i am kimimaro

With an innocent smile, Haku looked warmly at Kimimaro, who appeared to be around his age and was both polite and good-looking. Instantly, Haku's impression of him improved.

"That's great," Kimimaro said with a smile, turning his gaze towards Zabuza.

Having gained a bit of favor from Haku, Kimimaro was not going to miss the opportunity with Zabuza, who stood nearby.

"My apologies, sir," Kimimaro said as he reached out with his right hand towards Zabuza's left hand.

However, Zabuza dodged. A ninja would never allow anyone to touch them so easily, and Zabuza felt something strange about this boy.

"Go about your own business," Zabuza said in a cold and dismissive tone.

Kimimaro's heart sank. It seemed this tactic wasn't going to work on Zabuza. He would have to use force. At such a short distance, with a burst of speed, forcing a handshake wouldn't be difficult!

Kimimaro's right hand, which had been hanging in mid-air, suddenly lunged toward Zabuza's left hand with astonishing speed, surprising even Zabuza. Kimimaro's physical abilities were incredible.

Zabuza, unsure of Kimimaro's intentions, decided to go on the offensive. He swung his giant decapitating sword at Kimimaro without holding back. If Kimimaro didn't dodge, the blade would behead him.

Attack where the enemy is most vulnerable. Zabuza wanted to end this quickly, as a prolonged battle would be unfavorable to him.

But facing the terrifying blade, Kimimaro gritted his teeth and didn't dodge. He grabbed Zabuza's left hand with force.

At such close range, Kimimaro's hand made contact with Zabuza's cold, icy hand, and his heart leaped with joy.

Zabuza, taken aback, didn't understand what Kimimaro was trying to achieve. Was he trying to kill him? Could this be a deadly move? Despite his confusion, Zabuza didn't stop his actions. His sword was mere inches from Kimimaro's neck, and years of experience told him this strike would hit.

But just as the blade was about to reach Kimimaro, bones suddenly emerged from his neck. Simultaneously, ribs extended out from his body, supporting the bones from his neck, completely shielding his upper body and blocking the sword's edge.

**Dance of the Clematis: Vine!** 

A defensive technique from the Kaguya Clan that uses bones as a protective lock to guard vital parts of the body.

The decapitating sword slammed into the bone structure with great force, but the impact was absorbed and weakened as it spread through Kimimaro's body.

*Bang!* 

Kimimaro was knocked back, as if hit by a car, flying through the air. Seeing Kimimaro's extraordinary bone defense, Zabuza narrowed his eyes.

"A member of the Kaguya Clan—definitely not an easy opponent."

Zabuza knew that this attack wouldn't kill Kimimaro. While his strength was great, it was mostly absorbed, making it difficult to even heavily injure him. It seemed a fight was unavoidable.

Zabuza was preparing to finish things quickly, but Kimimaro, after being knocked back, flipped in midair, landed smoothly, and immediately bolted away without a pause.

"What's with this kid?" Zabuza muttered in confusion, looking at his left hand where Kimimaro had grabbed him, but finding nothing unusual.

"What was he up to?" 

"Zabuza-san, are you alright? Was he trying to capture us?" Haku asked, still processing the sudden turn of events.

Zabuza sheathed his sword and replied, "I don't think so. Forget about that strange guy. Let's go. The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it becomes."

"Understood," Haku agreed. The two turned and left while Kimimaro had already fled over a hundred meters away.

"Phew, that was close. Good thing this body is tough, or I'd have been finished back there. At least it wasn't all for nothing," Kimimaro said, checking his spoils.

"Congratulations, traveler! You've earned the Silent Assassination Technique."

With the Water Body Flicker Technique and the Silent Assassination Technique now in his possession, Kimimaro felt much more confident in his chances of escape. One increased his speed, while the other allowed him to move undetected, especially in misty environments, making it perfect for assassination or evasion.

While Kimimaro was digesting these new abilities, he noticed a pair of snake-like eyes watching him from a distance.

"Heh, what an interesting little guy. A genius of the Kaguya Clan, huh?" A cold chuckle came from the shadows, and a man dressed in a pale yellow kimono stepped out.

It was Orochimaru! 

As expected, Orochimaru was lurking around the Hidden Mist Village, observing the chaos.

Watching Kimimaro leave, Orochimaru's expression turned playful, like a child discovering a new toy. The "friend of orphans" had found his next subject.

Meanwhile, outside the Hidden Mist Village, the battle had already begun.

The Kaguya Clan, attacking from all sides, had finally encountered the Hidden Mist's forces!

"A brat from the Kaguya Clan? I'm in luck—die!" A Mist ninja, spotting a lone Kimimaro, excitedly tightened his grip on a kunai and lunged at him with impressive speed and strength.

But to Kimimaro, this ninja didn't seem particularly strong. Without wasting words, Kimimaro swiftly slashed his bone sword horizontally.

In an instant, a gleaming white slash cut through the air, slicing through the Mist ninja's throat.

One strike, one kill! 

The kunai in the ninja's hand was still far from reaching Kimimaro when his life ended.

Longer weapons have the advantage.

The Mist ninja, clutching his throat, watched in disbelief as blood spurted out, splattering onto Kimimaro's pale face. The warm sensation didn't bother Kimimaro at all; in fact, it excited him.

The Kaguya Clan—the clan of warriors! 

The deep-seated desire for battle surged within him, fully ignited by this moment.

The battle continued! 

As the Mist ninja fell, Kimimaro charged at the next one. His bone sword slashed repeatedly, executing the sword techniques he had learned from Kirito with increasing precision and skill.

Diagonal slash! 

Vertical slash! 

Angry thrust! 

Kimimaro unleashed all of them, growing more proficient with each move!

There's no better training than real combat.

His bone sword, now covered in blood, continued its killing spree.

"Hahaha! Well done, Kimimaro! This is how we fight! Kill them all!" The Kaguya Clan leader laughed heartily, clearly impressed by Kimimaro's performance.

After killing several Mist ninjas, Kimimaro was slightly out of breath, but something felt off to him. "Was it really this easy?" He wondered. "Why do these ninjas feel so weak, like they're made of paper?"

Moreover, none of them had used any ninjutsu. Kimimaro suddenly realized, "None of these guys are wearing Chunin vests. Are they all just Genin? Did the Mist Village really send a bunch of Genin to fight the Kaguya Clan?"

Just as Kimimaro sensed something was wrong, the tide of battle quickly turned.

The Kaguya Clan, who had been dominating, started to suffer defeat after defeat.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!" 

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Two shouts came from a pair of Hidden Mist Jonin, who appeared out of nowhere. Massive waves of water surged forward, swallowing several Kaguya clansmen in one fell swoop.

"Damn it!" The Kaguya warriors cursed. Despite their incredible bone defenses, the attack wasn't lethal, but the pain was undeniable.

As soon as the first wave passed, the real killing blow arrived. Red-eyed water dragons roared and struck at the Kaguya Clan members just as they resurfaced.

"Ahh!" Screams echoed as three Kaguya warriors were swallowed by the water dragons, their fates uncertain.

Kimimaro was deeply shaken. "So this is the power of high-level Water Style jutsu? Even with my strong defense, if I get caught in this, I'll likely drown."

Kimimaro's expression grew grim. 

**(Chapter End)**