Battle with Kimimaro

Earlier, when Kimimaro took away the barrel containing Sasuke...

Naruto saw Kimimaro leave with the barrel and cried out in anguish, "Sasuke... Sasuke's been taken away! He'll get even farther away from us!" Naruto's right, Shikamaru thought. Our mission this time is to retrieve Sasuke. If he gets away now, we might not catch up to him. He was about to call Naruto and Uzumaki Hane to give chase.

Just then, Tayuya pulled out a flute and blocked their path.

Shikamaru immediately used the Shadow Imitation Technique, intending to bind Tayuya. But she had been caught by it last time, and she was prepared for it now. She dodged his shadow.

Seeing that he had failed to bind Tayuya, Shikamaru stepped in front of her and said to Naruto and Uzumaki Hane, "Go on ahead. Leave her to me."

Naruto and Uzumaki Hane nodded. "All right." They chased after Kimimaro.

Naruto was now beside himself with rage, and he drew on the Nine-Tails Chakra. He ran faster and faster, until even Uzumaki Hane could barely keep up.

Finally, just as Kimimaro was leaving the forest, Naruto caught up to him. Uzumaki Hane arrived shortly afterward.

Naruto glared at Kimimaro. "Where are you taking Sasuke? Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!" His hands rapidly formed Hand Seals, and countless Narutos appeared around him, surrounding Kimimaro. Then they charged at him.

Uzumaki Hane stood to the side without intervening, watching the two fight. Naruto had used Nine-Tails Chakra this time, and his clones were stronger and more numerous than during their last match.

Faced with Naruto's countless clones, Kimimaro's expression did not change in the slightest. He merely murmured, "Interesting." His body moved gracefully through the crowd of Narutos, and the ones who charged him were killed by the bones protruding from his body, constantly turning into smoke and dispersing into the air.

Kimimaro knocked down dozens of Narutos, but saw that there were still many left. "Now I'm going to get serious and finish you all off in one go. Watch closely: Dance of the Willow." He moved gracefully through the crowd, and countless Narutos vanished in puffs of smoke.

Uzumaki Hane's blood boiled as he watched, and he couldn't resist joining in. In a flash, he appeared above Kimimaro and shouted, "Lava Super Heavy Fist!" His right arm turned into a Magma Arm, and he smashed it down at Kimimaro.

Kimimaro flashed aside, gracefully evading Uzumaki Hane, and slashed the bone in his right hand across Hane's chest, cutting it open. Uzumaki Hane landed and quickly retreated. That was close. If I hadn't turned to lava, I might have been hurt. Kimimaro's Taijutsu is strong. I'm no match for him.

Kimimaro looked at his bone and saw scorch marks on its surface. "A Kekkei Genkai...?" he said with interest. Then he addressed Naruto and Uzumaki Hane. "I have five dances. Next, I'll give you a special look at the Dance of the Camellia." He drew an arm bone from his shoulder, turning it into a hard bone sword.

"I'm going to kill you!" Naruto shouted angrily. Uzumaki Hane's expression grew grave. "Naruto, be careful. He's strong." But Naruto had already lost his reason over Sasuke, and he sent all his Shadow Clones charging forward.

Kimimaro gave a soft snort and charged at Naruto as well. Wherever he went, the Narutos were utterly unable to resist, vanishing one after another in puffs of smoke.

Just then, an evil, chilling aura began to seep from the barrel containing Sasuke. The entire barrel exploded, and Sasuke stood where it had been, a sinister smile curling his lips. Grinning eerily, he left.

"Sasuke..." Naruto called anxiously.

Kimimaro flashed forward, charging at Naruto. Uzumaki Hane noticed as soon as Kimimaro moved and flashed in front of him. "Your opponent is me now. Just watching really isn't satisfying. Hell Hound!" His right hand turned to lava and reached for Kimimaro, but Kimimaro gracefully slipped aside, avoiding Uzumaki Hane's Hell Hound. The bone sword in his hand blurred as he thrust it at Uzumaki Hane's chest. Uzumaki Hane's expression changed, and he shouted, "Lava Super Heavy Fist!" He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and Kimimaro, sensing the change in him, did not continue his attack.

Seeing that Kimimaro had stopped attacking, Uzumaki Hane shouted to Naruto, "Naruto, hurry and go after Sasuke!"

Kimimaro was extremely powerful, and Naruto hesitated. "But..."

"Go!" Uzumaki Hane shouted. "Otherwise Sasuke will get away again. I'll catch up!"

Naruto's gaze hardened. "Hane, be careful." He chased after Sasuke.

Uzumaki Hane knew what would happen on Naruto's pursuit and thought, Naruto, be careful. Then he looked at Kimimaro and shouted, "Canine Red Lotus!" His right hand quickly transformed into a hound-shaped mass of lava and charged at Kimimaro.

Kimimaro leaped into the air, easily evading Uzumaki Hane's Hell Hound.

Uzumaki Hane looked at Kimimaro in the air and shouted, "Magma Spear!" A lava javelin appeared in each hand, and he hurled them with a sharp crack of air. They became two red bolts of lightning, reaching Kimimaro in an instant, one right behind the other.

Kimimaro's expression remained unchanged as he gracefully dodged both Magma Spears in midair, then landed.

Uzumaki Hane's gaze sharpened, and he shouted again, "Lava Shuriken!" Both his hands rapidly turned to lava and swelled to ten times their original size. He sent dozens of Lava Shuriken flying.

Kimimaro danced through the attacks, dodging every Lava Shuriken. Then he charged at Uzumaki Hane with his bone sword.

A long lava staff appeared in Uzumaki Hane's hands, and he brought it crashing down at Kimimaro's head. Kimimaro blocked it with his bone sword, then turned with a supple movement and slashed the sword across Uzumaki Hane's neck.

Uzumaki Hane retreated again and again, touching his neck as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Luckily, he had turned to lava, or he would surely have died. His opponent's Taijutsu was extremely strong. As he thought about it, Uzumaki Hane burst out laughing. "Not bad! It's been a long time since I enjoyed being on the brink of life and death." Gripping his staff, he charged at Kimimaro again.

Kimimaro swung his bone sword repeatedly, blocking Uzumaki Hane's attacks. After a few exchanges, he knocked the staff out of his hands. "Your staff technique is terrible," Kimimaro said. "If that's all you've got, you're nothing but trash." Then he charged at Uzumaki Hane.

Uzumaki Hane looked at Kimimaro and smiled wryly. "I really am no good with weapons. Lava Super Heavy Fist!" His right hand rapidly swelled, and he smashed it straight at Kimimaro. Kimimaro moved in a flash, evading the attack.

Kimimaro came up in front of Uzumaki Hane and thrust his sword through his chest. But Uzumaki Hane acted as if nothing had happened. His left arm also rapidly turned into a Magma Arm ten times its normal size, and he smashed both arms at Kimimaro from either side. Kimimaro quickly pulled out his bone sword and leaped backward, landing on Uzumaki Hane's Magma Arm.

Suddenly sensing that something was wrong, Kimimaro leaped again and landed in front of Uzumaki Hane. He saw that his shoes had already burned away. "Even Chakra can't block it? What a powerful Kekkei Genkai. But you're still too weak at using it." Then Kimimaro activated Cursed Seal Level One. Dozens of bones emerged from his body, and he said, "Today, I'll give you a special look at my Dance of the Larch."