Taketori Kimimaro, or perhaps Kaguya Kimimaro.
This was a branch bloodline left behind by the Otsutsuki clan. They were born with an intense will to fight, and the most outstanding among them even possessed the Kekkei Genkai to fight using the bones inside their bodies.
And Kimimaro was precisely the last remaining bloodline of the Kaguya clan, as well as the most talented genius of that family.
Because of his Kekkei Genkai, he was feared by his clansmen and kept locked in a prison cell since childhood.
It wasn't until the clan prepared to rebel against Kirigakure that he was released to fight.
At that time, he had never undergone any training, yet he relied purely on instinct to slaughter his way in and out of the Kirigakure ninjas.
Kimimaro's talent and strength were beyond doubt.
He possessed the foundational qualities of an elite Jonin, along with the Macabre Bone Pulse Kekkei Genkai, plus the curse mark bestowed upon him by Orochimaru.
His strength was, without a doubt, at the Kage level.
However...
"Kaguya, huh..."
Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Jokichi chuckled lightly and put away the piece of bone in his hand.
This thing was Kimimaro's arm bone, which could be used to forge items.
Kimimaro watched indifferently as his arm bone was pulled out completely. The tip of the bone was sharp and piercing, capable of easily severing steel.
He raised his arm, pointing the bone sword at Jokichi.
"Just as Lord Orochimaru said, you cannot be killed unless your consciousness is destroyed. In that case, I will obliterate your consciousness! Dance of the Willow!"
His figure turned into a blur as he lunged forward, as swift and light as the wind. Paired with his white hair and white clothes, he looked incredibly ethereal and otherworldly.
However—
Jokichi was faster.
Before the afterimage even covered half the distance, Jokichi acted later but arrived first. He dashed right in front of Kimimaro and thrust his long sword straight at his eye.
He knew Kimimaro had a layer of hard bone membrane under his skin, so he aimed his attack directly at a vital spot.
With both of them accelerating towards each other, the distance was closed in a fraction of a second.
Kimimaro hadn't even had time to fully react. His vision merely flashed, and his body, sensing the danger instinctively, leaned backward before his conscious mind could even process the movement.
"Clang!"
The blade hummed lightly as it scraped past Kimimaro's face, drawing a thin line of blood.
Momentum carried the two of them far past each other, making it seem as if they had merely swapped positions.
However, the moment the two of them found their footing in the distance, Jokichi instantly vanished from his spot. The very next second, he appeared right in front of Kimimaro.
His sharp blade, wrapped in wind-natured chakra, slashed mercilessly toward Kimimaro.
This was the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
Before making his initial move, Jokichi had considered the possibility that his first strike might fail, so he proactively left a Flying Thunder God mark on the ground beneath his feet.
When Kimimaro relied on his instincts to dodge, Jokichi instantly warped back to his original spot and launched a surprise attack with his sword.
Leaving aside the sheer speed, the sheer abruptness of it was entirely unexpected.
Naturally, Kimimaro didn't have the time to dodge.
But being unable to dodge didn't mean he would just sit there and wait for death.
The ribs in his chest popped out like butterfly knives, lining up side-by-side like sharp blades.
Only...
They were too short.
The blade of the Sword of Protection alone was nearly a meter long, while Kimimaro's ribs, despite popping out like sharp weapons, were only a little over thirty centimeters.
This was nothing more than a dying struggle, utterly meaningless.
The sword pierced into his eye without the slightest hesitation, and blood splattered out.
Just as Jokichi was preparing to increase his force and pierce straight through his brain, the scattered Gold Dust on the ground beneath his feet seemingly came alive, forming a massive hand that grabbed toward him.
Withdraw the sword, Body Flicker Jutsu.
Jokichi didn't hesitate in the slightest. His entire person vanished from the spot in an instant, not stopping until he landed in a nearby area free of Gold Dust.
Rasa's Gold Dust ninjutsu was different from Kimimaro's bone swords.
Perhaps the damage wasn't as direct as a sharp weapon, but it could firmly restrain a person and render them immobile.
If followed up with a sealing jutsu, then everything would be over.
He could ignore Kimimaro's bone sword, but he couldn't ignore Rasa's Gold Dust.
Once he confirmed he was in a safe position, he looked up toward the direction Rasa had been knocked flying earlier.
Rasa was lying in the shattered wall. The clothes on his chest and abdomen were torn, revealing twisted and mangled flesh. On the ground next to him were vomited blood and fragments of internal organs.
Before being hit by the Massive Rasengan, this guy had used Gold Dust to create a layer of armor over his body.
Otherwise, the Massive Rasengan wouldn't have done so little damage.
However, although he saved his life, Rasa was already at the end of his rope and no longer a threat.
That sneak attack just now had used up the last of his strength.
Seeing Jokichi dodge it, his arm dropped down in regret.
However, although Rasa's sneak attack failed, he had bought precious time for Kimimaro.
During this brief window, Kimimaro completed the transformation of his curse mark form, and he went straight into the Curse Mark Level 2 state.
His skin turned dark brown, and countless sharp bones protruded from his chest and spine. He even had a long, thick tail dragging behind him.
This state was Kimimaro's true Kage-level strength.
In his normal state, he was merely an elite Jonin.
Jokichi faintly remembered that the fat guy from the Sound Four mentioned while fighting Choji that the Curse Mark Level 1 state could multiply one's overall strength, speed, and chakra by ten times.
As for how much Curse Mark Level 2 could amplify them, it was never explicitly stated.
However, no matter how you thought about it, it would only be stronger than Level 1.
Failing to kill Kimimaro in his weakest state left Jokichi feeling a bit regretful.
But, it just meant he had to put in a little more effort.
Kimimaro didn't speak. His eyes were locked tightly onto Jokichi.
The opponent's speed and that teleportation-like ninjutsu meant he couldn't afford the slightest bit of carelessness. He didn't even dare to shift his gaze away from him.
Jokichi noticed Kimimaro's hyper-vigilant state and chuckled lightly.
"I'm done playing with you guys."
Saying this, Jokichi raised the Sword of Protection and threw it straight out.
The target wasn't Kimimaro, but Rasa.
Although Rasa was already heavily injured and unable to move.
Who knew when he might experience a sudden burst of terminal lucidity? Therefore, it was best to finish him off first.
Kimimaro hadn't expected Jokichi to do this. By the time he wanted to rescue him, it was already too late.
No, he hadn't even thought about rescuing him at all.
He wasn't close with Rasa; they were just temporarily cooperating.
To expose a fatal flaw just to save someone who had already lost their combat capability would be seeking death.
Rasa was probably truly out of strength.
Watching the Sword of Protection shoot toward him, he remained completely motionless, only able to watch helplessly as the sword drew closer and closer.
"Pfft!"
The sword pierced his heart, and Rasa's eyes widened.
Ah! To actually be finished off by a kid.
I wonder what will happen to Gaara and the others.
Although it was to fulfill my duties as the Kazekage, as a father, I have truly been a massive failure.
His head slowly drooped down, and Rasa completely lost consciousness.
Jokichi didn't pay attention to Rasa's situation.
Because the moment he threw his sword, Kimimaro lowered his head and charged straight at him.
Mid-charge, several sharp bones protruded from his right arm.
They intertwined with each other, forming a massive drill. Combined with the speed of Kimimaro's Curse Mark Level 2 state, he charged forward like an unstoppable chariot.
Jokichi smiled and clapped his hands together.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The floorboards split open one after another. Saplings raised their heads, taking root and sprouting at a visible rate, then rapidly growing massive.
This fairly large competitor tunnel was instantly filled, and Kimimaro was bound tightly after slicing through several tree roots and wooden vines.
The large trees didn't stop growing. They continued to expand, bending as they hit the ceiling, and then ultimately pushed right through the ceiling, breaking out of the floor entirely.
Jokichi stood on the treetops, rising to the outside world along with the growing trees.