Once the swordsmen were defeated, Kakashi-sensei sent us in another direction claiming there were more of the undead gathering. I decided to continue traveling with Kitty knowing there was still some tension between me, the Leaf, and Sand shinobi. Suddenly, four figures appeared making me gasp.
"What is it?" Kitty questioned looking over at me as did everyone else.
"Lady Chiyo, Orochimaru's subordinate Kimimaro, Lord Hanzo, and someone else I don't know are three miles away." They started to exchange words before heading in our direction. "They're heading right for us."
"Let's retreat for now and find reinforcements," Kitty told us leading us in the opposite direction but they were catching up quickly.
"They're gaining on us," I announced seeing Hanzo weaving hand signs. I barely knew much about Hanzo; only that he fought Father in the Second Shinobi War and that he was specialized in poisons. When I saw he summoned his Salamander, I felt a ping of fear looking over at Kitty. "We have to move faster, Hanzo summoned his salamander!" I shouted in distress, but it was too late, the poison was already released.
When it reached us, everyone dropped from the ground like flies making me jump down with them. I was grateful for Father making me immune to poisons for I might be their only hope. Everyone was coughing when I made contact with the earth and ran towards Kitty. He held out his hand seeing it tremble then we heard Hanzo approaching making me turn around to face him.
His presence was intimidating as I took in his with long blond hair reaching down to his back and a prominent scar on his right cheek. He wore a loose wetsuit-like outfit accented by bandages wrapped around his wrists and lower legs, a with swirls on the chest-plate, standard shinobi sandals and a dark cloak that reached down below his waist. "I've caught up with you," he said clutching his sickle lunging towards Kitty and I. I drew my sword deflecting his. "Oh? Someone immune to my poison?" He questioned as he studied me. "How are you immune brat?!" He shouted making me smirk.
"I've been exposed to your poison before Hanzo. My Father made sure I was immune to all poisons, especially yours." I said as I saw many samurai coming into view.
Hanzo's eyes slightly widened as he stared into my eyes. "I haven't faced a Himura since the second war, but they all died." He said looking me over again. "Your hair...you must be a mutt...Ah I see now, Orochimaru."
"Finally, you got it," I replied putting more force on my sword.
"Hmph, to think that snake had a child." He created some distance between us as the samurai neared. I looked down at my temporary teammates seeing them all brutally gasping for air.
He went to lunge for me again, but I wasn't worried about blocking his attack, a samurai jumped down in front of me blocking his attack. I quickly went to Kitty's side catching him as he fell clutching his throat.
"Hanzo, I presume?" The older man questioned. "I am Mifune, leader of the samurai. I wish to challenge you!"
"Finally, we're saved." Kitty managed to say as the samurai tended to everyone affected by the poison. He attempted to warn them about the poison, but their masks filtered it out with oxygen.
"They need antidotes! Take the commando unit members to the medical corps immediately!"
Within minutes, Lady Chiyo and Kimimaro landed in front of us. My eyes met his never breaking eye contact as Kitty and Chiyo exchanged words.
"I haven't been playing dead. You understand, don't you, Kankuro?" Chiyo spoke up.
"Uh...yes?" He answered unsure what she was talking about.
"Never mind that. Hanzo controls a poison salamander! I fought him many times in the past. That's why I know the ingredients to the antidote." She said catching my attention. "I am also aware that the salamander takes five minutes to produce and store up its poison."
Suddenly, Kimimaro made his move extending all of his bones heading straight for us. I jumped in front of them drawing my sword blocking his attack. "I'll take Kimimaro, I know all his attacks." I told the team looking back at them.
"How well do you know him?" One of the samurai questioned from my right.
"I recruited and trained with him when we were children." I explained then jumped towards my former comrade. "Let's go someplace less crowded."
He only nodded in response but never looked away from me. There was a small clearing close to a cliff, so I led him there. "Why did you betray Lord Orochimaru? How could you side with the enemy?" He finally spoke. His words struck a nerve making me clench my fists. How dare he accuse me of betraying my own flesh and blood.
"You got it all wrong!" I shouted in anger. "Orochimaru isn't controlling the Edo Tensei. Kabuto is, and he's working with the Akatsuki. He's the traitor!" I could feel my throat starting to tighten as Father's death flashed through my mind. "Sasuke killed him and I couldn't stop it." My voice cracked as I held back my tears feeling guilt once again. It seemed like all the work Hikaru put in to helping me had vanished as my wounds reopened.
"Father gave me this in his final moments." I held up my arm revealing my curse mark. "Then when I came to...Kabuto...he was dissecting him." I regaled with such hate. "Now he's working for Father's enemy, the Akatsuki!" When I looked up at him, his eyes were softer than before. We might not have been together long, but before Jugo came along, we were kinda close. We were around the same age and got along. He was the only one besides team seven who knew of my dream.
"I see...so Sasuke killed him...what happened to Jugo?" He finally spoke only showing concern for his friend which I understood. They were inseparable.
"Last I saw him, he's well. Seems to have more control now." I drew my sword seeing he was about to attack blocking the bone that sprouted from his palm.
He used every bone in his body to strike me one after another getting faster with each strike. As I blocked his next attack, a bone emerged from his index finger hitting my sword knocking it from my hand. With his other arm, he swung down aiming for my shoulder. I lunged to my left grunting in pain when he slashed down my right arm. He appeared in front of me ready to strike my chest. I took a few steps back extending my left arm. I let out a scream as I made my radius and ulna along with my digits extend blocking his attack. His eyes widened and quickly jumped back creating a distance between us. I hissed in pain as my digits receded, but I kept my radius and ulna out knowing he wasn't going to stay still for long. He was at a loss with words never taking his eyes off my arm. This was probably the first time in years he has seen someone else protrude their bones from their body.
"Wha...how?" he managed to spit out.
My eyes darted to my sword then back towards Kimimaro. "Orochimaru injected me with your DNA after your death. Seems like it took him a while to perfect it though."
"It seems it wasn't perfected, you're in pain when you activate it."
"Hurts like a bitch, the transition wasn't easy either." I said just as he lunged towards me again, but I side stepped moving out of the way. I looked down at my arm knowing something had been cut. I attempted to move it but it wouldn't budge. "Great, just great. I don't have enough chakra to heal myself and be able to fight."
Wasting no time, he activated his curse mark. I had not seen it activated and in action, only when he was dead. I saw him eye my injured arm making me bite my lip. He knew of my weakness and now can use it against me. I had to end this fast or I'll be in a worse state. He threw his arms to the ground making a sea of bones spring up from the ground. I jumped into the air trying to find a place to land but he made it impossible. I eyed the trees but even they were destroyed by the bones. Kimimaro appeared behind me kicking me down to the forest of bones that were also at the bottom of the cliff. My eyes widened as I propelled down but closed my eyes focusing on my chakra.
"Ninja art, needle jizo!" I shouted as my strands of hair grew longer covering my whole body. It was taking up more chakra than I had wanted but my will to live was more important.
I felt my body crash to the ground and slide across it. Once I stopped, I released my jutsu able to see Kimimaro aiming to attack. I looked around but I was completely surrounded with no way out. I let out a sigh as I weaved more seals then dissolved into the earth. I couldn't find a suitable place to emerge, my jutsu was limited, about to give out any second. There was a tiny space cleared which was where he was standing when he summoned the plethora of bones so I emerged there.
Kimimaro was approaching quickly getting ready for his next attack. I searched the grounds for my sword seeing it at least a mile away. I took out a kunai for the time being hoping I can get to my sword soon. I remember it's attracted to its user's chakra and will come if I try to summon it. I had no time to test out if it would come to me for Kimimaro started to shoot out bone bullets from each of his digits.
If I was able to use both arms, this would've been easy to deflect but unfortunately, luck was not on my side. I managed to deflect most but I was hit several times making me groan in pain. As he descended towards me, I held out my arm willing for my sword to return to me.
"It looks like you're getting pretty tired." He mentioned as he observed my labored panting.
He was right, my chakra was running low. Needle Jizo and my military movement technique took more chakra that I had wanted but it was necessary. I only had enough for about three more jutsu including ripping the soul from that body. Summoning my sword also was taking up chakra so I hoped it would come soon. I could see it starting to shake so I poured more chakra into my hand making it start to fly towards us.
Kimimaro was unaware of the sword giving me a perfect opening as he approached me. He reached back his arm ready to stab me but my sword sliced right through him making his paper flesh scatter in the wind. His eyes widened when he eyed the sword.
"I see, he also gave you his prized sword." He said as he rematerialized.
I quickly made a clone using barely any chakra making her perform a series of seals with me before disappearing. "Earth style: swift earth!" I shouted as the earth under Kimimaro started to shake. The earth moved under him sending him backwards through the forest of bones. While he was regaining his balance, I poured almost all my chakra into my sword. "Wind style: slicing blade!" I shouted swinging down on the sword twice creating two wind blades making it impossible to dodge.
Kimimaro had no way to escape and was hit twice with my attack but started to regenerate immediately giving me a small window for my final move. I lunged towards him pouring my remaining chakra into my hand making it glow red. I grabbed the top of his head ripping his soul out. Surprisingly, he gave up a fight; it felt like a game of tug of war.
"Stop resisting Kimimaro! Let me help you find peace!" I shouted with frustration. This was my only chance to free him; my chakra was almost out.
Finally, I didn't feel much resistance and I was able to pull out his soul making the puppet fall to the ground revealing a white Zetsu. I fell to the ground panting heavily feeling all the adrenaline suppressed injuries finally surfaced. I laid there looking up at the darkening sky unsure on how I would get back to the others. Hopefully they'll search for me...I know Kitty will. Kimimaro was the only thing on my mind right now as I recalled my favorite memory of him.
"Ko," he called out as we finished training. I turned around seeing his battered body rise from the mats limping towards me. Our training sessions were brutal, none of us were allowed to hold back. "I'm curious, why are you a shinobi? What made you want to be one?" He questioned making me raise a brow.
"What's with that question? Every kid wants to be a shinobi."
"Because they think it's fun, they don't know what it truly is until they are in battle. You have already experienced the real world and still train."
"I didn't have a choice in the matter, Lord Orochimaru had determined my future the day I was conceived. I do have a dream though which keeps pushing me."
"What is that dream?"
"To make my Father proud and have his approval."
"I see, that shouldn't be hard to achieve though."
"Have you met Orochimaru? It will take a lot to earn it and I won't stop until I do...what is your dream Kimimaro?"
He was silent for a few moments before answering. "To have peace."
"It looks like you finally have peace Kimimaro...at least you reached your dream."