The Kaguya clan's jōnin continued arguing with the Shinigami messenger, all hoping Kimimaro would side with them so they could go out and finally enjoy a good fight.
But Kimimaro remained silent, quietly listening without revealing a hint of emotion. Unlike his clanmates who lived for battle, this young boy didn't seem to thirst for combat. He approached situations with a broader perspective.
That was exactly why the clan elders had chosen him as the heir.
They had raised Kimimaro from childhood to think like a clan leader—teaching him how to weigh priorities, think strategically, and ultimately, win the seat of the Fifth Mizukage.
"If the Mizukage's office has delegated control to Soul Society, then we really shouldn't interfere."
After a long pause, Kimimaro finally spoke. The Shinigami messenger looked visibly relieved, bowing in gratitude toward him.
The Kaguya jōnin wanted to protest but exchanged glances and sighed in resignation.
"You all focus on securing the clan compound," Kimimaro continued, "especially our merchant partners and the nearby civilians."
"Yes, Kimimaro-sama."
They were itching for a fight, but once Kimimaro gave the order, there was no room for protest.
In the shinobi world, orders from a superior were absolute—especially in Kirigakure.
The jōnin vanished in a flash. The Shinigami bowed again and quickly departed.
With the tension between clan and Shinigami resolved, Kimimaro turned to return to his residence. He knew an invasion of this level wouldn't last long.
But the moment he stepped into his room, the world suddenly spun out of control.
Space twisted violently.
And with a hard thud, Kimimaro was thrown into a barren wasteland.
Despite the abrupt ambush, Kaguya Kimimaro remained calm. He immediately slammed his palms into the ground—and countless razor-sharp bone spikes erupted from his body.
Each bone was laced with faint, glowing blue veins—eerie and elegant.
Shikotsumyaku – Dance of the Camellia!
"To achieve this level at such a young age... no wonder you're the Kaguya clan's most gifted genius in a thousand years."
Kimimaro raised his head, still calm. His youthful face betrayed no fear.
His eyes stared straight at the stranger who had abducted him into this unknown space.
"A space-time ninjutsu... So it was you," he said softly, "the one who breached the barrier between Hueco Mundo and the village—the cause of this invasion."
"Invasion? That's a stretch," said Obito from behind his mask, his voice low and sharp.
"Those creatures were your Mizukage's pets, weren't they? Mindless bio-weapons. Looks like your Mizukage has ambitions big enough to consume the entire world."
"Ambition is common," Kimimaro replied, "but Yoru-sama's vision far exceeds the limits of this shinobi world."
His eyes scanned the area, then returned to Obito. He already understood the situation.
"So... I'm your target."
"Took you long enough," Obito sneered.
The Sharingan in his eye spun wildly. He activated a genjutsu instantly.
But—
Kimimaro's gaze remained serene.
No signs of being caught in a genjutsu.
His expression was still—like the surface of a deep, ancient well. Impossible to believe this was the face of a six-year-old.
Obito's expression hardened.
"The Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai doesn't provide genjutsu resistance. Especially not at your age..."
His eyes trailed down Kimimaro's neck.
There—on the left side of his collarbone—was a glowing blue star-cross insignia.
"That mark… So this is one of Yoru's trump cards."
Obito recognized it.
He had seen similar marks ever since the Quincy system had begun spreading. Most memorably, during his alliance with Kumo to steal the Hyūga Byakugan, the daughter of Hyūga Hiashi had borne the exact same brand.
At the time, he'd dismissed it as some decorative seal. But now...
"A child chosen by Yuki Yoru himself."
Even if Obito were dense, he couldn't ignore the implications. Still, that only excited him more.
If he could turn Yoru's chosen prodigy into one of the offerings for his own divine rebirth...
How glorious that would be!
Obito swiftly formed seals.
If genjutsu wouldn't work, then he'd just restrain the kid by force.
Black chakra chains erupted from Kamui's dimension, snapping out and coiling around Kimimaro's limbs and throat with crushing force.
Kamui's dimension was unique. Keeping someone sealed here was containment in itself.
But he couldn't risk the kid wandering around. This space held Uchiha relics, Sharingan samples, bloodline specimens, and secret scrolls. If the boy damaged anything…
Obito didn't even want to imagine it.
The restraints locked down tight. Kimimaro's brow furrowed slightly as he instinctively tried to resist—but couldn't move an inch.
Not only had the chains locked his body, they also partially suppressed his spiritual power.
"Don't waste your strength," Obito said coldly, looking down on him.
"I don't know what power Yuki Yoru gave you, but no matter what power it is, you won't be able to break free from my restraints."
"Just obediently become my living sacrifice on my path to transcendence!"
His Mangekyō Sharingan flared. The chakra chains tightened even further.
Obito was about to leave the dimension—when something stopped him cold.
The chakra chains wrapped around Kimimaro suddenly began to fracture—
No.
They weren't breaking—they were being shed.
Like a cicada shedding its shell, all restraints lost effect at once.
Kimimaro stood there calmly—as if nothing had happened—gazing at Obito without a single ripple of emotion.
Then he moved.
"Dance of the Camellia!"
The bone spikes around his body grew even sharper.
Kimimaro's slender frame twirled gracefully, like a dancer in flight—bone blades cutting with exquisite precision.
Obito's eyes narrowed.
Genjutsu was useless.
Kamui couldn't activate in this realm.
And he couldn't kill Kimimaro either—he needed him alive for the sacrifice.
So—
"Thorn Wood Jutsu!"
Obito clapped his hands together. A swarm of wooden spikes shot toward Kimimaro.
Crack!
The dense forest of wood collided with Kimimaro's bone blades—and shattered.
Kimimaro's momentum never faltered.
Frowning, Obito engaged him in close combat. Fists and palms clashed.
He broke out a black rod, stabbing between the gaps in Kimimaro's bones—and pinned his right arm to the ground.
Another rod fired into Kimimaro's left hand, nailing it in place.
A crucifixion.
Just like that, Kimimaro's arms were completely disabled.
"Child's play," Obito scoffed.
Even with Yoru's power, Kimimaro was still a child.
This was nothing but a kid's tantrum disguised as a fight.
But then...
Obito noticed something with his Sharingan.
Kimimaro's face.
Still calm.
Why?
How could a six-year-old—trapped in a foreign place, his arms crippled—not cry or scream?
Why was he calm?
A strange unease crept into Obito's mind.
Then it happened.
From the torn and bloodied Kimimaro, a blue glow emerged.
And then—
He was standing before Obito again.
Completely unharmed.
Kimimaro raised both hands. Bones fired like bullets.
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"
Ten white bone projectiles shot out. Obito's Sharingan caught their trajectory with ease—he parried them all with his black rod.
Then trees sprouted from his palms—branches grew wildly, forming towering trees that lunged toward Kimimaro.
Kimimaro was swallowed in seconds.
But then—
He appeared again. Completely intact.
"What?!"
Obito squinted. His expression grew more and more unsettled.
"He broke through chakra restraints... and physical bindings too..."
"No... even his wounds are healing completely."
This bizarre phenomenon made Obito inevitably think of the forbidden dōjutsu of the Uchiha clan, Izanagi, a forbidden dōjutsu that could turn any unfavorable reality into an illusion.
But using Izanagi required sacrificing a Sharingan. Yet the Kimimaro before him showed no sign of having paid any price. Not only was there no price, Obito even felt that Kimimaro... was getting stronger?
How was that possible?!
"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"
Obito couldn't take it anymore. He unleashed the fire jutsu he'd prepared long ago.
The massive flame dragon devoured Kimimaro in a blaze of heat.
This "sacrifice" could be remade later with White Zetsu cells. If he had to destroy the boy, so be it.
The fire scorched through Kimimaro's body.
Even with Shikotsumyaku's defenses, his skin couldn't withstand the heat—he was reduced to a bloody mess.
But then—
In just a few breaths, that blue glow pulsed again.
Kimimaro reappeared.
Unharmed.
Only his robes were torn—exposing his pale, bone-covered upper body.
Not only that, Obito could clearly confirm that after 'refreshing' again, Kimimaro's aura had once again increased, and the color of the pure white bone spikes on his body had deepened slightly!
Obito stood there, horror creeping in.
This kid… could not only use Izanagi without limit, he also got stronger each time he used it?!
No! Impossible!
Was it genjutsu?
His Three-Tomoe Sharingan instantly transformed into a Mangekyō. His blood-red eyes stared intently at Kimimaro
But the truth remained.
The boy regenerated again.
Kimimaro lunged.
Obito summoned trees again—but this time Kimimaro dodged them with agile movements.
Eventually, one caught him and wrapped around him tightly.
"Wood Release: Revolt of Hell!"
"Let's see if you really are infinite, kid!"
The massive trees crushed in from all sides.
Obito clenched his fist.
Rip—!
The sound of tearing flesh echoed.
He didn't hear Kimimaro scream.
But it didn't matter.
Even if Kimimaro died here, Obito could always find another Kaguya descendant for his rebirth ritual.
But this kid had to die here and now.
Then—
A voice cut through.
"You've figured it out, haven't you?"
The smile beneath Obito's mask froze.
His Sharingan darted to the tangle of trees—
And there, emerging from the carnage—completely unharmed—
Was Kimimaro.
His young face was expressionless. As if he hadn't just been shredded by a living forest.
In fact—
There was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Honestly," he said, voice calm, "I don't really like this power. Or maybe... I don't deserve Yoru-sama's favor."
"Kaguya clan heir? Strongest youth in Kirigakure? Future Fifth Mizukage?"
"All meaningless."
"I was born a monster. Raised as a weapon. I lived in darkness."
"But Yoru-sama…"
"He gave me light. Gave me wind to keep my broken windmill turning. Gave me hope to keep walking forward."
The boy tilted his head, revealing the glowing Star Cross on his neck.
"I am Kaguya Kimimaro—Commader of Yoru-sama's Royal Guard."
"Codename: [M] – Miracle."