The situation in Kirigakure was rapidly reaching its conclusion.
As an increasing number of noble clans and commoner ninjas joined the fray, the Kaguya clan found themselves utterly suppressed. Despite the terrifying combat prowess granted by their Shikotsumyaku, they were facing the combined might of the entire Village Hidden in the Mist.
"Dance of the Willow!"
The Kaguya Patriarch's joints erupted with jagged bone spikes. Using his body itself as a weapon, he unleashed a wide-area AOE assault, sweeping through the surrounding Mist ninjas with lethal precision. The ability of the Kaguya to suddenly extend their bones made their reach unpredictable, a primary reason why their taijutsu was feared above all others.
Wrapped in their skeletal armor, the Kaguya warriors lunged left and right, desperately trying to puncture the ANBU defensive lines. However, they met stubborn resistance.
The Mist ninjas were far from fools; they didn't engage the Kaguya in a direct contest of raw strength. Instead, the ANBU specialized in taijutsu held the front line to parry the initial strikes, while those proficient in ninjutsu, genjutsu, and ninja tools maintained their distance, raining down long-range attacks.
As fellow villagers, they possessed a profound understanding of the Kaguya's mechanics. They knew exactly how to counter them.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Groups of Mist ninjas synchronized their efforts, exhaling massive torrents of water that coalesced into dragons, crashing into the Kaguya ranks.
"Water Style: Water Array Wall!" "Water Style: Water Fang Blade!" "Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!"
Every Mist ninja was a master of the water element. When their techniques converged into a relentless deluge, the Kaguya's momentum was forcibly ground to a halt.
CLANG!
Two massive, flat blades—resembling twin flounders—clashed against the Kaguya Patriarch's bone spikes, producing a screeching metallic ring. The resulting shockwave cleared the immediate area.
"Tch, a brat from the Hozuki clan!" the Patriarch sneered upon recognizing his opponent.
Suddenly, his vertebrae protruded from his back. He reached back, gripped his own spine, and ripped it out. The long, serrated whip of bone lashed toward Hozuki Mangetsu.
"Dance of the Clematis: Vine!"
This spinal whip was not only destructive but incredibly versatile, alternating between a fluid lash and a rigid piercing spear at the user's will. But Mangetsu was the "Second Coming of the Demon."
"Truly disgusting," Mangetsu remarked. His shoulder-length white hair fluttered, partially obscuring the bandages around his neck. When he spoke, his rows of shark-like teeth glistened.
On one side was the legendary Kaguya Patriarch; on the other, the young genius capable of wielding all seven ninja swords. Their duel generated such pressure that no one dared step within ten meters of them.
Nearby, Suikazan Fuguki—tall, obese, and shaped like a giant watermelon—stood in the center of the battlefield. He barked orders to the ANBU and clan ninjas, coordinating the systematic slaughter.
With the ANBU's pre-planned suppression strategy and the sheer numbers of arriving reinforcements, the Kaguya rebels were being picked off one by one. The battlefield began to shrink as the "mad bones" were surrounded.
"Damned lunatics," Fuguki grunted. He swung the Great Sword Samehada, shredding a Kaguya warrior before scanning the horizon.
The Kaguya were true to their reputation; no matter how grevious the wound, they refused to surrender. They chose to fight until the last drop of blood was spent.
BOOM!
Just as Fuguki felt the situation was under control, a massive explosion rocked the Mizukage Building behind them.
"What?!" The commanders spun around in shock. Smoke billowed from a gaping hole in the fortress, trailing high into the sky.
Is this a Kaguya trump card? Fuguki wondered.
Swish—
A semi-transformed Yagura arrived on the scene, flickering atop a Tulou tower and looking down at the dying remnants of the Kaguya.
"Lord Mizukage!" Fuguki and several ANBU knelt beside him.
"Zabuza's assassination attempt failed. I wounded him, but he escaped," Yagura said coldly.
The ANBU froze. They hadn't noticed Zabuza's absence, but to think he had dared to strike at the Mizukage during such chaos...
"Lord Mizukage, how shall we handle the survivors?" Fuguki asked, his sharp teeth bared.
Yagura's gaze shifted toward the burning village. He turned to Biwa Juzo and Kisame Hoshigaki, who were standing by. "Both of you, take an ANBU squad each. Purge the Kaguya district. Leave no survivors."
Juzo and Kisame, not yet rogue ninjas, hesitated for a fraction of a second. To exterminate an entire founding clan...
"Why are you standing there?! It's a direct order!" Fuguki roared. "The Yuki rebelled, and now the Kaguya. We must strike these traitors with an iron fist!"
"Understood!" Juzo and Kisame complied, leading their squads to finish the job.
Amidst the smoke of the Mizukage Building, Uchiha Obito looked down at the carnage below with a cold, detached eye.
The Kaguya coup had been decisive and fierce, but Kirigakure was currently at a peak of strength. With Mangetsu and others still active, a single clan stood no chance against the entire village. It was only a matter of time.
"So, it really is you pulling the strings in the Mist."
Suddenly, a playful, taunting voice drifted from behind him—a voice that made Obito's skin crawl.
Obito's tiger-masked head whipped around.
There, sitting casually on a pile of rubble created by Zabuza's explosion, was a figure in a black robe and a white three-eyed fox mask. He was resting his chin on one hand, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his mask as if he were thoughtfully appraising a specimen.
"You!"
Obito didn't hesitate; he instantly activated his intangibility.
Damn it... how the hell is Shura in the Mist?! And why is he STILL chasing me?!