Chapter 18

An hour passed by in relative silence. Kabuto finally returned to the main hall, his footsteps echoing down the stone corridor until he emerged into the dimly lit chamber where Yurochi and Kimimaro were waiting.

"Yurochi-sama," Kabuto greeted with a slight bow, his glasses catching the flickering light from the torches lining the walls. "We can leave for the Land of Waves immediately."

"Alright, then. Let us go." Yurochi said as he got up from his seat. Kimimaro kept his stoic expression as he followed Yurochi towards the exit. Kabuto then trailed behind.

The trio left Otogakure using one of its many underground passageways, this one reaching a distance before emerging from the ground using a hidden underground entrance.

It was morning, Yurochi realized. This meant he had ended up staying awake throughout the entire night. However, no matter the time, they would have still departed. If it was night, then oh well, they would be traveling in the dark of night.

Time quickly passed when they happened upon a natural clearing. They weren't following an already trodden path, but making a straight line until reaching The Land of Waves. No need for any kind of confrontation. Happening upon this clearing was like a natural resting spot and perhaps a perfect training spot.

Yurochi's gaze fell upon Kimimaro, who stood still and composed, not even the least bit tired from the hours of walking done so far.

"Kimimaro, what do you say we have a little sparring session here? It's been a while since I've had a proper one-on-one session with anyone." Yurochi suggested, his voice tinged with eagerness. Since fusing with Orochimaru and Yuro, he had only practiced alone in a highly controlled environment. With Kabuto here and Kimimaro a perfect opponent, Yurochi was going to take this opportunity to practice a bit.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. But remember, don't push yourself too hard. We still have a long journey ahead. Medical Ninjutsu can only do so much."

Yurochi nodded while taking off his outer clothes, leaving only a t-shirt and pants on. Kimimaro's steady gaze met his. "Very well, let's do it." he replied simply and the two of them walked out into the opening middle.

"I would like to practice my Kenjutsu as you use only the same thing, for at least the beginning that is." Yurochi explained his idea of what he wanted to accomplish here.

After some distancing, they turned to face each other. Kimimaro took off his upper body's clothing, leaving his top half bare. Suddenly, a bone began to exit from his hand. Without hesitation, he gripped it and began to pull to which a long piece of his forearm was removed from his own body to be used as a sword.

Yurochi on the other hand opened his mouth to which the head of a snake appeared as it too opened its mouth. From it emerged the handle of a blade. The Kusanagi Blade, its hilt being firmly gripped by Yurochi's hand, pulled it out of the snake who unworriedly let it happen, leaving the sword in his grasp as the snake was unsummoned, its task of giving the blade done.

Yurochi had to redo that specific snake's summoning for retrieving the Kusanagi Blade and also transfer the Ryuchi Cave's summoning contract from the prior host to his own. It was a usual thing to be done by Orochimaru when swapping bodies and he decided to keep it that way. Why change what already works after all? Maybe later he would change it.

Once the snake presented the blade, it was unsummoned back to the Ryuchi Cave where he would summon it back to send the sword back instead of carrying it everywhere he went.

The two of them squared off in the center of the clearing. Yurochi decided to start without using his Sharingan, relying solely on his Kenjutsu skills. Kimimaro, in turn, refrained from activating his curse mark, choosing instead to match Yurochi's restraint.

Kabuto walked up beside the two of them, perfectly between them. He raised a hand, then the next moment let it fall, "Start!".

They both leaped forward simultaneously while Kabuto left his position as to not get in the way. The first clashes echoed through the clearing as Yurochi and Kimimaro exchanged blows. Their movements were fluid and precise, each strike met with a perfectly timed parry. Yurochi's blade moved with speed and noticeably held back, which mirrored Kimimaro's same restraint.

Knowing how to use Orochimaru's Kenjutsu skills and putting that knowledge into practice were different things. Slow they began, but things were beginning to ramp up. Yurochi sought out openings in Kimimaro's defense, but Kimimaro's bone sword proved to be an equally formidable weapon despite seemingly being made out of only bone.

Yurochi's mind was focused, letting himself try out different ways to strike, parry, block. Also, imperceptibly, his attacks grew more aggressive as he sought to test his limits. Kimimaro remained calm and collected, his expression unchanging as he countered Yurochi's strikes with effortless precision, currently holding back from striking on his own that often.

Their sparring intensified, the sound of clashing blades reverberating through the clearing more and more frequently. Yurochi's movements became quicker and more precise as he pressed on. At this time, he could feel an enjoyment and a slight thrill beginning to course through his veins. Reasons why this was he couldn't tell, but he stopped that train of thought since it threatened to take his concentration from the spar.

Kimimaro began to respond in kind, his bone sword moving with a speed and accuracy that matched Yurochi's while taking more aggressive actions. The two combatants seemed evenly matched, their skills perfectly balanced as they danced around each other in a deadly ballet.

Yurochi could faintly feel his muscles straining, yet not at their maximum however while also keeping his breath coming in controlled bursts. He knew he couldn't keep this spar up forever, but he was determined to continue increasing the pace until he could no longer keep going. He spun on his heel, bringing his blade down in a powerful arc that Kimimaro barely managed to block.

For a moment, they stood locked in place, their blades pressed together as they stared each other down. Yurochi's eyes blazed with barely concealed excitement, while Kimimaro's remained as cold and unyielding as ever.

Then, with a sudden burst of strength, Yurochi pushed Kimimaro back, creating some distance between them and setting the new threshold. He knew he needed to change his approach if he wanted to learn about what he could do. So, he took a deep breath, centering himself, and launched into a new series of attacks.

The forest seemed to hold its breath as the two shinobi continued their sparring match, their movements growing more intense with each passing moment. Yurochi could feel the strain on his body ever mounting, but he refused to back down. The whole point of this was to push himself to the point of collapse, to see just where his skills were and could go.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Yurochi landed a glancing blow on Kimimaro's arm. It wasn't enough to cause serious injury, especially with him being an Edo Tensei, but it was a small victory nonetheless.

Yurochi panted noticeably more than before, his chest heaving in a controlled motion. He could feel the fatigue beginning to mount in, his muscles aching from the exertion. Kimimaro, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, his composure unbroken even after their intense sparring session.

"You're more skilled than before," Kimimaro said, comparing the Yurochi now to Yuro who he had fought many times in the past. "But you still have much to learn I imagine."

Yurochi managed a faint smile, nodding in agreement. "I agree…completely."

His breath came in short, measured gasps as he steadied himself. The thrill of their sparring session thrummed through his veins, and despite the fatigue setting into his muscles, he found himself craving more, to step it up even further. He needed to take things to the next level.

"Let's take it up a notch," Yurochi declared, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. His eyes flashed as he activated his Sharingan, the three tomoe spinning into focus.

Kimimaro's gaze hardened slightly. "Very well," he replied, his tone as cold and steady as ever. Without another word, the markings of his curse mark stationed in the middle of his chest began to spread across his skin, dark lines etching themselves into his flesh as his power surged. Not at the level two transformation stage, but it still would increase Kimimaro's strength nonetheless.

With their newfound enhancements, the spar resumed. Yurochi moved with even greater precision and flexibility, his Sharingan allowing him to anticipate Kimimaro's movements with uncanny accuracy, almost like seeing into the future. The forest clearing became a whirlwind of motion as the two shinobi clashed, their blades meeting in a series of rapid, powerful strikes.

Yurochi could feel the difference immediately. His Sharingan provided him with a level of insight and clarity that was almost intoxicating. He could see every subtle shift in Kimimaro's stance, every minute change in his expression which was previously unseen. It was as if the world had slowed down around him, giving him the edge he needed to push harder.

But Kimimaro was no slouch. The power of his curse mark augmented his already formidable abilities, allowing him to keep pace with Yurochi. Also being from the Kaguya clan, Kimimaro was a natural fighter with a high battle IQ and plenty of battle experience despite only being at the young age of fifteen.

'Tsubaki no Mai!' (Dance of the Camellia!)

Kimimaro's blade suddenly blurred and multiple instances of it constantly appeared at different speeds and angles. Yurochi's Sharingan took notice of these, his sight moving in quick motion to take note of them, but despite that, he was already too close and was too late to begin parrying or blocking all of them. So he took notice of the more dangerously placed stabs and began to negate them while trying to move out of the other's way, yet multiple cuts still appeared all over his body.

Despite his advantage with the Sharingan, Yurochi found himself struggling to keep up with Kenjutsu alone. Kimimaro's techniques were unpredictable and swift. The longer the fight went on, the worse. He could feel his stamina waning, his muscles protesting with every movement.

Yurochi gritted his teeth, determined not to back down. He pushed himself harder, drawing on every ounce of all past training and experiences. He used the Kusanagi Blade to deflect Kimimaro's attacks, countering with swift, precise strikes of his own while also only allowing Kenjutsu for himself.

Because of this, Kimimaro remained a step ahead. His Edo Tensei body showed no signs of fatigue or injury, while Yurochi's own injuries began to accumulate, blood seeping out of them. Small cuts marred his skin.

'Karamatsu no Mai! (Dance of the Larch!)

Now Kimimaro was trying to blindside Yurochi whenever clashing blades, allowing bones to suddenly and quickly sprout from anywhere Kimimaro decided, forcing a shift in focus while more bones began to appear, threatening to stab right into anywhere Kimimaro wanted.

Yurochi could feel himself reaching his limit. His breathing was ragged, and his vision beginning to blur at the edges. The many small cuts were rearing their displeasure of existence by making it harder to concentrate through many places stinging in pain. He knew he couldn't keep this up. So with a final burst of energy, he launched himself at Kimimaro one final time, their blades clashing in a resounding impact and a ruthless clash began.

Some seconds later, they stood locked together, their faces inches apart. Yurochi's eyes were full of fatigue now, while Kimimaro's remained as calm as ever. Panting heavily, Yurochi signaled the end of the spar. "That's enough," he gasped, his voice hoarse from exertion.

They separated, both lowering their weapons. Yurochi let his sharingan fade. Kimimaro let his curse mark recede from his skin. He nodded, his expression unchanged. "You fought well. Since the beginning your Kenjutsu skills have been improving." he said simply.

Yurochi managed a faint smile, though he could feel the exhaustion settling into his bones. "Thanks," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper as he fell to sit on the ground. To be honest, if neither of them were holding back, he didn't know who would win. Yurochi would like to think he would win with a plethora of techniques he knew, but this body was new.

Kabuto, who had been watching the entire time, stepped forward and knelt beside Yurochi, his hands glowing with a soft green light as he began to heal the young shinobi's injuries. "I'm surprised you aren't more injured. The amount of times you got sliced was many, but they only look like bad paper cuts."

'Huh?' The warmth of Kabuto's healing jutsu spread through Yurochi's body, knitting his wounds back together. Bringing his arm up to his face, he noticed what Kabuto was saying. These cuts felt worse than they actually were. 'Was Kimimaro holding back that hard?'

He thought that Kimimaro had been almost going all out without going into curse mark stage two.

"I was also surprised." Kimimaro began, interrupting Yurochi's thoughts. "From how hard I started, you were tougher to cut than I had anticipated. Your strikes were also surprisingly hard."

Yurochi closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax as Kabuto worked while also thinking about what they were saying. He hadn't done anything special to strengthen his body or force his strikes to be stronger. 'This body. Is it more different than it seems?' 

He couldn't help to think this since any unknown effects of the fusion between Orochimaru and Yuro hadn't appeared. Thinking about it now, how was he this small? Compared to Yuro's short stature and Orochimaru's true body being massive, why was he not a combination of those two sizes? He should be essentially the size of Orochimaru's true body.

'Something to look into another time.' He thought. Right now he was exhausted and thanks to Kabuto, he could feel some tension leaving his body, the pain fading away with each passing moment. Right now he was tired and by the time Kabuto finished, Yurochi felt like he could fall asleep at any moment. Perhaps he had indeed pushed himself too far since the three of them still needed to head into a village before sundown which might take a couple hours.

"Thank you, Kabuto," he said to Kabuto, his immediate pain now completely gone, only left with soreness of muscles and fatigue. Kabuto nodded, helping him to his feet Yurochi noted that Kabuto had to put more effort than he should into helping someone his supposed size up from, the ground.

'Definitely something to look into later.'

On his feet, Yurochi took a bit of his leftover blood from his ruined shirt and smeared it on his arm which had held the Ryuchi Cave summoning contract. The snake that had earlier kept the Kusanagi Blade appeared and it automatically opened its mouth. He sheathed the blade back in and it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Alright, let's head out." Yurochi said after being handed and putting back on the robe he had been wearing. His underclothes were ruined after that spar. Thankfully he had the forethought to remove most of his clothing before starting.

~

(A/N: Longer than I expected this to be. 2.6k words! My usual 1k minimum per chapter has changed in the past few chapter if not noticed and is now at 2k minimum and I think its turning out way better than the first like dozen or so chapters. Well, that's in my opinion at least.