Chapter 44

"Alright, here's your share." I said as I placed a scroll on Orochimaru's table.

Orochimaru side-eyed me.

"How generous..."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"I gave you exactly half."

Which was true, if one didn't count the lockboxes.

Orochimaru nodded but didn't move to check his share of the loot.

"Will you get me some more test subjects before you go."

I nodded.

"Sure thing, I'll be back in a moment."

...

The Shikotsumyaku was pretty easy to use.

As long as I was only making spikes.

Making anything complicated required more concentration and chakra control.

Neither were a problem, it was a minor inconvenience at best.

My new problem was my lack of weapon skills.

So, the plan was to have my clones work under Orochimaru while I spent time figuring out my new limits.

I already had a few ideas and was eager to test them.

I'll find an instructor soon as well...

Perhaps when I return to Konoha.

...

I was surrounded by a suit of bone and doing some stretches.

Although the bone armor protected me pretty well, it was unwieldy and slow to form.

It slowed me a great deal and limited my flexibility.

But I guess it was ideal if I wanted to tank an attack.

I put my hands in front of me and formed bone latus.

I'm not sure what good the latus would do, it was just a test of control.

The armor and latus retreated into my body, and I was again feeling annoyed at my ruined clothes.

Although the Bone Armor was neat it would probably never see use, the armor under my skin served its intended purpose.

I often wouldn't need more protection than that.

I needed a name for it though...

Bone Armor was already taken...

Dermal Armor?

I guess...

I shrugged, I guess it didn't matter too much...

I'll only need cool names if I'm shouting my attacks at people...

I sighed and held both of my hands in front of me.

Three claws grew from my knuckles and brought a smile to my face.

I was finally able to disembowel my opponents with Wolverine Claws!

I had a goofy smile on my face.

Wolverine Claws became a reality...

My smile faded and I was left feeling slightly empty.

I ignored the feeling and coated the claws on my right hand in Electricity.

I watched the blue electricity spark and jump from blade to blade.

I tried to make the Lightning chakra vibrate as much as I could before slashing the claws on my left.

The lightning claws bit into the other claws but stopped partway through.

Almost useless...

But at least I figured out the cutting part of Lightning Release...

Thank you Kumo-nin...

I smiled mirthfully and retracted the claws.

So far it seemed that I only had control of the bone shape before it came out of my body and I had slight control when it came out of another bone.

It wasn't too big of a deal.

Perhaps I just needed to let the bone branch out like the branches of a tree did...

How did Kimimaro make that forest of bone blades?

Could he make bones outside his body and without other bone as a base...?

I dismissed the thought, it was something for later.

I didn't have the range for it anyway...

Bone Senbon started to appear from every inch of my skin.

I cracked a smile.

I probably looked like a porcupine...

I launched the senbon...

I looked around the room admiring the senbon coated wall.

I made a finger gun and launched a senbon from my fingertip.

Alrighty...

I held my palm out and started launching multiple senbon like a machine gun.

I pursed my lips.

And I was worried about lacking ranged attacks...

Though should I use actual bullet-shaped bones...?

I probably shouldn't give the ninja any ideas...

I held my palm out again and a long thin blade erupted from my skin.

Palm Blade I guess...?

I retracted the blade before making one erupt from my wrist.

There we go...

Wrist Blades...

I retracted the blade and sat down with crossed legs.

The Shikotsumyaku provided one with extreme versatility, it was extremely overpowered.

As cheesy as it sounded the only limit was your imagination.

That and the fact that you couldn't do complicated bone manipulation outside your body.

I smirked slightly at the thought.

The Shikotsumyaku was versatile.

I almost didn't need any weapon skills...

Though I should still pursue them a bit...

Learning things was never bad after all.

...

Biological Absorption was done there was still some cancer but that could always be dealt with later...

The technique could be further refined in time...

I was now somewhat unkillable, and strong.

It left me feeling empty and bored.

I had gotten the Shikotsumyaku way ahead of when I had planned on acquiring it.

I was bored but lacked the motivation to do anything.

So, I was spending the day laying on my cot and making different bones appear from my palms.

...

I had made my skeleton become my armor...

I was literally covered by my skeleton...

I got out of my bed and made my way over to the bathroom.

I looked in the mirror dully.

This was creepy as shit.

What were those things called...?

Hollows.

I looked like a hollow...

I just needed a hole in my chest and the look would be complete...

Sigh...

I started retracting the bones and watched in the mirror as my creepy skull wearing face was replaced with my more normal face.

Now I knew how to strike fear in my enemies...

...

I succeeded I've awakened the Shikotsumyaku in myself and have a working form of immortality.

But I've never felt emptier...

...

"We're attacking Kumo's camp tomorrow."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to occupying our little corner of Frost?"

I looked down at my half-finished seal, I could already tell it was garbage, it was a mess of French and English with the standard Uzumaki swirl in the middle so it can draw nature chakra in and power itself.

"The Hokage wants us to keep Kumo occupied so the Anbu can run missions in the area."

I hummed and eyed the seal, perhaps 'devour' was too aggressive...

But that's what I wanted the seal to do...

"Sounds vague..."

I wanted a way to instantly absorb and overwrite some cells, the overwrite part was done as long as it just stem cells. What I needed now was a way to change cells into stem cells via Fuinjutsu.

The idea was that I'd have a way to instantly renew myself should my body ever become too damaged.

The Strength Of A Hundred seal was for when I ran out of chakra, and this seal would be for when my body was too damaged to heal.

A back-up for the back-up if you will.

I looked at Orochimaru and saw he was studying my seal.

He wasn't saying anything so I remained silent as well.

"I'll see you tomorrow at dawn."

Orochimaru turned and started leaving.

I blinked, it was surprising he wasn't asking about the seal.

I turned my eyes back to the seal.

It was unbalanced and inefficient, but I was lost on how to improve it.

I sighed...

I'll come back to it later, as it was now things were fine.

...

I was watching over the preparations while Orochimaru assigned the Platoon leaders their missions.

Orochimaru opted to attack mid-day, I believe the goal was to surprise them and destroy their camp before beating a hasty retreat before we engaged in a long-drawn-out battle.

I liked the plan, it had only been a month since the attempted surprise attack and I hadn't had time to store a lot of chakra in my seal.

So, a short battle was ideal for me.

I hummed.

A short battle would also let me test out some moves...

...

"Long time no see."

I stared blankly at Minato.

"Yes, long time no see..."

I turned and stared out at the camp.

"Coming to assist in the attack?"

Last I heard Minato was in grass messing up some Iwa-nin.

Minato crossed his arms and nodded.

"Bring your students with you?"

Minato shook his head.

"They're too green to bring to the front."

I shook my head at that, we were ten-months into the war, there was no way that they weren't battle-ready.

"Shame, I wanted to meet them."

Minato sent me a warm smile.

"I'll bring them around, I'll be here for a while."

Fuck...

"Good, I can't wait to see how much Kakashi has improved."

Minato winked at me.

"Not as much as you have Shiro."

I smiled like I was embarrassed.

"Hopefully I can keep it up, I fear my growth won't always be as fast as it is now."

Minato laughed and nodded.

"Hopefully."

I took a deep breath, this was annoying.

...

Orochimaru, Minato, and I were leading the advance.

Now and then I'd look back and wonder how two-thousand ninja could jump around and be as silent as they were.

It was off-putting.

"We're approaching their camp, we eliminated their best sensors so you should remain undetected should you use your Byakugan."

I took the hint and activated my Byakugan expanding my range to its maximum.

I didn't see anything so I made my sight telescopic.

The camp was in range but a problem was immediately apparent.

"They have someone with way above Kage level chakra reserves."

I was instantly feeling less enthusiastic about the whole thing.

Orochimaru frowned but didn't slow his advance, Minato just nodded and continued forward.

I let my vision return to normal.

"Well, I say you take him."

I looked at Orochimaru and stuck my tongue out.

"It was your idea after all."

Orochimaru didn't look amused but nodded and stayed silent.

I figured he would be fine, he was slippery.

I chuckled and started forming my Dermal Armor.

"There was another one there, though they had less chakra they were still above Kage-level as well."

I formed a featureless mask over my face as my eyes were my main weakness now.

"I'll cause as much destruction as I can, while you and Minato distract the two stronger ones."

I blinked under my mask, a chakra coated blur shot towards us.

"Never mind, they're coming to us."

I slowed my pace and let Orochimaru and Minato pull ahead.

"I'll take a different route."

I gave them a wave and Shunshined as fast as I could to the right.

I think I'll avoid that shitshow...

...

I successfully avoided the future Fourth Raikage and his pet Jinchuriki.

I was now overlooking the camp and wondering if I should have taken some soldiers with me.

The camp seemed to be preparing for a fight.

Perhaps it was my chakra usage that alerted them...?

I was almost three kilometers from them though...

I sighed and slowed my perception.

I took one last look and made a rough plan before I Shunshined into the camp.

I arrived in the densest group of people and sent Bone Spears as deep into the crowd as I could.

I ignored the sounds of screams and Shunshined into the next densest group.

This time I launched Bone Senbon from my body, though it seemed to not be as effective as I would have liked.

Most of those that I hit were still alive and would live to fight another day.

It was something to rectify...

I aimed my palm at a ninja who tried to attack me from behind and speared him through the throat.

I moved my palm slightly and shot the bone spear through the throat of the one I killed and into the crowd that now surrounded me.

I stood for a moment and idly watched the surrounding Kumo-nin.

I wonder if I should stop shooting projectiles...

What's stopping someone from picking them up and using them...

They are chakra conductive as well...

I pointed my index finger at a brave ninja who had stepped forward and pierced his eye with a Bone Senbon.

I sighed and cracked my knuckle.

Nobody wanted to attack, they seemed content to group-up and watch me.

I'll fix that...

Claws burst from my knuckles and I coated them in electricity.

"Sorry in adv-ance." That sounded less cool when my voice cracked...

No matter, my voice was muffled by the mask anyways...

I slowed my perception further and Shunshined into the group.

...

I ran my chakra coated claws through the stomach of a fleeing ninja.

I had done this so many times that it was blurring together...

I took a deep breath, deactivated my Byakugan, and returned my perception to normal.

The mask on my face receded, the smell of blood hit me and I stood staring at the mess I had made.

All that was left around me were bodies, any surviving ninja had fled.

There were pools of blood in areas where the ground dipped.

Using my claws was messy, there wasn't a single bit of me that wasn't covered in blood.

I retracted the claws and took a handful of my tattered shirt and ripped it off.

I looked and saw a single man standing in front of a tent and staring at me.

I stared back at him.

The man had been standing there since I had started and hadn't moved.

A second man clutching his stomach which was bleeding through his bandages wobbled out of the tent.

He paused and looked at me.

I looked at him and briefly contemplated killing them.

"Gentlemen I hope we never cross paths again. But should we meet again, I hope it won't be under such similar circumstances."

I figured I'd done enough killing today.

I took a breath, activated my Byakugan, and Shunshined back the way I came.

...

I got within range just in time to see Minato dodge the future Raikage's punch.

I raised an eyebrow and slowed my perception.

Minato flashed behind A and aimed a Kunai at his neck but was interrupted by a huge tentacle.

I Shunshined into the clearing they were fighting in and took note of the lack of an army.

I deactivated my Byakugan and eyed Killer Bee and Orochimaru with a raised eyebrow.

My eyebrows climbed higher, Orochimaru seemed to be having a blast and was laughing evilly whilst he stabbed at Killer Bee with his sword.

I turned my attention back to Minato who had flashed onto a tree and was sending me some hand signs.

'Mission' 'Accomplished'

Was he asking about things on my end?

I blinked at him and gave him a thumbs up.

'Retreat'

I gave him a second thumbs up.

I was more than happy to stay uninvolved.

Minato flashed behind A who had been looking at me.

I blinked at him.

Nope.

I Shunshined away as fast as I could.

...

...

Interlude.

"It was a normal day, when I woke that morning I couldn't have imagined what would happen."

I licked my dry lips and did my best to ignore the Raikage who was staring sharply at me.

"It started when the alarm was sounded, your son and his partner left to take care of the threat."

I took a shaky breath.

"I ignored the alarm and returned to the medical tent."

A glass of water was placed in front of me, I held the glass with two hands and took a sip.

I stared at the glass feeling slightly better.

"Then the screaming started, I rushed out of the tent to see what was happening, and there it was standing in the middle of what must have been twenty screaming men and women."

I paused for a moment and took another sip of water.

"The monster spoke, its voice was muffled making what it said unclear from where I was standing. One thing was clear, I could tell from its tone, the monster was bored, we were nothing to it."

I took a deep breath.

"It descended on our ninja with claws coated in lightning, it was like it was dancing through them, every step or move it made another body fell."

I tried to swallow my spit but I choked on the lump of my throat.

"Ninjutsu bounced off it and Genjutsu seemed to have no effect, it continued its slaughter undeterred by anything thrown at it."

I nervously placed the water back on the table and continued.

"It didn't spare anyone, it tore through the camp and chased down those who tried to flee."

I blinked rapidly, trying to stop myself from tearing up, the memory of it chasing after some fleeing genin fresh in my mind.

"Eventually the monster stopped its massacre, it had run out of people to slaughter and it stood in front of me, the thin layer of human skin it was wearing had fallen off revealing It's true form underneath."

I wrung my hands together and tried to calm my breathing.

"Its mask melted and I saw the smiling face of a boy."

I looked up at the Raikage and saw he was watching me attentively, it gave me a bit of courage so I continued.

"It stared at me and said 'Gentlemen I hope we never cross paths again. But should we meet again, I hope it won't be under such similar circumstances'."

I did my best to copy the monster's bored drawl.

"It then disappeared into thin air, like it wasn't even there."

I finished and slumped into the chair exhausted.

I took a moment to gather myself before looking at the Raikage.

"Thank you, you may leave."

I nodded gratefully and stood up.

"Thank you, Raikage-sama."

I bowed deeply and did my best to not look like I was running as I left the room.

...