Upon hearing Aoki Yoru's declaration, Kimimaro, who was coughing, forcibly suppressed the pain, raised his head to look at Aoki Yoru, his face revealing a resolute expression.
"Oh! Going all out, are you?"
Seeing Kimimaro's expression, Aoki Yoru knew he was preparing to stake everything on one final gamble.
He immediately channeled Wind Release Chakra through his fingertips into the blade. Pale cyan Wind Release Chakra instantly coiled around the edge of yerun, wrapping the entire short sword like a swirling air current. The wind blades at the edge hissed incessantly, pushing the original sharpness to another level.
He, too, was preparing to finish his opponent with a single move.
After obtaining yerun, he had grown fond of close-quarters combat with enemies, especially those who, relying on their innate talents, showed no fear of attacks. They were the easiest to catch off guard with a surprise assault.
Just like the Marines in One Piece, who seemed to have an inexplicable confidence in Tekkai. No matter what move the opponent used, they would defend with Tekkai, and then die the fastest.
Aoki Yoru wasn't entirely confident about the hardness of the bones on Kimimaro's body. To finish him off by surprise, he deliberately infused Wind Release Chakra into the blade.
"Whoosh—"
Aoki Yoru fully activated the Body Flicker Technique, his figure vanishing from his original spot and appearing right in front of Kimimaro.
"So fast!"
Seeing Aoki Yoru appear before him, Kimimaro's pupils constricted sharply, his expression changed drastically—there was no time to dodge.
"Shikotsumyaku: Bone Armor"
Instantly, a layer of bone armor covered Kimimaro's body. This was a defensive technique his clan took great pride in.
"Schlick—"
yerun, imbued with Wind Release Chakra, easily tore through the bone armor. The blade sliced open Kimimaro's chest without any hindrance. A wound deep enough to see bone instantly gushed blood, almost piercing through his body.
"How... is this... possible..."
Kimimaro suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw the enormous wound. Intense pain shot through his nerves straight to his brain, instantly freezing him in place.
"Pfft—"
A sweet taste rose in Kimimaro's throat, and he violently spat out a large mouthful of blood, staining the shattered bone armor on his chest.
His vision began to blur, his consciousness slowly fading as if swept away by a tide. His body went limp, and he fell straight to the ground.
At that moment, a scene flashed in his mind: Orochimaru-sama appeared before him, reached out a hand, and said in a hoarse voice:
"Living itself has no inherent meaning. But as long as you live, you can find interesting things. Just as you found the flower, and I found you. Come, follow me."
Suddenly, he stomped the ground forcefully, stubbornly anchoring his body and steadily standing back up.
"I can't die yet. Orochimaru-sama's mission... it's not finished. I can't let him down."
Before his words even finished, Kimimaro's body began to violently twist and swell.
Curse Mark patterns instantly crawled all over his body. Kimimaro's bones wildly bulged, breaking through his skin. Several bone whips exploded from his back. Pale bone armor covered most of his body. The whites of his eyes vanished, leaving only pitch-black vertical pupils.
"Oh! Seeing it in person really feels different."
Aoki Yoru stroked his chin, sighing in amazement. Even though Kimimaro's form was grotesque and his Chakra had surged tenfold, Aoki Yoru showed not a trace of panic.
He had already seen through Kimimaro's limits. Even using that Curse Mark to enter that half-baked Sage Mode, it was still just that.
"For Orochimaru-sama's sake, I must stop you here."
As he spoke, Kimimaro covered his mouth with his hand, coughing violently. Blood appeared in his palm. His eyes focused. 'Is time running out?'
Seeing his condition, Aoki Yoru knew he was already at the end of his rope, sustained now only by sheer willpower.
"Since you're in such pain, I'll help you find release."
Saying this, Aoki Yoru casually flicked his hand. A strand of faint green fluorescent Sage Art thread condensed at his fingertip and shot through the air towards Kimimaro like a venomous snake.
"Sage Art: Thousand Strands Splitting the Void"
Kimimaro's hair instantly stood on end, sensing a deadly threat approaching. He immediately snapped to attention, focusing all his senses to observe, trying to locate the source of the danger.
"Ssshh—!"
The Sage Art thread sliced through his waist and abdomen without any resistance. His Curse Mark-transformed body and bones were easily cut apart like paper. His upper and lower halves separated under inertia, blood gushing forth.
Before he could even react, Kimimaro's upper body crashed heavily to the ground. Still conscious, he looked at his still-standing lower half with an expression of utter disbelief. Had he really been defeated just like that?
"No... I can't die like this. Orochimaru-sama's mission... it's not finished yet."
Speaking through a mouthful of blood, Kimimaro screamed frantically, unleashing the full force of his Chakra from his upper body.
"Not good!"
Aoki Yoru's expression changed. He instantly appeared beside Rock Lee, grabbed him, and leaped into the air.
"Shikotsumyaku: Early Fern Dance!"
The earth shook violently. Countless sharp white bones erupted madly from the ground, forming what seemed like a forest of bones.
Holding Rock Lee, Aoki Yoru executed Moonwalk, stepping through the air. Looking down at the bone forest below, he couldn't help but sigh. "I never expected his willpower to be this strong. Orochimaru really hit the jackpot."
Even after being bisected at the waist, he could still unleash such a massive technique.
"Gulp—"
Rock Lee, held aloft in mid-air, swallowed hard. If Aoki Yoru hadn't been so fast, he would have been impaled.
Coming back to his senses, he quickly said, "Senior, you need to go help Naruto stop Sasuke. They're right ahead."
Aoki Yoru looked up towards the direction of the Valley of the End and said, "Don't worry. Someone has already rushed over there."
He sensed Kakashi several kilometers away, sprinting towards the Valley of the End with all his might.
Since Sasuke wanted to defect, Aoki Yoru wouldn't stop him. He wasn't anyone special to Sasuke. This headache could be left to Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi.
Land of Rice Fields, Otogakure.
Even though he had completed the body transfer using the Living Corpse Reincarnation, the pain from his arms, deep into the marrow, kept coming in waves, tormenting Orochimaru to the brink of mental collapse.
The killing intent emanating from him grew heavier and heavier. Even Kabuto beside him became alert, quietly taking a few steps back, afraid of getting caught up in it.
At that moment, Orochimaru raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed intently on Kabuto. In a hoarse voice, he asked, "Has Sasuke not arrived yet?"
"He should be here soon, Orochimaru-sama. Kimimaro went to receive him. With his abilities, there shouldn't be any accidents." As he spoke, Kabuto adjusted his glasses, silently praying in his heart that Orochimaru wouldn't lose his temper.
Just then, Kabuto seemed to sense something. He abruptly looked towards the tunnel entrance, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. Lowering his voice, he said gravely, "He's here..."
"Tap-tap... tap-tap—"
A series of heavy, urgent footsteps, like hammer blows, grew clearer from a distance, echoing distinctly in the spacious underground chamber.
Before long, Sasuke's figure appeared at the entrance. He walked slowly towards Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, I'm here."
Orochimaru, enduring heart-wrenching pain, saw Sasuke walking in and revealed a look of wild joy. Disregarding his weakened body, he stood up and laughed:
"Sasuke... you've finally come. I've been waiting for this day for a very long time."