Although the experimental subjects who activated the Cursed Seal State Two are theoretically equivalent to Jonin strength, the gap between them and true Jonin is still quite large.
In terms of Ninjutsu, combat experience, and intelligence analysis ability, the experimental subject was far inferior to a true Jonin, and of course, he was no match for Kimimaro possessed the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai.
Moreover, Kimimaro has a wealth of experience; he was responsible for suppressing Jugo every time he went Jūgo, and Jūgo's strength after going berserk far surpasses that of these experimental subjects.
" Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch "
Kimimaro's ribs broke through the limitations of his flesh, growing out exaggeratedly sharp bone spurs and incredibly sturdy bone armor, directly clashing with the experimental subject.
Every punch landed squarely, every slash drew blood, but it was all the experimental subjects' blood. The two not-so-sharp arm blades were no match for Kimimaro's bone armor. In no time, Kimimaro severed the experimental subjects' arm blades with a single slash, crippling both arms, and dragged them back to the laboratory like a dead dog.
" Lord Orochimaru, the escaped experimental subject has been captured."
Kimimaro bowed respectfully to Orochimaru, completely ignoring the other two, but this disregard was different from Sasuke's arrogant disdain as a genius.
Orochimaru was very satisfied with Kimimaro's performance, so he introduced him with a smile:
" Kimimaro, this is Naoki-kun. He inherited the Wood Release of the Senju Clan and is extremely powerful. Moreover, the Curse Mark Stage Two test subject you are carrying is Naoki-kun's achievement."
After receiving Orochimaru's permission, Kimimaro bowed respectfully in return:
"I have met Lord Naoki. Please forgive my rudeness."
"One's a white face, the other's a red face, you two seem to be getting along quite well..." Naoki Senju thought to himself, but didn't show it at all.
"It's alright, but you don't need to carry that test subject anymore; he's already dead."
Already... dead?
Kimimaro examined the test subject's vital signs in disbelief, but when he touched the burning hot but unbeating chest, Kimimaro had no choice but to accept the reality.
No way, he's always been very measured in his actions. If Lord Orochimaru's enemies are worthless, he'll kill them with a single blow; if Lord Orochimaru's experimental subjects are valuable, then he'll never kill any of them.
"Please punish me, Lord Orochimaru Lord Orochimaru. I lost control and destroyed your experimental subject."
Kimimaro knelt down in a panic, prepared to accept punishment.
But Naoki Senju just smiled and waved his hand, indicating that the purpose of the intimidation and retaliation had been achieved, and it wouldn't be good to make Kimimaro commit suicide.
"Not necessarily. Although the test subject possessed some consciousness, the power of the Cursed Seal was still too violent. Without allowing the test subject time to adapt, his strength was enhanced, but his internal organs were almost completely destroyed. Even without Kimimaro's intervention, he could only live for a maximum of five minutes, probably just enough time to return to the ground."
Kimimaro felt a chill run down his spine. What did it mean to kill without lifting a finger? While he was busy stopping the experimental subject from escaping, others had already calculated the subject's time of death...
Orochimaru nodded, agreeing with Naoki Senju's conclusion, and said to Kimimaro was kneeling on the ground:
" Naoki-kun is right, this has nothing to do with you. However, since there's room for improvement in Curse Mark Stage Two, you should wait a while before accepting the Cursed Seal."
Kimimaro, without the slightest thought of rebuttal, knelt on the ground with utmost respect and replied:
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru, Lord Naoki, I'll take my leave."
After Kimimaro left, Orochimaru couldn't help but burst into laughter. Although the experimental subject he created in State II could only survive for five minutes, Orochimaru only needed one Jūgo cell to create him.
In the future, as long as the amount of Natural Energy is limited by using the Cursed Seal, and the bearer of the Cursed Seal gradually adapts to the ' Natural Energy ', Cursed Seal with less side effects can be created.
He could even use this Cursed Seal himself in the future; at worst, he could replace it after the third-generation Cursed Seal was improved.
Orochimaru was in a great mood. After having dinner with Naoki Senju, he threw himself back into his great scientific research experiments.
He needed to find a simpler way to protect the bearers of the Cursed Seal, since it was impossible for Naoki Senju to be by his side every time the Cursed Seal was applied. Orochimaru urgently needed a stable way to protect the bearers of the Cursed Seal.
For three whole days, Naoki Senju stayed with Orochimaru in his laboratory, conducting countless experiments. Finally, they discovered a barely feasible method: using ninja tools and drugs to temporarily seal the Cursed Seal bearer's contact with the outside world, thereby fundamentally reducing the harm of Natural Energy to the bearer.
As long as the bearer of the Cursed Seal withstands the erosion of the Cursed Seal Cursed Seal itself and adapts to its existence, then ' Natural Energy ' will not be able to harm the bearer.
This near-perfect proposal was unanimously approved by both parties, and Orochimaru immediately put it into practice to test its success rate.
After the matter of the Cursed Seal was resolved, despite Orochimaru's repeated attempts to dissuade him, Naoki Senju decided to return to Konoha first.
Having been away from the village for so long, the Anbu and Root, though somewhat discreet, are not blind. Sister Tsunade cannot remain hidden for long, so Naoki Senju must return as soon as possible.
Orochimaru expressed his understanding, while secretly accelerating the execution of his plan. Those old fogies of Konoha had occupied positions in the Konoha High Command's leadership for far too long; Konoha was beginning to decay. It was time for a change...
However, before leaving, Kimimaro surprisingly approached Naoki Senju and challenged him to a duel.
" Lord Naoki, I implore you to spar with me. I want to know the difference between us."
His words were sincere and his attitude was firm, leaving Naoki Senju with almost no reason to refuse.
Orochimaru, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, didn't object to Kimimaro's unauthorized decision. Perfect, he also wanted to see how much Naoki Senju's strength had improved.
"If you truly want to spar with me, I hope you're prepared to die, Orochimaru, is that alright?"
Orochimaru, standing off the field, raised an eyebrow, his crimson tongue licking his lips with excitement, and replied nonchalantly:
"Of course, no problem. If Naoki-kun accidentally kills him, it only proves that his capacity is limited."
Such disheartening words did not extinguish Kimimaro's fighting spirit and loyalty. For Kimimaro, Lord Orochimaru was someone he would follow even at the cost of his life. Since Lord Orochimaru had no choice but to do it on his behalf.
Kimimaro was filled with fighting spirit, and the bloodthirsty nature of the Kaguya (Taketori) Clan was awakened. He longed for a life-or-death battle to prove his worth in front of Lord Orochimaru!