NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 83: CHAPTER 83
Hearing Kimimaro call him an "artist," Deidara's eye sparkled with delight. He looked genuinely pleased, thinking this younger man was unusually insightful.
"So you recognize true art, huh? You're more perceptive than most. I heard you're on good terms with Kurotsuchi. Not bad, not bad! Kimimaro, let me show you the true beauty of an explosion!"
Kimimaro shook his head calmly. "This area can't withstand that kind of destruction. If you want to detonate something, go to the Land of Grass and blow up Hōzuki Castle."
"Hōzuki Castle, huh? Heh, that prison could use some redecoration," Deidara chuckled, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "But I'm frustrated I can't show off my latest piece!"
Kimimaro's lips curled into a slight smile. "Then allow me to show you something I crafted."
"Eh? You have artists here too?"
"Not exactly artists. But this... this is something I created through careful control and effort."
Kimimaro raised his hand, and with a surge of chakra, summoned his Bone Dragon, constructed from hardened calcium grown via Shikotsumyaku. The massive skeletal beast loomed overhead, its structure refined and deadly.
Deidara's visible eye gleamed. "Impressive detail. You've got some talent, I'll give you that. It's got a certain aesthetic—but your art has no soul! True art... is an explosion!" He then added, "Sasori's art, on the other hand, is eternal. Opposites, sure, but we both carry the essence of art in our own way. Yours? It's too structured. Too static. Ordinary."
"That's why I never claimed to be an artist."
"Hmm, at least you're self-aware. That earns you a pass," Deidara said, turning with a smug grin.
Sasori, who had been silent, cast a cold glance at Kimimaro before the pair departed. That one lingering look from the puppet master sent a subtle chill through Kimimaro's spine. His instincts flared in warning.
Akatsuki.
A group that defied law and order, dangerous and volatile.
If this had been the old Akatsuki, back when Yahiko led with ideals, Kimimaro might've supported their goals. But now... Nagato's current path made him wonder if the man still had any of his old self left.
Deidara, for all his madness, was at least someone who could be reasoned with—provided you understood his artistic mania. But someone like Kakuzu? That monster would even kill his own allies for a bounty.
Kimimaro wasn't arrogant. If the intruders had been Kakuzu and Hidan, he and Guren might've had a chance at a tactical counter. But Deidara and Sasori were different—specialists in wide-scale destruction. They weren't necessarily more powerful one-on-one, but they were catastrophic in terms of collateral damage. Kimimaro couldn't afford to provoke them.
The Land of Vegetables was still too vulnerable.
Still, Kimimaro couldn't shake the feeling that Sasori had marked him. That glance was a warning—or perhaps a promise.
Just then, Jūgo and Suigetsu returned.
"What happened?" Suigetsu asked, noting the tense atmosphere.
"Two members of Akatsuki showed up, but they've left," Kimimaro replied flatly.
"Akatsuki?" the Konoha genin echoed in confusion. Clearly, they hadn't heard of the group before.
"Yes," Kimimaro confirmed. "A highly dangerous organization. That's all you need to know for now."
Sensing his unwillingness to elaborate, the four Konoha ninja didn't press.
Hinata walked over and bowed slightly. "Kimimaro... thank you."
"It was nothing. No need to be so formal—we're practically family," he replied with a warm smile.
"Or brother-in-law, right?" Ino teased as she leaned in, eyes playful. "Karin told me everything. You really are something else—commoners, nobles, daimyo... You're quite the lady-killer."
Kimimaro raised a brow. "Thinking of joining them?"
"Hmph! There are plenty of guys who like me too, you know!" Ino crossed her arms but smirked. "Still, you're a good person. If you're ever in Konoha, I'll treat you to ramen at Ichiraku. Best place in the village."
"Then I'll hold you to that."
After the Konoha ninja departed, Kimimaro gathered his ministers.
"From this point forward, we develop quietly," he ordered. "No reckless moves for the next year. Focus on rebuilding the economy. And all generals are to begin immediate training of elite forces."
He also began restructuring his intelligence network, assigning Karin and Suigetsu to oversee covert operations and recruitment.
Despite their current lack of trained shinobi, Kimimaro understood the importance of infrastructure. Squads had to be formed. Foundations laid.
If he were content with being a small nation's protector, the Land of Vegetables was already stable.
But he had bigger plans.
Kimimaro wasn't aiming to just survive. He intended to grow, to become a force to rival the Five Great Nations—and eventually surpass them.
He would change this world.
A Month Later
Kimimaro gathered a few of his most trusted allies.
"The Ice Release bloodline formula is complete."
He was the first to test it.
Thanks to his combined Senju and Uzumaki heritage, his body handled the gene therapy with minimal strain. The pain from the infusion was negligible.
His profile now read:
Name: Kimimaro
Bloodline Abilities:
Kekkei Genkai – Shikotsumyaku (Stabilized; minor latent risk remains)
Senju Bloodline
Kekkei Genkai – Wood Release (Incomplete)
Secret Technique – Hydrification (via Hōzuki lineage)
Uzumaki Bloodline
Kekkei Genkai – Ice Release (Newly integrated)
With the acquisition of the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, Kimimaro could clearly sense the changes in his chakra nature.
Ice Release, being a combination of Wind and Water Release, added a new element to his repertoire—Wind. Originally, Kimimaro's chakra leaned toward Earth Release, and he likely possessed a natural affinity for Yang Release, given his Shikotsumyaku's life-force-based abilities.
Later, his integration with Wood Release introduced Water Release into his chakra nature. Now, with Ice Release incorporated, Wind Release had also been awakened within him.
"If I keep assimilating more bloodlines, I might eventually possess all five basic nature transformations," Kimimaro mused.
Focusing his chakra, he caused the ambient water vapor to condense and instantly freeze, forming a translucent ice shield around his body. With a simple one-handed seal, he then shaped the frozen air into a large reflective lens floating in the sky.
"Haku's techniques are the easiest to reproduce," he commented. "After all, this Ice Release ability came from a refined gene potion extracted from his bloodline. But this large lens… it's too unstable for precision combat. It might work on mobs or lower-ranked opponents, but it has limited battlefield utility against experienced shinobi."
"Kimimaro, aren't you going to try turning your whole body into ice?" Suigetsu asked, visibly curious.
"No rush. I need to let my chakra pathways fully adapt first."
Kimimaro began delving deeper into how Ice Release functioned within his modified bloodline. Turning to Guren, who stood nearby, he asked, "Guren, a few days ago you completed that new Crystal Release technique—Crystal Mirror. Can you explain its mechanism to me?"
Guren nodded. "It's a reflective surface technique. The mirror can generate a clone based on my reflection, but it's limited by the purity of the crystal and chakra control. Still, crystal and ice are fundamentally different in chakra composition."
"That's fine," Kimimaro replied. "I'm not trying to replicate your jutsu—just exploring a new approach."
In truth, what he aimed to recreate was Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals—Haku's most advanced and unique technique. However, merely possessing Ice Release didn't guarantee access to it. Kekkei Genkai techniques were rarely instinctive; they had to be learned, developed, or passed down. Many shinobi had multiple chakra natures, but very few could fuse them to form an actual kekkei genkai, let alone master its advanced applications.
Haku had wielded a pure bloodline, making it possible for him to instinctively use techniques like Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. In contrast, Kimimaro's gene fusion was synthetically enhanced—purified by the system—requiring him to reverse-engineer and master techniques on his own.
With Guren's explanation as a reference, Kimimaro spent nearly thirty minutes experimenting, tuning his chakra control and adjusting his ice manipulation. At last, an elegantly formed mirror of ice stood in front of him.
"…You spent all that time just to make a mirror?" Suigetsu raised an eyebrow. "You could've just used the surface of a frozen lake."
Kimimaro didn't answer. Instead, he smiled faintly and pressed his palm into the ice mirror—his entire body phased into it moments later.
"You've heard of Zabuza Momochi, haven't you?" Kimimaro's voice echoed faintly from within the mirror. "He had a companion—a boy with a mask, calm demeanor, and deadly precision."
"Oh, that guy? Yeah, I think I remember," Suigetsu said, examining the mirror with interest.
"His name was Haku. And his Ice Release was the most refined and elegant of them all. What I'm using now… is Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, the pinnacle of his kekkei genkai."
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