Bushy Brows, You'd Better Come Back Alive!

"Hey, Naruto, go after that guy and bring Sasuke back. I'll hold this woman off," Shikamaru said at once. Naruto answered, then leaped away in pursuit of Kimimaro.

Hearing movement behind him, Kimimaro stopped in an open field. He turned around to see a furious Naruto undoing the seal on his body.

"You lunatics have gone too far! That Cursed Seal of Heaven clouded Sasuke's judgment. You exploited his obsession with killing his brother and dangled the promise of power in front of him. You're shameless! I'll never let you take him away!" Naruto loosened up his body as he spoke.

"We do want Sasuke, but joining Lord Orochimaru is an honor for him. He will become Lord Orochimaru's next vessel," the Otogakure ninja with red markings around his eyes said evenly.

"Vessel? Explain yourself. What exactly does Orochimaru want to do? Take over Sasuke's body?" Naruto's expression changed, and he demanded an answer.

"Essentially, yes. Lord Orochimaru will erase Sasuke's consciousness entirely and replace it with his own will, leaving only this shell. When this body eventually deteriorates and begins to reject him, he will change to a new vessel. In this way, Lord Orochimaru will live forever," Kimimaro said frankly.

"I get it. He wants Sasuke's body for the Sharingan, right? Then I guess I'll just have to ruin your plans." As his words fell, Naruto became a blur and charged straight at him.

He's fast, but no matter how fast he is, he can't outpace my kekkei genkai, Kimimaro thought.

Naruto drove a punch straight at him, but to his shock, his opponent's body suddenly twisted, and several bone blades thrust out of his chest, locking Naruto's fist in place. Damn it, what kind of freakish ability is this? He can actually control his own bones! Alarmed, Naruto hurriedly pulled his hand free, narrowly saving his palm. Taijutsu won't work. I'll have to use ninjutsu. This is a good chance to test the Wind Release control I've been practicing. I should be able to use ninjutsu without hand seals now, or at least with fewer of them. With that thought, he leaped backward, putting distance between himself and Kimimaro.

Naruto created a Shadow Clone and had it throw a shuriken. Then he thrust his palm forward without forming a single seal and called in a low voice, "Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

Powerful winds enveloped the shuriken, instantly accelerating it into a blur. It struck Kimimaro squarely in the chest, only to bounce right off.

Impossible! How is that possible? Whenever this move hit before, no one ever blocked it! Naruto stared in shock. Only then did he notice the thin layer of bone covering the spot where the shuriken had struck.

"It's useless. You can't beat me. Look, the rebirth is complete." Just as Kimimaro finished speaking, the coffin beside him suddenly burst apart in a cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Sasuke stood inside, his appearance utterly transformed. His black hair had grown much longer and hung down his back. A black cross-shaped marking lay across the bridge of his nose. His formerly black eyes had turned yellow, and the whites had become the same dark gray as his hair.

"Sasuke? Is that you?" Naruto asked, but Sasuke gave no response. He simply turned and continued toward Orochimaru.

"Fine. Looks like I'll have to knock you flat before I can stop him." Naruto took a fighting stance, swiftly formed hand seals, and fired several compressed wind bullets at Kimimaro.

Kimimaro narrowly dodged each one, but failed to notice that Naruto's Shadow Clone had circled around behind him.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" the Shadow Clone roared, blasting a savage gale from its mouth that slammed into Kimimaro's back.

The white-haired ninja was sent flying. The real Naruto leaped after him and kicked him into the air. More Shadow Clones appeared in an instant, their relentless kicks driving him higher and higher. "Na-ru-to U-zu-ma-ki Barrage!" the clones shouted in unison. One final crushing kick slammed Kimimaro into the ground before they all leaped back.

Kimimaro climbed to his feet and coughed up a small mouthful of blood. "So you can get hurt after all. That's a relief," Naruto said, letting out a breath. But Kimimaro suddenly burst forward at a speed matching Naruto's own. In an instant, the two were locked in close combat, every punch striking flesh.

Damn it, I can't keep fighting like this. Sasuke's getting farther and farther away. What should I do? Naruto was growing anxious when he suddenly sensed a familiar presence behind him. A smile immediately spread across his face. "Hey, Bushy Brows, you're out of the hospital?"

"That's right! But hurry and go after Sasuke. Leave this guy to me!" The newcomer stood in the open field, dressed in a green bodysuit and orange leg warmers, his eyebrows as thick as two big, furry caterpillars. It was Rock Lee.

"Are you sure? This guy's tough. He can control his bones and use them like armor. He's blocked every attack I've tried," Naruto said hurriedly.

"Then I'll just have to fight harder than he does! Right now, you need to catch up with Sasuke. Go!" Lee said firmly.

"All right, Bushy Brows, you'd better come back alive!" With that, Naruto immediately became a blur and raced off in the direction Sasuke had gone.