Chapter 164: The Lonely Dance of a Loveless Boy

Kimimaro, his eyes burning red, raised his hands, and his finger bones shot out like bullets. The Kirigakure ninjas recognized the technique immediately – it was the signature move of the Kaguya Clan, Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!

In the past few days, they had seen this move countless times, as nearly every Kaguya clan member used "Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets" as an opening attack. The finger bones flew at an incredible speed, and the Kirigakure ninjas instinctively pulled out their kunai to block them. However, when the bones collided with the kunai, they realized how hard the child's bones truly were.

In the next moment, the kunai shattered into pieces, and the bones, like bullets, pierced through the bodies of the Kirigakure ninjas. In an instant, ten lives were lost.

The remaining ninjas were stunned, but the surprises were far from over.

Kimimaro's fingers regenerated, as if reloading bullets.

"His bones regenerate so quickly! Faster than any other Kaguya clan member we've faced!"

"Damn it! No wonder they call him a monster! He's terrifying!"

"We can't let him attack again. Everyone, use the Water Encampment Wall to block his bone bullets, and then seize the opportunity to trap him with the Water Prison Jutsu!"

"Understood!"

The front line of Kirigakure ninjas formed hand seals and spat out large volumes of water: "Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!"

Walls of water rose around Kimimaro, forming an open-topped square. Before he could react, four ninjas appeared above him, thrusting their right hands into the water walls and rapidly forming seals with their left hands, shouting:

"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"

With their chakra infused into the water, the square walls transformed into a giant sphere, completely encasing Kimimaro.

"Perfect! We've captured him with the Water Prison Jutsu!"

"Ha ha ha, now even he can't escape!"

"Ugh..."

Inside the water prison, Kimimaro's face paled slightly. This was his first time fighting so many opponents, and his limited battle experience left him overwhelmed. His mind was in chaos, unsure how to counter the technique.

Suddenly, a cold, amused voice emanated from beneath his feet.

"Interesting... Boy, you have more potential than this. Let me help you a bit..."

A slender, jade-like hand emerged from the ground, slipped into the water prison, and with a slight flick, the water prison shattered with a loud pop, turning into nothing but a puddle.

Kimimaro immediately jumped to a corner, glancing back at the spot where the hand had appeared, but it had already vanished as if it had never been there.

"Was that an illusion?" Kimimaro wondered, but he only hesitated for a second before refocusing on the Kirigakure ninjas.

His combat instincts had already decided his next move.

Sharp bones protruded from Kimimaro's body, covering him like armor, protecting his flesh.

Now, it was his turn to attack!

"Dance of the Larch!"

Kimimaro moved with lightning speed, his form like a willow wisp in the dim moonlight. The surrounding Kirigakure ninjas felt a sharp pain in their hearts, then everything went dark as they collapsed to the ground.

This strange occurrence caught the attention of Chojuro and Ao nearby. They had intended to find Mei Terumi, but the constant cries of agony made them stop and change direction.

Kimimaro's elegant dance continued...

Everywhere he went, nothing was left alive.

For the Kirigakure ninjas, he brought only despair.

"Monster... Monster!" one of them gasped before falling dead.

Kimimaro retracted his bone blades, his clothes soaked not with sweat or mist, but with blood. His white attire had turned red.

"Who are you?" Chojuro and Ao demanded, appearing before Kimimaro.

Seeing their fallen comrades, Chojuro inhaled sharply. The boy before him, though of a similar age, was clearly far more powerful. Not just in strength, but in the ruthless efficiency with which he killed.

Unbidden, Chojuro's body began to tremble. 'Am I... am I afraid?'

"Chojuro! Grip your sword!" Ao's stern voice snapped him back to reality.

The dense smell of blood in the air brought back memories for Ao.

"This familiar scent... Chojuro, don't be afraid. Kirigakure used to be like this, with countless comrades' bodies at our feet. You'll get used to it."

Kimimaro looked up, his voice soft yet cold: "Are you Kirigakure ninjas?"

Ao adjusted his forehead protector and replied, "Can't you see that, kid?"

Seeing the four diagonal waves on the protector, Kimimaro's eyes filled with killing intent again. "All Kirigakure... must die!"

With a swift motion, Kimimaro leaped into the air, crossing his arms over his shoulders, and drew two sharp bones from his arms, thrusting them towards Ao and Chojuro's hearts.

"So fast!" Chojuro exclaimed, instinctively splitting his Hiramekarei into two swords to block the attack.

"Ugh..."

The moment the swords clashed with Kimimaro's bones, Chojuro's wrists went numb. "How does he have such strength?"

"Chojuro, hold on!" Ao shouted. Seeing Chojuro struggle, he quickly drew a kunai and moved to stab Kimimaro from behind. But before he could, six curved ribs sprouted from Kimimaro's back, knocking Ao away.

"He's developed his Shikotsumyaku to this extent at such a young age?" Ao clutched his aching chest, unable to fathom the boy's strength or why such a talent appeared so late in the battle.

"Damn it!" Chojuro, seeing Ao's predicament, felt a surge of anger and determination. Perhaps due to their similar ages, his pride wouldn't let him lose to this white-haired boy. He swung his Hiramekarei with all his might, breaking free from Kimimaro's attack and retreating several steps to a safer distance. He then combined his swords, pouring all his remaining chakra into the blade.

Chojuro knew he couldn't match the boy in swordsmanship or taijutsu. To win, he needed a ranged attack.

As he infused his chakra, Hiramekarei began to tremble, emitting a blue light from the "fish eyes" on the blades, accompanied by a deep rumbling.

The swords quickly expanded, becoming more rounded and massive, with chakra overflowing from the hollow eyes, increasing severalfold in power.

"Hiramekarei: Unleashing!"

With a youthful but determined shout, Chojuro unleashed his full power in a single strike, aiming for a decisive blow.

Seeing this, Ao felt a surge of pride. "Chojuro, you've grown stronger..."

Indeed, facing a powerful opponent in a life-or-death battle was the fastest way to grow. It was why Ao missed the Bloody Mist era, despite its brutality. It ensured survival of the fittest, maximizing resources and revealing hidden potential in talented individuals.

Ao saw in Chojuro the rising star of the next generation of Kirigakure!

"Boom!"

A powerful blue chakra cannon fired from Hiramekarei's blades. As it shot towards him, Kimimaro's expression darkened.

Though he couldn't sense chakra, he could see the danger. If it hit, he would be gravely injured or worse.

There was no time to dodge; the chakra cannon was too fast. He had to defend.

In that critical moment, Kimimaro's battle instincts took over.

His bones began to grow rapidly, thickening into a massive bone shield on his left arm.

"Boom!"

The chakra cannon collided with the shield, creating a deafening explosion in Kimimaro's ears...