i am kimimaro

"The surgery was a success."

The next day, the surgery lasted from dawn till dusk. Kimimaro, looking exhausted, finally wheeled Rock Lee out of the operating room.

"It was successful? That's great! Lee!"

Gai was overjoyed, tears welling up in his eyes. Looking at Rock Lee sleeping peacefully on the bed, his anxious heart finally settled down.

"Thank you, Kimimaro. You not only healed Lee's hands and feet, but also saved his ninja career and gave him the courage to continue living."

Tenten bowed deeply to Kimimaro.

"It's just a doctor's duty, no need for thanks. You can take him to the ward now."

"Okay!"

The two pushed Rock Lee's bed away, leaving only Neji in front of Kimimaro.

"Thank you. But I won't go easy on you in this Chunin Exam. You're an opponent worth defeating."

Neji was very confident in himself.

"Then I'll look forward to it. Sorry, I'm a bit tired, I'll go back and rest first."

"Shall I walk you back?"

"No need, I'm not that weak yet."

Kimimaro waved his hand in refusal and left on his own.

"What a mysterious and terrifying guy."

Neji muttered to himself, watching Kimimaro's departing figure, and also went to his room.

At the hotel, Kimimaro sat cross-legged, the training methods for the first five gates of the Eight Gates Released Formation appearing in his mind.

The Gate of Opening, the Gate of Healing, the Gate of Life, the Gate of Pain, the Gate of Limit!

As a medical ninja, Kimimaro was very familiar with these five gates.

The human body has eight gates that can control the flow of chakra, preventing it from harming the body.

The Eight Gates Released Formation completely abandons this control, allowing one's chakra to operate at its maximum capacity.

As a result, the chakra becomes extremely violent, causing great damage to the meridians and bones.

After opening the final gate, it even consumes life force and evaporates blood.

"What a simple and crude method. Compared to Sage Mode and Cursed Seal power, this Eight Gates Released Formation is a bit too wild."

Kimimaro muttered to himself, but a new idea came to his mind.

Knowing too many things inevitably leads to thoughts of fusion.

But it was too early for him, he needed to master the skills at hand first.

The next day, Kimimaro went to Konoha Hospital again to check on Rock Lee's recovery.

But at the hospital, he saw another acquaintance.

"Naruto? Why are you hospitalized too?"

"Hehe, I was training with Pervy Sage yesterday and accidentally overexerted myself. It's nothing serious, I can be discharged today."

Naruto scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

"I see, it seems you've made good progress these days."

"Of course! Let me tell you, I learned a super awesome ninjutsu! I'm definitely going to win this Chunin Exam!"

Naruto said proudly.

He wasn't bragging though. If Naruto summoned Gamabunta, except for Kimimaro, no other examinee could stop him.

It would be like bringing a nuke to a fistfight.

But Gamabunta definitely wouldn't want to get involved in the Chunin Exams. It would be like Ash calling out Charizard, only for it to AFK, very awkward.

"Sounds interesting."

"By the way, what are you doing at the hospital? Visiting your Sound ninja comrades?"

"No, I'm here to see Rock Lee."

"Rock Lee? I just saw him, he's still asleep. I'll take you there."

"Okay."

As Kimimaro said this, his ears suddenly twitched, and he looked behind him.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Kimimaro acting so strangely, Naruto quickly asked.

"Someone's here."

"This is a hospital, there are people everywhere."

Naruto said, puzzled.

"This chakra feeling, it's Gaara from the Sand."

"It's that guy! What's he doing at the hospital? No one from the Sand got hurt."

Naruto was even more confused.

"Oh no! It's Rock Lee!"

"What?"

The two rushed towards Rock Lee's ward.

At this moment, an unexpected guest had arrived in Rock Lee's ward.

Gaara!

Sand scattered, filling the entire room.

He clutched his hair in pain, his eyes bloodshot.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

The sand crawled onto Rock Lee's bed. With the slightest force from Gaara's right hand, his life would end instantly.

But at that moment, with a bang, the door to the ward was pushed open.

Then, a soft shout rang out.

"Binding Spell Thirty: Mouth Binding!"

Three golden, beak-shaped beams of light shot out, binding Gaara's hands and waist to the wall.

The sand that had climbed onto Rock Lee's bed also scattered.

"It's you again!"

Gaara looked at the newcomer, his face full of anger.

The one who made the move was, of course, Kimimaro. But following that was Naruto's iron fist!

Unfortunately, Naruto's fist only hit the sand.

Absolute Defense!

Even with his body bound, the sand could still automatically protect its master.

Naruto's fist wasn't fast enough to break through the Absolute Defense yet.

"Damn it! What are you doing!"

Naruto shouted angrily. If they had arrived a moment later, Rock Lee would probably be a pile of mush now.

"Killing him, of course!"

"Bastard! You've already hurt Rock Lee like this, and you still want to kill him? Do you have a grudge against him?"

"Nothing like that. I just simply want to kill him, so I came to kill him. Only by constantly taking the lives of others does my existence have meaning!"

"You..."

A chill ran through Naruto's heart.

This was the first time he had met someone who treated human life so lightly.

"Let me go! If you stop me again, I'll kill you all too!"

Gaara's bloodlust surged up, his eyes filled with killing intent.

A terrifying killing intent swept over them, and Naruto couldn't help but take a step back.

"This guy and I are not from the same world at all."

Kimimaro walked up to Gaara, looked into his eyes, and slowly said, "It seems the monster inside you is restless again."

He pointed his finger!

Silence!

Gaara's Absolute Defense was nothing but a decoration to Kimimaro.

His finger tapped Gaara's forehead, instantly dispelling his bloodlust.

Gaara was taken aback, the bloodshot in his eyes fading.

Seeing this, Naruto was secretly shocked.

"Kimimaro is truly terrifyingly strong. This Sand ninja guy is so powerful, yet he was subdued with just one move."

Looking at the calmed-down Gaara, Naruto suddenly remembered what Kimimaro had said earlier.

"Does this guy also have a monster inside him?"

Gaara panted heavily, looking at Kimimaro with shock.

This was the second time.

What kind of energy did this person have within him that could instantly dispel his killing intent?

"Gaining a sense of existence through killing will eventually lead you to completely lose yourself. Perhaps you should try a different way. There's more than one path in life."

"You don't understand anything at all, what right do you have to lecture me! Do you know my past!"

Gaara roared, like a rebellious teenager.

(End of Chapter)