"Shikotsumyaku: Ten Finger Drilling Bullets!"
Kaguya Masaru launched the jutsu again.
The Shikotsumyaku bloodline allowed complete control over his bone cells. Even after firing all ten finger bones, he could regenerate them in an instant.
"Hhss..."
Kiyohara exhaled sharply. White steam curled from the corners of his lips and his body—like he was operating in some overdrive mode.
And truthfully, he was.
Every second in this state pushed his body closer to its limit. His movements now relied entirely on bursts of high-speed evasion like Leaf Instant Step—nothing else would work.
Had his chakra reserves not already exceeded that of a standard jōnin, he might have collapsed by now.
Shhk!
He flung a handful of shuriken, fingers twitching to activate the nearly invisible copper wires.
The threads spun taut, forming a razor web through the air!
Masaru's finger bones clashed against the wires, deflected just enough to lose precision.
"Masaru, wait—don't rush in!"
Terumī Mei tried to rein him in, but the boy had already drawn a blade of bone from his arm and was charging forward.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia!
Just moments ago, Kiyohara had revealed his location—Masaru wasn't going to let that window close.
Whoosh!
As he neared, his body began spinning like a drill, bone spikes erupting all around him.
From afar, it looked like he was wrapped in a flurry of white ribbons—
The residual trails of his spinning bone blade.
Even the surrounding mist was disrupted by the motion.
Mei finally caught sight of Kiyohara…
And of Masaru, flaring like a dying star as he launched one final, overwhelming blow.
"He's coming. Don't be afraid," said Magnet Kiyohara with a hint of excitement.
"In the face of the technique I've developed, victory is inevitable."
"I know."
The exchange between Kiyohara and his future self was faster than lightning.
He turned to face Masaru.
He could feel the approaching surge of wind, could feel the weight of power gathering in his own muscles.
With a single step, he threw his right fist forward.
BOOM!
A fist like a thunderclap blasted through the mist, creating a vacuum that made the entire coastline feel like it was spinning.
Masaru staggered mid-spin—
But instead of falling back, he pushed harder.
"Raaah!"
With a furious roar, he slashed his bone blade at Kiyohara.
KRRAK!
Kiyohara answered with another punch.
The shockwave cracked the air itself.
Shikotsumyaku hardened bone to levels stronger than diamond—
But the rest of Masaru's body was still flesh and blood.
SCHLUNK!
The bone blade pierced through Kiyohara's hand.
But at the same time—
Masaru stared in disbelief as his own arm was ripped off at the shoulder, torn away by sheer force.
Wind Release: Gale Palm!
Before he could even process the pain, Kiyohara slammed his hands together and unleashed a slicing wind.
SHHK!
A sharp gust carved across Masaru's throat.
He tried to speak… but only a gurgle escaped his lips.
"Masaru! Get back!"
Mei screamed.
But her hands were already mid-seal. She couldn't reach him in time.
And Kiyohara was already moving.
From his pouch, he pulled a single explosive tag, slapped it onto Masaru's chest, and vanished.
BOOM!
The explosion echoed through the fog.
Masaru was gone.
All that remained was a scorched hunk of blackened bone tossed near Mei's feet.
Her body trembled. Eyelashes fluttered.
Kiyohara had reduced Masaru to ash—right before her eyes.
And yet… her Wind Release technique had already been unleashed.
The winds tore across the battlefield, scattering the white fog, the lime dust—
And Masaru's ashes.
Whoosh—
The heavy fog was gone.
Kakashi and the others finally saw the field clearly.
They saw the corpses.
The scattered bone fragments.
And a woman shaking with rage.
"...Didn't even collect his ashes?" Kiyohara said lightly, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.
"I guess Mist-nin favor sea burials these days."
His enhanced state deactivated. Blood drained from his face.
"But I gotta admit, the view here's nice. A perfect place to scatter some remains."
He glanced toward the endless sea.
Mei clenched her fists so hard she thought her nails would break. She wanted nothing more than to crush Kiyohara underfoot—drag him back and make him pay.
But she stopped herself.
She'd long grown used to losing comrades.
After all, hadn't she killed plenty of Leaf-nin herself? Who were they to someone else?
In the end, it wasn't about right or wrong.
They lost.
Mei exhaled, shoulders steadying, lips curving into a smile.
Ninjas… were those who endured.
Who buried their emotions, and carried on.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
She fused her Fire and Water chakra, spewing a caustic vapor from her mouth.
It looked like ordinary fog—
But it could melt even a Susanoo to the bone.
Then she turned to retreat.
The few surviving Mist-nin scrambled after her.
Kiyohara didn't chase.
He couldn't.
Kakashi approached, while sending his dogs and Genma ahead to pursue.
"Are you alright?"
"...I'm fine."
Kiyohara used a basic Mediclal Jutsu to stem the bleeding from his hand.
The blade had missed vital tendons and bones—he'd recover.
He pointed at the pile of corpses.
"These? Yeah, all mine."
Originally, he'd planned to weaken the enemy, then regroup with Kakashi to finish the job.
But… Magnet Release: Rotational Field was just too effective.
He'd killed more than expected.
And now?
He was hooked.
This was the kind of power he wanted.
Of course, it had its downsides:
-Limited duration
-Massive physical strain
-Reliance on explosive bursts like Leaf Body Flicker for movement
But still—
"Good," Kakashi said, watching Kiyohara tend his wounds.
He held back his curiosity.
How did this guy improve so fast?
While Kakashi pondered, Kiyohara had plans of his own.
Time to finish that Will.
Time to request a reassignment.
Time to officially claim Magnet Release.
He glanced down at the smoldering bone fragments near Mei's last stand.
"Shikotsumyaku bones, huh…"
He collected them carefully.
Orochimaru would love these.
A perfect gift…
For what he needed next.