i am kimimaro

"Ahem, congratulations on passing the second exam in second place. My name is Hayate Gekko, and I'll be your guide after you pass the exam."

A Konoha ninja emerged from the scroll.

He had long brown hair, dark circles under his eyes, a ninja hat, and a pale complexion. He looked sickly.

Hayate Gekko, a special Jonin from Konoha.

At this moment, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Are all the Genin this year monsters?

The Sunagakure team completed the assessment in only ninety-seven minutes, breaking the record of the Chunin Exams.

And although the Otogakure team in front of him was much slower, it only took them less than four hours.

This also broke the record of the Chunin Exams.

One from Sunagakure, one from Otogakure, these villages that were far inferior to Konoha before, now actually have such outstanding Genin teams?

In contrast, Konoha's Genin haven't had any eye-catching performances this time.

From this perspective, in this Chunin Exam that's a microcosm of war, Konoha has already lost a round.

"Ah? Only second? I thought we could be first. Who's so awesome, faster than us?"

Suigetsu was quite surprised to hear that they only got second place.

"The first place is Gaara's team from Sunagakure. They have already gone to their room to rest. Your room has also been arranged. Please follow me. Cough cough..."

Hayate Gekko coughed twice again, looking extremely weak.

With Kimimaro's eyes, he could tell at a glance that this person's illness was not minor.

If not treated effectively, dying young was inevitable.

"Boss, he likes to cough just like you."

Kimimaro didn't mind Suigetsu's teasing.

Under the guidance of Hayate Gekko, the three arrived at a room on the third floor of the tower.

"This is your resting place. Since you completed the assessment early, you need to rest in this tower for the next four days and cannot go out at will.

After the second exam is over, arrangements will be made for all candidates who pass. Please wait patiently."

"Ah? Stay here for four days? So boring. I knew I should have stayed in the Forest of Death for a while longer, so I could play with the Genin from other villages."

Suigetsu complained again.

Kimimaro, however, extended his right hand towards Hayate Gekko.

"Thank you for your trouble, Gekko-senpai."

Seeing Kimimaro being so polite, Hayate Gekko didn't refuse the handshake.

"You're welcome, this is my duty. Cough cough cough..."

Hayate Gekko coughed twice again, feeling his body was even worse than Kimimaro's before.

"Congratulations, tourist, you have successfully taken a photo with Hayate Gekko and received the reward: Three Swords Style Secret Technique, Three Thousand Worlds!"

Three Swords Style?

The reward for taking a photo with Hayate Gekko wasn't bad.

Although it was just a technique, it was still quite good.

"Gekko-senpai's hands are also the hands of a swordsman. Senpai must be a master of swordsmanship, right?"

The calluses on Hayate Gekko's hands from practicing swordsmanship were very obvious, and Kimimaro noticed them instantly.

And with Kimimaro's physique, it was unlikely for him to develop such calluses even if he wanted to.

"Your observation skills are very sharp. Cough cough cough..."

Hayate Gekko withdrew his right hand.

"You guys rest. If you need anything, you can come to the fifth floor and call me."

Hayate Gekko didn't stay long and left after giving instructions.

"Boss, I don't think that guy is your match either. Why are you interested in him?"

"Hayate Gekko's Konoha-style swordsmanship is second to none in Konoha. He's quite a figure. It's a pity that he's plagued by illness, which has caused his strength to decline a lot. Otherwise, with his strength, becoming a Jonin wouldn't be a problem."

Kimimaro shook his head slightly, feeling sorry for Hayate Gekko.

If Tsunade came back, she should be able to help him recover his health.

"Boss, don't worry about him for now. How are we going to spend the next four days?"

Suigetsu was already feeling bored.

"Training. Four days will pass quickly."

"Ah?"

Suigetsu's heart sank.

It was indeed this outcome.

At night, Kimimaro sat on the bed and gently touched his newly acquired Byakugan.

Compared to the daytime, the newborn Byakugan had already integrated a lot.

He was also able to control it a little.

"The power of the Byakugan is truly remarkable."

Kimimaro looked at Suigetsu and Jugo beside him. In the Byakugan's vision, he could clearly see their skin, muscles, meridians, and acupoints.

Such a pair of eyes would be perfect for medical purposes.

Kimimaro stretched out his hands and looked at the terrifying energy within his bones through the Byakugan.

The gray energy was now covered with a layer of blue light.

This blue light was generated by the power of the Byakugan.

With the protection of this blue light, the gray energy could no longer leak out.

The energy that had originally overflowed from the bones and was eroding the cells was also suppressed by the Byakugan's power and returned to the bones.

As the Byakugan's integration progressed, this suppressive force grew stronger and stronger.

From barely resisting at the beginning to now having a sense of evenly matched power.

"It seems there's no big problem."

Seeing this, Kimimaro breathed a sigh of relief.

Years of effort had finally paid off.

His bloodline disease should be fine now.

But keeping this gray energy was a hidden danger sooner or later.

Now there were two paths before him.

One was to expel all the gray energy from his body.

But let's not even mention how difficult this was to achieve, even if it could be done, Kimimaro was reluctant to give up the power of Shikotsumyaku.

He might even lose the ability of Shikotsumyaku altogether.

Then there was only the second path left.

Perfectly control the power of Shikotsumyaku!

As long as he perfectly controlled this terrifying power, it wouldn't backfire on him.

But this wasn't easy either, and there were considerable risks involved.

However, once mastered, this would definitely become Kimimaro's strongest weapon.

"The next target is to master the power of Shikotsumyaku. And the hope of achieving this goal may lie in the Byakugan."

The full capabilities of the Byakugan weren't fully shown in Naruto Shippuden, and it even became somewhat of a useless ability.

Neji Hyuga, who represented a genius, even died tragically.

It wasn't until the appearance of the Otsutsuki clan that the terrifying abilities of the Byakugan were revealed one by one.

Almost all the abilities the Sharingan had, the Byakugan also possessed.

This was a pair of eyes with endless treasures.

Its evolved form, the Tenseigan, was in no way inferior to the Rinnegan.

It wasn't called one of the Three Great Dojutsu for nothing.

The Byakugan couldn't shine its due light in Neji and others, but Kimimaro was confident in developing these eyes to their fullest potential.

"Byakugan, Shikotsumyaku. When the two are completely integrated, I won't be far from the pinnacle of this world.

Great power is the key to longevity. If I can be like Kaguya Otsutsuki, ageless and immortal for a thousand years, that would be considered a slight achievement."

(End of Chapter)