i am kimimaro

"Kaguya... Kimimaro."

Kimimaro slowly uttered the name he had carried throughout his life.

And that name, at this moment, would be etched forever in Jūgo's mind.

"Kimimaro..." 

Jūgo murmured softly.

"Come with me, be my companion."

"No... I'm not a good person. My existence only brings misfortune. I'm a monster. Someday, I'll lose control and kill my own comrades."

Jūgo hung his head, his large frame appearing pitiful.

"Everyone around me is a monster. Look at him, does he seem normal to you?"

Kimimaro pointed at Suigetsu, standing nearby.

Hearing this, Suigetsu had only one thought in his mind: 

"Boss, do you even know what 'polite' means?"

Jūgo glanced at Suigetsu. Sure enough, this guy had just been hit by him, yet all he did was splash water without even getting hurt. Definitely not normal.

Kimimaro pointed to himself next.

"Do I look normal to you?"

Inwardly, Jūgo silently agreed with him.

No normal person fights using their own bones, let alone has the strength to defeat him.

"As for killing your comrades, don't worry about it. I'm not that weak. And Suigetsu, with his strange body, won't die easily at your hands either."

Jūgo fell silent.

Kimimaro knew Jūgo's heart had already started to waver.

He had never had any companions before, so now that he'd met people who weren't afraid of him, he longed for it deep inside.

"Jūgo, I'll find a way to help you control that power. And if you can't control it, I'll control it for you."

At this point, Kimimaro stared intently into Jūgo's orange eyes, his expression serious.

"I'll become the cage for your body, so that your soul can regain its freedom."

As Jūgo gazed at Kimimaro's handsome face and recalled his extraordinary skills just moments ago, he knew that this boy had the power to control him.

Since that was the case, there was no longer any need to hesitate.

"Alright, I'll follow you, Kimimaro."

Kimimaro smiled slightly and extended his right hand toward Jūgo.

"Welcome aboard, Jūgo."

Jūgo, with his injured right hand, grasped Kimimaro's.

**"Achievement unlocked: Telepathy."**

**Telepathy:** A power allowing communication akin to mental connection, originating from *Fairy Tail*.

This ability was quite similar to Jūgo's ability to communicate with birds and beasts.

As Kimimaro looked at Jūgo's hand, much larger than his own, he couldn't help but marvel at his size.

At only twelve years old, Jūgo was already 5'7" (170 cm).

In time, Jūgo would reach a height of 6'7" (202 cm), unmatched by anyone of his generation.

A strange thought passed through Kimimaro's mind, and blue chakra began to flow from his right hand. His left hand layered over it, increasing the intensity of the chakra.

**Mystical Palm Technique!** 

Two years of training had brought Kimimaro's medical skills to a high level.

At the very least, his proficiency now exceeded Karin's in this area.

Within ten seconds, the wound in Jūgo's right hand, caused by the bone sword, had stopped bleeding and started healing.

Seeing this, Jūgo's eyes widened in disbelief.

The chakra, full of vitality, mesmerized him.

In no time, his right hand had fully recovered.

"Jūgo, let me heal your left hand too."

Soon, all the injuries that Jūgo had sustained during their fight were healed.

During the healing process, Kimimaro couldn't help but admire Jūgo's body, which was indeed like that of a Cursed Seal Sage.

Even if Kimimaro hadn't healed him, Jūgo would have likely recovered on his own in just a few days.

His healing ability might even surpass Naruto's.

"Thank you," Jūgo said after recovering.

"There's no need to thank me. We're comrades now."

"Wow! Boss, your medical ninjutsu is this strong now?" Suigetsu exclaimed.

It was the first time Suigetsu had seen Kimimaro use medical ninjutsu, and he was stunned by how effective it was.

"It's only beginner level," Kimimaro replied.

"Boss, if this is beginner level, then most of the medical ninjas in the ninja world might as well hit themselves with a block of tofu."

Kimimaro said nothing in response.

Suigetsu then turned to Jūgo and said, "Big guy, now that you're one of the boss's subordinates, remember I got here first, so I'm your senior. You'll have to listen to me from now on, got it?"

Suigetsu was secretly thrilled.

Having a powerhouse like Jūgo on his side would make life much easier.

"No. I'll only listen to Kimimaro. You're too weak."

Suigetsu immediately turned pale.

"You!"

"Alright, Suigetsu, don't bully Jūgo. He may seem simple, but he's not stupid," Kimimaro said, a little helplessly.

"Yes, Boss," Suigetsu sighed, disappointed that his plan to boss Jūgo around had failed.

Both Suigetsu and Jūgo had remarkable potential.

In the original story, their talents had been somewhat wasted.

But now, as Kimimaro's comrades, their futures would take a different course.

"Let's go. Time to leave this place."

"Yes, Boss."

"Mm."

Kimimaro led the way, with Suigetsu and Jūgo following closely behind.

As Kimimaro walked forward, Jūgo finally left the cave where he had confined himself for so long.

The sunlight outside shone on his face once again.

In the past, whenever he left the cave, he was always afraid of losing control and hurting the plants or people around him.

But this time, as he stepped outside, the fear was gone.

Because he knew that the seemingly frail boy beside him had the power to control him.

At that moment, he felt lighter than ever before.

Jūgo closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air outside the cave.

His breath was calm and peaceful.

Just then, a small bird landed on his shoulder, chirping happily.

Jūgo opened his eyes, looked at the bird, and smiled warmly.

"Boss, is this guy schizophrenic or something? He was so violent just now, and now he's as calm as if he's one with nature," Suigetsu remarked curiously.

"It's because of the power inside him. That's why he displays different personalities. This is the real him," Kimimaro explained.

"That power is a bit too overwhelming, isn't it?"

"Great power often comes with risks and consequences. It's not unusual."

As Kimimaro looked at the reborn Jūgo, he realized how similar the two of them were.

Both had grown up in cages.

The difference was, Kimimaro had been imprisoned by his clan, while Jūgo had imprisoned himself to avoid harming others.

They had both longed for companionship, and for freedom.

Now, they both seemed to have found what they wanted.

Kimimaro understood exactly how Jūgo was feeling.

It was just like when he had first stepped out into the sunlight after the night of the clan's destruction. 

(End of Chapter)