Sometimes the most important sign of progress… is when the old guard finally steps aside.
"Ugh!"
"How does it feel?"
"…"
Kimimaro slowly sat up.
He silently examined his body through sensory perception, then moved his limbs carefully.
A hint of surprise appeared on his face.
Was he cured?
No.
But the pain was gone.
Or rather—
It was far weaker than before.
He scanned his entire body until his attention settled on his chest.
Where the original Curse Mark had been, there was now a new mark.
It looked vaguely like a face.
Small.
Less than half the size of an egg.
Within the mark were patterns characteristic of sage transformation.
He could clearly feel chakra and life force flowing outward from it.
A new Curse Mark…
The power of Hashirama Senju forming a Curse Mark…
It was unbelievable.
After hesitating for a moment, Kimimaro asked,
"Is this kind of power something anyone can obtain… or only certain people?"
"Of course not everyone can handle it."
Souma smiled faintly.
"There are extremely strict conditions."
"The most important one is the ability to resist the First Hokage's cells."
Kimimaro thought briefly.
"My Shikotsumyaku?"
"Exactly."
Souma nodded.
"Your bloodline can resist Hashirama's cells. Combined with sealing techniques, it created the current balance."
"That's why the mark's position shifted slightly—closer to your ribs."
"I see."
Kimimaro hadn't noticed that detail before.
Now that Souma mentioned it, he realized the new mark had indeed shifted several centimeters.
The power within the mark felt completely different from before.
Instead of burning his body like Orochimaru's Curse Mark—
It felt warm.
Like soaking in a hot spring.
He quietly continued sensing his condition.
Then he looked up.
"That's it?"
"No."
Souma shook his head.
"We still need observation."
"Your physical condition is too fragile."
"One Curse Mark alone can't fix everything."
"For now it's only helping your body adapt to the cells."
"We'll monitor your condition before moving to the next stage."
"I understand."
Kimimaro nodded.
If something went wrong, it would still be possible to reverse the process.
But if his body showed no rejection—
Then the second stage of treatment could begin.
Souma stood up.
"If everything feels stable, stay here for now."
"The equipment here is perfect for monitoring. If anything happens, we'll detect it quickly."
"I'll come check on you every couple of days."
Kimimaro gave a faint smile.
"You're an important figure in the village."
"There's no need to waste time on someone like me."
Souma shook his head.
"It won't take much time."
"…Alright."
Kimimaro remained in the ANBU facility.
Several months ago, a former enemy like him would have been placed under constant surveillance.
Twenty-four-hour monitoring.
Guards everywhere.
But things were different now.
After participating in ANBU training squads, many members had come to know him personally.
And most of them had a favorable impression.
Kimimaro was polite.
Quiet.
Almost too courteous for someone who had once served Orochimaru.
Of course—
Certain monitoring systems were still in place.
But they were far less oppressive than before.
After leaving the ANBU base, Souma went to find Might Guy.
Guy, Lee, and Atsui had become surprisingly close friends.
They often trained together, exchanging taijutsu techniques.
Even from a distance, Souma could hear them shouting.
"Youth!"
"Passion!"
"Burning spirit!"
Moments later—
Three figures sprinted past upside down on their hands.
Souma fell silent.
How long has it been…?
If the Raikage meets Guy like this… will he really hold back?
Then again—
Even if the Raikage went all out, he probably couldn't kill Might Guy.
Another question crossed Souma's mind.
Should he approach Guy now?
After thinking for a moment, he decided against it.
He still needed to refine the chakra armor and skeletal reinforcement technique.
It would be better to talk later.
Besides—
Atsui was still there.
By evening, only Guy and Lee remained.
Souma dispelled the chakra concealment barrier he had been using and continued waiting.
A little while later, Guy finished training and said goodbye to Lee.
Then—
With a quick Body Flicker, he appeared beside Souma.
"Souma! Were you waiting for me?"
"Yes, Guy-sensei."
"Want to talk over dinner?"
"Ah… that sounds good."
Guy was actually quite hungry.
Even though he had eaten Life Curry earlier, a full day of training had burned through most of his energy.
They jumped down from the rooftop together and entered a nearby ramen shop.
After ordering two bowls of ramen, Guy looked at him curiously.
"So, what's the matter?"
"There may be a friendly exchange with Kumogakure soon," Souma said.
"Would you be interested in sparring with the Raikage?"
"The Raikage?"
Guy blinked in surprise.
Then he thought for a moment.
He quickly understood Souma's intention.
Showcase Konoha's taijutsu.
Guy leaned closer and whispered,
"What techniques should I use?"
"Whatever you like."
Souma smiled.
"The main goal is to demonstrate the strength and elegance of Konoha's taijutsu."
"If you can show the Raikage how powerful it is, that's enough."
He paused.
"Of course… if you've mastered the chakra armor technique we discussed earlier, that would be even better."
"Chakra armor…"
Guy's eyes lit up.
He understood immediately.
Kumogakure's most famous legacy came from the Third Raikage.
The strongest spear.
The strongest shield.
Although the Four-Finger Nukite technique had not been fully inherited, Lightning Armor remained Kumogakure's signature ability.
If Konoha displayed something similar—
They would certainly pay attention.
Guy nodded firmly.
"I can do it."
"Great."
"I'll report that to Lady Tsunade."
"Then you can give the Raikage a little demonstration."
The two exchanged mischievous smiles.
A carefully planned combination like this—
Souma doubted Kumogakure could resist.
Just like Sunagakure before.
After witnessing puppet-style taijutsu, they had happily agreed to cooperate.
Although there had been a minor incident involving Rasa coughing blood.
But in the end—
Both sides were satisfied.
The same situation would likely happen with Kumogakure.
Konoha would gain slightly more—
But both villages would benefit.
After all—
Kumogakure would receive techniques Konoha already possessed.
While Konoha would gain new knowledge it previously lacked.
In the long run—
Konoha would only grow stronger.
Now it depended on how the Raikage decided.
At that moment, the Raikage was still arguing with Tsunade in the meeting room.
"These conditions are outrageous!"
"If Souma hadn't intervened that day, Hidan might have escaped," Tsunade replied calmly.
"You feared his immortality and his strange rituals, didn't you?"
"Hmph!"
"I had already figured out his technique!"
"I was preparing to counterattack before Souma interfered!"
"Shameless old man!"
"What's shameless about that?" the Raikage retorted stubbornly.
"I truly understood his ability!"
"Then explain it," Tsunade snapped.
"How exactly would you counter his technique?"
"You think I'd tell you?"
"Shameless old man—get out!"
Tsunade slammed the table.
The Raikage's face turned red.
He hated acting so stubborn.
But this negotiation concerned Kumogakure's future.
He couldn't afford to compromise easily.
He left the room.
A moment later, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane entered.
They looked at Tsunade hesitantly.
Tsunade was still muttering curses under her breath.
But after a minute, she glanced out the window and suddenly smiled.
"Lady Tsunade?"
Koharu frowned.
"The negotiations didn't go well. Why are you smiling?"
Tsunade chuckled.
"His reaction was exactly what Souma and I predicted."
"With the Raikage's personality, if he's willing to endure my insults and keep negotiating…"
"It means he's very interested in Hidan's secret."
Homura nodded.
"That's true."
"If he wasn't interested, he would have stormed out already."
Tsunade crossed her arms.
"He refuses to compromise because he hasn't seen the benefits of cooperation."
"Once he sees the advantages of exchanging ninjutsu…"
"The negotiations will move forward."
Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance.
They had been worried Tsunade might lose control of her temper and damage the negotiations.
But now—
It was clear she understood the situation perfectly.
In fact—
She and Souma had thought further ahead than either of them.
If they had been in charge…
They might have already fallen into the Raikage's trap.
Or failed to find a solution.
At that moment—
Both advisors had the same realization.
Tsunade…
No longer needed them hovering over her decisions.
Koharu felt a faint sense of loneliness.
They nodded quietly and left the room without offering further advice.
Outside the Hokage building, Koharu sighed.
"Tsunade has truly grown."
"And now she has Souma beside her…"
Homura nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"She no longer needs us pointing fingers."
For the first time, they felt their age.
Even if they analyzed the situation carefully, they could not anticipate events the way Tsunade and Souma had.
The Raikage had unknowingly fallen into their plan.
That kind of sharp intuition belonged to the younger generation now.
They were old.
"Perhaps we should simply remain advisors," Koharu said quietly.
"If Tsunade doesn't ask for our opinion… we should stay out of their way."
"Otherwise we'll only become annoying old fools."
She sighed and walked home.
Homura lit a cigarette silently.
From the window above, Tsunade watched them leave.
"Lady Tsunade?"
Shizune approached.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
Tsunade smiled faintly.
"I was just thinking… Konoha is becoming stronger every day."
"Give us a little time."
"And we'll restore the glory my grandfather once built."
Her eyes shone with determination.
Shizune smiled softly.
"Of course."
"With you and Souma working together so well…"
"It would be harder for Konoha not to become powerful."
Tsunade grinned.
"You should have seen their faces earlier."
"Those two old men couldn't say a word!"
"It felt great!"
Shizune struggled to hold back laughter.
She knew Tsunade's personality far too well.
There was no way Tsunade would resist bragging about that.
But then Shizune remembered something important.
She handed over a thick file.
"Lady Tsunade, these are the past records you asked me to collect."
"Most of them were found in Root's old base."
"Thank you, Shizune."
Tsunade accepted the documents.
They contained years of data regarding Yamato's condition after receiving Hashirama cells.
Every year's physical changes were carefully recorded.
Tsunade was thinking about something.
If the Hashirama-based Curse Mark worked on Kimimaro…
Then perhaps—
It could work on Yamato as well.
And if that were possible—
She hoped Yamato could become even stronger.
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