"It was my oversight." Kimimaro's eyes darkened slightly. "I didn't expect the bloodline fusion would stir the Seven-Tails and push you to the brink of madness."
"It's alright. It's your first time administering the serum to a Jinchūriki," Fū replied calmly, managing a faint smile. "Kimimaro, it really worked. After the fusion, I noticed subtle changes. For the first time, I can feel some of the chakra inside me is truly mine—not all of it is the Seven-Tails anymore. It's weak, easily drowned out, but it's there."
Kimimaro nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe the fusion made Chōmei feel threatened. The Tailed Beasts don't like being subdued, especially by foreign bloodline influences."
"Yeah, but it's settled now. Chōmei actually said you're... interesting. It senses some mysterious power in you."
Kimimaro raised an eyebrow. "You can talk with it now?"
Fū nodded. "Mhm. Turns out, Tailed Beasts aren't mindless monsters. They have thoughts... feelings."
Just then, Karin, Jūgo, and Hanabi returned to Kimimaro's side.
"Finished?" Kimimaro asked.
"Yup!" Karin chirped before suddenly grabbing Kimimaro's arm and sinking her teeth into it.
"Ow—what the hell?!" he recoiled.
"I wanted to test something. You go bite her and let's see how fast your wound heals," Karin said smugly, nodding toward Fū.
Realizing her intention—to verify Fū had inherited her regenerative ability—Kimimaro sighed in exasperation. "You could've bitten somewhere less painful…"
With a resigned expression, Kimimaro lifted Fū's arm and gently bit down. Instantly, his wound closed and vanished without a trace.
"Incredible," Jūgo murmured in awe.
Not all Uzumaki inherit Karin's specific healing-through-biting ability, but Fū clearly had. It was a rare genetic quirk tied to her unique lineage.
"Fū, listen carefully," Kimimaro warned. "Don't reveal this ability to anyone, ever."
"I understand," Fū replied solemnly.
"I've decided," Karin declared, hands on her hips, striking a dramatic pose. "I'm not going to rush choosing my bloodline fusion. I want something that really suits me."
"Karin-nee-chan, we all need to get stronger to share Big Brother's burden," Hanabi piped up innocently.
"Hmph, what do you know, little girl?" Karin retorted, pulling Kimimaro's arm toward her and resting against it. "Men like women who are a little delicate. If I'm weak, Big Brother will protect me more. Right?"
She shot Kimimaro a flirtatious smile, licking the corner of her mouth teasingly.
Kimimaro glanced at her, deadpan. "Maybe when you're a bit older."
"Ugh, you brat!" Karin puffed her cheeks, then looked down and sighed, visibly deflated.
Hanabi tilted her head in confusion, not fully grasping the exchange.
Jūgo stepped forward. "If possible, I'd like to receive a ninjutsu-type Kekkei Genkai. I'm not picky—just something that can support you."
Kimimaro nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. But first, I need to resolve my own issues. My illness hasn't fully stabilized, and my Wood Release is incomplete. I fused Fū's bloodline early because she had to leave. Karin and Hanabi come next."
"I get it. You also said you'd absorb my energy today, once you finished processing what you took from them two days ago. With my body, I should be able to take it, right?"
Kimimaro nodded. "Naturally. I won't go easy on you."
He placed a hand on Jūgo's shoulder and activated the system. As energy flowed, he monitored the conversion.
Absorbing life energy from living sources—be they enemies or willing allies—was a crucial aspect of Kimimaro's evolution. But doing it so openly required absolute trust. If he hadn't explained everything, who would've volunteered?
Despite Jūgo's exceptional physique, he was still no match for Uzumaki resilience. After extracting 2,000 units, the system alerted Kimimaro that he'd hit the 10% safety limit.
Kimimaro withdrew his hand. "That's enough for today."
Jūgo exhaled deeply but nodded. "Thanks. Use it well."
After a thorough analysis, Kimimaro concluded that Jugo's formidable vitality didn't stem from his own constitution but rather from borrowed natural energy. Although his body exhibited traits of exceptional resilience and stamina, these came from his unique compatibility with nature energy—a natural Sage Body that allowed him to enter a pseudo-Sage Mode instinctively.
On the surface, Jugo's transformed state gave the impression of immense life force—perhaps even exceeding Karin's—but that was misleading. It wasn't innate; it was drawn from nature and unstable without external regulation. It didn't belong to him in the truest sense.
In truth, absorbing life energy from others was safe so long as the amount did not exceed 20% of their total at one time. However, Kimimaro preferred to keep it to 10% to ensure his companions wouldn't feel weakened after the process.
Fū, noticing the speed of Kimimaro's energy absorption this time, approached him. "If you need more, take mine. Last time, I didn't even feel it. You probably have a limit to how much you can absorb at once, but since the Seven-Tails is inside me, I can handle more than a normal person."
She was absolutely right. Tailed Beasts were veritable reservoirs of chakra and life energy—ideal sources, if treated with care. In all honesty, Kimimaro would have loved to keep a Tailed Beast nearby, not just for combat power but as a constant supply of life force.
With Fū's help, he brought his absorbable reserve up to the 20,000 limit again. His total storage now exceeded 40,000 units of life energy. Unfortunately, this process couldn't be repeated every day. Like blood donation, it required time—for both conversion and the donor's natural recovery.
Hanabi, feeling left out, suddenly leapt forward. "Big Brother, absorb mine too!"
"You'd better not. You're still growing."
Out of curiosity, Kimimaro had the system scan her stats. A mere 400 in life energy... Well, the Hyuga clan wasn't famed for their physical vitality or chakra reserves. The fact that Hanabi had already reached the upper limit of a typical genin at her age was likely due to her unique Byakugan lineage and the refined chakra control passed down through generations.
"I should get going now." Fū's voice was soft with reluctance, but she still turned to leave.
"You're welcome to visit us anytime," Kimimaro said. "We'll come see you when we can. And if you ever find yourself in danger—don't forget you have friends."
Fū nodded, smiling brightly. "Okay!"
With that, she activated her wings and flew off in the direction of Takigakure.
"Where to next?" Jugo asked.
Kimimaro pulled out a map. "I want to establish an organization—something beyond what the Five Great Nations represent. A force guided by ideals."
Karin grinned knowingly. "We figured as much. So where's the starting point?"
"First, we need territory—somewhere stable, away from the conflicts between major powers." Kimimaro pointed to a far corner of the map. "The countries nearby are too volatile. We'll head west—maybe the Land of Demons, the Land of Snow, or even further. Somewhere remote. I'll begin my change to the world there."
"So we're going west?" Karin asked, raising an eyebrow. "Does that mean we'll pass through Kusagakure?"
Kimimaro glanced at her and nodded. "Eventually, yes. We'll settle scores when the time is right. But for now, we'll take a more direct path through the Land of Earth. I want to avoid unnecessary conflicts."
Karin smirked. "I think you just want to see that long-legged onee-san again."
Kimimaro's expression didn't change, but Jugo and Hanabi both turned to look at him with interest.