The geography of the Naruto world had always seemed like a mystery to Kimimaro in his past life. But after reincarnating here, he gradually began to piece it together.
The world was divided into five great nations and many smaller ones. These nations were not just symbolic—they had political borders, economies, and military institutions. In particular, the Hidden Villages, despite their names, were not quaint hamlets but militarized hubs serving as each nation's primary military power.
In the original story, the Sound Four (or Five) transporting Sasuke from Konoha to the Hidden Sound Village had seemed too fast—almost instantaneous. But now Kimimaro understood that this was likely due to loose geographical planning by the original author. In reality, the situation was more complex.
The Hidden Leaf Village (Konohagakure) was not located in the center of the Land of Fire as many assumed, but more toward the northwest. That positioning made strategic sense. Hidden Villages were typically built near national borders for defense and rapid deployment. Thus, Konoha's location allowed it to guard against threats from the neighboring countries: the Land of Grass, the Land of Rain, and even the Land of Rice Fields—where Orochimaru had built his base.
Naturally, Konohagakure maintained outposts and patrols across the Land of Fire, but its influence was strongest in the northwest. That was why the journey to the Land of Rice Fields could be completed relatively quickly—it was right across the border.
Smaller countries like the Land of Grass had it easier in some ways. Their Hidden Villages were less complex to manage and had fewer active fronts to defend. Grass Ninja Village (Kusagakure) was situated in the northeastern part of the Land of Grass, neighboring the Land of Earth to the northwest, the Land of Waterfalls to the northeast, and the Land of Fire to the south.
As for the Hidden Stone Village (Iwagakure), it was located deep within the Land of Earth, surrounded by formidable mountain ranges in the southern interior. It bordered smaller nations like the Land of Rain and the Land of Birds. The country's rugged terrain made it notoriously difficult to invade.
Kimimaro had taken these geographical realities into account when he decided to travel toward the Land of Earth. After leaving Kusagakure, he deliberately avoided routes that might bring him close to Iwagakure itself.
Fortunately, when they left, Kusagakure had not yet discovered the death of Ginrou. That delay allowed Kimimaro, Jugo, and Karin to travel without pursuit—for the time being.
Jugo had the ability to communicate with wildlife, and Karin, thanks to her Uzumaki heritage, could already use Kagura's Mind Eye to a preliminary level. Their combined sensory abilities made them excellent scouts and enhanced their survivability on the road.
The Land of Grass wasn't large; the trio reached its border with the Land of Earth after covering no more than a hundred kilometers. At ninja speeds, even a genin could cover such a distance in under three hours.
Though Karin was technically only a genin in strength, her Uzumaki vitality gave her endurance far above average. Kimimaro and Jugo held back their full speed to let her keep pace.
Still, it was unwise to burn out completely, so the trio took their time and arrived at the border after roughly five hours of travel.
The terrain changed noticeably.
"The border of the Land of Earth is covered with steep mountain ranges—ideal for hiding," Kimimaro observed, his gaze lingering on the barren but majestic cliffs. Seeing it with his own eyes felt much different from watching it through anime.
"I heard Iwagakure is nestled deep in the mountains and is almost impossible to breach," Jugo said, halting beside him.
"Haha, good thing we're not planning to storm the village," Kimimaro replied with a rare smirk.
Panting slightly, Karin caught up. "Are we… here already?"
"You tired?" Kimimaro asked, turning to her.
"No, I'm fine. I can keep up," she said quickly, straightening her back.
"You don't have to act so tense," Kimimaro said gently. "Since I saved you, that makes us comrades. No one's going to bully you. And no one's going to abandon you, either."
He reached out and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear, then pinched her cheek with the kind of casual affection that wouldn't have crossed his mind in the past.
Karin didn't flinch. If anything, she looked flustered—but not uncomfortable. It was clear she was beginning to enjoy the kindness, something she rarely experienced in her past.
"This girl…" Kimimaro thought. "She's starving for care."
Jugo stood nearby, silently observing. Kimimaro has changed a lot, he thought. He used to be completely devoted to Lord Orochimaru. He never smiled. He never looked at people, let alone girls. But this... this change isn't bad at all.
Jugo, outside his rages, was a gentle soul.
That day, in his berserk state, he had briefly seen Kimimaro approach him. For a moment, he wasn't sure if it was truly Kimimaro—something was different. And he had been right. Kimimaro wasn't just acting differently; he was different.
His personality had shifted. His values had shifted. And his actions—such as collecting blood and tissue samples from corpses—were a mystery even Jugo couldn't comprehend.
But one thing was clear: this Kimimaro was walking a new path.
Although the essence of flesh and blood that Kimimaro absorbed was drawn directly into the system—rendering it invisible to the naked eye—Jūgo, being innately attuned to natural energy, could still sense subtle fluctuations in life force. He noticed the changes, but he didn't question them.
To Jūgo, Kimimaro's chakra signature remained unchanged. As long as his instincts told him this was Kimimaro, and Kimimaro still treated him as a comrade, then nothing else mattered.
Kimimaro was his anchor—a rare constant in Jūgo's chaotic world.
Kimimaro had declared that from now on, he and Orochimaru were even. He no longer owed anything to the man who had once seen him as nothing more than a vessel. That decision was enough for Jūgo. If Kimimaro had moved on, then Jūgo would follow him—no longer bound to the task of protecting Sasuke, the so-called "replacement."
"K-Kimimaro…" Karin, who had been silently moved by the conversation, suddenly spoke up, her face tinged red. "I'm… hungry."
Kimimaro blinked, then rubbed his forehead. "That's my fault. I overlooked it. Let's head into the forest. We'll find something edible."
Karin had fled from the village empty-handed, with nothing but the clothes on her back. Kimimaro himself had traveled light when he originally set out to retrieve Sasuke, and after his resurrection, the robes he wore were in tatters.
He'd managed to loot a small wallet from the two Sound ninja Kabuto had sent to exhume his corpse—barely enough to purchase a set of plain clothes. As for Jūgo, who joined them later, he had no gear whatsoever.
When they passed through Kusagakure, their pace had been slow—they weren't familiar with the region, and they avoided attracting attention. Most of their food and supplies had come from robbing rogue ninjas they encountered on the road. Unfortunately, those wanderers weren't well-off either. They carried no soldier pills, no scrolls, and no usable gear.
Now, the three of them moved swiftly into the mountain forest.
Hunting was left to Jūgo. Despite his volatile nature, he was gentle toward small animals like birds and rabbits. But when it came to predators—wild wolves or rogue bears—he didn't hesitate.
While Jūgo tracked prey, Kimimaro took the opportunity to sit in a cave and reflect.
The gene stabilization serum derived from the Kaguya clan's bloodline had been a success. According to the system, it could alleviate the deterioration of his body. But it wasn't a cure—just a delay to the inevitable breakdown caused by his Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku.
The system was already analyzing the next bloodline samples required for further synthesis.
But what if… What if his body was eventually healed completely? What then?
It was a question that had haunted Kimimaro since his resurrection. The current timeline had passed the death of the Third Hokage, and Orochimaru's invasion had failed. The major arcs were still three years away. That left time—time to plan, time to change, time to decide what to live for.
"Hey," Karin's voice broke his thoughts. She sat beside him, hugging her knees. "What are you thinking about?"