Kaito's eyes snapped open, disoriented but fully awake. The world was too quiet, almost unnatural. He glanced around, finding himself in a sterile, dimly lit room with harsh, white lighting. His body was sore, his limbs feeling heavy as though he'd been restrained for too long. But the memories of what had happened—of being captured, experimented on—came rushing back in a tidal wave.
He sat up slowly, the Uchiha blood coursing through his veins already making his mind clear, calculating. His eyes darted around the room, and as the fog cleared, he saw Kimimaru standing nearby. The former member of Orochimaru's forces was still in his unsettling, bone-exploding state, his body twisted in ways no normal human could replicate.
As Kaito fully came to his senses, he realized he wasn't alone. Sasuke was among the figures watching from the door, but it was Orochimaru's voice that cut through the silence like a cold knife.
"I see you're awake, Kaito," the snake-like man's voice slithered through the room. "This is your test. If you can defeat Kimimaru, then perhaps you can prove worthy to be my vessel."
Kaito clenched his fists at the mention of becoming Orochimaru's tool. The Uchiha blood within him burned with hatred, but he swallowed the anger down. The battle was all that mattered now.
Kimimaru shifted, his bones cracking as he bent down into a predatory stance. His eyes locked onto Kaito, but there was something different this time. Kimimaru was holding back, his movements slower, as if he knew the experiment they were running had begun.
"Enough talk," Kimimaru muttered, his voice low. He slashed his hand to the side, causing his bones to extend from his body like deadly weapons—sharp, jagged, and seemingly unstoppable. The attack came fast, too fast for Kaito to react. But then…
Kaito's Mangekyou Sharingan activated.
A dark purple hue surrounded his vision as the world around him warped and twisted. His eyes could track Kimimaru's every move, seeing the immediate future, where the bone blades would strike. The power of his unique Mangekyou Sharingan—Atsui Kage—allowed Kaito to see and even influence the speed of movements in his immediate environment. He could predict attacks in a span of seconds, and with the Uchiha blood granting him reflexes to match his enhanced vision, Kaito barely had to move.
The bone blades scraped the air inches away from his chest, and Kaito ducked, weaving with the flow of the attack, avoiding the slicing barrage with almost no effort. He had trained extensively to master his abilities, and it showed.
Kimimaru leapt back, gathering more bone projectiles from within his body. His deadly stance seemed to stretch for miles, an ocean of weapons capable of rendering anyone into ribbons. But Kaito wasn't just some opponent he could dominate. Kaito's Mangekyou Sharingan continued to burn with intensity as he moved fluidly, creating a defensive rhythm.
Kaito crouched low, his mind calculating the best approach. He couldn't waste time. He had one chance to gain control.
Kimimaru launched again, his bones forming into a blade at his arm, aiming directly for Kaito's chest. Kaito's eyes flickered with an eerie calm as he timed his next move with precision.
He flashed behind Kimimaru in a burst of speed, using his own Sharingan to slow down the world just enough to strike. His hand reached forward, the fingers elongating with a surge of chakra, and with a practiced motion, Kaito drove his fingers into Kimimaru's side. The force of the strike was immense, the shockwave forcing Kimimaru to the ground, his bones cracking and snapping under Kaito's strength.
Kimimaru, however, was not one to give up easily. A grimace twisted his face as his spine extended, breaking off from his body to form a jagged, monstrous bone weapon. Kimimaru twisted his body like a snake, his bone arm whipping through the air to strike Kaito.
But Kaito wasn't finished. He felt the pressure from the bone weapon and summoned all the strength from his Uchiha cells. His eyes flared once more, and he slashed through the air, creating a Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu—Great Fireball Technique—directly aimed at Kimimaru's face. The massive fireball blasted toward Kimimaru, engulfing him in an intense explosion of flame.
Kimimaru was knocked backward, smoke filling the air. But his regeneration was unmatched. From the ruins of the flames, Kimimaru's bones began to reform, his body twisting as he reconstructed himself from the ashes. He was still a dangerous opponent, but Kaito's eyes never wavered.
He couldn't let up. His body surged forward again, his Sharingan picking up the smallest movements. Kaito's hands formed seals and a new jutsu—Chidori—formed in his palm. Lightning coursed through his hand as he aimed it directly for Kimimaru's heart. In a final, explosive move, Kaito thrust his hand forward, piercing through Kimimaru's body with the charged lightning, pushing through bone and flesh.
Kimimaru's body spasmed, twitching before crumbling to the ground. Blood pooled around his now-limp form. Kimimaru was finally down.
Kaito stood over him, panting, his Mangekyou Sharingan still glowing faintly. He was wounded, but the fight was over.
The room was deathly quiet. Orochimaru, Sasuke, and the Sound Four watched from the door, their expressions unreadable.
Kaito slowly turned to face them, his eyes narrowed in disdain.
"I've passed your test," Kaito said flatly, his voice thick with the weight of the words. He wasn't sure if he had done this to prove his strength to Orochimaru, or just to escape his cruel grasp.
"Yes, it seems you have," Orochimaru said with a hint of amusement in his voice, his tongue flicking out like a serpent. "But do not think this is over, Kaito. You are still my experiment. And experiments do not escape."
Kaito didn't flinch, his Mangekyou Sharingan flickering one last time as he locked eyes with Orochimaru, ready for whatever came next.
The test may have been over, but Kaito knew this was just the beginning of something far darker. He would not be Orochimaru's tool. Not now. Not ever.
Kaito's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his body still aching from his earlier battles. The cold, sterile room was filled with tension as Kimimaru stood across from him, his bone-white skin glowing faintly under the dim lights. The Sound Four stood at the edges, watching, while Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Kabuto lingered in the background, observing the showdown. There was no escaping this fight—this was the only way Kaito could regain his freedom.
Sasuke's eyes flickered as he watched Kaito. How could he know Chidori? The question nagged at him. Then, the answer hit him like a thunderclap. He remembered the fight. He remembered the moment he had witnessed Kaito standing on the sidelines when Kakashi had used the technique against Gaara. Kaito had watched the fight closely—his Uchiha cells had soaked it in. That's how Kaito knew. The Sharingan had awakened with the knowledge it needed, and the genetic memory of the technique flowed through him.
Kaito's eyes flickered with an intensity that mirrored the blood-red Sharingan. His breath was steady, the faint sound of his heartbeat the only sound in the tense silence. Kimimaru, huh? Kaito thought to himself. I need to win this—no matter the cost.
Kimimaru's long, bone-like fingers flexed, and the sound of cracking bones echoed as he prepared his unique jutsu. His body began to shift, his bones protruding at odd angles, a visual testament to his dangerous abilities.
Kaito stood still for a moment, watching his opponent's every move. He could feel the pulse of his Mangekyō Sharingan deep in his chest, but he also knew that it would be a dangerous gamble to use its power too early.
The two combatants stared each other down, and then it happened—the moment of movement.
Kimimaru lunged forward, his bones becoming sharp, tearing through the air like spears aimed straight at Kaito. Kaito's body moved with an almost predatory grace, ducking under one of the bone spears and sidestepping another. His eyes glowed crimson as he focused, fully aware of Kimimaru's danger. He wasn't just using his Sharingan to track movement; he was learning, adapting. The memory of his battle with Gaara, of Kakashi's use of Chidori, came rushing back. He could feel the thrum of his Uchiha cells urging him forward, pushing him to adapt.
Kaito's feet slid across the ground, pushing off with inhuman speed. Kimimaru's spear-like bones were fast, but Kaito was faster—his body already reacting before the attacks could fully materialize. He spun and launched himself at Kimimaru with his own speed, a blur of motion as his right hand formed a single, powerful thrust.
In that moment, Kaito's body surged with energy, and he let loose the Chidori.
The crackle of electricity filled the air as the Chidori tore through the space between them, aimed directly at Kimimaru's chest. For a split second, time seemed to freeze. Kimimaru's eyes widened in surprise. He had never expected the doll to possess such power. But Kimimaru wasn't an easy opponent. He shifted his body quickly, blocking the incoming thrust with his bone armor, but the impact sent shockwaves through the ground.
Kaito staggered back, the aftershock from his Chidori taking a toll on his chakra reserves, but his Sharingan flared to life, constantly processing Kimimaru's movements.
Kimimaru grinned, his bones starting to elongate again, forming a massive skeletal structure behind him. "Impressive," Kimimaru said, his voice calm, but his grin sharp. "But I'll show you the true power of my curse."
The fight continued with no room for hesitation. Kimimaru swung his arm in a wide arc, sending several bone spikes aimed directly at Kaito. But Kaito was quicker, ducking and weaving, using his enhanced agility to avoid the deadly projectiles. He felt his connection to his Uchiha bloodline intensifying, the urge to fight and to win growing more and more.
He needed to end this quickly.
Drawing upon everything he had learned, Kaito's hand formed a seal and he unleashed a powerful fireball jutsu, sending the flames cascading toward Kimimaru. The flames were fierce, scorching the earth, but Kimimaru responded with his own counterattack—summoning a massive bone spear that sliced through the fire, aiming for Kaito's heart.
Just as the spear closed in, Kaito's Mangekyō Sharingan flared, and he blinked out of sight, using his new ability, Kage no Shuriken (Shadow Shuriken). His body appeared behind Kimimaru in an instant, and with a burst of chakra, Kaito unleashed a barrage of shuriken straight into the back of Kimimaru's defense.
Kimimaru grunted as the shuriken pierced his skin, but he was still standing, his bones shifting rapidly to regenerate the damage. Kaito's eyes followed every movement, his battle awareness sharpened by the Mangekyō Sharingan. He could see Kimimaru's weaknesses—the way his body shifted and struggled to regenerate. That was his opening.
With one final push, Kaito summoned his remaining strength, charging forward and throwing a decisive punch to Kimimaru's midsection. The bone defense shattered under the force, and Kimimaru was sent flying back, skidding across the floor.
Panting, Kaito stood victorious, sweat dripping down his face. His Sharingan was still active, but his chakra was rapidly draining. Kimimaru, on the other hand, lay unconscious, unable to continue the fight.
As Kaito's body began to relax, his head spun with exhaustion. He had won—barely.
Sasuke stood quietly from the sidelines, his arms crossed. His eyes narrowed as he thought to himself. Kaito... you've really adapted quickly. I didn't expect this from you.
It was true—Kaito had learned so much, and his newfound abilities were both terrifying and impressive. But Sasuke couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Kaito had unlocked the potential of his Uchiha cells faster than anyone would have anticipated.
From the corner of the room, Orochimaru and Kabuto exchanged a knowing glance. "It seems we have a powerful tool on our hands," Orochimaru murmured, his voice filled with interest. "Perhaps... Kaito could indeed be my next vessel."