i am kimimaro

Kimimaro wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shook his head to ease the impact of the punch. He thought to himself, "As expected of Tsunade, without using Kaguya Fluid Arts or Kirito Swordsmanship, I can't take more than a few moves from her."

Both techniques were signature moves of Kimimaro, but he didn't want to expose them in front of Tsunade, so he held back.

However, Tsunade had also gone easy with that punch.

She hadn't used her full strength; otherwise, Kimimaro wouldn't have taken it head-on.

Even though he didn't have time to dodge, he could still use his Shikotsumyaku to instantly produce bones to block the impact.

It was precisely because he sensed something strange about the punch that he chose to take it directly.

This punch wasn't meant to kill.

It was a punch meant to break through a disguise.

Although the force was concentrated in one point, it spread across the face after hitting.

At this moment, any kind of disguise would be exposed by the punch's force.

In the ninja world, there are plenty of techniques that can change one's appearance.

The simplest is the Transformation Jutsu.

A bit more advanced is the Facial Duplication Jutsu, which allows one to remove someone else's face and attach it to their own, making it almost flawless.

A non-jutsu method would be cosmetic surgery, for which the ninja world also has techniques.

But no matter which of these methods were used, Tsunade's punch would expose any flaws.

After realizing this, Kimimaro chose to take the punch.

To win Tsunade's trust, this was a necessary step.

What Tsunade couldn't have guessed was that the disguise she faced came from the power of an Imperial Arm, not a technique from the ninja world.

Her punch couldn't break through the flawless coverage of Gaia Foundation, which he had mastered completely.

So after the punch landed, Tsunade looked at Kimimaro with a puzzled expression.

No disguise?

That face is real?

Did I guess wrong?

"Tsunade-sama, even if you want to kill me, at least tell me the reason," Kimimaro said, his voice filled with sadness and frustration.

Kimimaro knew that now was the time.

The time to turn the tables.

So, at this moment, he put on an expression of sorrow.

"Um... sorry, I think I might've made a mistake."

The coldness on Tsunade's face disappeared, replaced by awkwardness.

It seemed she had been too hasty.

People having similar appearances wasn't that strange, after all.

"What?"

Kimimaro feigned confusion.

"Apologies, you look a lot like someone I once knew," Tsunade explained.

Kimimaro showed a "helpless" smile.

"Looks like I'm really unlucky. After finally meeting Tsunade-sama, I get misunderstood."

Shizune quickly stepped forward and said, "Tsunade-sama, you were too sudden. You really startled me."

At that moment, the innkeeper, having heard the commotion, came over.

He stood on the balcony of Kimimaro's room and shouted, "Hey! What are you all doing? Why'd you smash a hole in my wall?"

The innkeeper was dumbfounded at the sight of the large hole in the wall.

"What happened here?"

"Sir, let me explain…" Shizune quickly leaped up and started negotiating with the innkeeper.

Judging by her skill, this wasn't the first time she had handled such situations.

Having followed Tsunade since she was twelve, Shizune was not only her disciple but also her caretaker.

It really wasn't easy for her.

"Since this was a misunderstanding, let me introduce myself again. My name is Kaguya Kim, and I'm a traveling doctor," Kimimaro said, extending his right hand with a gentle smile.

For a moment, Tsunade was lost in thought.

That expression… was so much like Dan's.

Tsunade instinctively shook Kimimaro's hand.

"Congratulations, traveler. You have successfully taken a photo and earned the reward: Nen Threads Stitching."

Nen Threads Stitching is the ability of Machi from *Hunter x Hunter*.

It allows the user to create nen threads that can quickly stitch together blood vessels, nerves, bones, and muscles, enabling immediate use after the stitching is done.

It's an extremely powerful medical technique.

From the *Naruto* perspective, its effect is similar to Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear.

This technique could even help Hidan reattach his head.

After a brief moment of daze, Tsunade let go of Kimimaro's hand.

"Kaguya? Are you a survivor of the Kaguya Clan?"

Tsunade suddenly realized the significance of the surname Kaguya.

The destruction of the Kaguya Clan wasn't a secret in the ninja world.

The news had spread widely over the past two years.

Just like when the Uchiha Clan was wiped out.

Kimimaro nodded, without denying it.

Being abandoned by the village wasn't exactly something to take pride in, and he didn't want to discuss it any further.

Tsunade noticed this and quickly changed the subject.

"I've heard of you recently. The illness in Sugi Village was quite troublesome, but I didn't expect you to cure them. That's quite impressive.

And your use of the chakra scalpel earlier shows that your medical skills are already quite advanced."

"Tsunade-senpai, you flatter me. I still have much to learn. I wonder if I could have the opportunity to follow you for a while and exchange medical knowledge?"

Kimimaro's face showed eagerness.

Looking at his face, so reminiscent of Dan and Nawaki, Tsunade found herself unable to refuse.

Exchanges between medical ninjas were open and not restricted by village borders.

It was through such exchanges that medical knowledge advanced.

His request wasn't unreasonable.

"You don't look very healthy. You're not asking to follow me just to exchange medical techniques, are you?" Tsunade immediately noticed that Kimimaro wasn't in the best of health.

"As expected of Tsunade-senpai, you saw through me at a glance. In truth, I suffer from a kekkei genkai disease. For years, I've been studying medical techniques, hoping to cure myself.

However, all I've been able to do is suppress it and extend my life by a few years. I have no clear solution to fully cure it yet. One of my reasons for wanting to exchange medical knowledge with you is to seek a cure."

"Kekkei genkai disease?"

Looking at the boy in front of her, who bore such a striking resemblance to people from her past, Tsunade sighed inwardly.

Was this person going to die too?

Kekkei genkai diseases were unique to those with bloodline limits.

Each kekkei genkai disease was different, but they all had one thing in common.

They were incredibly difficult to cure.

Even for Tsunade, the chances of success weren't high.

What's more, she had no research materials on the Kaguya Clan's bodies. With only this single case to study, her efficiency would be low.

The most important factor, however, was that her hemophobia hadn't been fully cured yet, meaning she couldn't conduct the necessary research.

But…

Looking at the face in front of her, she found it impossible to say the words "I won't help."

Tsunade was torn with indecision.

At that moment, two people approached.

One was tall and dark-skinned.

The other appeared smaller in comparison.

But it was clear that they were ninjas from the Hidden Cloud Village.

"Tsunade, we finally found you," the taller person called out, drawing both Tsunade's and Kimimaro's attention.

"The Fourth Raikage!"

(End of Chapter)