"Haah... haah..."
In the forests of the Land of Eddies, Kazama Kaguya ran and leaped, panting like a bellows.
He was gasping like an ox and sweating buckets. That was the state he was in now.
He gritted his teeth, his eyes full of stubborn resolve. He had no intention of stopping.
He and Kimimaro were racing toward Konoha, but Kazama Kaguya had vastly overestimated his physical condition.
Running at an ordinary ninja's pace, he had reached the limits of his body in just half an hour.
His clothes were soaked with sweat. His chest throbbed with every breath, his throat felt as if he had swallowed hot coals, and his legs trembled with every leap.
Kimimaro, beside him, hadn't broken a sweat and was breathing steadily. His eyes filled with concern. "Lord Kazama, you've been running at full intensity for half an hour straight. Let's rest for a while. If you keep this up, your body will give out before its time."
Kazama Kaguya wanted to keep going a little longer, but the taste of rust already lingered in his mouth. If he ran any farther, he'd probably cough up blood.
He stopped and leaned against a great tree, forcing down the blood rising in his throat. In halting gasps, he said:
"Kim... Kimimaro, at this pace, how long can you keep going?"
Kimimaro had meant to say he could run for a whole day, but when he saw how exhausted Kazama Kaguya looked, he changed his answer. "Three hours, Lord Kazama."
"Three hours..." Kazama Kaguya sighed. "What a healthy body. I'm jealous."
Looking at Kazama Kaguya's legs, which kept wobbling, Kimimaro said with concern, "Lord Kazama, I can carry you for the rest of the way."
Kazama Kaguya fell silent.
It wasn't that he felt embarrassed. He knew his own body, and he'd brought Kimimaro along precisely to help him escape.
The reason Kazama Kaguya had fallen silent was that the numbers from his cheat were dropping in his mind.
[Evolver: Kazama Kaguya] [Status: Bloodline Disease outbreak, estimated survival time: 2 months]
The glaring words on the Evolution Obelisk—[Estimated survival time: 2 months]—made his heart lurch.
The terror of watching his life slowly run out felt like an invisible hand clutching his heart, squeezing the breath from him.
Had his remaining lifespan shrunk by a month because he fought Orochimaru and used All-Killing Ash Bones several times? Kazama Kaguya wondered.
Every use of All-Killing Ash Bones was an extreme strain, accelerating the collapse of his body.
They were still in the Land of Eddies, with a long way to go before reaching Konoha in the Land of Fire. They still had to deal with Kirigakure's pursuit, and even after reaching Konoha, he would have to consider how to acquire the Byakugan.
If an emergency forced him to use All-Killing Ash Bones again along the way, his remaining lifespan would likely shrink even further.
At the thought, a sense of urgency surged through him.
"Kisame Hoshigaki... I hope you're the one who took the pursuit mission."
For the rest of the journey, Kazama Kaguya gave up on moving under his own power. Kimimaro carried him instead.
Although carrying him slowed Kimimaro down, they were still moving much faster than when they'd traveled together on foot.
They ran for the rest of the day, then stopped to rest after nightfall.
Deep in the dense forest, the two sat cross-legged on a tree branch. They didn't light a fire, but took out some provisions and washed them down with water.
A fire could give away their position or attract large beasts.
Once they had filled their stomachs, Kimimaro prepared to carry Kazama Kaguya and set off again, but Kazama Kaguya stopped him. "You need to rest, Kimimaro. We still have a long way to go, and we need to conserve our strength to deal with the pursuit."
"But, Lord Kazama, if we do that, Kirigakure Anbu could catch up with us," Kimimaro said anxiously.
"We can't outrun them, Kimimaro."
Kazama Kaguya looked up at the moon and gave a bitter smile. "I have almost no stamina, and carrying me cuts your speed by at least a third. The Kirigakure pursuers will definitely be a Chunin squad led by a Jonin. They'll be three to five times faster than you at full speed. Kirigakure is surrounded by sea, and the nearest land is the Land of Eddies. We didn't have time to cover our tracks, so they're probably almost on top of us already."
"Then we should run even faster." Hearing the pursuers were close, Kimimaro grew even more anxious.
Kazama Kaguya shook his head and took out a Summoning Scroll packed with ninja tools and Explosive tags, handing it to Kimimaro. "Go set some traps, then get some rest. We'll leave in three hours."
Seeing Kazama Kaguya insist that he rest, Kimimaro could only reply helplessly, "Yes, Lord Kazama."
After Kimimaro left, Kazama Kaguya took out the scroll containing Danzo's secret channels of communication and began to examine it.
It recorded secret meeting places and code phrases, along with their corresponding translations.
To anyone who hadn't seen it before, it would look like a jumble of unrelated words.
After reading it carefully, Kazama Kaguya couldn't help admiring the two men. "Those two old schemers are both crafty as hell. No wonder they dared to work right under Hiruzen's nose."
Before long, Kimimaro returned after setting the traps.
Seeing the boy's exhausted appearance, Kazama Kaguya brushed a fallen leaf from his hair and said gently, "Get some rest while you can. I'll keep watch."
"Lord Kazama, I'm not tired. I can keep going." Kimimaro's eyes brimmed with emotion.
He was just a weapon. No one had ever cared for him like this.
"Go on. Don't argue. I've had enough rest while you were carrying me. Now it's your turn."
Kazama Kaguya stood and leaped onto a branch, gazing back the way they had come.
Beneath the silver moon, the lush forest cast wavering shadows. The night wind swept through, stirring the leaves and making them ripple like a dark green sea.
Gazing up at the figure atop the tree, Kimimaro made a silent vow. Lord Kazama, I'll protect you no matter what. Please, don't die.
He leaned against the great tree and, thanks to a ninja's remarkable conditioning, fell asleep within minutes.
Kazama Kaguya sat cross-legged in the treetop, keeping watch as he considered how best to negotiate with Danzo and secure the greatest advantage.
Two hours later, a sudden explosion sounded several kilometers away, startling a flock of birds into flight.
Boom...
The blast jolted Kimimaro awake.
Kazama Kaguya dropped down and said sternly, "The Anbu pursuers are here. Get ready to fight. As planned, make us look weak and create an opening for me to use All-Killing Ash Bones."
"Yes."
After their brief exchange, bones burst from both their bodies, and spike after spike of white bone grew out to protect their vital points.
As long as he didn't use All-Killing Ash Bones, Kazama Kaguya's bones were indistinguishable in color from Kimimaro's.
All he had to do now was exploit the difference in what their enemies knew and seize a chance to kill the Jonin leading the squad. Otherwise, neither of them would escape.
Deep in the forest, the noisy chorus of insects gradually fell silent.
Not a single person appeared. Instead, thick white mist suddenly poured between the trees, blanketing everything and obscuring their vision.
The entire forest grew ever quieter. In the dense fog, shadows darted past.
Bone-chilling killing intent pressed in from every direction, making the backs of their necks tingle.
"Mist Technique!"
Kazama Kaguya's expression turned grave. This was a common assassination method used in Kirigakure. Combined with the Mist Body Flicker Technique, it became the dreaded Silent Killing Technique.
Demon Zabuza was still active in Kirigakure.
Kazama Kaguya couldn't use Wind Release to blow away the thick fog. As he was still considering how to fight back, streaks of cold light shot out of the mist, aimed at the vital points of them both.
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