"Hmm? So this jutsu can even produce such an effect?"
A curious voice suddenly broke the silence behind Orochimaru and his followers.
Instantly, Kim, Orochimaru, and Kabuto all felt a chill run down their spines. None of them had sensed the newcomer's arrival. Not even Orochimaru's keen instincts had caught it.
If he had attacked us just now...
That single thought made cold sweat roll down Kabuto's temple.
Reacting instantly, Kim's body bristled with sharp bone spikes as he stepped protectively in front of Orochimaru, his eyes filled with tension.
Orochimaru turned slowly toward the voice, a wary gleam flickering in his snake-like eyes. His pupils contracted. "Naruto? I didn't expect you to show up here too."
That's right. The one who had appeared behind them was none other than Naruto Uzumaki himself.
Having entered Sage Mode, Naruto's mind was calm as the sky, his movements faster than lightning. His aura had completely merged with nature, shrinking inward until his presence vanished entirely. To anyone else, he was invisible like air.
Watching Tsunade and the others talk below, Naruto crossed his arms, his golden eyes falling upon Orochimaru. "You really have more lives than a cat, Orochimaru. Back then, when I killed you, I couldn't sense your chakra anymore, so I assumed you were gone. To think you managed to slip past even my Sage Mode perception. Impressive."
Orochimaru's tongue flicked across his lips, his tone light but cautious. "Heh. Anyone who's survived this long in the ninja world always keeps a few tricks for survival."
Kabuto said nothing, his face drawn tight with fear. He had personally witnessed Naruto's strength before. Unlike Orochimaru, he had no backup bodies or secret immortality techniques. If Naruto decided to act, Kabuto knew he wouldn't survive a single move.
Kim, on the other hand, who had never met Naruto before and was utterly devoted to Orochimaru, glared at the blond stranger coldly. His stance was ready he would attack at the first sign of threat.
Naruto didn't even glance at him. His voice remained calm, almost lazy. "Tell me, Orochimaru. If I decide to kill you again right now, how many lives do you think you have left?"
Orochimaru forced a smirk, but his body tensed. "Naruto, you're free to try."
Naruto didn't move, didn't release any killing intent, and yet the air around them turned suffocating. Orochimaru could feel invisible blades hovering around him, the weight of death pressing on his skin.
If his body hadn't been modified to mimic that of a snake, his forehead would already be dripping with cold sweat.
Truth be told, his body was already at its limit. A full battle would destroy him. If Naruto attacked now, all he could do was run and even that might not save him.
Kabuto shot Orochimaru a silent glance. Even Lord Orochimaru fears him this much… So this is the difference that true strength makes.
Naruto studied Orochimaru for a long moment before his eyes shifted toward Tsunade in the distance. Then he exhaled softly. "Forget it. I won't kill you this time. At least you did something good for once."
At those words, Orochimaru and Kabuto both exhaled in relief, shoulders dropping slightly.
Orochimaru's tongue flicked again as he asked carefully, "Then what brings you here, Naruto?"
"Thanks to you," Naruto replied evenly, "Lord Third's body can no longer endure the strain of leading the village. I came to find Lady Tsunade to ask her to return to the Leaf and take up the mantle of Hokage."
"Tsunade, huh?" Orochimaru mused, nodding slowly. "Yes, she's a fitting choice in both skill and lineage. If not for her psychological scars, she might have become Hokage years ago."
Before Naruto could answer, another voice joined in, laced with suspicion.
"Orochimaru, what are you doing here?"
Jiraiya appeared beside Naruto, eyes sharp and alert. He looked ready to strike at the first hint of trouble.
Kabuto's heart nearly stopped. Jiraiya too?
Today was cursed. Two of the Legendary Sannin both of whom could kill him effortlessly were standing across from his master.
Kim's muscles tensed further. His sharp eyes locked on Jiraiya and Naruto, and the pale bones protruding from his arms gleamed dangerously. If they moved, he would fight to protect Orochimaru, even if it meant dying on the spot.
But Orochimaru calmly placed a hand on Kim's shoulder, signaling him to stand down. "I'm not here to fight. I came to ask Tsunade to treat this boy's illness."
Both Naruto and Jiraiya turned their attention to Kim.
Jiraiya frowned. "A kekkei genkai user? The bones growing out of his body… I've seen that before. The Kaguya clan from the Hidden Mist, right?"
Naruto tilted his head. "What's wrong with him?"
Orochimaru sighed softly. "It's a hereditary disease unique to the Kaguya clan. A bloodline sickness, you could say. Every clan member who awakens their bone manipulation ability eventually suffers from it. Their own body turns against them."
He had spent years studying Kim's illness, digging through old Kaguya records, but he and Kabuto had found no cure.
Naruto's expression softened. "Come here. Let me take a look."
Orochimaru blinked. "You? Don't tell me, Naruto you've learned medical ninjutsu too?"
"Just a little," Naruto said simply.
Orochimaru's tongue darted out again, his eyes glinting with greed for a brief moment. Such talent combat, sage arts, and now medicine? He couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to possess such a body. But when Naruto's golden eyes turned on him, flat and emotionless, that thought froze in his throat.
He swallowed his ambition and smiled instead. "Go ahead," he told Kim quietly.
Kim obeyed without hesitation, retracting his bone armor and stepping forward. Naruto placed both hands on his shoulders, a soft green glow enveloping them. Under Sage Mode, Naruto's perception deepened, his senses probing through every cell and organ within Kim's body.
Within moments, he had seen it all.
"Seventy percent of your body has been infected by a bacterial agent," Naruto said. "Not just your bones your organs too. Your cells are dying faster than they can regenerate. Honestly, it's a miracle you're still standing."
Kim remained expressionless, but his silence spoke volumes. His sheer willpower was the only thing keeping him alive.
"A normal person," Naruto added, "would already be bedridden and screaming in pain."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "Naruto, can you cure him? I'm willing to give you anything in exchange even resurrecting your parents through the Reanimation Jutsu."
The air turned to ice.
Naruto's gaze snapped to Orochimaru, and for the first time, true killing intent flashed across his face.
"Don't," he said, voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Don't ever mention my parents like that again. If you even think of touching their souls, I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth and destroy you completely."
The weight of his words pressed down like a mountain. Orochimaru felt every muscle in his body lock. Kim tried to move but found his chakra frozen Naruto's power had bound him effortlessly.
Even Kabuto's knees nearly buckled from the pressure.
After a long, suffocating silence, Orochimaru finally managed to nod stiffly. "Understood."
Jiraiya, who had been watching from the side, couldn't help but smirk. Seeing his old teammate this cowed was rare. "Heh. Looks like the snake's finally met someone who can make him behave."
Orochimaru gave him a flat look but said nothing.
The wind rustled through the trees. For a moment, everything was still the air heavy with tension, respect, and the faintest hint of fear.
Kim stood quietly, his expression unreadable, but somewhere deep within, he felt something he hadn't felt in years. Hope.
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