As soon as his words fell, Mitsuki's left hand bent slightly, forming the shape of a gun. His eyes locked firmly on the Mist-nin ahead.
At his fingertip, a deep blue glow began to flicker, gradually gathering together into a Rasengan the size of a fist.
That Rasengan radiated an immense surge of chakra, so powerful that the air around it seemed to twist and hum under the pressure.
Under Mitsuki's control, the Rasengan shot forward like a cannonball — and midway through its path, it split rapidly into countless smaller chakra projectiles, engulfing Shinosuke and the two ninjas beside him in its deadly trajectory.
"Bullet Rain."
One of the Mist-nin hastily formed hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
But the Finger-Gun Rasengan bullets rained down like a divine storm, pelting the Water Wall with crushing impact until it shattered completely.
Shinosuke's expression shifted slightly—he realized his comrade's defense was useless. Without hesitation, he activated his Shikotsumyaku, his Kekkei Genkai. Chakra coursed rapidly through his body, forming a hardened layer of bone armor on his skin—like an impenetrable shell that shielded him from harm.
The other two Mist-nin weren't as lucky.In the blink of an eye, the chakra bullets tore through them, leaving their bodies riddled with holes before they even hit the ground.
It had to be said—between an ordinary shinobi and one with a Kekkei Genkai, the gap was larger than that between a man and a dog.
Mitsuki's Bullet Rain had plowed through the forest floor, leaving countless craters behind. Yet Shinosuke, wrapped in his bony armor, stood there completely unharmed.
Mitsuki suspected that even a Rasenshuriken might not crack that turtle shell of his—but honestly, he couldn't be bothered to try. The Kaguya's strength was decent, sure—but that was about it.
He sheathed the Mistcutter, unwilling to keep trading blows with a living pile of bones. Shinosuke noticed him putting his blade away, but that didn't bring him any relief.
It was clear his opponent had no intention of continuing with taijutsu.His own strength lay entirely in close-range combat—if he couldn't get close, he had no chance of winning.
With that in mind, Shinosuke reached behind his back — and pulled out his own spine.
Even Mitsuki winced in phantom pain at the sight.
Shinosuke cracked the bone like a whip, swinging it with terrifying force. Under the Shikotsumyaku's power, the bone whip stretched to a shocking length, far exceeding the distance between the two of them.
It sliced through the air with a deafening howl, as if ripping the very atmosphere apart. The jagged bone edges along its length glinted with a chilling, metallic sheen.
"Dance of the Clematis: Vine!"
This was a technique developed specifically for striking enemies beyond melee range. Whenever Shinosuke unleashed it, everything within ten meters was shredded by the whip's reach—touch it and you die, graze it and you bleed.
Mitsuki's eyes narrowed. His hands clapped together—a surge of dark purple flames burst from his mouth, erupting like a flood to form a massive circular wall of fire several meters high in front of him.
"Flame Barrier!"
The blazing wall radiated unbearable heat and violent energy; the air around it shimmered with distortion.
When the bone whip struck the barrier, it melted instantly.
Kaguya Shin'nosuke's eyes widened in disbelief. He knew better than anyone how absurdly durable the bones of the Shikotsumyaku were — ordinary Fire Style jutsu couldn't even char them, let alone melt them.
But this flame — this dark purple fire — had burned through his weapon with ease.He realized then:
"A Kekkei Genkai…? This must be one too!"
Even as his mind analyzed the technique, his body didn't pause. The moment his Vine Form was stopped, he transitioned into the second stage of the Dance of the Clematis: Flower — transforming his left arm into a massive bone lance.
It was the most piercing technique in the entire Shikotsumyaku arsenal, one that placed a tremendous burden on the user's body.
But for him, as long as he could pierce through that dark purple wall of fire—it was worth it.
A crazed grin spread across his face as he charged straight at the fiery shield.
When the bone lance plunged into the Flame Barrier, he poured every ounce of chakra into hardening the bone—pushing its calcium density to the absolute limit. The spearhead pierced through the wall of fire and came thrusting toward Mitsuki.
The cost, however, was brutal—his body was covered in severe burns. Though the bone armor prevented fatal damage, his appearance was hideous to behold.
Still, for a battle maniac like Shinosuke, such injuries were nothing new. And thanks to Shikotsumyaku's regenerative properties, his wounds were already sizzling and sealing up with a hiss of steam.
Seeing the bone lance's tip inches away, Mitsuki didn't bother with honor—he simply used Flying Thunder God, vanishing instantly and reappearing at one of his previously marked kunai.
In that instant, Mitsuki realized something — the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku unexpectedly countered his Full Counter ability.
Normally, no matter how strong the attack—taijutsu, ninjutsu, even monstrous physical blows like Super Strength—he could reflect them easily with a swing of his Mistcutter.
But the Shikotsumyaku was different.It wasn't chakra-based energy he could reflect—it was real bone, controlled through manipulation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts .A purely biological attack—actual bone, no additives.
A pity, Mitsuki thought.If the Kaguya could grow anyone's bones and not just their own, they'd probably put every shady bone factory from his past life out of business.
Meanwhile, Shinosuke's grin had twisted into frustration. His proud strike had missed entirely.
He spun around, trying to locate the Leaf shinobi — only to be met head-on by a roaring dark purple fireball, blazing toward him with searing heat.