Orochimaru

Everything in the world turned gray and dim.

In Kimimaro's vision, only Lin Qing remained, closing in at terrifying speed.

He couldn't fight back.

He couldn't escape.

Let alone resist.

The moment their eyes met, Kimimaro understood just how powerful an opponent he was facing. It felt as though lead had been poured into his body, and as though countless vengeful spirits who had died horrible deaths were binding his limbs. He couldn't move even a finger.

The air took on a faint golden hue, like rippling currents, only to be cleaved apart by the blade in an instant.

"It's over."

Kimimaro closed his eyes in despair.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest. Black markings spread outward from it.

This was...

The Earth Curse Mark?!

Lord Orochimaru had used Jugo's power as a model to develop this latest result. It was still in the experimental stage. He never expected it to activate on its own!

A surging force rolled and roared through his body, and Kimimaro regained control of it.

The flesh around his left wrist tore open. Kimimaro instantly drew out the bone of his forearm and used it as a short blade to block Lin Qing's slash.

Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku, could create bones harder than steel. Even the slashes of elite samurai from the Land of Iron couldn't break them.

He raised his hand to block the Blade of Ruin.

At the same time, bones thrust out from his ribs, spine, arms, and every part of his body.

With Lin Qing's speed, if he came any closer, he'd be skewered like a pincushion.

Crack!

Kimimaro's bone blade, which he'd trusted completely, lasted less than half a second before it shattered.

Harder than steel?

Was it as hard as Kiba or Kubikiribōchō?

Lin Qing could cut through both of those legendary Ninja Blades with a single strike. What chance did a mere bone have?

Just then, a gray-black arm reached out and shoved Kimimaro away from Lin Qing's blade, which was about to kill him.

A flash of light.

A gray-black arm went flying through the air.

Jugo let out a pained howl. Then a cruel, frenzied look flashed in his eyes as he slipped into a murderous state, completely out of control.

His already massive body grew even larger, thick and grotesque, his muscles swelling as his skin turned entirely gray-black. Blue flames jetted from a series of exhaust pipes that sprouted across his shoulders and back, making him look like a monster from hell.

The severed limb stopped bleeding. Buds of flesh wriggled across the wound, seemingly about to grow a new arm.

"Die!"

"Just die!"

Jugo let out a shrill roar. Clenching his remaining fist, he swung at the back of Lin Qing's head as Lin Qing landed in front of him.

"Explosive Smash!"

Lin Qing held his blade in one hand and glanced at Jugo.

"Star Platinum."

"Ora!"

Star Platinum didn't dodge. It swung a fist of its own.

Two enormous fists collided in midair.

The air seemed to tremble. Everyone present felt their hearts skip a beat. The next second—

Squelch!

Crimson blood sprayed from Jugo's arm. Deep, bone-revealing cracks appeared, and large areas of muscle tissue died.

"What?!"

Shoved aside and still airborne, Kimimaro stared at the sight in disbelief.

He'd never seen anyone defeat Jugo in a contest of strength. Not even Lord Orochimaru could do it.

Once Jugo entered his berserk state, he became an absolute beast of strength. The only way to stop him was with joint locks, genjutsu, or ninjutsu.

Lin Qing raised an eyebrow.

Vast amounts of Natural Energy poured into Jugo's body, rapidly healing the cracks in his arm. More than a dozen thick cannons sprouted all over his body, aiming at Lin Qing and Star Platinum from point-blank range. Wisps of blue-green light gathered at their muzzles.

Kimimaro clenched his fists.

Lin Qing was done for!

This was Jugo's most powerful attack—Lotus Cannon.

By drawing on Natural Energy, it built up highly compressed Chakra Cannon rounds.

But...

Charging up?

Who said he could charge up in front of Star Platinum?

"Ora! Ora! Ora!..."

A flurry of strikes shattered every cannon that extended toward them.

Star Platinum turned around. Lin Qing no longer paid Jugo any mind and shifted his gaze back to Kimimaro.

Boom—

The compressed chakra detonated inside Jugo, and a towering blaze rose behind Lin Qing.

Only then did Kimimaro, who'd been shoved away, finally hit the ground.

The flames were scorching, but his heart had gone cold.

Lin Qing was about to walk toward Kimimaro when he stopped.

"Hm?"

The system hadn't sounded.

That meant the charred monster in front of him was somehow still alive.

Lin Qing walked over to Jugo with his blade in hand.

"You can't kill him!" Kimimaro said.

"Why not?"

"He's crazy, Lin Qing! He's crazy!"

Kimimaro pounded his chest and shouted at Lin Qing, who was about to strike. "I was controlling him and making him kill people. He doesn't want to do this. I'm the one responsible for all of it! Kill me and let him go!"

After just one exchange, Kimimaro had grasped the situation.

The man in front of him was a monster. They had no chance of defeating Lin Qing.

Kimimaro was terminally ill. Even with Lord Orochimaru's treatment, he'd live for only another four or five years at most. Jugo was far more useful to Lord Orochimaru.

From the rumors, Kimimaro knew what Lin Qing was like.

"Lin Qing! You're a good person. You can't kill innocent people!"

Kimimaro's words echoed through the village.

At the same time, five figures appeared.

Lin Qing looked over and recognized them at a glance.

"Root?"

The five Root shinobi had seen Lin Qing when he arrived. They'd planned to wait until Lin Qing and Kimimaro were locked in a crucial part of their battle before stepping in to kill Lin Qing.

No one had expected the fight to end so quickly.

After weighing their options, the five decided to step in and protect Kimimaro and Jugo, considering the long-standing cooperation between Orochimaru and Danzo.

The Root shinobi wearing a Fox Mask said:

"Since you recognize us, this will be easy. Lin Qing, this is the Land of Fire. These two wanted criminals should be dealt with by Konoha Ninja. We've been tracking them for a long time. Please step back."

"Matters in the Land of Fire are Konoha's responsibility. You're not wrong about that."

Lin Qing nodded slightly, as if he agreed.

Kimimaro had just breathed a sigh of relief when Lin Qing continued, "What if I say no?"

The Fox Mask Ninja raised his voice. "Konoha has already shown you leniency by not pursuing your defection from the village! If you insist on—"

Ninja Blades and Kunai were drawn, and two of the shinobi began forming Hand Seals.

Lin Qing glanced around at the bodies strewn across the ground. With a quiet laugh, he lifted his chin toward Kimimaro.

"Didn't you hear what he said? I'm the good guy, and they're the villains. You're not going after the villains. Instead, you're pointing your blades at me..."

"So what, a good guy just has to let people point blades at him?"

"And one more thing—"

Lin Qing raised his blade. Under Kimimaro's and the Root members' horrified gazes, he plunged it deep into Jugo's abdomen.

"How much longer are you going to hide in this hellhole?"

At his words, Kimimaro and the Root members, who'd been about to attack, froze in place.

They didn't understand what Lin Qing meant. There was nowhere left for anyone to hide.

But soon, Jugo's abdomen swelled as if he were a woman nine months pregnant. With a tearing sound, it split open, and a black snake crawled out of his stomach.

If Lin Qing hadn't known he'd crossed over into the Naruto World, he would've thought an alien had landed on Earth.

The snake opened its mouth. A wet, slimy man poked his head out and stared intently at Lin Qing, as if he'd found his very own Mona Lisa.

"Oro—chi—maru!"

Jiraiya's roar came from far away.

Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya with contempt, then turned his admiring, yearning gaze back to Lin Qing. In a hoarse, magnetic voice, he said:

"I've finally met you, Mr. Lin Qing."