The battlefield was a chaos of unbridled movement and spilled blood. Ao moved with agility, his Byakugan analyzing every detail. Despite being surrounded, his precision kept him intact. One of the Kaguyas launched a direct attack, but Ao dodged with a quick turn, spotting two other enemies trying to surprise him from the flanks.
"Water Release: Water Wave Clash," he shouted as he formed hand seals. A massive wave rose from the ground, sweeping away the attackers with crushing force. Taking advantage of the chaos, Ao attacked one of the Kaguyas with his sword, slicing cleanly through their makeshift defense.
Just a few meters away, Mangetsu demonstrated why he was known as the "Second Coming of the Demon."
The Hiramekarei glowed blue as he uttered "Hiramekarei Release!" The chakra accumulated in the sword expanded, transforming into a massive hammer that he used to crush the group of Kaguyas that were fearlessly charging towards him.
One of the Kaguyas managed to break through Mangetsu's defense with a makeshift weapon, but instead of blood, only water came out. Mangetsu's body turned to liquid, dodging the attack with his Hydration Technique. In a counterattack, Mangetsu extended a hand towards his enemy, quickly absorbing the liquids from his body. The Kaguya collapsed, weakened and panting, while Mangetsu regained his strength.
"That's all you got?! Pathetic!" Mangetsu shouted with a cocky grin, raising the Hiramekarei to launch a wave of chakra that tore through the enemy ranks, leaving a trail of collapsed bodies.
However, the Kaguyas' inhuman resistance was beginning to take its toll. Despite the casualties, they continued to advance without showing fear or pain. Mangetsu was beginning to feel the pressure; for every enemy he defeated, two more took his place.
On the other hand, Renjiro fought with the precision of a Bukijutsu master. He unfurled small scrolls in the air, summoning a shower of weapons: kunais, shurikens and blades that flew towards the Kaguyas. Some were thrown directly, while others were controlled with chains and threads, moving as if they had a life of their own.
"Renjiro, behind you!" Mangetsu shouted, but it was too late. One of the Kaguyas, wielding a makeshift spear, moved from the shadows and impaled Renjiro in the back. The young ninja gasped, staring at the bloody spike emerging from his chest before falling to his knees on the ground.
"Renjiro!" Ao shouted, dispatching a Kaguya with a clean slash before rushing towards his wounded comrade. In one swift movement, Ao dragged Renjiro's body to safety, his expression hardening as he assessed the severity of the wound.
Mangetsu, seeing his comrade fall, felt a wave of rage run through him. "Damn you!" he bellowed as he split the Hiramekarei into two swords. The blue chakra glowed brightly, forming crystals in the shape of fish bones that he shot towards the nearest Kaguyas. The projectiles pierced several enemies, immobilizing them as they screamed in pain.
"I'm going to finish you all off!" Mangetsu roared, using the Hydration Technique, his body transformed into water, moving between the Kaguyas quickly, absorbing their liquids and leaving them weak.
Meanwhile, in the distance, Shisui, Kinoe and Tatsuma watched silently, completely alert. Their attention was focused on Danzo, waiting for his signal.
"It is not time yet," Danzo said quietly, as if reading the thoughts of the other three.
Danzo watched from the shadows, his cold gaze fixed on Ao and the Hiramekarei. 'Let them wear themselves out...'
The battle continued, but Danzo's strategy was clear. Like a predator, he would wait for the exact moment to strike, while his subordinates remained calm, ready to carry out their true objective.
In the midst of the battle, one of the adult Kaguya, covered in blood and panting, looked around as if searching for something. His companions continued to fight relentlessly, but this man quickly retreated into the forest, disappearing among the trees.
Ao and Mangetsu were too busy to notice, focused on facing the relentless wave of enemies. However, from the shadows, Danzo and his team did notice. Tatsuma frowned, his sharp eyes following the Kaguya's movement.
"Should I intercept it?" Tatsuma asked quietly, his tone full of urgency.
Danzo shook his head calmly, his calculating eyes barely blinking. "No. Kaguyas don't run away. If he retreats, it's because he's going to find something… or someone. Leave him alone. He's just bringing us what we need."
Tatsuma nodded, though his discomfort did not disappear. Kinoe and Shisui remained impassive, ready to act as soon as they received the order.
A few minutes later, Kaguya returned. But he was not alone. He walked beside a thin, almost spectral figure.
He was a tall, pale-skinned man, his face framed by long white hair tied in a loose ponytail that fell halfway down his back. The zigzag parting that divided his hair down the center made him look even more peculiar. His eyes were a deep black, almost hypnotic, and on his forehead stood out two scarlet dots that seemed to radiate a sinister energy.
Danzo narrowed his eyes, watching the figure with interest. 'That hair, that mark... It's like seeing Kimimaro. A Kaguya warrior who has awakened his Kekkei Genkai,' he thought, immediately recognizing the danger he posed.
The newly arrived man didn't say a word. He just looked at the battlefield calmly, as if he was assessing the chaos. Then, without warning, he charged towards Ao and Mangetsu, moving with terrifying speed.
"Watch out!" Ao shouted, backing away as the Kaguya ninja emerged from nowhere, attacking him with a sharp bone protruding from her wrist. Ao was barely able to dodge it thanks to his Byakugan, but the impact of the attack raised a cloud of dust and rock fragments.
"What the hell is that?" Mangetsu muttered, as he stepped back and prepared the Hiramekarei.
The man Kaguya didn't respond. Instead, he spread his arms out, and with a chilling sound, bones began to protrude from his elbows, shoulders, and ribs. A cruel smile spread across his face as he slowly advanced towards them.
"It's the Shikotsumyaku," Ao said in a tone of horror. "The Kekkei Genkai of the Kaguya clan… The power to manipulate one's own bones as weapons."
Before Ao could say more, the Kaguya man attacked. A long, sharp bone shot out from his palm, straight towards Mangetsu, who barely had time to block it with the Hiramekarei. The impact resounded loudly, and Mangetsu was pushed back by the force of the attack.
"Damn it!" Mangetsu roared, releasing chakra into the Hiramekarei to transform the sword into a massive hammer. In one fluid motion, Mangetsu swung it at the Kaguya, who responded to the attack by raising a wall of dense bones that emerged from her left arm. The impact was brutal, but the Kaguya stood firm, her bones barely cracked by the blow.
"Is that all you have?" Kaguya asked in a cold, mocking voice, before launching a series of sharp bones from her fingertips.
Ao jumped to the side, avoiding the bone "bullets" with agile movements. "Mangetsu, be careful! He's almost invulnerable as long as he uses that skill."
Mangetsu growled, sweating as he split the Hiramekarei into two swords again. "Then I will have to break every single one of his bones until he can't stand up."
The Kaguya ninja responded with a laugh as she prepared to use another technique from her feared Kekkei Genkai. "Try it, swordsman. My body is a fortress, and you are nothing more than insects."
Danzo watched from a safe position, his sharp eyes scanning every detail of the battlefield. The Kaguya Clan members were decimated, but enough remained to pose a threat. Two targets stood out among the chaos, Mangetsu, with her hydration ability, and the warrior Kaguya with the dreaded Shikotsumyaku.
When he heard Ao's voice shout over the din of battle, "Mangetsu, regroup! We're retreating to the western flank!" Danzo knew the time had come.
'There will be no retreat for them,' he thought coldly.
He turned to his subordinates and raised his voice with the calm of someone who had already won. "It's time to act."
Danzo looked at Shisui. "Your target is Mangetsu. Use your speed to pierce through him with your lightning chakra-infused Tantō. Make sure he can't move."
Shisui did not hesitate. With a simple nod, he disappeared in a flash of his Body Flicker Technique. On the battlefield, Mangetsu was preparing to respond to the order to retreat when a gust of wind blew past him. Before he could react, the electrified blade of Shisui's Tantō pierced his abdomen with precision.
The impact was immediate. Electricity flowed through Mangetsu's body, disrupting his hydration ability and paralyzing his body. He fell to his knees, panting, as he tried to keep his physical form together.
"Traitor!" he managed to scream with hatred before collapsing.
Danzo turned to Yamato, his gaze firm. "Kinoe, immobilize them. Use your Wood Release so they can't move."
Kinoe executed seals with speed and precision, his chakra flowing into the ground. "Wood Release: Wood Strangler!"
From the ground, thick wooden beams shot forth like living snakes, quickly enveloping Ao and Mangetsu. Ao tried to resist but the wood was relentless, reinforced by Kinoe's chakra. Within seconds, they were both completely immobilized, trapped in a cocoon of wood that prevented them from moving.
Danzo bit his thumb, raised his other hand and ran his thumb through it. "Summoning Technique: Come to me, Baku."
A huge cloud of smoke erupted, and from it emerged the imposing figure of Baku, the legendary tapir-elephant. With a deafening roar, Baku began to inhale with incredible force, generating a powerful suction current that swept away everything around him.
The remaining Kaguya Clan ninja struggled to hold their ground. The Shikotsumyaku user stabbed sharp bones into the ground to resist, but other Kaguyas were helplessly dragged towards the beast. Baku devoured several Kaguyas, shredding them to pieces.
Danzo wasted no time. Taking advantage of the chaos, he inhaled deeply and executed one of his most devastating techniques.
"Wind Release: Void Wave Series!"
From his mouth, Danzo fired a series of blade-sharp wind blasts. Baku's suction amplified the wind blades' range and speed, transforming them into a deadly hurricane that swept across the battlefield.
The gusts ripped through the remaining Kaguya. Their bodies were cut and torn, and the bones that the Shikotsumyaku user tried to use as defense were pulverized by the power of the attack. Even the trees and rocks in the area were torn apart by the wind.
The Shikotsumyaku user tried to counterattack, throwing bones as projectiles towards Danzo, but the wind easily deflected them. Baku continued to roar, suction after suction, weakening the enemies even more.
When the technique ended, the battlefield fell silent, covered in rubble and mutilated bodies. The only ones left standing were Danzo, his team, and the Shikotsumyaku-wielding Kaguya.
The Kaguya panted, her body covered in deep cuts, her bone armor shattered. Despite her condition, she maintained a defiant stance, her eyes filled with hatred and determination.
Danzo regarded him with a mixture of coldness and satisfaction. "You are more resilient than I imagined," he said, approaching calmly. "Perfect."
Behind him, Baku disappeared in a puff of smoke, his task accomplished. Tatsuma positioned himself behind Danzo, ready to intervene if necessary, but the Root leader raised a hand to stop them.
"There is no need," he declared.
The Kaguya tried to move, but her body was at its limit. Danzo smiled slightly. Everything was going according to his plan.