3. Gaara vs Kimimaro

Due to the Yoninshu team’s delay in delivering Sasuke to Orochimaru as a new vessel, Kabuto visited Kimimaro, who was gravely ill. Kabuto spoke about a powerful potential replacement for Kimimaro as Orochimaru’s vessel. His words triggered Kimimaro’s sense of guilt, leading Kimimaro to resolve to risk his life to deliver Sasuke to Orochimaru as atonement for his failure to become Orochimaru’s vessel due to his illness.

Thanks to Shikamaru’s genius strategy, Naruto managed to steal the coffin containing Sasuke from the Yoninshu team. However, Kimimaro suddenly appeared and reclaimed the coffin from Naruto and Shikamaru. Naruto chased after Kimimaro, who was attempting to deliver Sasuke to Orochimaru. During the battle between Naruto and Kimimaro, Sasuke emerged from the coffin and left on his own to find Orochimaru. Fortunately, Rock Lee arrived just in time to replace Naruto in the fight against Kimimaro, allowing Naruto to continue pursuing Sasuke.

Although Lee’s Drunken Fist Taijutsu temporarily overwhelmed Kimimaro, Kimimaro’s Kekkei Genkai abilities were far superior. His bone-based attacks almost killed Lee. Luckily, Gaara arrived in time to save Lee. Gaara’s arrival was part of Tsunade’s request for Suna Shinobi reinforcements to assist Konoha in the mission to retrieve Sasuke.

The fight between Gaara and Kimimaro began. Gaara used his sand to create shields and weapons, while Kimimaro, wielding his Kekkei Genkai Shikotsumyaku, could manipulate his bones into unbreakable weapons and armor.

Kimimaro started the battle by firing bone bullets from his fingertips, but Gaara’s sand shield blocked the attack. Gaara then immobilized Kimimaro’s feet with sand and wrapped his body in cascading waves of sand. Gaara attempted to crush Kimimaro within the sand. However, Kimimaro survived the attack by reinforcing his skin with a layer of bone.

Gaara then launched a massive wave of sand that dragged Kimimaro into a sandpit, burying him under layers of sand. Placing his palms on the surface, Gaara used the Sabaku Taisou technique to compress the sand with immense pressure, intending to crush Kimimaro completely. However, Kimimaro activated his Cursed Seal Level 2, transforming into a dinosaur-like creature and breaking free from the sand.

In his second form, Kimimaro was strong enough to escape Gaara’s sand traps. He broke through Gaara’s defense and slammed into him, sending Gaara flying. Kimimaro then pulled his spinal bones from his back, using them as a whip to restrain Gaara. He shaped his hand bones into a massive spear and prepared to impale Gaara.

To counter the spear attack, Gaara summoned his Shukaku Shield, a defense formed by condensing dense minerals from the earth into his sand. By reinforcing the sand with chakra, Gaara’s shield shattered Kimimaro’s bone spear into pieces, making it unable to pierce the Shukaku-shaped shield.

Gaara taunted Kimimaro, claiming he would wipe out the last of the Kaguya clan. Kimimaro admitted that due to his illness, he knew his life was nearing its end. Gaara also mocked Kimimaro for being brainwashed by Orochimaru, referencing Kimimaro’s blind devotion to fulfilling Orochimaru’s ambition to uncover the mysteries of the world.

Gaara then submerged Kimimaro 200 meters below ground in a pressurized sand burial designed to crush steel, ensuring that Kimimaro could not move even a finger. Despite being buried, Kimimaro unleashed his ultimate attack, sprouting thousands of giant bone spikes that erupted from the ground and almost killed Lee and Gaara.

Kimimaro reflected on his lonely childhood, where he was imprisoned in solitude. However, he was once freed to fight alongside the Kaguya clan in battle due to his powerful Kekkei Genkai. After the Kaguya clan was wiped out by the Kirigakure Shinobi, leaving Kimimaro as the sole survivor, Orochimaru gave him a new purpose. This is why Kimimaro revered Orochimaru fanatically and was enraged by Gaara’s accusations of brainwashing.

Gaara transformed the grassy battlefield into a desert, but Kimimaro turned the desert into a forest of towering bone spikes. Fortunately, Gaara and Lee survived the attack because they were floating in mid-air on a sand platform.

After being buried 200 meters underground, Gaara and Lee believed Kimimaro was dead. Gaara was nearly out of chakra after using so many high-level techniques.

As Gaara lowered his guard, thinking the fight was over, Kimimaro suddenly emerged from a massive bone spike behind Gaara. He shaped his hand into a bone spear and aimed it at Gaara’s face. However, before the spear could strike, Kimimaro succumbed to his illness and died on the spot.

Gaara admitted to Lee that if Kimimaro hadn’t died from his illness, he would have been defeated. Lee then reminded Gaara of their sensei Guy’s lesson that winning due to luck is still a form of strength.

# Reason Gaara Defeated Kimimaro

Although Gaara defeated Kimimaro, Kimimaro was severely ill and frequently coughed up blood. His illness first surfaced during Orochimaru’s infiltration of Konoha, during the plan to destroy the village. After helping Orochimaru assassinate the Fourth Kazekage of Suna—Gaara’s father, Rasa—Kimimaro’s condition worsened, leaving him bedridden and weak.

Kabuto tried everything to cure Kimimaro. According to legend, Kimimaro was the only member of the Kaguya clan to possess the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai. However, the Kaguya clan’s anatomy was vastly different from normal humans, particularly Kimimaro’s unique bone structure, and there was no medical history of the Kaguya clan to reference. Eventually, Kabuto gave up on finding a cure.

After Kabuto abandoned treatment, Kimimaro lay bedridden with IV support to prolong his life. Despite his failing health, Kimimaro was determined to sacrifice his life to deliver Sasuke Uchiha, Orochimaru’s desired new vessel. Although he managed to rise from his deathbed and battle Gaara, he ultimately succumbed to his illness.