As the shards of a shattered blade scattered across the ground, Sasuke turned his gaze toward Shigure, who was calmly sheathing his sword.
"Next time… I won't lose to you."
Without another word, Shigure tossed something toward him — a forehead protector.
Sasuke caught it and looked down. It was Shigure's own Konoha forehead protector.
"Whether you're a shinobi or a missing-nin, a forehead protector is still necessary," Shigure said lightly.
He didn't mean much by it — just that even when comrades part ways, something should be exchanged. Since he hadn't prepared anything beforehand, he simply gave Sasuke his own forehead protector.
"Hmph."
Sasuke raised the protector, drew a line through the Leaf symbol, and marred it with a single slash. Then, with cold determination, he tied it onto his head.
Just then, a distant roar echoed — Chōjūrō's voice — followed by the chilling sound of ice spreading and shattering.
Shigure frowned and turned toward the noise.
"It seems Orochimaru sent others to receive you."
"You go," he added.
"I'll deal with this one."
Sasuke nodded silently. Whoever Orochimaru sent didn't concern him. If Shigure wanted to handle it himself, so be it — perhaps it was his way of giving Konoha an explanation.
Without hesitation, Sasuke turned to leave.
"Be careful of Orochimaru," Shigure called after him. "That man intends to make you his next vessel."
"I know he's scheming," Sasuke replied, waving a hand dismissively. "But as long as I get what I want, nothing else matters."
With that, he vanished into the trees.
Shigure exhaled slowly, then turned toward the distant battle. With a flicker, his figure blurred and disappeared.
Behind a nearby mountain ridge, Chōjūrō swung his great blade, Hiramekarei, releasing a surge of chakra that split a massive boulder cleanly in half.
But a pale blur appeared the next instant — sharp white bones lanced forward, piercing straight through Chōjūrō's abdomen.
"Ice Release: Crystal Senbon!"
Dozens of icy needles flew from Haku's position, raining toward the attacker.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
But the senbon failed to pierce him — they were deflected effortlessly by the man's hardened bones. The white-haired intruder turned toward Haku, his cold eyes narrowing.
"Ice Release? Are you from the Yuki Clan?" he asked, voice low and curious.
Haku didn't respond. His hands flashed through seals, forming another Ice Release technique—
—but before he could finish, a blur appeared.
Bang!
The man was sent flying, crashing through several trees as Shigure's kick connected squarely with his skull.
Landing lightly, Shigure crouched beside Chōjūrō. The Liquefaction Healing Technique immediately activated, halting the bleeding. Still, the internal injuries were severe — broken bones, organ trauma. He wouldn't recover anytime soon.
Freezing mist gathered at Shigure's fingertips. He sealed the wound with ice.
"Haku!"
"Yes!"
"Take Chōjūrō somewhere safe. Treat him as best as you can."
Haku nodded, quickly hoisting Chōjūrō onto his shoulder before retreating.
Shigure straightened, turning his eyes toward the shattered trees in the distance.
From the wreckage, the enemy rose — dusting off his clothes as if nothing had happened.
"Such strength… and that speed," he muttered. "You must be the one Jūgo mentioned — Gekkō Shigure."
"Kimimaro," Shigure said evenly.
Kimimaro's eyes widened slightly. "You know my name?"
"Of course." Shigure adjusted the Hidden Mist forehead protector on his brow.
Kimimaro froze for a moment. "You became a Mist-nin?"
Ice crystals began to spread beneath Shigure's feet, thin frost curling outward.
"Are you also of the Yuki Clan?"
Kimimaro asked, his expression hardening. Jūgo had spoken of Shigure's strength — but not his heritage.
"The Kaguya Clan was once among the strongest bloodline families of the Hidden Mist,"
Shigure said quietly.
"Come back, Kimimaro. Return to the Mist."
Kimimaro frowned.
"If you're truly from the Yuki Clan, then you should understand what the Hidden Mist has done. Why would you choose to serve them again?"
"Don't you think it's strange how the village changed so drastically?" Shigure replied.
"There's someone else behind it — someone who truly twisted the Mist from within. If you seek revenge, find the real enemy."
For a moment, Kimimaro's expression softened — but only briefly. He mistook Shigure's words as defense of the village.
"The Hidden Mist deserves to die," Kimimaro declared coldly.
"Since I've found one of its shinobi… I won't let you live."
He moved.
A blur of white and killing intent.
Kimimaro's body surged forward with terrifying speed — not the product of chakra techniques, but raw, inhuman physical ability. His Shikotsumyaku granted him strength and speed that defied human limits, rivaling even the Body Flicker Technique.
Shigure raised his arm and caught Kimimaro's kick midair, his grip iron-tight.
"Got you," Shigure muttered, and with a twist, he tried to hurl Kimimaro aside.
But bone spikes erupted from the sole of Kimimaro's foot, slashing toward Shigure's face. Shigure instantly let go, dodging as the spikes cut through the air where his head had been.
Landing several meters away, Shigure exhaled slowly.
"Your power really is something else."
Kimimaro straightened, eyes narrowing.
"You're strong. I didn't expect anyone outside Orochimaru's followers to match me."
Shigure smirked.
"I'm not just anyone… I'm a Jinchūriki."
The moment he said it, his chakra flared — heavy and fluid, the faint shimmer of the Six-Tails' power leaking through.
If not for the Six-Tails' chakra reinforcing his body, that earlier clash might have gone differently. The Shikotsumyaku's raw physical might could rival even the Senju Clan.
Shigure drew Zangetsu, the black blade glinting faintly in the dim light. Facing an opponent who turned his own bones into weapons, unarmed combat would be suicide.
Seeing the sword, Kimimaro's eyes flickered with memory — Jūgo had mentioned this.
"The swordsman with terrifying blade skills…"
Kimimaro reached behind his back and, with a grotesque crack, pulled out his own spine — drawing it free until it hardened into a deadly bone blade.
The sight was enough to unsettle even a veteran shinobi.
"Doesn't that hurt?" Shigure asked, his voice calm but edged with disbelief.
Kimimaro met his gaze without emotion, saying nothing.
A heartbeat later, he exploded forward with blinding speed, slashing with his bone sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel met bone, the clash ringing through the air like clashing iron, sparks scattering from each impact.
Shigure's expression didn't waver. He raised his hand, and chakra surged — a powerful torrent of wind erupted outward.
"Wind Release: Wave Hand!"
The sudden gale struck Kimimaro head-on, hurling him backward through the trees.
Before he could recover, Shigure's hands blurred through seals.
"Ice Release: Freezing Moment!"
The whirling wind froze solid in an instant — turning into a wave of ice that engulfed Kimimaro, trapping him within a glacial prison.
But Shigure wasn't done. His eyes sharpened as he gripped his sword with both hands.
"Wind Release: Flowing Blade!"
"Breath of the Mist — Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
A storm of sword slashes rained down, cutting through the frozen mass with relentless force. Shards of ice shattered in every direction, flashing with sparks as his blade struck Kimimaro's hardened bones.
When the storm subsided, Shigure leapt back, holding his sword in a guarded stance.
He exhaled softly.
"Tch… can't even cut through. Your body's absurdly tough."
...
TN:
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