i am kimimaro

For Jūgo and Suigetsu, Kimimaro truly considered them his friends. 

So, if he could help them, he wouldn't hesitate.

Using the **Still Shadow** technique at full strength once wasn't a big deal for him, but it was enough to deeply move Suigetsu and Jūgo.

Following such a leader was always the right choice.

Kimimaro had already paved the way for Jūgo for the next two years, and Jūgo, moved by this, decided to accept it. He had now fully embraced Kimimaro's words as his guiding principle.

As for Suigetsu, even though he still wanted to leave the Sound Village, with Kimimaro speaking so decisively, he had no choice but to accept it too.

The next morning, after recovering his chakra, Kimimaro was ready to leave alone.

He didn't notify anyone because he disliked farewell scenes.

However, at the village gate, someone was already waiting for him.

"Orochimaru, why are you here?" Kimimaro asked, surprised.

Orochimaru didn't respond and simply tossed him a scroll.

Kimimaro caught it and saw a line of words written on the ancient-looking scroll.

"A summoning scroll... Rashomon? Is this for me?"

Kimimaro was even more surprised. 

**Rashomon** was a defensive summoning jutsu. There were five levels of gates, each increasing the defense with every added gate. It was a jutsu from the First Hokage and extremely useful.

"Write your name in blood on it, but make sure to return the scroll to me afterward," Orochimaru said with a smile.

"Alright," Kimimaro didn't hesitate. He immediately bit his finger, opened the scroll, and wrote his name.

The name written before his was Orochimaru, and above Orochimaru's was **Hashirama Senju**. Beyond that, the names were unfamiliar.

The blood-etched names carried an eerie beauty. 

Kimimaro rolled up the scroll and returned it to Orochimaru.

"The hand signs for the Summoning Jutsu are **Boar, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Ram**. Use blood as a medium, and once the hand signs are formed, you can summon this defensive summoning jutsu. Give it a try."

Kimimaro nodded, using the dried blood on his hand to perform the hand signs. He controlled his chakra output, and his right hand slammed down on the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu! **Rashomon**!"

A dark red gate erupted from the ground, engraved with the menacing visage of a hellish demon. The metallic texture of the gate added a sense of mystery.

The towering gate, over several stories tall, was enough to leave anyone in awe. 

The strongest defensive summoning technique, **Rashomon**!

Kimimaro withdrew his chakra, and Rashomon vanished into a puff of white smoke.

"Not bad," Orochimaru said, nodding in satisfaction. After collecting the scroll, he turned to leave.

But just as he passed by Kimimaro, he suddenly said, "Don't die easily on the road. I'm still waiting to see your path to immortality."

Kimimaro froze in place, and by the time he snapped out of it, Orochimaru was already gone.

"Thank you." 

Kimimaro felt genuinely moved by Orochimaru's concern for him.

With the strength of his **Shikotsumyaku** (Dead Bone Pulse), ordinary attacks couldn't harm him. 

However, against powerful jutsu, it wasn't always certain. 

The **Rashomon** technique filled the last gap in his defenses. Orochimaru clearly anticipated this and gave him the technique at just the right time.

After two years of working together, their relationship had evolved into one of both mentor and friend, a harmonious bond. 

Filled with gratitude, Kimimaro set off on his journey to seek medical help.

The Land of Rice Fields, where the Sound Village was located, was a small country sandwiched between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. Its territory was less than one-twentieth the size of the Land of Fire.

With a ninja's speed, he could leave the country in a day. 

Kimimaro's first destination was the Land of Lightning, not because of the Cloud Village but because he had received new intelligence from the Sound Village's information office.

The world's top medical ninja, **Tsunade**, was seen in a small town in the Land of Lightning three days ago. 

Although she had disappeared again afterward, there was a high chance she was still in the Land of Lightning.

Tsunade was known for wandering the world, so her movements weren't fast. 

In three days, it was unlikely she had left the country.

Kimimaro's main goal for this trip was to find Tsunade. 

If anyone in the world could cure his **Kekkei Genkai Disease**, he believed it would be her. 

So, he had to try.

But then again, why would Tsunade save the last survivor of the **Kaguya clan**? 

Kimimaro's unique Kaguya physiology couldn't be changed. 

Even if it could, he couldn't alter it while expecting Tsunade to treat him correctly. 

Even if she was skilled, she couldn't treat someone based on false information.

If Orochimaru hadn't been a rogue ninja from Konoha, maybe he could have used his connections to get Tsunade's help. 

But, unfortunately, he was.

So, Kimimaro could only rely on his own methods. 

Originally, he had no solution, but ever since he got the **Gaia Foundation**, he had an idea.

After leaving the Land of Rice Fields, Kimimaro found a secluded spot and began his plan.

"Transformation... **Gaia Foundation**, transform!"

Using the power of the Gaia Foundation, Kimimaro's face underwent a dramatic change. 

His youthful features vanished, replaced by a completely different face.

He now bore a striking resemblance to both Tsunade's younger brother **Nawaki** and her former lover **Dan**. 

The only thing unchanged was his white hair, still connected to his illness, so he didn't alter it.

Other members of the Kaguya clan didn't have white hair—it was usually black. 

The white hair was an external manifestation of Kimimaro's **Shikotsumyaku**.

As his bones grew, the twelve-year-old boy now looked eighteen. 

If Tsunade were here, she would surely be shocked. 

This person standing before her would give her a feeling of familiarity, resembling both Nawaki and Dan.

And with Kimimaro's maxed-out **Gaia Foundation**, she wouldn't be able to tell it was a fake face.

"Sorry. To survive, I have no choice but to deceive you, Lady Tsunade," Kimimaro whispered, feeling a bit guilty.

After thinking it over, he realized this was his best chance of stirring Tsunade's compassion. 

At the very least, it would attract her attention. 

She couldn't possibly ignore someone who resembled both her deceased brother and lover.

Of course, Kimimaro wasn't relying solely on his face; he had other means. 

Apart from compassion, there was also fame and dreams to appeal to.

But for now, that's a story for another time.

At this moment, the eighteen-year-old standing there wasn't Kaguya Kimimaro but the wandering medic-nin, Kimimaro.

With a new identity and a new face, Kimimaro set out again. 

Destination: **Land of Lightning**!

(End of Chapter)