[Talk no Jutsu: Art of Opening the Heart]

The Rabbit Goddess and such—Kimimaro didn't care about that kind of thing.

He was a weapon of war, locked away since childhood in a sunless dungeon.

The brutal killing training was too extreme; the only one who could make him feel warmth and trust was Kazama Kaguya, who often came to the dungeon to keep him company.

Kazama Kaguya felt Kimimaro's resolve and sincerity and fell silent for a few breaths.

As a transmigrator familiar with the plot, he had initially approached Kimimaro with ulterior motives.

A powerful Taijutsu bloodline limit, unwavering loyalty, and a willingness to give his life—such astonishing qualities; it would be a lie to say he didn't want to recruit him.

But after two years together, Kazama Kaguya found that he had unconsciously come to see Kimimaro as a younger brother.

Humans are social animals; bonds are a shared emotional need.

In the Ninja World, children a few years old were already killing people—it was enough to overturn one's worldview.

Shinobi all had mental issues.

The Uchiha clan were especially outstanding in that regard.

Kazama Kaguya often felt out of sync with the Ninja World's tone because he wasn't twisted enough.

"Damn Ninja World, a cesspool like that neighboring Warhammer, where even the dead can't rest easy. The Kage of the Five Great Nations and the Daimyo should all be strung up on lampposts."

Still, complaints aside, the fact of his transmigration couldn't be changed.

Under the Blood Mist Policy, the Kaguya Clan was doomed to extinction, but he and Kimimaro could still be salvaged.

Defection was inevitable.

Looking at Kimimaro's eyes, firm in their defense of him, Kazama Kaguya felt it was time to lay his cards on the table.

He took a deep breath and activated a legendary, seal-less ultimate ninjutsu that had long circulated in the Ninja World.

[Talk no Jutsu: Art of Opening the Heart]

"Kimimaro..." Kazama Kaguya reached out and ruffled the boy's hair, asking softly, "What do you think the meaning of life is?"

"The meaning of life?" Kimimaro was taken aback. After pondering for a moment, he shook his head in confusion. "I'm sorry, Lord Kazama, I don't know."

"It seems you haven't found your own meaning in life yet."

Kazama Kaguya sat down, meeting the boy's gaze through the dungeon's iron bars, his eyes warm. "Then would you like to hear what my meaning in life is?"

"May I, Lord Kazama?" Kimimaro's eyes lit up, full of interest.

Kazama Kaguya smiled and spoke softly, "Kimimaro, there must always be some meaning to life, something you want to do."

"I've been sick for too long, trapped in Kirigakure. The endless fog that never clears has long since bored me."

"I long for a healthy body, to see the Hokage Rock carvings in Konoha, to hear the thunderclaps among the mountains of Kumogakure, to visit the Summoning Holy Lands and meet the Three Great Sages, and even more, to wield power as mighty as the Rabbit Goddess, standing eternally in the high heavens."

This grand and stunning vision left Kimimaro dumbfounded.

His world was too narrow; outside the dungeon, he couldn't even recognize all the roads in Kirigakure. He had never imagined the outside world could be so splendid.

For a moment, he froze, a strange emotion surging from the depths of his heart.

It was like a country child used to living in a mud hut, seeing a high-end club inlaid with gold and jade for the first time—a deep sense of inferiority flooding in like a raging river.

Kazama Kaguya sensed Kimimaro's unease, reached out, and patted his shoulder, saying gently:

"Kimimaro, you can take your time finding the meaning of life. There's no rush. Your future is bound to be filled with infinite wonder."

"As for me, I'm greedy. I want to achieve the power of a god and stand in the high heavens. But it's too lonely alone. Will you come with me?"

Kazama Kaguya opened his heart, pouring out his most sincere feelings, his eyes full of hope and encouragement, like a beam of light falling into the heart of a boy long imprisoned by darkness.

In that instant, Kimimaro felt an arrow pierce his heart.

"So this is what it feels like to be needed? It's amazing!"

A flush of excitement rose to his face, and his once-lost future suddenly became clear.

In that moment, he already knew the meaning of his life.

He jumped up, eyes shining, and said excitedly, "Lord Kazama, please let me become your hands and feet, to guard the throne of the high heavens and fight until my last bone shatters."

The boy's voice carried a hint of youth, but the will within it was as firm as a rock.

"How wonderful."

Kazama Kaguya smiled, extended his hand, and invited, "Kimimaro, welcome to the glorious evolution! Our organization is: the Alliance."

His golden finger, the "Evolution Equation," was no neutered version that could only act on himself.

Smack!

Their two hands clasped tightly together, forging an unbreakable bond.

Kazama Kaguya looked at the boy before him, who wanted to give everything, and silently thought, "Kimimaro, Orochimaru isn't right for you. Once I obtain the Otsutsuki bloodline, you'll be the next to evolve."

"Blood Mist Policy? Infinite Tsukuyomi? Hah, Obito Uchiha, I'm really looking forward to your expression later."

Then, Kazama Kaguya went on to emphasize some key points about escaping Kirigakure.

"Kimimaro, Kirigakure has already fallen under someone's control. The clan is about to rebel. We only have one chance to defect. You must remember every word I say next."

"Yes, Lord Kazama."

"Here's what you need to do..."

After giving detailed instructions and confirming Kimimaro could carry out the plan as required, Kazama Kaguya left the dungeon.

The Kaguya Clan rebellion was imminent. Kazama Kaguya, who had been lying low for two years, had been preparing all along.

Summoning Scrolls stocked with dried rations and clean water, Explosive tags, Thousand Kunai and other poisoned blades—everything was ready.

Defecting from a ninja village was never simple, especially for a bloodline clan member. Once they fled, they would face relentless pursuit from the Anbu.

Obito Uchiha would not allow information to leak.

Relying on a sickly cripple like himself and an unseasoned Kimimaro, even if they used the clan's rebellion as cover, escaping the Anbu's pursuit would still be difficult.

So, besides supplies, there was one more crucial thing to do.

Find an ally or a bodyguard to ensure a successful defection.

As for an ally, Kazama Kaguya had already picked his candidate—just waiting for the right moment.

As for a bodyguard, no one inside Kirigakure would accept his commission at this point.

He needed to create an opportunity, dig a trap, and wait for someone to fall in.

Coincidentally, Kazama Kaguya knew that the current captain of Kirigakure Anbu was Suikazan Fuguki, and one man under his command was a member of the Intelligence Protection Force.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, the former jonin instructor of this body's original self. I wonder what choice you'll make?"

It was now Konoha Year 54. Kazama Kaguya's current body was fourteen years old.

Kirigakure and Konoha's ninja academies followed the same system—enrollment at six, graduation at twelve.

The original owner had been unlucky. He graduated right in Konoha Year 52, just as Obito Uchiha invaded, becoming one of the first sacrifices after the Blood Mist Policy was enacted. He was sent on a high-risk mission targeting bloodline ninjas and was successfully disposed of.

Kazama Kaguya had transmigrated at that moment. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Kisame Hoshigaki, ready to dispose of the original body to prevent the village's bloodline secrets from leaking.

That cold, Shark Face had been seared into his memory.

After that incident, Kazama Kaguya retired, citing psychological trauma and a flare-up of his Bloodline Disease.

For two years, he had lain low in Kirigakure, frantically charging his equation, silently training to sense natural energy, and successfully evolving the All-Killing Ash Bones.

But now, this ability that could end all things had overloaded.

Under the state of genetic collapse, he had secretly trained to the level of a chunin, but now he could barely keep up with a genin's combat rhythm—and not for long.

Still, with the All-Killing Ash Bones as a trump card, as long as the enemy was unlucky enough to be hit, in theory, even a Six Paths level opponent could be killed in one blow.

Before coming to the dungeon, Kazama Kaguya had invited Kisame Hoshigaki to meet, claiming he had discovered important intelligence.

As a member of the Intelligence Protection Force, Kisame Hoshigaki had spent his entire life perfectly upholding the principle of protecting information, even at the cost of his life.

So, for the sake of intelligence, he would definitely show up.