Chapter 39 – Mission Complete
"Damn it, where did that kid run off to...?"
In the middle of a vast forest now turned into a bone-filled wasteland, Jiraiya rushed forward with a worried look. He had no idea how Kitagawa Gen was doing, and judging by the eerie landscape around him, he couldn’t help but swallow nervously.
"This cursed technique... Is this the Shikotsumyaku? Why is it so powerful?"
Jiraiya had seen his share of battles and bloodlines, and he was no stranger to the Kaguya clan’s abilities. But what he was seeing now—this scale, this intensity—was far beyond anything he’d witnessed before.
The once lush forest had been completely transformed. Towering trees had been replaced by massive, jagged white bone spikes. Even under the blazing sunlight, the area radiated a chilling, deathly aura.
If it hadn’t been for his quick reflexes—leaping onto Manda’s back with Orochimaru—the outcome could have been drastically different for him.
As for Manda... well, neither of them seemed to care what happened to the giant snake.
"Kid, you better be okay..."
He narrowed his eyes and quickened his pace. Soon, deep in the bone forest, he spotted Kitagawa Gen—alive and well, smashing through the remaining bones while making his way out.
"Whew..."
Jiraiya finally let out a long sigh of relief. His heart had been pounding with anxiety the entire time.
But as he got closer, he frowned. Gen’s clothes were tattered and slashed in multiple places.
"You alright, kid?"
Jiraiya jumped down beside him and immediately started checking him over, not even giving Gen a chance to speak.
"Huh? Jiraiya-sama?"
Gen had already sensed Jiraiya approaching. He hadn’t expected such a dramatic entrance, and he gave a light chuckle as he shook his head.
"Relax. I’m fine. Nothing to worry about."
"Still, better to be safe."
After a quick inspection, Jiraiya finally exhaled in relief. Oddly enough, despite the shredded clothes, Gen didn’t seem to have a single visible wound. But that wasn’t the most pressing issue right now.
"So, what happened? Was it that guy you were fighting?"
Gen nodded. "Yeah. He unleashed an enormous amount of chakra and the forest just... turned into this. After that, he disappeared."
He didn’t bother hiding anything. "The weird thing is, he could pull bones out of his own body to fight. I’ve read about that somewhere before... It reminded me of—"
"The Kaguya clan. From the Hidden Mist."
Jiraiya cut in, nodding grimly. "But this guy was way beyond any Kaguya I’ve ever seen. That level of power... they couldn’t come close."
Which made sense. After all, Kimimaro was considered dangerous even by his own clan. So much so that they locked him up despite his young age. Gen recalled that in some game, even an Uchiha received similar treatment.
"Now that I think about it, those two clans really are alike..."
The Uchiha were notorious for their unstable personalities, and the Kaguya were basically battle-crazed lunatics. Banished to the outskirts of the village, they frequently picked fights with others—always causing trouble.
Both clans even tried coups... and were ultimately wiped out.
Talk about two peas in a pod.
"If the Mist hadn’t closed off its borders, maybe the Uchiha would’ve learned something from the Kaguya’s fate and backed off."
Gen mused internally, then turned to Jiraiya with curiosity. "By the way, what about Orochimaru? And our mission?"
"With all that chaos earlier, I was more worried about you," Jiraiya said, looking a little awkward. "Didn’t have time to care about him."
But then he grinned. "Anyway, don’t sweat the small stuff. Mission’s done, and this Sage still got the job done!"
"..."
A little mistake?
Gen glanced at the bone-covered wasteland around them, then looked back at Jiraiya with a very specific expression that said: Maybe if you had listened earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.
"What’s with that look, huh?"
Jiraiya flushed a little with embarrassment, even though Gen hadn’t said a word.
Sometimes, silence is louder than anything.
"Alright, enough of that. Mission accomplished—let’s get outta here!"
"Right, right."
Gen didn’t bother arguing. Either way, mission complete.
---
[Side Quest: Jiraiya’s Exclusive Mission Complete]
[Title: If You’re My Bro, Stab Me Twice]
[Reward Acquired: Kimimaro’s Unique Yang Release Power]
---
Meanwhile, in another forest in the Land of Hot Water—
"How’s Kimimaro?"
"He still needs treatment, Orochimaru-sama."
In a clearing, Orochimaru observed as Jūgo worked to heal Kimimaro. Using his rare "Cellular Shedding" ability, Jūgo could share his chakra-infused cells to regenerate others—provided they were compatible with his cursed seal.
However, Orochimaru wasn’t optimistic. Kimimaro’s biggest issue wasn’t just physical wounds—it was the genetic disease coursing through his bloodline.
"That last technique—Dance of the Seedling Fern—must’ve taken a huge toll..."
Orochimaru frowned. That jutsu was Kimimaro’s ultimate trump card, something he hoped the boy would never have to use. Yet, here they were. Kimimaro had been forced to use it—cornered and desperate.
This... wasn’t good for Orochimaru’s plans.
Still, his mind drifted.
"That kid, though... he’s quite interesting."
Though he didn’t even catch the name, Orochimaru was intrigued by the young shinobi tagging along with Jiraiya. According to Jūgo, the boy was absurdly fast and strong—and more importantly, he wielded a rare form of Lightning Release.
One that merged three different properties simultaneously.
It was this very technique that overwhelmed both Jūgo and Kimimaro, and even forced the latter to use his ultimate move.
"To have mastered both lightning’s shape and nature transformation at that age..."
As a connoisseur of jutsu, Orochimaru recognized the terrifying potential behind that violet lightning.
A child with that kind of talent... raised by Jiraiya?
He licked his lips.
"Could he be... another Minato?"
The thought left a sour taste. The mere mention of Minato always put him in a bad mood.
Of course it had to be Jiraiya again.
Annoyed, Orochimaru shook off the thought.
There were more important things to do—like getting the hell out before Jiraiya’s bloodhound senses caught up again.
"Good thing he took the bait. Let him and the Akatsuki tear each other apart..."
With that, Orochimaru turned away, the trees swallowing him whole.