Chapter 28

"I have noticed you guys roaming around our territory. Are you possibly from the Leaf?" Kabuto asked, looking at Kuzo's team. He didn't seem to recognize them.

'This wasn't supposed to happen.' Kuzo frowned. 'If he doesn't show up at the exam, then nothing will play according to the plan.'

If he killed Kabuto, Orochimaru might change his plans, and the invasion of Konoha wouldn't happen. Orochimaru might even delay it.

Kuzo looked at his team and said, "Leave this one alive."

By "this one," he meant Kabuto.

He wasn't in a hopeless situation. With the Yamanaka Jutsus, he could simply erase this memory from Kabuto's head. Better yet, he could plant new memories and force him to report to Orochimaru that they wiped out the intruders while losing their men's lives.

Kabuto reached for his glasses and shook them. "I see. In this case, what will await you is a long torture. I'm so glad to have new toys to play with." He then reached into his pocket and grabbed what seemed to be a soldier pill. "So, you have my thanks."

Kabuto looked genuinely happy, and he wasn't a man to be underestimated. According to Orochimaru's statement, Kabuto was equal to pre-time-skip Kakashi. Of course, it wasn't Kuzo's opinion, as Kakashi didn't lack in Taijutsu's department like Kabuto. But for him to get Orochimaru's approval proved he was a shinobi in a very high league.

Around ten transformed people dashed toward them when Kabuto pointed his hand forward.

Kuzo ignored them as Anko released a fire dragon from her mouth, hitting one of them. As for Yamato, he extended his hand. From it, wood was released and wrapped around one of them. Yamato then used that man as a human weapon to hit the others.

"You look strong like Jibro. No, stronger. Not only that, but you can do 4 violet flame formation as well. Who are you?" asked Kabuto as he walked toward Kuzo.

Kuzo mockingly replied, "Why don't you come and find out?"

"Very well." Kabuto vanished and appeared in front of Kuzo, kicking toward his chin. Kuzo, who had the muscle memory of a taijutsu genius, Kimimaro, easily dodged and backflipped, no movement wasted.

Kabuto weaved a series of hand signs, his chakra extending to his hand and taking the shape of a blade.

Kuzo raised his guard. What he just saw was a medical jutsu. If he got hit by that blade, then his muscles would get torn, and he would get destroyed from the inside. No matter how strong his bones were, they were moved by muscles still. And if he got touched on his heart, then it might stop.

"I wish I could kill you," Kuzo said. Whenever he saw a rare jutsu he desired, he would get struck by a feeling similar to craving, and his stomach felt as if it were empty. A strong pressured chakra was released from all of his body. "But you're a necessary pawn!" Kuzo then dashed at Kabuto, who then tried to hit him with the razor blade. Kuzo's chakra-coated finger drew a character in the air, 'binding,' and that character then flew to Kabuto's chest, rendering him motionless for a second. Kuzo then punched Kabuto in the guts, his hand going from the other side.

Now some might wonder, What the hell, you said Kabuto was an important part of your plan.

But this wasn't Kabuto. It had his chakra, but it was a lifeless corpse being controlled.

Kuzo could feel so as he absorbed a bit of that chakra, and it was lacking.

"Why don't you show yourself?" Kuzo asked, standing up. Behind him, two monster shinobis tried to attack him.

'Perfect battery.'

Kuzo jumped, dodged their attack, and punched and kicked at the same moment. From his fist and foot, bone spikes extended. He then flipped, slashing the two into halves. The bones then retracted inside his body.

More chakra, and sage chakra, got into him.

'So, if I get these guys' power, then I could enter the monster form longer than them.'

Kuzo gave a side glance. Yamato was doing very well. As for Anko, she had released a bit of her sage chakra as ink marks covered half of her hand, which seemed to give her enough advantage. The curse seal could give their enemy 10 times their power. But a weakling getting stronger ten times was nothing like a strong person getting stronger twice.

Kuzo released a bit of ink marks on his body, allowing his jutsu to become more powerful, and one of those jutsus was his sensory ability.

Without wasting time, Kuzo dashed toward a lying body on the ground, jumping and lifting his leg. When his face was above it, he kicked with all of his might. What seemed to be a dead body moved all of a sudden. Kuzo didn't hold back and gave it all he had.

Bang

A large shockwave spread from the ground, causing cracks to appear. Kuzo didn't feel hurt at all.

Puff a puff of smoke emerged, revealing behind it who was Kabuto.

"I've collected enough info about you," Kabuto said, smirking and standing up. He lifted his hands, and he said, "Nice seeing you again, Kuzo. So, tell me, how did you find out about us?"

"You tell me, how did you know it's me?" Kuzo asked, quite curious and cautious.

"Same height. Besides, you have Anko senpai with you, and Yamato as well. Not many can use wood style," said Kabuto. "And the three of you seem to be in advantage against me, so, how about making this battle more equal." He then weaved a series of hand signs. Kuzo rushed toward him.

Next to Kabuto, a very giant snake appeared. Because Kuzo was too fast and moving in one direction, he didn't have enough time to change his direction, and he got inside the snake's mouth.

(O)

Kabuto, who was standing with his giant snake summoning, patted his glasses and smirked. "That's what you get for lacking experience."

"True," said a voice that appeared behind him. It was one of the shadow clones that Kuzo had left early to perform the barrier, was forming a Yamanka modified hand seal.

Kabuto tried to escape. But then, he lost control of his body. The shadow clone fell. Kabuto couldn't see anything, but he knew that the clone was in control.

How could it end like this?

Kabuto thought he got lucky by capturing Kuzo inside the snake.

'Danzo said he is a sensory type. But he never mentioned anything about him being Yamanka.'

Kabuto got another shock when he saw Kuzo's body emerging from the snake's side, unharmed. He didn't cut through the flesh. Instead, he came out of the flesh.

So far, he knew only one person who could do that jutsu, and it was Sakon and his twin, who had the Kekkei Genkai.

Kabuto's mind was working so fast.

First, Jibro's power. And then, the Yamanka clan jutsu, and lastly, the Kekkei Genkai of Sakon.

Kuzo smirked, and then, from his hand, spider-like web covered Kabuto.

'Hold on! I solved the mystery… We were played by Danzo to make Kuzo stronger.'

-x-X-x-

Kuzo stood in front of Kabuto. Using Tsuchigomo clan's seals, he placed one on Kabuto's head that held a kanji 'bind.'

Kabuto regained his consciousness.

And at the same time, Anko and Yamato finished dealing with the others, killing most of them while leaving some.

"Kuzo. Can you seal some of them?" asked Anko. "We need them back in the village for interrogation."

Kuzo scratched the side of his head, trying to check his memory of whether he had such a jutsu. And he did. You can seal someone unconscious inside a scroll like you'd do to a tailed beast.

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter. I have a more important job," Kuzo said, taking down his mask and placing his hand on Kabuto's head.

The shadow clone, which got out of Kabuto's body, came behind him and hit him unconscious.

Kuzo then entered Kabuto's head, erasing the recent memories.

He didn't know what to do. But he put some false information into Kabuto's brain by whispering.

Once Kabuto wakes up, he'd think that they attacked an enemy who had been associated with them, and they managed to escape with Kabuto as the sole survivor. As for them, they were burned into ashes along with their men.

The headache would be a good excuse for why Kabuto didn't remember things clearly. Kuzo, thinking that it was a good idea, hit Kabuto's head repeatedly.

-x-X-x-

Kuzo was done planning another summoning contract next to the Sound Village, and now, they had gotten back to the village.

On his way, he thought. 'Luckily, Kabuto didn't kill all of my shadow clones. What a lucky fight.'

Anko stopped Kuzo for a second, asking, "By the way, how did you do that?"

"Do what?" Kuzo asked.

"I saw how you got out of the snake's body after it ate you, emerging from its flesh," she said. "Besides, your body is too strong, and you can kick and punch as hard without damaging yourself."

Kuzo turned to her. Avoiding the answer, he said, "Are you curious about how strong my body is? Do you want to feel it?"

She rolled her eyes and put the mask back. "As if you have any strength left after your first shot."

Ouch. That hurt. Yamato laughed for a second before stopping, seeming to realize something was off. "Hold up."

Kuzo scratched his cheek. "It's bold of you to make a judgment so soon. I mean, I didn't get another opportunity to prove what I can do."

"Dream," she replied.

"Dream on, until it comes true." Kuzo chuckled, remembering he had a deal with her with no limit, and she seemed to know it.

"Anyway, enough with the flirting and all. What's the next step you have?" asked Anko.

"That's right," added Yamato. "Now we can conduct a large-scale attack. But we're holding back. So, what's the next step you have in mind?"

"I'll pretend to be a genin, and I'll enter the Chunin Exam. I have a hunch that we'll find the snake there," Kuzo replied, earning himself a questioning gaze from his team. "I'll trap him and get you guys to help."