i am kimimaro

Nighttime.

In the room.

Kimimaro sat cross-legged on the bed, and before his eyes, a transparent window appeared, visible only to him.

In the section of the character photo gallery, a new picture had appeared.

It was a picture with Kabuto Yakushi.

After spending a month together, Kimimaro had already completed his photo with Kabuto.

After all, Kabuto was considered one of the major villains later in the story, so the reward was decent.

"Teigu, Transformation Mastery—Gaia Foundation. When activated, it allows the user to transform into anything, making it an extremely effective tool for disguise, perfect for assassination and reconnaissance."

Kimimaro read the description behind the photo, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"This really suits Kabuto, the spy."

The Gaia Foundation was essentially an upgraded version of the transformation technique.

As long as he didn't give himself away, even a Kage-level ninja couldn't see through the disguise of Gaia Foundation.

Of course, it required a certain level of skill.

Standing in front of the mirror, Kimimaro thought for a moment, and Gaia Foundation activated!

In the next moment, his appearance shifted from a handsome youth to a gloomy middle-aged man.

Looking at the image of Orochimaru in the mirror, Kimimaro couldn't help but marvel at how identical it was.

Even the aura was about 70-80% similar.

If he could improve his skill, there would be no way to tell the difference.

"This is way more useful than the standard transformation technique."

The three basic ninja techniques—Transformation Jutsu, Substitution Jutsu, and Clone Jutsu.

Almost every ninja knew these techniques, as they were among the first taught in ninja academies.

The key feature was that they were easy to learn, but the effects were quite ordinary.

The Transformation Jutsu, even at the highest level, could easily be seen through by stronger opponents.

The Substitution Jutsu could be considered a lifesaving skill, allowing the user to avoid one fatal blow, but it took too long to prepare and was difficult to use in battles against strong opponents.

In battles between Genin, where both sides moved slower, it could be used effectively.

The Clone Jutsu, however, only created an illusion, and even a Genin could see through it if they focused. It was mainly useful for scaring civilians.

With Gaia Foundation, if Kimimaro wanted to move around the ninja world under a different identity, it would be a breeze.

Even impersonating someone else would be easy.

If he could also learn the target's signature techniques, it would be even better.

Kimimaro quickly formed an idea.

However, there was no rush for now.

In the following days, he divided his time into three parts.

One part was spent training with Jūgo.

Another part was spent discussing medical ninjutsu with Kabuto Yakushi.

The last part was dedicated to practicing with Gaia Foundation.

Gaia Foundation and God's Hand were both Teigu, belonging to the same class of items.

And both were support-type Teigu.

Once he mastered them, their effects would be extraordinary.

The original rule with Teigu was that a person could only use one.

But since these were rewards from the Dimensional Travel Agency, they weren't exactly the same as the original Teigu.

Neither God's Hand nor Gaia Foundation had a physical form. They both fused into Kimimaro's soul, so he could use them with just a thought.

As a result, the restriction of only being able to use one Teigu at a time was removed.

Kimimaro was clearly planning something, and he valued this new Teigu highly, wanting to improve his mastery of it as quickly as possible.

During this time, his relationship with Kabuto was also quite pleasant.

Aside from being a spy, Kabuto was also a medical ninja.

Moreover, Kabuto truly loved medical ninjutsu.

This was because the person he respected most in his life—Nonou Yakushi—was a medical ninja.

The reason he studied medical ninjutsu was because of her.

Unfortunately, the gentle woman he once saw as a mother was long gone.

She had died as a result of Danzo's schemes.

Medical ninjutsu was Kabuto's only way to remember her.

When Kabuto learned that Kimimaro was also a skilled medical ninja, his affection for him instantly rose to fifty percent.

After spending more time together, Kabuto began to admire him even more.

"Kimimaro, your medical ninjutsu is among the top five in the entire ninja world. It's hard to believe you've only been studying it for two years."

"I heard you only studied medical ninjutsu for four years yourself, Kabuto-senpai."

Kabuto shook his head and said, "No, I had already established a foundation before joining Orochimaru-sama's camp.

Following Master Kinoe four years ago only strengthened my training in that area. To be honest, I've been learning medical ninjutsu for almost ten years now."

At this point, Kabuto seemed to drift into memory.

"I see... *Cough, cough, cough...*"

Kimimaro suddenly began coughing violently, covering his mouth with his right hand. Soon, he felt a warm sensation pooling in his palm.

He removed his hand to see bright red blood blooming in his palm.

Kimimaro frowned slightly.

His Kekkai Genkai illness had started to flare up.

Over the years, he had been using medical ninjutsu to suppress the illness, but the results had been less than ideal.

The Kekkai Genkai illness was slowly consuming his body.

At this rate, he had only about five years left to live, which meant he'd barely make it to the age of twenty.

Though he had five more years than in the original timeline, it still wasn't enough.

Kabuto, noticing this, said, "I've seen the data on your Kekkai Genkai illness. There's never been a successful cure. The difficulty is immense. What's your plan?"

Recognizing Kimimaro's skill in medical ninjutsu, Kabuto didn't want to see him die.

It would be a waste to lose someone like Kimimaro.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Kimimaro calmly said, "I haven't decided yet. But if heaven wants to take my life, it won't be that easy."

"Good luck. I hope you're still alive when I return. It's rare to find someone like you who can discuss medical ninjutsu with me. It would be a shame if you died."

"You're leaving?"

Kimimaro was surprised.

Kabuto had only been back for less than two months, and now he had to go spy again?

"Yeah. Orochimaru-sama just gave me my orders. I'll be leaving tomorrow. This mission is likely to take some time."

Kabuto had long since grown accustomed to this kind of life.

Kimimaro didn't ask where he was going. The fewer people who knew, the better.

But he already had a guess.

Kabuto was most likely headed to the Hidden Leaf Village.

After all, Kabuto held the record for taking the Chūnin Exams seven times without becoming a Chūnin.

And since the Chūnin Exams were held twice a year, that meant he'd been at it for three and a half years.

Based on the current timeline, if Kabuto was heading to the Hidden Leaf now, the seventh Chūnin Exam would coincide with the Konoha Crush arc.

"Going undercover again, huh? Well, you'd better be careful, or you might end up dying before I do."

Kabuto flashed his signature smile, adjusting his round glasses.

"Ah, perhaps."

(End of chapter)