"Watch his knees."
As Sakon used two kunai to block the pair of bone spikes in Kimimaro's palms, he was about to use his remaining two kunai to strike straight at his opponent's heart when his brother Ukon's voice warned him from beside him.
Kimimaro was standing on one leg, with the knee of his other leg raised. The long, sharp bone spike jutting from it was thrust straight at Sakon's lower abdomen.
Sakon didn't panic. He freed one of his arms again and used the kunai in his hand to deflect the bone spike attacking from below, while his remaining arm continued thrusting toward Kimimaro's heart.
"You can't dodge this one, can you? Hurry up and admit defeat." Though hot-tempered, Sakon wasn't stupid. He knew this match was only a test to see whether his opponent was capable of becoming their companion, so he hadn't intended to kill him.
He had simply underestimated the power of the Shikotsumyaku.
With a sharp clang, a thick layer of bone armor appeared over Kimimaro's chest, knocking Sakon's kunai aside.
"You still have enough strength to defend yourself?" Seeing his attack fail, Sakon quickly retreated to put some distance between them.
"That kid's pretty impressive. He actually made the Sakon and Ukon brothers miss."
Jirobo said this to Tayuya. He had already acknowledged their new companion's strength.
Kidomaru and Tayuya thought the same.
Although neither Kimimaro nor the Sakon and Ukon brothers had fought at full strength, they had already achieved their goal of testing one another.
What they didn't yet know was that Kimimaro would eventually grow into the strongest among them, capable of taking on all four of them at once.
"Your name's Kimimaro, right? Welcome aboard."
Kidomaru, the squad leader, stepped forward first and held out his hand to Kimimaro.