The sun was sinking in the west, its dim golden light covering the earth.
A boy of four or five was running about, searching for something. Only when he spotted a figure on a distant tree did he stop, wipe the sweat from his face, smile, and shout loudly, "Takizo!"
Kaguya Takizo was hanging upside down from a branch, fully focused on the tiny bone carving at his fingertips.
The carving, no bigger than a fingernail, vividly depicted the form of an eight-tailed bull demon.
As Takizo channeled chakra into it, the eight-tailed carving began to change, sprouting a ninth tail, growing faint fur along its body, slowly transforming into the form of the Nine-Tails.
With a sharp sound, a bone spur suddenly pierced through the skin of Takizo's shoulder. He frowned, closed his eyes again, and began to observe the flow of chakra through his meridians.
Observation, or inner sight, was the only gift Takizo had gained in the eight years since he crossed into this world.
Unfortunately, this ability, a common function in fantasy tales, did not grant him martial techniques or secret arts.
All it allowed was for him to see inside his body. Yet even so, this discovery had filled Takizo with great joy.
In the world of shinobi, many factors determined one's strength. Takizo summarized them simply as "body," "arts," and "skill."
Body did not mean taijutsu, but rather physical strength. Chakra, the basic energy of this world, was the fusion of physical and spiritual energy, so physical strength directly determined how much chakra one could possess.
Arts referred to ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, the techniques of attack.
Skill meant the methods of using chakra, including control, shape transformation, and nature transformation.
As a member of the Kaguya clan, Takizo was born with the kekkei genkai Shikotsumyaku, which naturally granted him extraordinary physical strength and unique techniques to wield its power.
That meant he was born with strong "body" and "arts."
Through inner sight, he could better control chakra, compensating for his lack of "skill."
With ample chakra and excellent control, he had mastered tree climbing and water walking at an early age.
He even created a new technique, "bone carving," suited to Shikotsumyaku, which allowed him to shape his own bones into various forms through chakra control.
Now, at only eight years old, complete in body, arts, and skill, Takizo was already no weaker than an ordinary Chunin of Kirigakure.
Snapping the carving between his fingers into dust, Takizo muttered, "Still a little short. The complete bone circulation will have to wait."
"Takizo!" a voice called from below the tree.
Takizo flipped down, smiling. "It's you, Shitaro!"
Kaguya Shitaro, panting with a flushed face, nodded quickly. "Yeah, Sister Kizuki has already finished cooking. Kimimaro must be starving."
Takizo ruffled Shitaro's hair, making him squirm in protest. "If you keep doing that, I won't grow hair! I still need to tie my topknot."
Takizo laughed loudly, leading Shitaro back toward the Kaguya clan's settlement.
On the way, Shitaro pouted. "Two families in the village fought again today. It was really bad, blood everywhere. Even their three-year-old kids got involved!"
Takizo pinched Shitaro's cheek and smiled. "You're only a child yourself. What gives you the right to call others children?"
Hearing that, Shitaro's face turned red again. "I'm already four and a half, almost five! The point is, they were fighting! Fighting! It's been happening a lot this month."
This was the Kaguya clan.
Just as the Uchiha awakened their eyes with madness, the Kaguya were all born battle-maniacs. Fighting and killing were their very reason for existence, until the day they perished.
Thinking of this, Takizo sighed.
The closer they got to the settlement, the colder Takizo's expression became. Shitaro pressed his lips tight, his own face tense.
In the Kaguya clan, smiles did not belong—even children, before awakening their lust for battle, were taught by their parents to be cold and merciless.
The only reason Shitaro could still smile was because he had no parents.
The settlement was built against a mountain, and under the dim light, it looked lifeless.
As they drew near, a figure appeared in the distance, and Shitaro's face brightened with a smile.
"Takizo!" Kaguya Kizuki called, walking toward them.
Kizuki, the same age as Takizo, was already eight. With fair skin, tied-up hair, and plain clothes, she carried a food box in her hand, waving cheerfully. Like Shitaro, she was a war orphan raised by the village, usually doing chores.
Takizo returned her greeting with a smile. "Thanks for the trouble, Kizuki."
Kizuki waved it off. "Come on, let's go. Don't let him starve."
Instead of heading straight into the settlement, the group turned toward a remote corner on its edge.
There lay a massive stone cave, swallowing the light and exuding a chilling aura. This was the clan's special prison. At its entrance sat two guards with the clan's traditional topknots.
Before they got close, a voice rang from within, cursing, "I'm starving to death in here, you bastards!" The guards ignored it until they saw Takizo's group approaching, then nodded and walked away.
As soon as they stepped inside, the same voice shouted again, "Damn it, you're late! Once I get out, I'll kill—" The voice cut off, as if recognizing who had arrived. The sound of chains rattled from the nearest cell.
A face pressed up against the iron bars. "Heh, it's Takizo. I heard from the clan head you can already beat our Genin. A real genius, aren't you? Come fight me, fight me! If I win…"
The man grinned hideously. "I don't even need you to let me out. Just let me kill those two behind you."
The group ignored him, walking deeper into the cave.
Seeing Takizo unmoved, the prisoner grew anxious and cried out, "You feel it too, don't you? You're a genius of the Shikotsumyaku. Can't you feel those worms gnawing at your bones?"
Takizo's steps faltered, and the voice grew excited. "You feel it, right? Just let me kill one. Just one! If you win, you can kill me, you can kill me!"
Shitaro tugged at Takizo's sleeve.
Takizo squeezed his hand and led him forward. "Kimimaro is waiting."
The group hurried on, leaving only the prisoner's hysterical echoes behind.