"Dance of the Clematis: Vine."
Countless white bone spikes erupted from the ground in a forest of deadly beauty.
This was Kimimaro's true domain—the battlefield as his stage. Each bone spike was like an extension of his will, piercing through dozens of Naruto's shadow clones instantly. Some clones managed to leap onto the protruding bones, dodging the first wave.
But Kimimaro didn't give them time. In a flash, he appeared among them, bone whip swinging from one arm, a long, spiraled bone spear—Dance of the Clematis: Flower—in the other. His movements were sharp, fluid, like a dance of death among ivory thorns.
To the few onlookers—Jiraiya, Hanabi, Karin—it became clear: Kimimaro didn't need weapons. The very battlefield, littered with the sharpened bones of his own body, served him perfectly.
Watching his shadow clones fall in rapid succession, Naruto was stunned. He remembered Rock Lee telling him how even Gaara was nearly overwhelmed by Kimimaro's attack. Now he understood why.
A sudden jolt of pain snapped him back—his thigh had been impaled by one of the bones. Blood seeped down, and he gritted his teeth.
"Do you still want to continue, Naruto?" Kimimaro asked coolly. "Even if you use Rasengan, it's ineffective. You tried that already—my bone armor defended against it. You won't get through."
"Shut up…!" Naruto growled, refusing to fall. "I haven't used my full power yet!"
"You mean the Nine-Tails?" Kimimaro tilted his head slightly. "It's true—right now, I can't counter the raw power of a Tailed Beast. But are you really willing to rely on that?"
Jiraiya stepped forward, his tone serious. "That's enough, Naruto. You've proven your spirit. Kimimaro is beyond your current level. If you keep pushing without control, you'll just risk the Fox taking over."
Naruto clenched his fists but slowly exhaled, calming down. "You're right, Pervy Sage. I've lost before. I was the worst student in the Academy. But I never stayed down. I'll train, I'll grow stronger—and I'll surpass him one day. That's my ninja way!"
Kimimaro calmly retracted his bone constructs. With a subtle twitch of his chakra, the sea of white bone retracted into the earth, vanishing without a trace.
He looked to the side. "Karin. Heal him."
Karin sighed but walked over, extending her arm. "Bite me."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked.
"I said bite me, idiot. Your wound's bad. Hurry up."
Naruto hesitated, then bit into her forearm. The familiar warmth of accelerated healing surged through him.
"Huh… You heal faster than most," Karin noted, watching her chakra levels. "And I'm using less chakra than usual. Your chakra is weird. Is it because you're an Uzumaki too?"
"Uzumaki?" Naruto repeated, still unclear about the weight behind his surname.
"My mother was an Uzumaki," Karin replied. "So I took her name. Makes sense, right?"
"…Could my dad be an Uzumaki too?" Naruto wondered aloud.
Jiraiya gently placed a hand on Naruto's head. "Don't think too much about that now. When the time comes, I'll tell you what you need to know. Trust me—some truths aren't ready to be told yet."
Naruto looked up, then nodded. "Okay, I get it."
He turned to Karin. "So, we're kinda like cousins or something?"
Karin rolled her eyes. "Don't get carried away. The Uzumaki clan was big. We're probably like 18th cousins."
"Still counts," Naruto grinned. "It's nice to know I've got family out there."
"…Family, huh." Karin's expression softened for a moment, but she quickly masked it with a scowl. "Don't think being family means I'll go easy on you. If you ever hurt Kimimaro, I'll treat you like an enemy."
Naruto blinked. "You like him that much?"
Karin nodded proudly, then hugged Kimimaro's arm. "Of course. He's strong, cool, and not an idiot." She narrowed her eyes at Naruto. "Don't even think about stealing his first kiss. I know you already kissed a boy."
"I didn't!!!" Naruto shouted, his face turning red. "I mean—I did, but it was an accident!"
Naruto sulked for a moment, then smiled. "Anyway, since you're family, if anything happens, I'll have your back. Hey, Kimimaro—don't bully her, okay?"
"As long as she doesn't start it," Kimimaro said, smirking as he tickled Karin under the arm.
Karin jolted, her body softening as she whispered into his ear, "Hmph… I'll get you back later. You'll see."
Kimimaro chuckled. "Not yet."
Watching the two, Naruto felt a strange mix of confusion and curiosity. He glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye. She was harsh, loud, and blunt… but somehow, he was used to it. It felt familiar.
Kimimaro, observing quietly, couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Hinata deserves better, he thought.
Yes, Naruto cared about her—but if that was love, then Kimimaro wasn't convinced.
Naruto's feelings for Hinata had always been more about recognition and warmth—her quiet support and unwavering belief in him. It was that acknowledgment and patience that ultimately influenced his final choice.
But part of the reason he moved forward with Hinata was because he had come to accept that Sakura's heart belonged to Sasuke.
Yet, was Sakura's love for Sasuke truly that deep and unwavering?
Not necessarily.
To Sakura, Sasuke had always been like an unreachable light—an idealized figure from their childhood, someone she constantly chased. The more distant he became, the more her feelings intensified, though they often stemmed from idealism rather than intimacy.
In contrast, her relationship with Naruto was built on shared battles, emotional support, and trust. Whenever Sakura faced difficulties, Naruto was the one she turned to first. Even when she faked a confession during the Five Kage Summit arc to stop Naruto from chasing Sasuke, could it really be called 100% false?
Kimimaro, with memories from another life, remembered watching The Last: Naruto the Movie. Sakura telling Naruto he only liked her because of his rivalry with Sasuke felt like a narrative patch, a retroactive justification. But at the same time, it was Haruno Sakura's way of being honest—with both herself and Naruto—finally untangling their messy emotional history.
Back then, Kimimaro had been a firm NaruHina supporter and was even critical of Sakura's early portrayal. But now, watching these people live and breathe in front of him—seeing Naruto's eyes always follow Sakura—he couldn't help but feel a twisted impulse to steal her away.
He genuinely sympathized with Hinata's unrequited dedication.
Still, these weren't matters he should be concerning himself with at the moment. Hinata's feelings were pure and unwavering, and winning over that kind of devotion wouldn't be simple.
As always, Kimimaro reminded himself: this wasn't a romance anime. Interacting with female characters could be entertaining, but it was never the main goal.
And yet, he couldn't help teasing:
"Although I think you love Sasuke more, it seems you're also sincere about Sakura."
Naruto's response was swift:
"Can you drop that first part? Of course I'm sincere about Sakura."
Kimimaro looked up at the sky, choosing to say nothing more.
Still, if there was ever a chance… solidifying NaruSasu and freeing both Hinata and Sakura? That was a scenario he wouldn't mind at all.
Standing nearby, Hanabi's eyes narrowed.
No… it wasn't fair that her big sister liked someone like Naruto.