i am kimimaro

Kimimaro seemed thoughtful, as if something had occurred to him, but he wasn't entirely sure.

"Tsunade-senpai, in this situation, is there any way to treat it?"

Having studied medical ninjutsu for two years, Kimimaro was at a loss and could only place his hopes on Tsunade.

"The only way to completely cure your Kekkei Genkai disease is to control the energy constantly generated in your bones. If you can master this energy, your disease will heal naturally. But for now, you likely can't even sense it, can you?"

Kimimaro gave a helpless smile.

Tsunade was indeed Tsunade, every word hitting the mark.

"I really haven't sensed that energy yet."

"That's because you're not strong enough. In other words, you haven't fully developed your Kekkei Genkai. That energy should represent the limit of your Kekkei Genkai."

"Just like how the ultimate stage of the Sharingan is the Mangekyō Sharingan, this energy is the end point of your Shikotsumyaku."

"So according to Lady Tsunade, I should intensify my training with the Shikotsumyaku? But won't that also speed up the growth of energy in my bones? It's like a race against time — either I fully awaken the Shikotsumyaku, or this energy explodes and takes my life."

In Kimimaro's current condition, he could live for eight more years.

But if he hastened his Shikotsumyaku training, his lifespan would shorten drastically.

The faster the training, the quicker the death.

It was a gamble.

Trying to perfectly time it was almost impossible.

The success rate was probably less than one percent.

"Developing the Shikotsumyaku is necessary, but not right now. In your current condition, accelerating its development is suicide. The priority is to improve your body's endurance."

"If your body can gradually build some resistance to the energy in your bones, it will be much easier to develop the Shikotsumyaku later on."

As Tsunade spoke, she set a bone blade aside.

"So, our first step in treatment is divided into two parts. For you, you need to enhance your physical strength. A strong body will be the foundation for our future treatment."

"As for me, I need to extract the energy from your bones and make it gradually adapt to your body in a more controlled way."

"This initial treatment is just an experiment. I'm not sure how effective it will be."

"Having a method is enough. I had no clue before this. Tsunade-senpai, thank you for your hard work."

Kimimaro's face was full of gratitude.

"No need to thank me, I'm just upholding our bet. I'm also quite interested in your medical ninjutsu. During this time, we can learn from each other."

"If Tsunade-senpai wants to learn the thread-stitching technique, I can teach you."

"Don't worry, I won't let you teach me for free. You have your secret techniques, and I have mine."

Tsunade clearly didn't want to take advantage of Kimimaro.

As a medical ninja, Tsunade understood the hard work required to create such an advanced medical ninjutsu.

So she opted for an equivalent exchange.

But what she didn't know was that Kimimaro's thread-stitching technique was almost a free gift.

"In that case, I'll thank you in advance, Tsunade-senpai."

Tsunade didn't respond, instead handing Kimimaro a piece of paper.

"The ingredients listed here—find a way to gather them yourself. They'll significantly help in increasing your body's strength. It's best to gather enough for about a year's worth."

Kimimaro took the paper and glanced at it.

Most of the ingredients weren't available on the market; they had to be found in specific environments.

After reading it over, he put the recipe away.

"I'll start gathering these ingredients tomorrow. They should all be available within the Land of Lightning. I should be able to collect them in about seven days."

Having read over 5,000 books, Kimimaro was well-versed in the distribution of ingredients in this world.

Finding these ingredients wasn't difficult.

Tsunade gave a slight nod, not doubting Kimimaro's abilities.

"In seven days, we'll meet in the Land of Ogres. By then, I should have extracted the special energy from your bones."

"Alright."

After a brief meeting, it was time to part.

As Tsunade and Shizune watched Kimimaro leave, Shizune whispered, "Lady Tsunade, can Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai disease really be cured?"

"It's difficult. If we had caught it five or six years earlier, I would have been confident. But now, the energy in his bones has started spreading, and the difficulty of treatment has multiplied several times."

"So does that mean Kimimaro is…"

"No matter how difficult it is, I will cure him!"

Tsunade's eyes were filled with determination.

And that determination came from looking at Kimimaro's face.

"Lady Tsunade…"

Shizune was moved by Tsunade's resolve.

This was the first time she had seen this level of determination in Tsunade.

The legendary decisive medical master—Shizune had only heard of her, never seen her in action.

Because when Shizune had met her, Tsunade was already in a state of decline.

Now, at this moment, she finally felt the powerful presence of the legendary medical master.

"Let's go to the lab in the Land of Ogres."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Shizune replied, glancing at the shrinking figure of Kimimaro in the distance.

"Kimimaro, you'd better not die so easily. Otherwise, Lady Tsunade may never recover."

Kimimaro didn't know what Tsunade was feeling at that moment.

But one thing was certain: the disguise he'd created with the Gaia makeup was working.

Two days later.

Somewhere in the Land of Lightning.

Kimimaro, now back to his true appearance, was picking herbs.

"After gathering this last cold grass dew, only two ingredients remain. But these two are the hardest to find. I've searched the nearby area, but no luck. Looks like I'll have to sneak into the Village Hidden in the Clouds to find them."

Kimimaro muttered to himself, planning to rest at a nearby town before making his move.

But just then, he spotted a mark.

"This is…"

Kimimaro approached and saw that a musical note had been carved under a large tree.

It was the mark of the Sound Village.

Only ninjas from the village would carve this mark in visible places when they needed help.

It was a way of seeking assistance from fellow villagers.

"Are there Sound Village ninjas nearby?"

Following the direction indicated by the mark, Kimimaro ran off.

After all, he was a member of the Sound Village, and he couldn't turn a blind eye.

Following the marks, he quickly found another one.

This time, it was stained with blood.

"Judging by the state of the blood, they haven't gone far."

Kimimaro quickened his pace, using his swift movement technique!

Whoosh!

He turned into a blur as he rushed forward.

Soon, a cave appeared before him.

The marks led here.

"Are they inside?"

The dark cave loomed ahead, like the gaping maw of a beast, waiting to devour anyone who entered.

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes and walked inside.

(End of Chapter)