Edge of Konoha, Land of Fire
"How do we infiltrate?"
"I've been thinking about that these past few days," Kimimaro replied, gazing toward the sprawling forests that marked Konoha's borders. "We don't necessarily need to infiltrate in the traditional sense. Konoha isn't a completely closed village. Outside the core village area, there are outlying towns and trade routes under its jurisdiction, filled with travelers and merchants from all over the continent."
"You're saying we just walk into Konoha's territory like regular civilians?" Jūgo asked, raising a brow.
"More or less. But we still need disguises—especially me and Fū."
Kimimaro's presence would be recognized instantly in Konoha. His appearance and kekkei genkai had been noted during the Sasuke Retrieval Mission. As for Fū—well, wings weren't exactly common in the shinobi world.
Karin, ever prepared, had picked up an array of makeup and disguise tools along the way. They finally came in handy.
Soon, Kimimaro's image was transformed. His striking white hair was dyed black and tied into a modest topknot. With Karin's expert touch, his faint eyebrows were reshaped into sharp, commanding lines. He donned loose-fitting civilian clothes and added a pair of simple reading glasses.
To those unfamiliar with him, he looked like an ordinary traveler. And thankfully, most of Konoha's shinobi wouldn't recognize him. Of the Konoha ninja, only Naruto and Rock Lee had ever fought him—and even then, Rock Lee had only faced him briefly during the mission led by Shikamaru. Naruto was likely off training with Jiraiya, as he was during this period before the start of Shippuden, and Rock Lee… well, Kimimaro doubted he'd be suspicious without reason.
As long as he didn't use Shikotsumyaku, they should be safe.
The real problem was Fū.
"Can you retract your wings?"
"Uh… I can," she said hesitantly, "but it's uncomfortable. Like keeping your arms folded inside your shirt all day."
"I'll get you some loose clothes. It's better to keep them hidden unless it's an emergency," Kimimaro said. Karin, for all her talents, was no ANBU infiltration expert. But between makeup, clothing, and careful behavior, they could pass for civilians.
They passed through the checkpoint of one of Konoha's outlying trade towns. Technically, this wasn't the Hidden Leaf Village proper, but a settlement under its control—part of the Land of Fire's internal trade network.
Here, shinobi and civilians mingled openly. The village maintained peace and order, and the presence of shinobi deterred most crime.
"The atmosphere is… different," Jūgo said, observing how casually shinobi moved among common folk. "It's more harmonious than the Grass Village."
"And definitely livelier than Takigakure," Fū added, bouncing from stall to stall like a curious butterfly. "Look at all these street foods!"
"That's because Konoha was built on Hashirama Senju's ideals," Kimimaro explained. "He believed that shinobi and civilians could coexist under mutual protection. This peace is a shadow of his vision. If we go deeper into the Land of Fire, we might find places just as peaceful as that town near the Hero's Waterfall in Takigakure."
"You really admire the First Hokage?" Jūgo asked. "Do you want to follow in his footsteps?"
Kimimaro shook his head. "I respect him. His strength, his charisma, and his vision… But I don't fully agree with him. He had the power to change the world—but he stopped halfway. The creation of the ninja village system was a major leap forward. But it wasn't enough."
Jūgo frowned, intrigued. "What do you mean?"
"As long as the Five Great Nations and their respective ninja villages continue to exist as separate entities, war is inevitable. Hashirama distributed the Tailed Beasts to create balance, but all he did was delay conflict. True peace can't exist in a world with multiple military powers all vying for dominance."
"What would you do?" Jūgo asked.
"I'd pursue unification," Kimimaro said calmly. "At the very least, unify the ninja world under one banner. That wouldn't eliminate all conflict—but it would prevent the large-scale wars we've seen over and over again."
Fū paused her chewing. "Sounds kind of... tyrannical?"
"Not if it's done the right way," Kimimaro said. "Hashirama was too gentle. He reminds me of Napoleon—strong, charismatic, beloved—but ultimately too soft to forge a lasting legacy. He created a system, but didn't complete it. By offering power to others—like distributing the Tailed Beasts—he laid the foundation for endless power struggles."
"In your world," he continued, "there are dozens of countries with the same culture, same language, and same history. Why do they stay divided? Unification isn't a pipe dream. It's the only way to bring about an era of true order."
Jūgo was silent for a long time, turning the thought over in his head. Fū simply looked thoughtful, still chewing.
Although Madara Uchiha's personality was undoubtedly overbearing and self-righteous, his vision of unifying the shinobi world wasn't entirely misguided.
Kimimaro, with the mind of a transmigrator from another world, deeply resonated with the concept of grand unification. In a world fractured by conflict and rivalries much like the Warring States Period, unity wasn't just a dream — it was a necessity.
Of course, whether he could be the one to achieve it was another matter entirely. For now, he simply wanted to plant the idea, to let it take root.
To maintain their cover, Kimimaro and his small group spent several days traveling through the towns and villages on the outskirts of the Land of Fire. Moving as mere travelers would help them avoid drawing unnecessary attention from Konoha's intelligence network — and, more importantly, lull the hidden ANBU operatives who monitored all foreign movements near the village.
During these days, Kimimaro kept a watchful eye out.
His current objective was simple — find a member of the Hyūga clan, collect a blood sample, and retreat immediately. No engagement, no confrontation.
Even with his Shikotsumyaku now fully awakened and his body vastly stronger than it had been under Orochimaru's care, Kimimaro knew better than to overestimate himself — especially while operating near Konohagakure, the strongest of the Five Great Nations.
Patience was survival.
His Bloodline Evolution System didn't require the purest Hyūga DNA to analyze and extract the Byakugan gene — though the purer the bloodline, the greater the time and life energy cost. Still, any sample would do.
His goal after acquiring the Byakugan was to seek out one more ninjutsu-based kekkei genkai before acting openly. Both Shikotsumyaku and Byakugan were taijutsu-oriented bloodline limits; his lack of ninjutsu-based abilities was becoming a severe limitation.
He didn't possess the Hachimon Tonkō (Eight Gates), nor the Chakra Enhanced Strength of Tsunade's lineage. His taijutsu alone couldn't contend with elite shinobi who wielded powerful elemental or spiritual techniques.
But where could he find a powerful ninjutsu-type bloodline?
He sighed inwardly. He missed Kurotsuchi. He missed Guren.
"I'll find a way to get to the Land of Earth and bring that stubborn girl back," Kimimaro swore to himself. Kurotsuchi, as the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, might possess knowledge or even access to rare bloodline techniques.
As for Guren, she could wait. She was still in Orochimaru's domain, and Kimimaro had no desire to cross paths with his former master just yet.
He had seen some of Orochimaru's scrolls, and while they brimmed with forbidden techniques, Kimimaro's body hadn't been suited for them. Unlike Rock Lee, who was completely unable to use ninjutsu, Kimimaro could manage basic jutsu — but anything beyond that yielded meager returns.
It was frustrating. The system had given him tools to ascend, yet his growth felt lopsided.
After several more days of careful movement and reconnaissance, Kimimaro finally spotted a Hyūga. Yesterday's brief glimpse had given him a lead. Today, he returned to the same area, hoping for a chance encounter.
But caution was critical. The Byakugan granted 360-degree vision and chakra perception; tailing a Hyūga was an easy way to get exposed. Instead, Kimimaro chose to loiter casually in the vicinity, confident the Hyūga wouldn't keep their dōjutsu activated in public — it was considered a breach of etiquette and a drain on chakra.
"Any movement?" Kimimaro asked quietly.
Karin was leaning against his shoulder, her eyes closed, feigning affection to onlookers. In truth, she was using her Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Kagura) to sense chakra signatures over a wide area.
"He's here," she murmured. "Looks like he's tailing a child. The kid ran this way a minute ago."
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed slightly. A child? That might complicate things — or make things easier. Either way, the opportunity had arrived.