i am kimimaro

Suigetsu gave an awkward smile, clearly feeling guilty.

However, Kimimaro didn't hold it against him.

If their roles were reversed and faced with an unknown situation, he would also have tried everything possible to escape.

Suigetsu had merely reacted like any normal person would.

"I already gave you a chance once; I hope you learn to appreciate it. I don't mind if you try to run again, but Orochimaru may not be so forgiving. When we go back, if you continue to speak recklessly and Orochimaru decides to kill you, I won't stop him."

Suigetsu's face changed, understanding that Kimimaro was warning him for his own good.

Hearing Kimimaro mention Orochimaru also startled Suigetsu.

"Orochimaru? The Orochimaru, one of the Three Legendary Sannin? Aren't you a member of the Kaguya Clan? Why are you following him?"

"Is there still a Kaguya Clan?"

Kimimaro let out a mocking laugh.

Suigetsu gave a bitter smile and said, "Yeah, there's no Kaguya Clan anymore... just like the Hozuki Clan."

"Stay alive. For people like us, staying alive is the most important thing. By following Orochimaru, at least for now, you won't be in any danger."

"Sigh, looks like I don't have any other choice. Let's go."

With Suigetsu in tow, Kimimaro soon returned to the inn where they had originally stayed.

Orochimaru sat in the room, examining the corpse of the Mist Anbu.

Clearly, he hadn't worried at all about Kimimaro bringing Suigetsu back and didn't even look up.

"He's back."

"Hehe, seems much more obedient now."

As Orochimaru spoke, the cold aura around him was palpable, making Suigetsu's back shiver.

Only now did he realize how terrifying Orochimaru truly was.

"Orochimaru-sama, I'm willing to follow you. I was just unaware of who you were earlier, and that's why I spoke foolishly. Now that I know who you are, my admiration for you is as vast as the mountains and rivers, endless. 

If only you had told me earlier, I would have knelt and pledged my loyalty on the spot. Hehe, do you think I still have a chance?"

Seeing Suigetsu's sudden shift in attitude, Orochimaru was a little surprised, but not shocked.

After all, he was just a kid under ten years old—how tough could he really be?

Kimimaro, too, looked at Suigetsu in astonishment.

Impressive. This kid has potential.

A master at changing faces.

"Hehe, what an amusing brat. Kimimaro, take him away. We leave tomorrow."

"Yes."

Kimimaro led Suigetsu away.

Orochimaru then turned his attention back to the Mist Anbu's corpse.

It seemed he had already discovered some interesting information from it.

Ninja corpses were always important tools for gathering intelligence.

The Yamanaka Clan from Konoha specialized in this sort of thing.

While Orochimaru wasn't as skilled as the Yamanakas, he had his own methods.

"The Mist Village is becoming more and more chaotic. The root of this turmoil lies with the Fourth Mizukage. But is he truly that foolish? Why does it feel like there's an invisible hand controlling everything behind the scenes?"

Orochimaru murmured, his golden eyes filled with thought.

He couldn't quite figure it out.

If his suspicions were correct...

Who would have the ability to manipulate the Mizukage into doing their bidding?

"How interesting."

Orochimaru licked his lips and then poured a potion over the Anbu's corpse.

A strange scene unfolded.

The body dissolved into a puddle of blood, vanishing completely.

In another room, Kimimaro tossed the bound Suigetsu aside, restrained by bone chains.

"Ouch! Can't you be a bit gentler?"

"No."

Kimimaro's face remained cold as he withdrew the bone chains.

"Huh? Aren't you afraid I'll try to escape?"

Now freed from his restraints, Suigetsu felt much more relaxed, though puzzled by Kimimaro's sudden release of him.

"Once you regain your chakra, these chains won't hold you anyway. Whether you're bound or not makes no difference, so why waste my chakra? 

Besides, Orochimaru is in the next room. You can try running, but let's see if he gives you another chance."

The bone chains couldn't hold Suigetsu, but a binding spell might.

However, Kimimaro had only just learned the technique and wasn't strong enough yet.

At best, he could restrain Suigetsu for a few seconds.

So, Kimimaro gave up.

When Suigetsu heard Orochimaru's name and recalled the terrifying aura from earlier, he immediately gave up on the idea of escaping.

"Get some rest. Don't try anything funny. I haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time. Tonight, I want to sleep well."

With that, Kimimaro climbed into bed.

"Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"On the floor."

"Seriously? You sleep on the floor! I'll take the bed!"

Suigetsu charged forward.

But in the next moment, a white bone sword was pointed at his nose.

Kimimaro hadn't even opened his eyes.

"Boss, I was just kidding. I'll sleep on the floor, heh."

Suigetsu smiled sheepishly and backed away a few steps. Only then did Kimimaro lower the bone sword.

"What a cold-hearted guy."

Suigetsu silently complained to himself and settled down to sleep against the wall.

After running for their lives, Suigetsu was just as exhausted as Kimimaro, so he quickly fell asleep.

For both of them, it was a rare and peaceful night.

The next morning, Orochimaru took the two of them to the docks of the Land of Water, where they boarded a small boat and left the country.

The sea was shrouded in a thick fog.

This was typical of the waters surrounding the Land of Water.

Kimimaro gazed at the sea beside him.

On this boat, there wasn't much he could do in terms of training.

There was a limit to how much chakra could be extracted at once, so he was quite bored.

"Orochimaru-sensei, I've heard that ninjas can walk on water. How is that done?"

Unable to endure the boredom, Kimimaro asked about training.

"Hehe, it's not difficult at all. It's merely a chakra control exercise that genin need to learn. You gather chakra at the soles of your feet and control the amount so that it balances with the water's buoyancy, allowing you to walk on water."

Orochimaru, generous with his knowledge, explained the technique to Kimimaro.

"Heh, you don't even know something that simple? Want me to teach you?" Suigetsu said excitedly.

As a member of the Hozuki Clan, he had already mastered this skill.

The Kaguya Clan, on the other hand, didn't emphasize chakra control as much, focusing more on taijutsu.

"No need. I'll try it myself."

Kimimaro stepped off the boat.

His first step was light, merely testing the water's buoyancy.

Then, he gathered chakra at the soles of his feet, feeling the balance between the chakra and the water's buoyancy.

Soon, he found the sweet spot.

With his right foot on the water's surface, it felt as solid as the ground.

He had the feeling.

Without hesitation, he placed his other foot on the water.

But balancing on both feet was much harder.

His body began to sink, and soon, both legs were submerged up to his knees.

"Hahaha!"

Suigetsu laughed, genuinely enjoying seeing Kimimaro struggle.

This guy beat me up yesterday.

Despite the situation, Kimimaro remained calm, quietly sensing the subtle differences.

At the same time, he recalled the chakra flow method of the Water Body Flicker technique.

The Water Body Flicker allowed a person to move quickly across the water without hand signs. The principle was similar, though even more complex.

The Water Body Flicker only allowed outward chakra flow, not control over its return.

So, if he could master the Water Body Flicker, walking on water shouldn't be difficult for Kimimaro.

Sure enough, after a short while, he stopped sinking and began to rise again.

A few more seconds, and he was standing steadily on the surface of the water.

Suigetsu, who had been laughing moments before, suddenly went silent.

"He… he mastered it?"

Suigetsu was dumbfounded.

It had taken him three days to learn this technique.

This guy…

Had it even been a minute?

Orochimaru smiled in admiration.

Such talent was worthy of his attention.

(Chapter End)