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Zzzzt—!
Accompanied by a harsh crackle of electricity, the wall was instantly shattered by Kitagawa Gen himself. That surging bolt of violet lightning shot straight toward Kimimaro's chest.
"Watch out!"
Just as the purple current was about to pierce through him, Jūgo suddenly lunged forward, ignoring the burns searing his body as he shielded Kimimaro with everything he had.
His muscular arm, acting like a living shield, was immediately run through. The very next moment, he was sent flying by a powerful kick, dragging Kimimaro backward with him.
"Don't let your guard down, Kimimaro. That guy's violet lightning isn't something you can take lightly."
Only after they steadied themselves did Jūgo manage to speak, his voice low and ragged from the pain.
"Jūgo..."
Kimimaro glanced at him, lips pressing into a firm line.
He was always a man of calm decorum, rarely losing his composure—unless the matter involved Lord Orochimaru.
And now, this man... this despicable man had dared to resort to such a hateful tactic, nearly causing him to shatter Lord Orochimaru's statue.
No... It was already shattered. And it hadn't been an accident—it had been deliberate. On purpose!
"I understand, Jūgo."
Though his eyes still burned with anger, Kimimaro's tone was much steadier now. Yet the curse mark on his body had already begun to spread.
"Let's take this guy down. Together."
"Be careful, Kimimaro. Your body…"
Jūgo couldn't help but voice his concern, but Kimimaro simply shook his head. From his chest, a sharp bone spike was already emerging.
"This isn't the time to be worrying about that. What we need to do now... is make up for our mistake."
"Are you two finished talking?"
As the two exchanged words in hushed tones, Kitagawa Gen suddenly interrupted, his voice laced with mockery.
"From the looks of it, you two respect Orochimaru a great deal. Even when your backs were against the wall, you hesitated to strike back."
"..."
Kimimaro chose not to respond. Jūgo, however, could see that Kitagawa Gen was deliberately provoking them. He shot a glare at him, then muttered under his breath.
"I'll go in first. Follow right behind me."
The moment he finished speaking, Jūgo charged forward, with Kimimaro immediately moving in sync behind him.
Jūgo's unique constitution allowed his wounds to heal continuously. Naturally, he was best suited to lead the first wave of attacks.
"So they're coming now..."
Kitagawa Gen raised an eyebrow. In the blink of an eye, the violet lightning in his hand flared with blinding brilliance, and he launched himself forward to meet them head-on.
"He's fast..."
Jūgo barely had time to react before Kitagawa Gen was already right in front of him.
Seeing that violet lightning, he had no time to hesitate. He threw out a full-force punch straight away.
BOOOOM—!
A deep, resonating thud rang out as the shockwave from their collision rippled through the air, visible to the naked eye.
The ground beneath their feet split apart instantly, cracks spidering outward in every direction for several meters.
But Jūgo's expression twisted into a grimace. His punch had been stopped—not by flesh, but by a screen of condensed violet lightning that both shielded and paralyzed him with its unrelenting current.
"That violet lightning… it doesn't just pierce. It defends too?"
Watching from behind, Kimimaro quickly assessed the situation. He didn't waste the opening. With a swift, fluid motion, he sprang into action.
"Dance of the Camellia!"
His figure seemed to blur, dancing through the air with graceful, fluid motions. The bone blade in his hand shot forward in a precise strike at Kitagawa Gen.
"Not bad."
Kitagawa Gen gave him a quick glance, then twitched his fingers. The violet lightning rippled through the air like a stream of silk.
In a flash of radiant light, his lightning blade met Kimimaro's bone sword head-on with pinpoint accuracy.
CRACK—!
Kimimaro's eyes widened in disbelief. A visible crack had appeared on the surface of his sword.
"What...?"
The hardness of his bones was extraordinary. In all his battles, rarely had they ever shown a single flaw. But today, Kitagawa Gen had shattered that certainty.
"This lightning… it's sharper than I imagined?"
Three distinct properties—penetration, defense, and now this terrifying sharpness—were all manifesting in a single jutsu.
Even though Kimimaro specialized in taijutsu, he understood how utterly abnormal that was.
"Hah!"
At that moment, Jūgo had already shaken off the worst of the shock. Without hesitation, he charged again, his right arm bulging as he threw a powerful punch toward Kitagawa Gen's flank.
Kimimaro wasted no time either. He pulled another bone blade from his body and struck in perfect sync with Jūgo.
"Dance of the Larch!"
Faced with their coordinated assault, Kitagawa Gen remained composed. His body twisted effortlessly, just barely slipping past Jūgo's blow. In the same motion, he delivered a sweeping kick.
BOOOOM—!
Another deep, muffled impact resounded. Jūgo was sent flying once more, crashing into a massive tree and snapping it clean in half.
At the same time, Kitagawa Gen raised his hand, still crackling with violet lightning. In an instant, the current surged outward, forming a luminous screen that blocked Kimimaro's strike.
But Jūgo came charging back again.
In mere moment, the three were locked in fierce combat once more.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
Their clash turned into a blur of motion, streaks of afterimages darting across the battlefield. Trees were uprooted, grass and stone torn to shreds under the force of their blows. Everything around them was either reduced to splinters or crushed to pieces.
Kimimaro's taijutsu was relatively agile and refined, whereas Jūgo fought with unrestrained ferocity. Their fighting styles complemented one another, and their teamwork was surprisingly seamless.
However—
To their astonishment, they found themselves being completely suppressed by Kitagawa Gen.
His speed was terrifying, his strikes sharp and relentless, so fast and precise they could hardly track his movements.
Their eyes struggled to follow the barrage of attacks, and the violet lightning in his hand was both offense and defense in perfect harmony.
For a moment, the two of them were so overwhelmed that they could barely tell which way was north.
"This guy looks to be about the same age as us. How is the gap so vast?"
The two of them were puzzled, but Kimimaro felt it even more keenly. It stung.
Back when the Kaguya clan rebelled, he had been sealed away by his own people, feared because of the strength of his Shikotsumyaku. Despite receiving no formal training, he could rely solely on instinct to fight off the Hidden Mist shinobi.
After joining Orochimaru, he underwent systematic training, and his taijutsu had improved dramatically. He had finally learned to fully unleash the potential of his Kekkei Genkai.
And yet, even fighting two against one, they were being utterly overwhelmed by Kitagawa Gen. Shame and guilt gnawed at him.
He felt that he had failed Orochimaru.
Their minds were filled with conflicting emotions, yet Kitagawa Gen remained composed. He understood that this outcome was only natural.
"Kimimaro's curse mark hasn't reached the second stage yet. If it had, he would've used it already. And as for Jūgo, he won't unleash his murderous impulse easily. If he does, he'll completely lose control."
Besides, they had yet to reach their peak potential. Meanwhile, Kitagawa Gen had undergone rapid growth in this short time.
"If I still can't go all out under these conditions, then I would truly be spitting on all the blood and sweat I've shed along the way."
Kitagawa Gen was well aware of his shortcomings. His experience in combat and his mastery of various techniques were still lacking.
But that did not mean he was weak!
Against truly powerful opponents, perhaps he would struggle, perhaps he would falter. But against these two, he could fight without holding back.
BOOOOOM—!
Amidst the ongoing clash, a sudden surge of chakra flared in the distance, violent and overwhelming.
In the next moment, a monstrous entity emerged, as large as a small mountain. The very earth trembled beneath the weight of its presence.
"What is that..."
The appearance of the behemoth instantly drew the attention of all three fighters. Yet Kitagawa Gen reacted with blinding speed.
BUZZZzz—!
With a piercing crack of thunder, he drove a punch straight into Jūgo's chest. The blow was so forceful that Jūgo was sent flying through the air like a cannonball.
Amidst the eruption of stone and the thick haze of dust, Jūgo slammed into a massive boulder with a resounding crash.
"Jūgo!"
Kimimaro cried out in concern. But before he could react further, Kitagawa Gen had already appeared before him like a ghost.
Zzzzz—!
The violet lightning hissed menacingly. In the next instant, it morphed into a blade of energy as Gen struck with a hand chop, slicing across Kimimaro's chest.
SQUELCH—!
The sound of flesh being cut rang out clearly. Kitagawa Gen had torn open Kimimaro's chest.
"Hm?"
Gen raised an eyebrow in surprise. There was no spray of blood, and the sensation beneath his strike had felt distinctly off. He quickly understood why.
"You used a layer of bone to shield your chest. I must say, your Kekkei Genkai is quite remarkable."
Kimimaro swiftly retreated without saying a word, his gaze locked firmly on Kitagawa Gen.
His chest had indeed been split open, but beneath the flesh lay a white membrane of bone, just as Gen had deduced, shielding his vital organs.
"Unfortunately, that's all it amounts to. Looks like Orochimaru hasn't trained you enough. In that case, it's time to put an end to this."
Kitagawa Gen showed no interest in Kimimaro's current condition. The violet lightning flashed in his hand once more as he prepared to sever a chunk of Kimimaro's flesh and take a bone sample.
He did not know what reward the mission would bring, but he understood one thing well—better to be over-prepared than caught unaware.
Just as he was about to strike, Kimimaro suddenly raised his head. His face had gone deathly pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
"You're not allowed to insult Lord Orochimaru. This is all my own failing. For Lord Orochimaru's honor..."
"Even if it costs me my life, I will complete my final dance."
"Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
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[Chapter End's]
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