i am kimimaro

Kimimaro's expression grew serious, knowing that this attack was impossible to avoid. 

If Tailed Beast Bombs were easy to dodge, they wouldn't be so feared by most ninja.

"If I can't dodge it, I'll have to take it head-on!"

Kimimaro quickly retreated, pushing his body to its limit with instantaneous movement.

At the same time, he placed his right hand to his mouth. Using the power of his Shikotsumyaku, his teeth became sharp. A light bite left a bleeding wound on his right hand as blood quickly oozed out.

He formed hand seals!

Kimimaro didn't know many jutsu, but for those he did, he knew the hand seals intimately.

His sealing speed was naturally fast as well.

In an instant, he completed the five-seal Summoning Jutsu!

Kimimaro slapped the ground with his right hand, and a black summoning formation appeared on the earth.

"Summoning Jutsu! Double Rashomon!"

Two massive gates rose from the summoning formation!

The first gate!

A dark red door!

The second gate!

A dark green door!

Each door was carved with images of fearsome demons, with chains extending from both sides of the demons' mouths to the edge of the doors.

The demons' faces were twisted and menacing, almost as if they were mocking something.

The two towering gates, each over a dozen meters high, stood firmly in front of Kimimaro.

In the blink of an eye, the Double Rashomon and the Tailed Beast Bomb were about to collide simultaneously!

Boom!

The Tailed Beast Bomb fired straight toward Kimimaro.

But the two demon gates blocked every angle of the Tailed Beast Bomb's approach.

A collision was inevitable!

In an instant, the Tailed Beast Bomb struck the first Rashomon gate.

The dark red demon gate took the full brunt of the attack!

After a brief stalemate, the dark red gate shattered into dust and disappeared.

The power of the Tailed Beast Bomb was truly evident.

At the same time, the energy of the Tailed Beast Bomb, now greatly diminished, hurtled toward the second Rashomon gate!

The dark green demon gate was designed to absorb and diminish the force of attacks.

If the first gate was brute defense, the second was a softer, absorbing defense.

It could continuously reduce the impact of even the most powerful attacks, making its defense even stronger than the first gate!

The Tailed Beast Bomb struck, and the stalemate lasted for a full second.

After that second, the second Rashomon gate also collapsed.

Smoke and dust filled the air!

Both Rashomon gates dissipated, but the power of the Tailed Beast Bomb was almost completely nullified, leaving only shockwaves sweeping the area.

"It actually blocked it?"

Yugito was stunned.

Her Tailed Beast Bomb had never been met head-on like this.

Anyone hit by it would either die or be gravely injured.

In the swirling smoke, Kimimaro knew this was his best chance to escape.

"This dust cloud is perfect for me to take advantage of."

Kimimaro immediately recalled the reward he had just received from his encounter with Yūkimaru.

"Bakudō #21: Sekienton!"

With the dust stirred up by the Tailed Beast Bomb, the power of the Red Smoke Escape Technique was amplified, and upon release, the original dust cloud was tinged with a crimson hue.

Visibility dropped to nearly zero, making it more effective than the Hidden Mist Technique.

His Silent Killing Technique would help Kimimaro slip away unnoticed in this crimson smoke cloud.

The red smoke spread rapidly, covering a vast area, and in moments, even Yugito was engulfed.

"This smoke... something's not right. Damn! He's trying to escape!"

Yugito quickly realized what was happening.

Within this crimson smoke, she couldn't track his movements at all.

This was his perfect opportunity to flee.

Yugito wasn't about to give up so easily.

Relying on her memory of Kimimaro's last known location, she charged forward, unconcerned about ambushes thanks to the protection of her Tailed Beast cloak.

But when she reached the spot, Kimimaro was already gone.

"Damn it."

Frustrated, Yugito suddenly sensed someone approaching from not far away.

"There!"

In her half-transformed state, she swiped her clawed hand toward the approaching figure!

Her claws neared their target but were blocked by a long blade crackling with lightning, deflecting all her attacks.

"Yugito, stop! What's going on here?!"

The familiar voice made Yugito pause for a moment.

The crimson smoke had dispersed enough for her to make out the figure's face.

It wasn't Orochimaru but Darui.

Darui, the future Fifth Raikage, was known for his expertise in Lightning Release and Storm Release.

Beside Darui were two other Cloud ninja.

"Why is it you?"

"This place isn't far from the village, and the commotion from your fight was too loud. Lord Raikage sent me to check it out."

Darui sheathed his sword and scanned the area with a serious expression.

What kind of opponent could make Yugito resort to using the Tailed Beast Bomb?

And what were those two demon gates that appeared earlier?

How could they block a Tailed Beast Bomb from Yugito?

While the Two-Tails' strength was among the weakest of the tailed beasts, and its Tailed Beast Bomb was far weaker than that of the Eight-Tails, it still wasn't something any ordinary ninja could withstand.

Darui himself didn't believe he could handle that move at his current strength.

The Two-Tails' chakra quickly dissipated from Yugito's body, returning her to her usual beautiful appearance.

"It was Orochimaru. He infiltrated the village and kidnapped the boy I brought back. When I found out, I gave chase and caught up with him here. We fought fiercely, and as expected of one of the Legendary Sannin, he managed to withstand my Tailed Beast Bomb."

Kimimaro's earlier defense made Yugito both frustrated and impressed.

This was a world where strength spoke the loudest. The stronger you were, the more respect you commanded.

Even from the opposing side.

"Orochimaru, huh? So it was him. Did he get away?"

Darui scanned the surroundings but found no trace of Orochimaru.

"He probably didn't want to provoke us Cloud ninjas any further. Using the smoke from the Tailed Beast Bomb, he cast some strange jutsu, creating a massive cloud of red smoke, and escaped with the boy in the confusion."

"Well, it's good that you're okay. It seems the boy you brought back was very important to Orochimaru. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked entering the village alone to take him. That boy must really be connected to the Fourth Mizukage.

"But why would Orochimaru want him? Could it be that after betraying Konoha, he's now working with the Hidden Mist?"

Darui thought for a moment, scratching his head before giving a resigned look.

"This is such a hassle. I don't want to think about it anymore. Let's head back and report to Lord Raikage. And you—running out here alone in a situation like this—if Lord Raikage finds out, he's going to blow up again. You and Lord B always make his life difficult."

"Hmph, I don't need you to worry about me."

Yugito snorted, glancing around one last time to confirm that "Orochimaru" was truly gone, then headed back to the village.

Darui and the other two Cloud ninja remained on the battlefield, looking for any other clues.

And with that, the battle came to an end.

(End of Chapter)