Wherever the Azure Dragon went, the heads of flame dragons were shattered one by one.
Although the flames were dispersed, the temperature had already risen several levels.
The power of the Curse Mark drastically amplified the strength of Fire Release!
But even so, it remained powerless before the Azure Dragon.
Sasuke flapped his grotesque wings as he hovered in mid-air, while Neji gradually recovered from his dazed state.
"I didn't expect him to become this strong... Looks like I'll have to use *that* power," Neji muttered, his brows furrowed, a heavy seriousness filling his eyes. He then activated his Curse Mark.
Neji's Curse Mark didn't originate from Orochimaru but was a gift from Kimimaro.
Unlike Orochimaru's three-tomoe Curse Mark, Neji's bore the pattern of a Yin-Yang Taiji symbol.
Back then, Kimimaro gave Neji the Curse Mark partly to test his mastery over Curse Marks, partly to prevent Orochimaru from coveting Neji's body, and partly as a means to control him and keep him in check.
The Yin-Yang Taiji symbol on Neji's neck began spinning rapidly, and its power spread throughout his body.
White bones emerged from his forehead, forming a skeletal headband.
His previously black hair grew longer and turned blue.
A layer of white bone armor covered his entire body, resembling a suit of armor.
Compared to Sasuke's drastic transformation, Neji's appearance was far less exaggerated after releasing the Curse Mark.
This particular Curse Mark had a unique feature—Kimimaro had infused it with some of his Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) abilities. As a result, Neji now bore a striking resemblance to a *Hollow* from *Bleach*, his form remarkably similar to Grimmjow's Resurrección.
After three years of rigorous training, both Neji and Sasuke had reached new levels of power. Even in their base states, they had the strength of elite jonin.
When they activated their Curse Marks, both gained the ability to challenge Kage-level opponents.
Sensing their rising auras, Kimimaro smiled faintly.
"It seems I underestimated you two. As expected of geniuses—you didn't disappoint."
Neji and Sasuke exchanged a glance, immediately unleashing their full power.
The power of their Curse Marks wasn't truly their own; it was more like a weakened version of Sage Mode, so they couldn't maintain it for long.
Once activated, they had to finish the fight quickly.
The two moved simultaneously, their speed now far exceeding what it was before.
Especially Neji.
Neji was the first to close in!
His bone-armored palm struck with greatly enhanced offensive and defensive power.
He slashed down with his hand!
Kimimaro raised his sword to block.
*Crack!*
In his normal state, Kimimaro's bone sword was split in half by Neji's palm strike!
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed slightly, and he quickly retreated.
But Neji wouldn't let such an opportunity slip. He pursued relentlessly, unleashing a flurry of attacks.
Blue chakra enveloped Neji's palms, manifesting blade-like projections with each slash.
Every strike carried enough force to easily pierce the human body.
At that moment, Sasuke descended from above!
His left hand was cloaked in black lightning, producing the familiar chirping sound of *Chidori*—but its power was far more terrifying than before.
Blue chakra blades and black lightning...
The two's coordinated attack once again showcased their seamless teamwork.
Kimimaro had no room to evade!
They had cornered him.
"Heh..."
Kimimaro suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Not bad."
*Rotation!*
A blue chakra barrier suddenly formed around Kimimaro!
Both the blade strikes and the *Chidori* were blocked!
"This..."
Neji and Sasuke were both stunned.
They hadn't expected Kimimaro to use this move.
Absolute defense!
Both were thrown back by the barrier.
Neji steadied himself and stared at Kimimaro, whose eyes had now turned white. His expression darkened with a mix of shock and anger.
"You... how do you have the Byakugan? Whose eyes did you steal?!"
"I told you before, my Kaguya clan and your Hyuga clan share the same roots. Is it so strange that I awakened the Byakugan?"
"You awakened it yourself? That's impossible..." Neji said, shocked.
"You should know I have no reason to lie to you. Besides, isn't your Curse Mark infused with my Shikotsumyaku? The Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku naturally coexist."
Hearing this, Neji believed him.
After all, Kimimaro truly had no reason to lie. Moreover, such a lie would be too easy to expose, making it pointless.
And indeed, Kimimaro wasn't lying—these eyes were as natural to him as if he had been born with them.
"Enough talk, Kimimaro. Show me your true power!" Sasuke interrupted, impatient to continue the fight.
"Impatient, aren't you? Very well, let's end this quickly. This fight has gone on long enough."
*Shunpo!* (Flash Step)
Kimimaro's figure blurred into an afterimage, vanishing from his spot.
His speed startled both Sasuke and Neji, forcing them to push their Sharingan and Byakugan to their limits just to track his movements.
The bone sword slashed out!
The attack came from behind Sasuke, who quickly turned, bringing his Kusanagi sword up to block.
As the bone sword clashed with the Kusanagi, Sasuke felt a tremendous force behind it!
"This... strength..." Sasuke thought, his hands trembling slightly as he barely managed to hold his ground.
But Kimimaro wasn't finished.
His next strike targeted Sasuke's wings.
*Slash!*
The strike severed Sasuke's left wing.
"Argh!" Sasuke cried out, retreating in pain.
Only then did Neji arrive.
His bone-clawed hands struck with precision and ferocity.
Kimimaro didn't even turn, leaping up and throwing his bone sword!
*Clang!*
Neji deflected the bone sword, but this gave Kimimaro the opening he needed.
His left hand extended toward Neji.
"Destructive Art #63: Thunder Roar Cannon!"
A golden lightning blast shot forth!
Its speed was blinding, reaching Neji in an instant.
Having just parried the bone sword, Neji had no time to dodge. He could only cross his arms in front of him to block.
*Boom!*
The lightning struck his bone armor, leaving only a charred mark. It didn't penetrate his defense.
---
Under the influence of the Cursed Seal, Neji's defensive power experienced a massive boost.
Although this Thunder Roar Cannon wasn't unleashed with full power, it was directly blocked by his arms, showcasing his impressive defense.
However, Kimimaro seemed satisfied with this outcome.
After all, he had crafted the Cursed Seal himself and knew its potential. For Neji to master it to this level was indeed impressive.
Still, no matter how strong one's defense is, it depends on the opponent.
Shunpo, move again!
Kimimaro closed in once more.
Neji reacted quickly, immediately launching a counterattack.
Yet in the face of Kimimaro's blade, all resistance seemed futile.
The bone sword transformed from a pale white to an ominous black.
Sword of the Kuro Card!
Its sharpness drastically increased!
"Buzzing Octave!"
Scarlet flames erupted from the blackened bone sword, raining down relentless strikes upon Neji.
Although Neji managed to deflect a few blows, he soon found himself at a disadvantage.
"Ah!"
With a pained cry, two deep sword wounds, cutting to the bone, appeared on Neji's chest.
As Kimimaro unleashed his full strength, both Sasuke and Neji sustained injuries.
Blood flowed down the black bone sword as Kimimaro coldly observed the severely wounded pair.
"What other tricks do you have to show me?"
Neji and Sasuke exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
Even after activating their Cursed Seals, they had lost even faster than before.
Kimimaro's power was unfathomable!
"I prepared this move for Itachi, but now, you'll be the first to witness it!"
Refusing to accept defeat, Sasuke's broken wing gave rise to countless white snakes, which formed a new pair of wings.
He then soared into the sky, black lightning flickering in his left hand.
Dark clouds began to gather above.
With several Fire-Style techniques enhancing it, Sasuke's long-researched Lightning-Style secret technique was now ready for use.
Previously, he had hesitated to use it, but after being so easily overpowered by Kimimaro, he had no choice but to go all out.
Sensing the drastic shift in Sasuke's aura, Kimimaro's expression grew slightly serious.
"This aura... could it be Kirin?"
Kimimaro pondered silently, and the next moment, Sasuke's actions answered his question.
Raising the black Chidori above his head, Sasuke's cold voice resonated as he brought it down.
"Lightning Style: Kirin!"
From the clouds, the blue form of the Kirin thunder beast emerged, its ferocious visage revealed under Chidori's guidance.
Its roar echoed across the heavens and earth!
The Kirin struck with thunderous force!
Neji's eyes widened—he couldn't believe Sasuke had mastered such a terrifying jutsu.
With such an attack, survival seemed impossible.
"Can he really emerge unscathed from this?"
Kirin moved with lightning speed, descending toward Kimimaro in a flash.
Kirin unleashed!
Kimimaro remained motionless, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Boom!
Smoke and dust rose into the sky, concealing Kimimaro's figure.
It looked as if he had been completely consumed by the Kirin.
"Did it work?"
Although Sasuke was confident in his technique, Kimimaro's strength left him unsure.
Neji, however, kept his eyes wide open.
While the smoke blocked the Sharingan's view, it couldn't obscure the Byakugan.
Through his Byakugan, Neji saw Kimimaro standing unharmed.
Floating above Kimimaro's head was a shield.
Flashback to the moment before the Kirin struck.
Kimimaro's left hand emitted a golden light from the back of his hand.
The Emblem of Courage glowed!
Two golden shields shot out from the emblem, one to the left and one to the right. They arced gracefully through the air before colliding above his head with a resonant clang.
Shield of Courage!
The Kirin struck the golden shield but couldn't penetrate it.
The excess energy from the attack scattered, kicking up dust all around.
Underneath the Shield of Courage, Kimimaro remained completely unscathed.
"We've lost, Sasuke."
Neji sighed deeply, speaking with resignation.
Sasuke froze in disbelief.
Even his ultimate move—combined with Neji's support—had no effect?
As the dust settled, Kimimaro stood unscathed.
"How could this happen?"
The Shield of Courage had vanished, leaving Sasuke clueless about what had occurred.
"Not a bad move, though the preparation time is a bit long. It seems this is your limit. Let's end this now. Bakudō #30: Mouth Piercer Triple Flash!"
Six sharp, beak-shaped lights shot out at lightning speed, pinning Neji and Sasuke to a massive boulder.
The battle had drained all their energy, leaving them unable to resist.
The Cursed Seal's power receded, returning them to their normal forms.
Sasuke, battered and humiliated, had lost all his earlier arrogance.
Despite giving it their all, and even teaming up, they had lost miserably.
Kimimaro's strength was beyond their imagination.
"Overall, you've both grown significantly in the past three years—enough to be commendable. Compared to Naruto and Sakura, you're indeed more impressive."
Kimimaro smiled as he looked at the two exhausted figures before him.
His praise, however, did little to lift their spirits.
Suddenly, Sasuke raised his head, glaring at Kimimaro.
"You're in the same organization as Itachi now. Compared to him, who's stronger?"
"I haven't fought Itachi before, but I doubt he's my match. I know what you're aiming for. Don't worry, I've already arranged for you to face him in three months."
"Three months?"
Sasuke's eyes lit up, though he wasn't entirely satisfied with the timeline.
"Three months isn't long. Be patient."
With that, Sasuke reluctantly agreed.
Kimimaro then added, "I've also set up a reunion for you two. In half a month at the Tenchi Bridge, Konoha's people will come looking for you. Deal with them however you like. Before taking that final step, I believe this reunion will be necessary."
Though initially resistant, both Neji and Sasuke eventually accepted the plan.
The stage was set for their next journey.