, and their group only a single day to collect and pack all reusable experimental materials from the abandoned laboratory. Afterward, they conducted a headcount.
Aside from Guren and Jūgo, only a handful of Orochimaru's original followers remained. The rest were wandering ninja who had joined later under Guren, seeking a powerful faction to rely on.
Orochimaru had no intention of wasting time on them.
He took Guren, Jūgo, and several scientific researchers and departed for Konoha overnight.
He knew better than anyone—before long, a large-scale purge would sweep this place clean. Leaving now was the only sensible choice.
A few days later, shinobi from Nadeshiko Village and Iwagakure split into small squads and infiltrated the former Otogakure territory, systematically clearing out scattered rogue ninja.
When the enemy advanced, they retreated.
When the enemy retreated, they harassed.
Relying on numerical superiority, the squads rotated harassment for days on end, leaving the rogue ninja unable to sleep.
Just as someone finally drifted off—
BOOM!
An explosive tag detonated on the roof.
The rogue ninja were exhausted beyond belief—eyes bloodshot, minds dulled.
"Damn it, what village do these assholes belong to?!"
"Are they even human?! Don't ninja need sleep too?! I just want to sleep—what's wrong with that?!"
A burly man wearing an Iwagakure missing-nin forehead protector snapped awake and slashed another man's cheek with a kunai.
"Stop screaming!"
"You're the one screaming! I was about to fall asleep—why are you yelling?!"
"Huh?! If I didn't shout, could you sleep through that explosion?! You blaming me now?!"
The Iwagakure missing-nin stood up instantly, gripping his kunai in a reverse hold.
"Maybe I was asleep! What's your name? Say another word and I'll kill you, you Kirigakure traitor!"
"Hah?! We're both missing-nin—don't act like you're superior!"
"At least Iwagakure doesn't butcher its own people!"
"That depends on whether I feel like it!" ×2
Kunai clashed. Sparks flew.
Neither of them noticed the kunai with an explosive tag that had silently dropped into the room.
A few seconds later—
BOOOOM!
The building collapsed in a thunderous roar, followed by two shrill screams.
Not far away, Nadeshiko Shizuka cracked her neck, resting her arm against the railing.
"What idiots."
"Just a little hallucinogenic gas, and they slaughter each other."
With that, she vanished into the shadows, moving on to hunt the next group of rogue ninja.