Stepping out from the woven earth wrapped in vines, Kimimaro slowly lifted his head. His eyes, now with black sclerae and yellow pupils in the center, held a sharp, intense gaze. Around his eyes, thick, long black markings were etched in.
The cursed seal form had also changed.
This was Kimimaro's third form, radiating a terrifying pressure from a distance.
The oppressive aura was far more intense than the second form, creating a completely different feeling.
On the opposite side, Hayashi's eyes were full of surprise.
From the very beginning of the fight with Kimimaro, he had a high opinion of the cursed seal, constantly staying alert while battling both Kimimaro and Jugo.
But even now, Hayashi had still underestimated the power of the cursed seal.
Cursed seal.
"This time, I won't lose!" Kimimaro's eyes burned with fighting intent as he stared at Hayashi. His sharp bones continued to spread out from his joints.
"Orochimaru, is this the result of your recent research?" Itachi, watching Kimimaro's transformation, had a look of surprise and curiosity in his eyes.
It had to be said, this special power truly amazed Itachi. Even he couldn't help but feel a bit curious about it.
The power of the cursed seal was neither a Kekkei Tōta nor a kekkei genkai.
"Hehe... Research? It can create an infinite future!" Orochimaru said with a touch of pride, rarely seeing Itachi, who was usually indifferent, be so shocked.
This had already exceeded Orochimaru's expectations.
At the same time, it was also a confirmation of his research.
"Not bad, that's a nice ability. If I had the time, I'd really like to fight this guy!" Kisame Hoshigaki looked at the current Kimimaro, his interest shining even brighter in his eyes.
Kimimaro right now resembled his transformed self, which only fueled Kisame's desire for battle, even stronger than when he saw Hayashi.
A fight with him should be quite interesting.
In the distance, Genya observed the situation, his brows furrowing. "The Curse Mark... It's truly a remarkable ability."
At the same time, as he looked at Jugo and Kimimaro, his eyes filled with more anticipation.
Although Kimimaro and Jugo hadn't reached their peak strength yet, the abilities they had were undeniable.
Curse Mark's abilities were a perfect match for Toshi's research.
"The Curse Mark... It really is a unique ability!" Shisui watched the battlefield, his heart also filled with interest.
Meanwhile, everyone's gaze was focused on the battlefield.
The battle was still ongoing, but this time, it was a physical clash. However, Hayashi would still use his Wood Style techniques.
Boom~~
As Hayashi began hand-signing, two enormous Wood Style hands appeared on the battlefield, starting their attack, slamming toward the transformed Kimimaro.
The speed was incredible!
Every time the giant hands hit the ground, it shook, and dust flew into the air.
"Gu-dong~ He's already mastered Wood Style to this level?" Orochimaru watched Hayashi, his eyes narrowing.
Although he had gathered plenty of information about the Wood Style, seeing Hayashi use this ability in person still left him greatly shaken.
If left to grow, Hayashi might really reach the level of the First Hokage.
It is a perfect vessel.
However, when thinking about the vessel, he also glanced at Uchiha Itachi beside him. If not for his insufficient strength, Itachi would have been his vessel.
When Orochimaru looked at Itachi, Itachi also met his gaze, the corner of his mouth curling into a small, subtle smile.
Yes... just a small smile.
But Orochimaru broke into a cold sweat. He recalled the humiliation of being frozen in place by a single glance from Itachi, the terrifying genjutsu.
Even now, just thinking about it sent chills down his spine, and the fear still lingered.
Tsukuyomi. It could silently drag you into a hallucination. In the ninja world, few could resist Tsukuyomi.
It was simply...
It was almost like an overpowered ability, though this was only true in the face of regular ninjas.
There were a few people who could withstand Tsukuyomi without fear.
Like Genya.
Without Tsukuyomi, Itachi lost one of his most perfect trump cards.
The two simply exchanged brief glances before their attention returned to the battlefield.
The battle continued.
The power of Hayashi attack was immense, with a wide coverage. However, Kimimaro relied on his incredible speed and terrifying physical strength to defend.
Boom~
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a massive wooden hand slammed down onto Kimimaro's path.
This time, Kimimaro couldn't dodge in time. He had no choice but to catch the blow with both hands raised, moving swiftly.
The ground trembled, and dust flew into the air!
But with a gust of wind, Kimimaro was revealed beneath the massive hand.
The ground was dented,
Yet Kimimaro remained strong beneath the wooden hand, his body bent and half-kneeling on the ground.
His muscles were taut, but... faintly, there was the sound of cracking bones. However... as the pain spread through his bones, he slowly pushed against the ground and stood up.
He alone could hold back the entire massive wooden hand!
"You're not much!" Kimimaro's voice rang out, his eyes flashing with coldness.
He took the blow head-on.
"Hmph, this is just my next move!" Hayashi grunted, tightening his palm.
At the same time,
The wooden hand below him slowly clenched, trying to trap Kimimaro in its grasp.
"Trying to grab me?" Kimimaro sneered.
The biggest difference between him and Jugo now was his intellect and the power of the Shikotsumyaku.
He moved rapidly!
Quickly escaping the wooden hand, Kimimaro swung his huge tail, smashing it against the pinky of the wooden hand.
Crack!
A loud sound echoed as the pinky of the wooden hand was broken.
At the same time, countless sturdy bone chains spread from Kimimaro's body, wrapping tightly around the wooden hand's arm, locking it in place.
Using this force, he quickly darted toward Hayashi.
This time, he had to win.
"Eh, you've definitely become much stronger, but you're still no match for me!" Hayashi sneered as several vines shot out, aiming at Kimimaro!
For a moment, the battle was fierce and evenly matched.
However, in terms of pure strength, Hayashi still held the upper hand. But Kimimaro, as if he had no limits, continued to attack furiously!
Thus, it was hard to determine a winner.
"Hayashi has grown during this time!" Genya observed the battle, nodding. He had seen Hayashi's progress over these days.
It could only mean that,
Recently, Hayashi hadn't been slacking off.
"Do you want to step in and help?" Shisui looked at the battlefield, but in his heart, he was a bit worried about Hayashi.
The key was Orochimaru, Itachi, and the strange person next to Itachi who was eyeing them with ill intentions. He was afraid Hayashi might get at a disadvantage.
"No need. He still has a trump card!" Genya shook his head, watching calmly: "This is something he must go through on his own!"
Seeing Genya so calm, Shisui didn't continue to speak.
On Orochimaru's side.
Kisame took a step forward, stretching his body: "At this rate, this fight is getting boring."
****
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