Kimimaro in his second stage of the cursed seal runs toward Gaara who tries to grab him with sand but misses. Gaara then puts up a wall of sand but Kimimaro crashes through it and sends Gaara flying. Kimimaro comments that Gaara’s absolute defense is weak. Gaara gets up with his face cracked. Lee comes from behind Kimimaro and tries to kick him but Kimi’s tail lashes out. Gaara’s sand protects Lee but he is still sent flying. Gaara’s face mends. Lee astutely decides to stay out of the way. Kimi says he’ll kill Gaara first, then reaches behind his back to pull out his own spinal cord!

Kimi annouces Tessenka no Mai (dance of the Clematis), vine, and whips his spinal cord out at Gaara who encases himself in sand. Kimi announces "flower" and a bone spike protrudes from his palm and his entire arm is encased in bone (looks large a large drill) which has been strengthened to the max. But then he coughs up blood and thinks he has little time left. Gaara announces Saikou zettai bougyo, Shukaku no tate (supreme absolute defense, shield of Shukaku) and a giant sand statue of Shukaku appears.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru asks Kabuto how long Kimimaro will last. Kabuto says he’ll last for a while, then talks about how he exhausted all medical treatments but there was too little information about his body. He did find out why Kimi is the sole survivor of the Kaguya clan. Their clan went up against the Hidden Village of Mist by themselves and were wiped out. Kimi had a power even a combat clan like them was scared of so he was locked up as a child. They thought it was a waste for him to die, and anyone would want him. He has a strong and hard skeleton with defensive power capable of keeping all physical attacks at bay, and his offensive bone becomes the strongest spear.

Kimi stabs his drill-like spear into the shukaku sand statue but after a while it shatters! Gaara explains that he collected the minerals with the highest tensile strength from the ground, added pressure with his chakra and mixed them with the sand. Gaara asks if his unique technique is a bloodline limit. Kimi tells him it’s the Kayuga clan’s but now it’s his alone. Gaara realizes he’s the last of his advanced bloodline and says he’ll make it extinct. Kimi responds that his illness won’t hold out much longer, but he’s not alone

Flashback to when Oro gives Kimi the Earth seal, looks to be about the same age as present. Oro tells him he is his dream container and this is a gift. Kimi looks up to the other four sound shinobi and asks them whether they wish to die or obey. The four jump down to attack but Kimi apparent makes short work of them despite their activating their cursed deals. Jiroubou and Kidomaru are down while Tayuya and Sakon kowtow to him. Kimi announces they will be the Sound five.

Kimi explains to Gaara that as an existence that is part of Orochimaru’s ambition, he will remain in Oro’s heart forever. Gaara bluntly calls it Orochimaru’s brainwashing and how empty he is, then performs a seal. Kimi starts to sink into the sand. The statue disappears and the sand grabs the spine whip. Gaara thinks he’s running low on chakra and will have to end it. The sand pushes away the spine whip and then sinks Kimi 200 meters underground. Lee thinks it’s over but then Kimi’s voice annouces Sawarabi no mai (Dance of the seeding ferns). Bones protrude out of the ground, lots of them, until the entire field is covered! Lee is so shocked he doesn’t even try to move out of the way.

Meanwhile Orochimaru becomes impatient. Kabuto tries to pacify him but Oro gets upset that he’s treating him like a child. Kabuto comments about how no one can defeat Kimimaro.

Gaara and Lee are floating on sand clouds hovering over a field of bones.

Kimimaro has flashbacks to when Orochimaru was planning to destroy Konoha and when the grass genin where killed. The Sound five were all present with Kabuto at the latter. Kimi coughs up blood. Later, when Oro killed the Kazekage with his sword, Kimi and Kabuto were there. Kimi coughs up more blood and falls to the ground. Kimi is lying down on the medical bed with tubes running in and out. Tears fall as he feels he is of no use and there’s no reason to live. This is where Kabutp comes in to tell him the Sound Four went to pick up a new container.

Kimi recalls Gaara’s words about brainwashing and Orochimaru’s words about finding a reason to live. Kimi shouts that he will find the truth of this world together with Orochimaru.

Gaara and Lee think it’s over. Gaara is at his limit and tells Lee they should get off the clouds but then they hear Kimi’s voice. He says "it’s not brainwashing" as he appears behind Gaara with his transformed arm about to strike. But right before he pierces Gaara’s eye, Kimi’s body freezes and blood drips from his mouth.

Meanwhile the candle burns out in Oro’s room. He says Kimi doesn’t matter anymore, he’s waiting for Sasuke.

Gaara’s depressed that he lost, but Lee says that’s not true, that his sensei taught him luck was also part of skill (That’s Kakashi’s line!) Gaara calls Gai a meddling fool. Lee gets really mad. Gaara compares him to Kimi and Naruto, how they fight for someone precious. But then he adds that just because someone is precious doesn’t mean that person is necessarily good. Lee disagrees, but Gaara notes that even if you knew that person was evil, people cannot win against their loneliness.

Meanwhile Naruto has caught up with Sasuke.

Review:

More great good action! Gaara and Kimi have cool techniques! Too bad the end to the fight was a cheat.

Notes:

Tessenka no Mai = dance of the Clematis

Sawarabi no mai = dance of the seeding ferns

Saikou zettai bougyo, Shukaku no tate = supreme absolute defense, shield of Shukaku

Thoughts:

Kimi got sick around the time of the second chuunin exam and Oro apparently wasn’t aware of how serious it was, yet he already set his eyes on Sasuke. Seems inconsistent anime filler.