Kuro couldn't help but cover his face. It's over... my daughter's smitten.
It wasn't full-blown infatuation yet, but as a father, he could clearly see the subtle shine in Kurotsuchi's eyes. She definitely had some budding feelings for that white-haired boy.
He felt a strong urge to drag Kimimaro over and give him a beating, but when he glanced at his daughter's expression—caught somewhere between pride and shyness—he restrained himself.
Kimimaro gave a soft chuckle. "Of course, Little Leg, in my eyes, you're far prettier than Guren."
He wasn't just saying it to be polite. While Guren had a mature beauty about her, she wasn't quite his type. Her face carried a gentleness, almost maternal, that lacked the sharper allure he unconsciously preferred.
Kurotsuchi puffed her cheeks. "I'll pretend I believe that! And quit calling me 'Little Leg!' My legs are obviously long and elegant—mmph!"
Before she could finish, Kuro quickly pulled her aside, covering her mouth in embarrassment.
He couldn't handle seeing his tough, no-nonsense daughter acting like a bashful girl in front of a boy—especially not that boy. If she kept going, he wasn't sure he could stop himself from punching Kimimaro.
Once the father and daughter had left, Karin leaned over, her tone teasing. "Leggy's gone. Feeling disappointed? You've never complimented my legs."
Kimimaro reached out and gently stroked her red hair. "Not just your legs—your whole body's beautiful."
Karin blinked, clearly pleased. "R-Really?"
"Of course. In fact, how about I prove it? Let me touch your legs."
"Dream on!" Karin leapt back in alarm, blushing furiously.
Kimimaro smirked. He had figured out her rhythm. Karin talked a bold game, but when it came to anything physical, she always backed off. She was spirited, but still a teenage girl. And while ninjas in this world matured early, it wasn't that exaggerated.
"Haha, running away already? Well, aside from being a little flat, everything else about you is just right."
"You just called me flat!?" Karin glared at him, then looked down and sighed. "…Hmph. Give it two years. You'll see."
"I'll be waiting," Kimimaro grinned. "Then I'll take a good, long look."
"You're taking advantage of me again!"
They kept bickering, playful sparks flying between them. Off to the side, Jugo stayed quiet, lost in thought.
"What's wrong, Jugo?" Kimimaro asked.
"…I think Guren is pretty."
Kimimaro blinked. "Wait, what? I didn't expect someone with eyebrows like yours to be checking out girls!"
Jugo flailed a bit, flustered. "No! I didn't mean it like that! I just… I think she's prettier than Kurotsuchi."
Kimimaro burst into laughter. "You're allowed to have your own taste, you know. We're brothers, not clones. Just because I don't fancy Guren doesn't mean you can't. Don't worry—I won't think you're trying to steal Karin from me."
"Ah?" Karin's eyes widened. She was caught off guard by how casually Kimimaro had claimed her.
He said it so plainly… he really sees me that way?
A soft warmth spread across her chest as she clutched the hem of her shirt.
"But you like Kurotsuchi too…" she murmured.
Kimimaro just laughed. "Come on, I've met her once. And if someone else likes the same person as you, doesn't that mean you have good taste?"
"…That does make sense," Karin muttered, though she wasn't fully convinced. "Still sounds like an excuse for being shameless."
"Let's say she shows up again and really throws herself at me," Kimimaro whispered, leaning close to her ear. "How about I let you touch her long legs too?"
"Huh?" Karin blinked, then her eyes sparkled with mischief. "That sounds kinda exciting…"
Jugo scratched his head, thoroughly confused about how Kimimaro had managed to charm Karin so easily.
Kimimaro just smiled as he watched her laugh. He genuinely felt glad.
In his past life, while reading the manga, he'd liked Karin a lot. Her wild emotions, her loyalty, her hidden scars—they'd all left a mark on him.
And now? He could finally give her a different ending.
As for Kimimaro, it might take more time before genuine love could form. For now, his feelings were a mix: three parts amusement, three parts affection, three parts lingering attachment to Karin's character from his previous life, and one part the unique sentimentality of a transmigrator.
Though he had mostly read the Naruto manga and hadn't followed all the anime filler arcs or movies, he knew that in the official storyline, Naruto Uzumaki came across almost like a harem protagonist. Still, aside from Hinata, he never pursued romantic relationships with any other female characters.
Kimimaro, on the other hand, didn't want to walk that path—flirting with several girls only to abandon them. He wasn't going to let many beautiful and strong kunoichi end up lonely and forgotten in the backdrop of someone else's hero's journey.
After gently comforting Karin, Kimimaro turned his attention to studying the full extent of his restored Shikotsumyaku.
[System, what do you mean my Shikotsumyaku still has hidden dangers?]
[Shikotsumyaku, originally derived from Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's "All-Killing Ash Bones," is an extremely powerful Kekkei Mōra. Over generations, however, the ability degraded, losing much of its divine origin and accumulating genetic flaws. While the host's version has returned to a complete state as a Kekkei Genkai, it still retains a hereditary bloodline illness. Similar to the Sharingan, prolonged use gradually damages the user's body.]
[Elaborate.]
[The host's perfected Shikotsumyaku temporarily restores vitality and increases physical prowess, extending the expected lifespan by twenty years. However, every hour of active use of the Shikotsumyaku reduces the user's lifespan by approximately one day.]
Kimimaro wasn't too fazed.
"Even if I used it constantly, I'd still have over a year—plenty of time,"
he muttered.
He was confident that by integrating more bloodline traits, he could overcome even this limitation.
If he chose to hide away and remain inactive, he could likely survive long past the Boruto era.
But that wasn't living. That wasn't why he had come to this world.
[What's needed to eliminate the hidden flaws in Shikotsumyaku?]
The system's answer was direct:
[Integrate the Byakugan Kekkei Genkai.]
[Byakugan? Why that one?]
[The main genetic flaws in Kekkei Genkai like the Shikotsumyaku and Sharingan lie in their immense cellular burden. For instance, the Mangekyō Sharingan deteriorates the user's vision and body over time, unless counteracted by the vitality-rich genes of the Senju clan. Just as the Uchiha and Senju bloodlines both stem from Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, so too do the Hyūga, Uzumaki, and Kaguya clans. The solution is similar.]
Kimimaro pieced it together:
"The real problem with Shikotsumyaku is that its use forces continuous destruction and regeneration of bone and tissue. This process invites bacterial and viral contamination at a level modern medical ninjutsu can't purge. The infections become embedded at the cellular level—chronic, degenerative, and ultimately terminal."
If the Sharingan needed the vitality of the Senju to overcome its toll, then it made sense the Shikotsumyaku could be stabilized by the pure chakra control and cellular integrity granted by the Byakugan lineage.
It seemed that if Kimimaro truly wanted to transcend his cursed bloodline, he would have to dive deeper into the legacy of the Ōtsutsuki—whether he liked it or not.