[Zzzzt zzzzt zzzzt—]
With a harsh crackle of electricity, the wall was instantly shattered by Kitagawa Gen himself, and the surging current shot straight toward Kimimaro's chest!
"Watch out!"
Just as the purple lightning was about to hit Kimimaro, Jūgo suddenly lunged forward, ignoring the burns on his own body as he forcefully took the hit.
The meat of his arm, used as a shield, was pierced straight through—and in the next moment, he was kicked back, dragging Kimimaro with him!
"Don't get distracted, Kimimaro. That guy's Purple Lightning isn't simple."
Once they had stabilized their footing, Jūgo spoke in a slightly breathless voice.
"Jūgo…"
Kimimaro glanced at him, and couldn't help but press his lips together.
He had always been a rather polite person—unless the matter concerned Orochimaru.
And now, this guy had used such underhanded means to nearly destroy Orochimaru-sama's statue.
No—!
It had been destroyed. What's more, it was this man who had shattered it on purpose!
"…I understand, Jūgo."
Though Kimimaro's gaze was still burning with fury, his tone had calmed considerably. At the same time, the curse mark on his body began to spread.
"Let's take this guy down—together!"
"Be careful, Kimimaro—your body…"
Jūgo couldn't help but warn him when he saw this, but Kimimaro only shook his head. A spike of bone had already emerged from his chest.
"This isn't the time to talk about that. What we need to do now is make up for our mistake."
"Done talking?"
As the two of them exchanged words in hushed tones, Kitagawa Gen suddenly cut in with a cold voice.
"I can tell—you both seem to respect Orochimaru a lot. You didn't even fight back in that situation just now?"
"…"
Kimimaro didn't want to reply. Jūgo, on the other hand, seemed to realize Gen was deliberately provoking them. He gave Gen a glare, then whispered, "I'll go first. You follow my lead."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jūgo had already charged forward, with Kimimaro silently matching his pace.
Jūgo's body was unique—his wounds could continuously regenerate, making him the natural choice to spearhead the first wave of the assault.
"So they're coming, huh?"
Kitagawa Gen raised an eyebrow. In the blink of an eye, the Purple Lightning in his hand blazed even brighter, and he too charged straight in!
"So fast…"
Jūgo only saw a flash before Kitagawa Gen was already right in front of him.
Faced with that purple lightning, he didn't have time to think—he threw a punch without hesitation!
[Boom—!]
In an instant, a deep rumble rang out, and a shockwave visible to the naked eye burst outward!
Cracks spread across the ground beneath their feet, rapidly expanding several meters in every direction.
But Jūgo's expression darkened—his punch had been blocked by a radiant screen formed from Gen's Purple Lightning, and the crackling current was paralyzing his body!
"That lightning—it's not just powerful in penetration… it can defend too?"
Seeing this from behind, Kimimaro quickly analyzed the situation—and struck while there was an opening.
"Dance of the Camellia!"
Kimimaro's figure blurred like an illusion, his movements soft and flowing—but the bone sword in his hand stabbed forward with absolute precision!
"Pretty quick."
Gen turned slightly, and as he watched Kimimaro's strike, the lightning in his hand flared.
In a flash of violet light, his Purple Lightning slid precisely along Kimimaro's bone sword!
[Crack—!]
Kimimaro's eyes widened as he saw a gash appear on the blade.
"…What?"
His bones were incredibly hard—under normal circumstances, something like this was nearly impossible. But today, Kitagawa Gen had shattered that belief.
"That Purple Lightning… actually has unbelievable sharpness too?"
Three qualities—piercing power, defense, and now razor-sharp edge—all within a single technique.
Even though Kimimaro specialized in taijutsu, he knew just how absurd that was.
"Hmph!"
Jūgo seemed to have recovered somewhat. Without hesitation, he reinforced his right arm and smashed it toward Gen's side.
Kimimaro didn't waste another thought. He instantly pulled out another bone sword and coordinated with Jūgo as they attacked in tandem.
"Dance of the Larch!"
Facing the pincer attack from both sides, Kitagawa Gen remained perfectly calm. His body twisted with light ease, and in the instant he evaded Jūgo's punch, he swept his leg out in a wide arc.
[Thud—]
A deep, muffled thump echoed out as Jūgo was viciously kicked into the air, crashing into a nearby tree and snapping it in half.
At the same time, Gen raised his lightning-wreathed hand, and the Purple Lightning instantly formed into a radiant screen that firmly blocked Kimimaro's attack.
But Jūgo charged in once again, and in the blink of an eye, the three of them were entangled in a chaotic melee!
[Boom! Boom! Boom!]
In a flash, afterimages of their movements scattered in all directions, while trees, grass, and rocks around them either collapsed or were blasted into fragments by the shockwaves of their battle.
Kimimaro's taijutsu was swift and fluid, while Jūgo fought with sheer brute force. The two of them complemented each other, their coordination seamless.
And yet—
They were stunned to find that even together, they were being completely suppressed by Kitagawa Gen!
His speed was overwhelming, his attacks razor-sharp—so much so that it dazzled the eyes.
And that Purple Lightning in his hands was both offense and defense rolled into one, pressing them so hard that they could hardly catch their breath!
"This guy looks about the same age as us… so why is the gap so huge?"
Neither could understand it—especially Kimimaro, who felt a growing discomfort.
Back when the Kaguya Clan rebelled, he had been sealed away by his own kin, who feared his overpowering Shikotsumyaku. Even without formal training, he had been able to fight off Kirigakure shinobi on instinct alone.
After following Orochimaru, he had finally received proper training—and his taijutsu had improved in leaps and bounds. He was finally able to make full use of his kekkei genkai.
And yet here they were—two against one, still getting beaten back like this. Guilt surged in his chest.
He felt… unworthy of Orochimaru-sama.
Their hearts were heavy, but Kitagawa Gen remained composed. Because to him, this outcome was only natural.
"Kimimaro's curse mark hasn't reached the second stage yet—if it had, he would've activated it already. And Jūgo won't release his bloodlust unless pushed too far—if he did, he'd completely lose control."
Not to mention, they hadn't yet reached the level they'd attain in the future. Meanwhile, Kitagawa Gen had been growing rapidly these past few months.
"If I still can't strike hard after all the effort and sweat I've poured into this… then what was the point?"
Gen understood his own shortcomings very clearly—his battle experience and tactical execution were still far from perfect.
But that didn't mean he was incapable.
He might flounder against true powerhouses, but against these two—he could fight with full force.
[Boom—!]
Amid the ongoing skirmish, a violent surge of chakra suddenly erupted in the distance.
In the next instant, a massive beast the size of a hill appeared—its sheer force shaking the very earth!
"That's…"
The sight drew all three of their attention, if only for a moment. But Kitagawa Gen was the fastest to react.
[Buzz—!]
With a sharp crackle, his fist slammed into Jūgo's chest with devastating force, sending him flying!
He crashed through the shattered ground, debris and dust exploding into the air, and finally smashed hard into a massive boulder.
"Jūgo!"
Kimimaro's voice carried a trace of concern—but before he could move, Kitagawa Gen was already in front of him like a phantom.
[Zzzzt—]
Purple lightning hissed violently. In the blink of an eye, Gen's hand took the shape of a blade and slashed directly across Kimimaro's chest.
[Squelch—!]
With the sound of flesh being split open, Kimimaro's torso was torn wide by the strike!
"…Huh?"
Gen raised an eyebrow. There wasn't the burst of blood he expected, and the sensation in his hand had also felt different. But he quickly realized what had happened.
"You used a bone membrane to shield your chest… I'll admit, your kekkei genkai is pretty impressive."
Kimimaro swiftly retreated without a word, his eyes locked intensely on Gen.
His chest had indeed been cleaved open—and just as Gen had said, beneath the skin lay a layer of dense, white bone protecting his vital organs.
"Too bad that's all it could do. Seems Orochimaru didn't train you well enough… which means it's time to end this."
Gen didn't concern himself with Kimimaro's current condition. The Purple Lightning in his hand flared again—he was ready to carve off a piece of intact flesh… and take a bone for good measure.
He didn't know what the mission reward would be, but one could never be too prepared.
Just as he was about to strike again, Kimimaro suddenly lifted his head. His face had gone deathly pale, and blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"You're not allowed… to speak of Orochimaru-sama that way. It's not his fault—it's me who's not good enough. And for his sake…"
"I'll give everything I have for this final dance!"
"Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
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