"I… my name is Uzumaki Karin."
"Uzumaki, huh?" Kimimaro replied, feigning mild surprise, even though he already knew.
His sharp gaze shifted to her arms, and a subtle frown appeared.
"What is it?" Karin asked, puzzled.
"I've heard that others often bit your arms for healing. I expected to see scars."
Karin gave a small, bitter smile. "We Uzumaki have powerful life forces—our wounds heal quickly. But..." Her voice trailed off, and her expression darkened. "My mother… she had scars. I always thought it was because she was old or overworked. But now I understand. Those were wounds she never wanted to heal… not just physical, but emotional."
Kimimaro was silent.
In the original timeline, the bite marks on Karin's arms symbolized more than just healing—they were proof of how others used her. She bore them as a reminder, marks of humiliation and isolation that cut deeper than skin.
But that would end now. There would be no more scars.
"If you have nowhere to go… come with me."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up, but then anxiety returned. "You… you won't think I'm dirty, right? They… they used to bite me all the time…"
"How could I?" Kimimaro's voice was soft but firm. "No one will ever hurt you again."
Karin hesitated, blushing. "I… I wouldn't mind if it's you. You can bite me, if you want…" her voice grew quieter and quieter.
Kimimaro gently placed a hand on her head and smiled. "Let's get you something to eat first."
Her face turned crimson.
Afterward, Kimimaro turned inward, focusing on the system interface.
That test tube—the key to his new future—lay dormant, but active.
The Bloodline Gene Potion.
A unique serum synthesized by the system, using the blood or tissue of a shinobi as a base. It consumed life energy to unlock and graft their bloodline traits—Kekkei Genkai or other inherited abilities—into the user's body.
Karin's Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Jugo's Sage Transformation, and the Hozuki clan's Hydrification Technique were all valid targets.
In life, Kimimaro's greatest regret was his illness, the terminal condition that shortened his time. That regret fused with the transmigration energy, giving rise to the Bloodline Evolution System.
[System, how do I create the Bloodline Gene Potion?]
[The host must first collect a sample—blood or tissue. When stimulated with life energy, the system will begin synthesizing the potion. The Kaguya clan's bloodline is low-tier, requiring 1200 life energy and ten days of processing. However, the host has already submitted a blood sample directly linked to its originator, so no additional life energy is needed. The process will begin now.]
[Only ten days? That's fast.]
[Processing time and energy requirements vary by bloodline. Low-purity traits may require only a few days and modest energy. Higher-tier traits—such as advanced Dojutsu or rare Kekkei Mora—may demand tens of thousands of energy units and take years. Time can be halved by doubling energy input.]
Kimimaro glanced at the resource tracker: 8700 life energy in total.
It wasn't much—most had come from defeating a mid-tier Kaguya jonin.
"Ten days is acceptable. No need to waste extra energy."
The Kaguya bloodline was only the beginning. He planned to craft more potions, evolve further—but it wouldn't be easy.
There were strict limitations.
First, only one special containment tube was granted per month by the system.
Second, life energy could not be harvested indiscriminately.
System Rules:
Life energy can only be absorbed from enemies killed in actual combat, not training or torture.
It can also be received willingly from allies.
Corpses must be fresh and deaths must be purposeful—not the result of random slaughter.
[The host must not fear killing… but must also never be consumed by it.]
A noble philosophy. Still, it felt like the system had closed off the easiest shortcut.
"We should leave," Kimimaro finally said, rising slowly. His body still hadn't fully recovered.
"Where to?" Jugo asked.
"We can't stay in the Land of Grass. The Kaguya clan will learn what happened soon. We're not safe here."
Karin nodded. "Yeah… the Kaguya clan has deep ties to Kusagakure. If they know you're alive, they'll come after you for sure."
Kimimaro considered their options. "The Land of Waterfalls is too chaotic—too many rogue ninjas. We'll rest for a few days somewhere quiet… then head toward the Land of Iron. It's neutral territory. We'll be harder to track there."
The next chapter of their journey was about to begin—one where survival meant more than fighting. It meant evolving, protecting, and perhaps… healing.
"How about going to the Land of Fire?"
Although the image of the cold, aloof young man in Karin's heart was gradually being replaced by Kimimaro, she still harbored a faint hope toward the Land of Fire. It was, after all, where the great Hidden Leaf Village lay—once the home of her Uzumaki ancestors.
Kusagakure sat northeast in the Land of Grass, and if they headed directly south, they could cross the border into the Land of Fire within a day at a ninja's pace.
"No," Kimimaro rejected calmly, his tone unyielding. "Not the Land of Fire—not yet."
His expression was calm, but beneath it was caution. "Konoha has records of me. I was once part of Orochimaru's forces. If we enter their territory, we'll be tracked quickly."
"Then we only have one option left."
Jugo pointed northward. "The Land of Earth. It's farther, but fewer people know us there."
Meanwhile, in Kusagakure—Taketori Clan Compound
The Kaguya clan patriarch, Taketori Takemoto, trembled as he clutched a scroll bearing grim news. A trusted retainer knelt before him, forehead slick with sweat.
"Ginro… was killed?" Takemoto's voice cracked.
"Yes, Clan Head. We confirmed the body. Ginro and his escort, Kaguya Sanetsu, are both dead."
Takemoto's hand clenched tightly. "Sanetsu was an elite! Who could've done this?"
The messenger hesitated. "We investigated the site. Young Master Ginro seemed to have died from blunt trauma—precise taijutsu strikes. But Sanetsu…"
"What about him?"
"He had bone fragments piercing his organs… signs consistent with the Shikotsumyaku."
The scroll slipped from Takemoto's hand.
"Shikotsumyaku?" he echoed, stunned. "But that bloodline… only the southern Kaguya of Kirigakure possessed it. Weren't they all wiped out during the bloodline purges?"
The messenger nodded slowly. "That's what we believed. But there was one survivor—Kimimaro, the boy taken by Orochimaru."
Takemoto's eyes narrowed. "Kimimaro… Orochimaru's favorite pawn. That boy was said to be terminally ill." He began pacing, thoughts racing. "Could Orochimaru have cured him? Or revived him with some forbidden jutsu?"
"Should we investigate?"
"Investigate?" Takemoto barked. "We retaliate! Send word to the village. Gather our elite. I want that murderer found. If this is Orochimaru's doing, then we'll make him regret ever interfering with the Kaguya of Kusagakure!"
"Understood, my lord!"
Far away, in Otogakure
Deep within the halls of the Hidden Sound Village, Orochimaru sat upon a stone throne, a faint smirk curling his lips. His snake-like eyes gleamed with interest.
"Guren," he said softly.
A young woman with sharp eyes and blue hair entered, bowing slightly. Her red top and green flak jacket bore the insignia of the Sound Four's former unit.
"Lord Orochimaru, what are your orders?"
He eyed her thoughtfully. "Still resentful, are we?"
She stiffened. "Guren would never dare disobey. But… I know I'm no longer your ideal vessel."
"Indeed," Orochimaru said with a chuckle. "Kimimaro was perfection… until his body began failing him."
He stood slowly. "But now, there are rumors that he lives again. And if that's true—" his voice grew sharper, "I need to see him with my own eyes."
Guren's gaze flickered. "You want me to find him?"
"Correct. Take a small team. Find Kimimaro. If he's alive… bring him back. If he's not alone, eliminate the others."
She bowed silently, the flicker of jealousy vanishing behind steely resolve.