67 The Rescue Mission Battle Part 1

On the top of the cliffs that surrounded the entrance of the sand village…

Two figures stood on top as they stared at each other.

"Mukade!" Yūra called out as he stared at a middle-aged man with dark brown hair who had a sickly appearance, being very emaciated, with his ribs being visible. He wore a simple high-collared brown vest, open at the chest area, light-colored pants, and gauze wrapped around his waist area.

"Yūra!"

"Now that Sasori's work is done, I plan to keep these puppets for myself," Mukade said with an evil grin.

"Mukade!"

"I cannot allow you to do that!"

"We must maintain these puppets until we get the news…" Yūra said in an angry voice.

(Tsk!) "You're no fun at all!" Mukade grinned as he stepped down from the cliff, only to see Chiyo staring dumbfounded at the ANBU Black Ops (puppets) that guarded the border.

"This is…." Chiyo said as she approached the puppets to feel the surface area.

(Crack!) Pieces of wood broke on the surface, revealing the real face of the puppets that lied beneath the transformation…

Chiyo was shocked.

She turned around to see the puppets that were moving around the cliff in an orderly manner.

("The worst has happened!") Chiyo concluded.

"Hahahahaa" Mukade laughed at Chiyo.

Chiyo turned back.

"MUKADE!" Chiyo screamed in anger.

"Honoured Grandmother Chiyo…"

"It is an honor to meet you here." Mukade bowed towards Chiyo.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE ANBU BLACK OPS THAT WERE STATIONED HERE?" Chiyo asked.

"ANBU Black Ops?"

"They died in this valley two days ago," Mukade said with a smile.

Chiyo raised a scroll against Mukade.

"Whoah!"

"Whoah!" "Whoah!" "Whoah!"

"Slow down OLD LADY!"

"I did not kill them!" Mukade said.

"THEN WHO?" Chiyo asked.

"Who….?"

"Why don't you ask my partner in crime here?" Mukade said as he pointed towards a figure behind him.

The man approached the scene, as he came into view…

"Yūra?" Chiyo stared at him.

"Hahahaha" Mukade laughed.

"There you go!"

"The man who killed all the ANBU Black Ops that were stationed here…."

"Oh no!"

"The FUN FACT!"

"Yūra stationed those agents here in the valley, only to kill them all by himself…..Hahaha" Mukade ridiculed Yūra.

Chiyo stared at Yūra…

"Tell me that's not true," Chiyo said.

Yūra was said to be an industrious and loyal person. From the little that was seen of him, this was true as he advocated new strategies and plans that were geared towards improving the village. With regards to his loyalty, though two-sided, he was fiercely loyal to Hidden Sand Village and after being awakened as a sleeper agent, showed great loyalty towards Sasori as well.

"Honoured Grandmother!" He said as he half-kneeled towards her…

"I have my reasons…"

———————————————

Back in the desert where the Kazekage's and Orochimaru's group confronted…

"Orochimaru-sama!"

"What is it?" Orochimaru asked as he turned towards Kimimaro.

Kimimaro had a pale skin, vivid green eyes, masculine facial features, two scarlet dots on his forehead which all the members of his clan possessed, and shoulder-length white hair, which he wore divided down the middle on his head (distinguished by an atypical 'zigzag' hair parting) with two separate partings on either side of his face. He also had a curse mark under the name Cursed Seal of Earth which was applied at the base of his throat, where it is a circular pattern of three curved lines.

"Whom do you wish to kill?" Kimimaro asked emotionlessly, while deep inside, he was delighted in joining up on a mission with the person he revered.

"That person!" Orochimaru said as he pointed towards Rasa who was sitting inside the palanquin.

"What are they doing here?" One of the jounins reacted, following which the entire entourage had spotted Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Kimimaro together.

"Hmm?" Rasa looked outside his palanquin only to see the same sight as others in his group.

("What is Orochimaru doing here?") Rasa felt like almost panicking.

("If people from another village see us here together, the plan will be leaked before it comes to fruition.") Rasa thought as he stared at Orochimaru.

…..

Orochimaru turned towards Kimimaro.

"Go!"

Kimimaro nodded, following which he ran towards the group in front of him.

"What is he doing?" Rasa murmured as he saw Kimimaro running towards his entourage.

Meanwhile, Kimimaro who was running, folded his arms inwards as he muttered…

< Shikotsumyaku! >

(Whoosh!)

Whoosh!)

Bones extended out of both his elbows.

"What the hell is that?" A jounin asked.

"Is that bones?" Another man asked in the group.

Kimimaro paid no heed!

His abilities came from his Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku, which allowed the user to manipulate their own skeletal structure as a means of combat. Specifically, it allowed Kimimaro to manipulate his osteoblast and osteoclast cells, which are responsible for building or breaking down bone tissue. This ability gave him absolute control over the concentration of calcium within his bones, allowing him to control the density or malleability of them.

< First Dance - Dance of the Willow! >

Kimimaro extended bones out of his palm as well, as he increased his speed further.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" a person screamed with Battle intent as he launched himself forth to face the incoming Kimimaro.

"Hmph!" Kimimaro snorted as he slashed his bone onto the jounin, creating a huge bloody gash across the person's body.

Some of the jounins froze in fear as they looked at their comrade who was alive and well just a few seconds ago.

"You will pay for this!" Another jounin screamed as he launched himself forth just like the previous man at Kimimaro.

("Just like moths that are drawn towards the flame!") Kimimaro thought as he slashed aside the person who was — charging towards him with his right elbow.

Most of the people in the group froze, as they stared at the two who were dead on the ground with their bodies turning cold.

Rasa couldn't sit still any longer. He had a duty as the Kazekage to protect his people.

Just as he was about to get up…

"AAARRGGGHHHH!" Another man screamed as he ran towards Kimimaro just like the other two…

At this point, the jounins from the sand didn't want to watch the gore scene again!. They had averted their eyes from the scene, while already pretending that their comrade had died.

"Hmph!" A voice interfered at this moment.

(Clang!)

A sword and a bone collided.

"Who are you?" Kimimaro asked as he stared at the boy who blocked him.

"My name is Sasuke…"