Chapter 164 - 164

Words : 1214 Updated : Oct 10th, 2025

Land of Fields, near Orochimaru's secret base. After receiving Tenten's paper message, Natsuki's lips curved into a smile. At first, he had never considered using the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) for chatting. After all, from what he remembered from the anime, Hiraishin was primarily a combat technique—used to teleport oneself or allies across the battlefield for rapid assaults, surprise strikes, and evasive maneuvering. It created immense pressure on enemies. The ultimate user of the technique was, of course, the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato. Minato had rarely used Hiraishin to send items—maybe once or twice to relay intel. His three guards had used Hiraijin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder Formation) to transport the Amber Purification Jar, but even that was in combat. Now, however, with Natsuki and Tenten using Hiraishin to send love notes? It felt... like a serious downgrade of a legendary technique. But Natsuki didn't care. As long as he could confirm Tenten and the others were safe, how he used Flying Thunder God was entirely up to him. At that moment, someone walked out of the hidden base. Natsuki instantly pulled back his focus and watched out of the corner of his eye to avoid alerting the newcomer. He recognized the person immediately—it was the white-haired, bespectacled medic-nin Yakushi Kabuto. Most likely, he had been the one to send Kimimaro out earlier. And at this stage... Orochimaru was probably still hanging onto his current body, hoping to soon switch into Sasuke's. But just like in the original timeline, Orochimaru was bound to miscalculate. He would never get Sasuke's body, and in the end, he'd be forced to pick another vessel. With his soul's arms still sealed, he wouldn't be able to cause any major trouble for a while. That said... Orochimaru was still a dangerous snake eyeing Konoha with hungry ambition. He had to die. If the chance came, Tsunade would absolutely eliminate him. And Kabuto wasn't much better. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, he had been the mastermind behind the army of Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnated) shinobi—disturbing countless graves and wreaking havoc on the battlefield. His actions had caused immense suffering and chaos. And yet, the shinobi world still owed him. Because of him, many got the chance to see loved ones again. Many of the dead were able to fulfill their regrets. That's why he was sometimes mockingly called the "Dream Maker." It was... complicated. Natsuki didn't care about such gray morality. If Kabuto ever posed a threat again, he'd kill him on the spot. No second chances. At that moment, Kabuto seemed to notice something and abruptly turned in Natsuki's direction. Without hesitation, Natsuki activated Hiraishin no Jutsu and vanished from his hiding spot. Kabuto stared into the distance for a while, stepped forward to double-check, then shook his head—convinced he'd imagined it. Moments later, Natsuki reappeared in a different location nearby, silent as a shadow. He had left behind a Hiraishin formula in a secret spot, invisible to the naked eye. His landing was so quiet that there wasn't a single trace of movement. Still... the fact that Kabuto had sensed his gaze, even for a moment, showed how sharp he was. Natsuki frowned. This guy was not to be underestimated. Honestly, if it weren't for the risk of alarming Orochimaru, Natsuki would've loved to slice him down right then and there. He even considered sneaking into the base to assassinate Orochimaru directly. But Orochimaru was notoriously slippery. One misstep, and he'd vanish—and that would be a nightmare scenario. Worse still, he could come back to life from a curse mark. So... better to wait. Let Tsunade handle this with proper planning. Meanwhile, on the northeastern border of the Land of Fire— Sasuke was still locked in fierce battle with Kimimaro, and things were escalating. After gradually adapting to Kimimaro's fighting style, Sasuke began counterattacking more swiftly. But Kimimaro suddenly activated Juin Ichidankai (Curse Mark Level One), black marks spreading across his skin. His power and speed immediately surged, and he launched a renewed assault on Sasuke. "Tsubaki no Mai!" (Dance of the Camellia!) Kimimaro's bone sword blurred into motion—like a blooming storm of petals, it surrounded Sasuke with a barrage of razor-sharp attacks. Sasuke dodged and parried desperately, but even then, he took several cuts. It was clear he couldn't keep up with the sheer speed and fluidity of Kimimaro's strikes. The unrelenting assault left him no room to breathe. "Karamatsu no Mai!" (Dance of the Larch!) Kimimaro shifted forms again—this time, dozens of sharp bone spines erupted from his body. He lunged at Sasuke, completely ignoring the short sword slashing at him. Every strike bounced off his dense bone armor, leaving Sasuke helpless to cause any damage. Meanwhile, Kimimaro pressed harder and harder, forcing Sasuke to defend and retreat non-stop. Everyone watching began to worry. One mistake, and Kimimaro's bone blade would run Sasuke through. Guy couldn't help but praise, "This young man's taijutsu is phenomenal. Combined with Shikotsumyaku... Even Kakashi and I would have trouble beating him." "Agreed. This is the might of a true Kekkei Genkai." Kakashi's face was grim. "He's mastered his bloodline limit to the highest degree. With that plus his elite taijutsu, he's easily at the level of a jōnin elite. Sasuke is having a hard time. We need to stay alert. If anything goes wrong, we step in immediately—ignore whatever Sasuke says." This opponent was too strong. They couldn't let Sasuke be reckless and risk his life. Sasuke himself was beginning to realize it. His kenjutsu was still immature. His speed couldn't match Natsuki's. He could hold his own against a standard jōnin, but Kimimaro was clearly in a different league. Worse, Shikotsumyaku countered blade-users perfectly. Kimimaro's bones could grow anywhere, at any time—blocking all of Sasuke's attacks with ease. There was nowhere to strike. "Damn it! Take this—Raiton: Chidori Eisō!" (Lightning Style: Chidori Sharp Spear!) Sasuke raised his left hand and formed a lightning spear, thrusting it straight at Kimimaro. But Kimimaro merely frowned slightly and raised his hand—dense bone columns erupted from his palm, forming a thick bone shield. And as he kept manipulating the growth of the bones, the shield grew even thicker. The next moment—boom! Chidori Sharp Spear crashed down. The bone shield was partially destroyed—but Kimimaro remained completely unharmed. Sasuke's heart sank. "He blocked... my Chidori Eisō... that easily...? You're unbelievable..." He had no choice but to admit it now—Shikotsumyaku was absurdly strong. He'd used one of his best attacks, and Kimimaro hadn't even been scratched. Sasuke couldn't help but feel dejected. Once again, he had underestimated the world. The Sound Four had been one shock. Now Kimimaro had come along and completely overwhelmed him. Was everyone this strong now? His pride as a prodigy was being thoroughly humbled. But this only made him more determined— He had to grow stronger. (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]

Chapter 164 - 164

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