Kimimaro's Change

Ninjas! The essence of the craft lies in camouflage and concealment!

It is a pity that Kimimaro seemed born incapable of learning such things!

Every time the two of them were tracked down, it was because Kimimaro's disguise was not good enough!

Helpless, Lin Cheng and Kimimaro simply gave up on disguising themselves altogether.

Enduring this relentless pursuit, they lived like that for nearly two more years.

Time flowed on, and now, at eight years old, Lin Cheng and Kimimaro had forged lean, athletic bodies through years of constant slaughter!

If one did not know their true age, they would easily be mistaken for eleven or twelve-year-olds.

This physical development had brought a massive increase to Lin Cheng's strength, speed, and stamina!

Although his base stats were still severely lopsided, in terms of raw combat power, Lin Cheng had truly reached the level of a Jonin!

As for his chakra reserves? They could now be fully classified as Kage-level.

Of course, having long known the future plot of the Naruto World, Lin Cheng would naturally not grow arrogant or complacent!

Compared to enemies who were evenly matched, Lin Cheng preferred to crush everything in his path!

As for Kimimaro?

Even though Lin Cheng suspected his Kekkei Genkai disease was linked to the frequent use of his bloodline powers and had forbidden him from using them, he still could not stop Kimimaro from growing stronger!

In fact, one could say that whenever Kimimaro used his Kekkei Genkai, he was even stronger than in the original story!

Looking at Kimimaro, who had grown into a handsome young boy, Lin Cheng felt both happy and anxious.

Logically speaking, the Naruto World was not infinitely vast; why was finding a single person so difficult?

He knew that on the surface, Kimimaro showed no particular symptoms yet.

But the more he relied on the power of his Kekkei Genkai, the more certain it was that he would be plagued by the bloodline disease!

And this was something Lin Cheng would not allow!

After bowing his head in deep thought for a long time, Lin Cheng was suddenly drawn by the sounds of battle in the distance.

Seeing the thick mist permeating that area, Lin Cheng smiled.

"Looks like it's those guys from Kirigakure again! Let's go! Little Kimimaro! Let's go cause some trouble!"

"Um~ Brother! Can I take the lead?"

Thwack!

"Ow~ Brother, you flicked my forehead again!"

Having followed Lin Cheng for so long, Kimimaro was no longer the poker-faced child from the original story.

His playful, feigned antics made Lin Cheng burst into a laugh.

"Fine, fine, fine! You go first! Remember, watch your safety! Understand?"

"Mm. Don't worry!"

Nodding, Kimimaro immediately rushed toward the battle site with excitement.

"This kid! He really doesn't let me rest easy!"

Shaking his head with a helpless smile, Lin Cheng accelerated to catch up with Kimimaro.

"Utakata! Come back with us obediently! This behavior is good for neither you nor Kirigakure!"

"I will never return to Kirigakure!"

"If you insist, don't blame us for using force! Hidden Mist Technique!"

"Water Style! Great Waterfall Technique!"

"Water Style! Insulation Bubble!"

The blown bubbles instantly enveloped Utakata's body, lifting him into the air!

"His presence has vanished! Dispel the Hidden Mist Technique!"

"Utakata! Don't think you can escape! Water Style! Water Dragon Bullet!"

As the thick fog dissipated, the Kirigakure ninja who had been trying to persuade Utakata grew furious at the sight of him floating in mid-air.

"Scorch Release! Acid Pillar!"

The searing column of strong acid instantly pierced through the rising Water Dragon!

At the same time, forced to counterattack, Utakata's own defense was broken, his Insulation Bubble shattered, and he plummeted from the sky.

"Utakata! Come back to Kirigakure obediently! You cannot escape!"

Watching Utakata fall, one of the Kirigakure ninjas let out a cold snort and began weaving hand signs, preparing to capture him.

"Water Style! Water—hm? Oh no!"

"Hmph! No need to run! He will leave quite calmly!"

Closing the distance in an instant, Kimimaro drew a sharp bone from his body and thrust it directly toward the Kirigakure ninja who was attempting to cast his jutsu.