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"What in the world is that?"
At that moment, Uchiha Fugaku was not the only one with that thought.
Almost all the Mist Ninja who rushed into the basement thought the same thing, in unison.
However, the monster inside didn't give them much time.
Bone-like material, extending continuously from the underground chamber like rapidly growing bamboo, pierced through the narrow space at high speed, with several spear-like projectiles occasionally shooting out.
In just a brief moment, a second or two, several people were already injured.
Uchiha Fugaku, who was already at the front, only froze for an instant. The scarlet three-tomoe in his eyes spun abruptly, causing him to instinctively twist his body.
"Whoosh—!"
A spurting bone fragment grazed the edge of his waist, drawing a string of blood beads and causing a slight stinging sensation.
The pain immediately brought him back to his senses, and he quickly formed hand seals:
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A large, wall-like earth barrier immediately extended and rose from the ground, instantly blocking the narrow basement exit, forming a large earthen bulge.
However, this obstruction lasted only an instant.
The next moment, it was pierced through by countless pure white bone spikes.
But this brief gap was enough for the Ninja present to react, and they all broke through the door towards the exit.
Almost the instant Uchiha Fugaku burst out of the hallway, he heard a booming sound from behind him.
The members of the Bloodline Faction, who were sprinting behind, eager to capture the big target, the Kaguya clan Head, hadn't yet grasped the situation when they saw countless intertwined bone-like structures, like gnarled tree roots, spreading upwards from the underground tunnel they had just entered, shooting straight into the sky.
"Fall back!"
Uchiha Fugaku shouted, running even faster.
"Rumble!"
Immediately after, the entire seemingly unremarkable building was completely shattered by an indescribable tree of bone, scattering into a pile of architectural debris.
"What?!"
Yagura Karatachi stood on the periphery, seeing this scene from afar, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Then his gaze sharpened, and he squinted his eyes.
'Is this the monster Sawara Kiri mentioned in his letter?'
'To hide such power, no wonder…'
The letter he received earlier that day contained Sawara Kiri's order to start the war, and it specifically mentioned a trump card held by the Bloodline Faction—a monster whose body was like blood, likely possessing multiple bloodline abilities.
Although Yagura Karatachi was unwilling to carry out the order for an internal war in Hidden Mist, he had long been prepared for it.
From the day he betrayed Hidden Mist and sent a group of fresh bloodlines to Konoha to be raised, he had anticipated that Sawara Kiri would use many methods to weaken Hidden Mist's strength, so that Konoha could annex the Village as completely as possible, to avoid symptoms of 'over-expansion' or 'indigestion'.
He would definitely do such a thing.
Even if he didn't do it himself, someone else would.
Therefore, Yagura Karatachi chose to wield the butcher's knife himself—if he did the killing, at least he could leave some seeds for Hidden Mist.
Sawara Kiri might not.
His title of 'Demon King' didn't just fall from the sky.
However, this monster appeared without any warning.
Even with his many years of managing Hidden Mist as the Fourth Mizukage, he had never received any related information.
"A bloodline monster, huh…"
Yagura Karatachi seemed to be talking to himself, looking at the night sky covered by the giant bone tree, and whispered, "To be able to help the Bloodline Faction complete such a project silently, right under my nose, probably only you could do it."
He turned around and looked at the aged monk who had appeared in the distance at some point, his tone respectful:
"Elder Genji."
The moment he spoke, the two young Ninja beside Elder Genji immediately glared at the Fourth Mizukage, their killing intent palpable.
However, Elder Genji's face still held that benevolent smile, just as it had in the early years when he commanded him, a mere Anbu captain.
Even his tone was incredibly calm: "You should have been faster, Yagura."
"The Hozuki and Yuki clan, among others, have already detected the commotion here. Soon their people will surround this area."
Yagura Karatachi looked up at him from a distance, seemingly completely unconcerned about the minor matter of his 'enemy leader' being surrounded by a large army soon. His tone carried a strange mix of disappointment and helplessness:
"Elder Genji, I thought that we two who wanted to preserve Hidden Mist should be on the same side."
"Didn't you already begin to condone my actions seven years ago?"
Yagura Karatachi had always been very clear.
In Hidden Mist Village, the one who truly held the authority over all Village intelligence was never the Lord Third Mizukage, who was nearly a figurehead, but this old man in front of him, who looked frail and benevolent.
Even if he believed that some of his minor actions after sending Mei Terumī and others away back then were executed perfectly enough.
But it was only after he truly took control as Mizukage and received some convenience with Elder Genji's cooperation that he could more clearly discover his own loopholes from back then—yet, these matters seemed to have never been suspected by anyone.
Including his later actions of transmitting information to Sawara Kiri, seeking opportunities to assassinate the Third Mizukage, and continuously planting new faces from Konoha into Hidden Mist, and so on and so forth.
Everything went smoothly.
From that time on, Yagura Karatachi knew that he had probably been exposed in this old man's sight from very early on.
Elder Genji still smiled gently: "Those were things you did yourself; this old man did not participate in them."
"But the situation is already like this. Even you, Elder Genji, should be very clear that our island nation, isolated from the continent, has long had no other path to choose."
Yagura Karatachi's voice gradually rose: "I just want Hidden Mist to shed less blood. Why do you stand against me?"
"Yagura."
Elder Genji's tone was as gentle and calm as ever, without a ripple: "I should have told you long ago."
"This old man has already dedicated most of his life to Hidden Mist, and he has only a few years left to live—since this life began with loyalty, it shall also end with loyalty."
"The new era has no ship that can carry this old man."
"This old man also has his own stance."
As he spoke, his tone inadvertently carried a hint of emotion, and his gaze towards Yagura seemed to hold a touch of pity, as he sighed:
"Since you wish to conform to the changes of the era, then first step over this old man, and the corpses of all who resist."
"That way, you'll be in a better position in front of That Person, won't you?"
"Fourth Mizukage."
"…"
Hearing this, Yagura Karatachi seemed to freeze for an instant, a hint of sorrow unconsciously showing on his face, but his gaze quickly turned resolute.
From the day he chose to 'betray' this Village, he had prepared to sacrifice everything for a smooth transition of power.
Naturally—among the negotiable sacrifices, he himself was included.
"I understand, Elder Genji."
Almost the instant their words fell.
"Screech—!"
A piercing sound suddenly echoed throughout the entire Hidden Mist night.
The Ninja fighting on the ground almost simultaneously stopped their movements, all looking in the direction of the sound.
When everyone looked up, they saw a slender figure, covered in a bloody hue as if his skin had been peeled off, with ominous dark red Chakra burning and steaming around him like flames, standing at the top of the pure white bone giant tree, howling at the crescent moon.
'A Jinchuriki?!'
The moment he saw that figure, this term immediately welled up in Yagura Karatachi's mind, and he looked at the other party in astonishment.
But the next moment, he immediately realized something was wrong.
The Chakra emanating from that monster, though vast, was incredibly chaotic, as if countless energies had been forcibly fused onto one individual in some way, subtly clashing, and there was no trace of rationality.
"What exactly is that thing?" he asked unconsciously.
Elder Genji calmly said, "Seven years ago, a child with an unimaginable bloodline talent was born into the Kaguya Clan. His name is Kimimaro."
"Even before that child was born, the Kaguya Clan had already tried countless times to replicate the success of 'Kaguya Ren,' who is Sawara Kiri—almost all of the Bloodline Faction believed that the reason Sawara Kiri was able to reach his current level was because he developed new bloodline abilities from his bloodline."
"And so, this child became the perfect test subject."
"They obtained a special Chakra fusion material of a pale color through unknown channels, and using it as a medium, forcibly integrated multiple bloodlines into that child's young body, raising his limits again and again."
"Kaguya, Hozuki, Yuki, Terumī… the biggest clans, all participated in this plan, and at the same time set a sealing lock on this monster."
"Only when people from several clans act together can his wildness be suppressed, allowing him to become a perfect weapon."
As Elder Genji spoke, he looked up at the neck of 'Kimimaro,' who was currently roaring to the sky.
There, a black collar was sealed.
"Truly worthy of a Ninja clan."
Yagura Karatachi merely uttered this sentence, and then, like an arrow released from a bowstring, he shot towards the bone tree.
A second before him, 'Kimimaro' had already lunged down towards the crowd below.
"Buzz—!"
Almost the instant he leaped down, his seemingly slender body was already covered in a layer of crimson, streamlined bone armor, his hands and feet becoming claw-like. The massive amount of Chakra, born from unknown sources, allowed his movements, even without any technique, to burst forth with incredibly fast speed and power.
The Mist Ninja standing in front had not even had time to realize what was happening before their bodies were easily torn into several pieces by the violently sweeping winds.
The crimson color and rusty smell filling the air seemed to suddenly ignite 'Kimimaro's' killing intent, as if even the intense pain constantly emanating from all over his body was significantly alleviated, and he let out a series of continuous howls.
On the open ground behind him, a shallow gully was even scraped open due to his terrifying speed. Whether it was houses or streetlights blocking his path, all were shattered by a head-on collision, raising large clouds of dust.
However, just as 'Kimimaro' once again smashed through a two-story building and rushed out from the other side.
"Boom!"
The ornate long staff sweeping across left a very dull roar in the air under the pull of extreme speed and immense force, and even the steel staff itself seemed to be subtly dragged into a curved shape under this swing.
It suddenly swung onto the top of the blood beast's bone head.
"Crack—!"
With just one strike, the solid bone layer was smashed to pieces.
Kimimaro's entirely crimson body immediately rolled and smashed a cement utility pole in his path, shooting into the other end of the street.
Before he could get up, Yagura Karatachi's figure had already closed in like a shadow.
"Coral Palm!"
Immense force, wrapped with Chakra, drilled into this small body, and large pieces of coral-like cuticle emerged from the monster's surface, forming a hard, heavy shell.
However, before this layer of coral shell could restrict the opponent's movements, spear-like white bones shot out at a faster speed than the coral layer, forcibly shattering this coral layer amidst intense crashing sounds.
One side of his entire body was bristling with dense, sharp spikes like a hedgehog.
Yagura Karatachi immediately retreated several meters, smashing away the bone spikes that extended like shadows with several consecutive strikes, while simultaneously forming a hand seal:
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
In an instant, a water ball with a diameter of over two meters was pushed out in one go, ignoring large areas of bone spikes and forcibly smashing onto Kimimaro's body surface.
However, as soon as this attack landed, the monster opposite seemed to instinctively merge his entire body into the water flow, turning into a puddle of liquid on the ground with a 'pop,' making him completely indistinguishable.
Yagura Karatachi's gaze swept across, immediately raising his vigilance to the highest level.
Since it was an irrational beast, it certainly wouldn't be able to endure for long in front of its prey.
As expected.
Within just two or three seconds, a stream of water suddenly shot out from under Yagura Karatachi's feet, surging upwards—the moment it emerged, the water-transformed body rapidly changed from a body back into bones.
If an ordinary person were to take this attack head-on, their body would probably be pierced through on the spot.
"Pfft—!"
Yagura Karatachi's short stature was immediately pushed upwards by the bone spikes attacking from below. From a distance, his entire body was hunched over by this attack, and he was sent flying with a bang.
It wasn't until he stretched out his body in mid-air and tumbled to the ground that the people around him noticed that, behind the Fourth Mizukage's buttocks, a tail, seemingly completely covered in carapace, had appeared at some point.
At this moment, everyone suddenly remembered his other identity.
Yagura Karatachi, the Three-Tails Isobu Jinchuriki.
At the same time, he was also one of the very few 'Perfect Jinchuriki' in this world.
"Gah, gah."
Kimimaro's crimson head suddenly emerged from underground in a water-transformed state, staring intently in Yagura Karatachi's direction, his dark lips and teeth opening and closing a few times, emitting sounds of unknown meaning.
"All personnel, retreat! Disperse and evacuate!"
Yagura Karatachi shouted to the people around him, but he himself had no intention of retreating. He spun the ornate long staff in his hand and slowly began to circle around Kimimaro's position.
'Since it's something even Sawara Kiri specifically mentioned.'
'Then it's probably not that easy to deal with.'
'I can't worry about the harm to the Village anymore.'
A thought flashed through his mind, and Yagura Karatachi's gaze towards the blood beast opposite suddenly sharpened a few degrees. He formed hand seals:
"Water Release: Isobu Great Waterfall!"
The next moment, a torrent of water, as if an ocean current falling from the edge of the sky, suddenly poured down, continuously and endlessly filling the narrow Kaguya clan territory before them.
The massive amount of water, like a mountain collapse, easily flattened all obstacles in their path, sweeping towards Kimimaro with a roar, rushing straight towards the Hidden Mist Village in the distance.
Kimimaro, swept away in the ocean current, initially tried to merge with the seawater by maintaining his water-transformed state, but when he noticed that the opponent also seemed to merge into the surrounding current like a fish, attacking him, he immediately shot onto the surface of the sea, galloping like a beast on all fours atop the torrent.
However, the moment Yagura Karatachi suddenly burst out of the water, he, like a wolf performing a beast transformation, sharply turned his head, and large swathes of rapidly shooting bone spikes, like dense javelins, shot towards him.
At the same time, his right hand claw suddenly became covered in a disproportionately large and exaggerated giant claw, tearing down towards Yagura Karatachi with a roar.
However, Yagura Karatachi, who had burst out of the water at this moment, was no longer in his One-Tail state as before.
At this moment, his entire body was covered in a crimson shell, and within it, the unique armor patterns of the Three-Tails Isobu could vaguely be seen.
The moment he burst out from underwater, neither the bone javelins nor the bone hand claws, upon landing on him, could even penetrate the outermost shell membrane, getting stuck halfway.
"Splat!"
Yagura Karatachi firmly grabbed one of his hand claws, while his abyssal maw suddenly widened, a black rolling ball rotating and condensing into a single point, then suddenly shooting towards 'Kimimaro's' abdomen, emitting a dull hum amidst high temperature and extreme speed.
"Rumble—!"
Kimimaro's figure was suddenly blasted away by this seemingly infant-fist-sized black dot, soaring several hundred meters across the sea surface, finally exploding with a sudden sound and being completely engulfed by a churning fireball.
But before the aftershock of the fireball could dissipate, the sharp howl was heard once again from the center of the explosion.
Kimimaro's figure once again shot out like a beast, at a speed three times faster than before, roaring furiously as he lunged towards Yagura Karatachi.
He was like a machine that knew neither fatigue nor pain. The large gaps in his abdomen and legs were completely filled in an instant by the pale substance beneath the red outer shell, leaving no trace of blood or flesh.
Moreover, whether it was an illusion or not, Yagura Karatachi noticed that this guy's body seemed to be slightly larger than before.
At the same time, sharp bone-like shapes were vaguely emerging from his head and shoulder-elbow areas.
Seeing this scene, a thought suddenly arose in Yagura Karatachi's mind.
'This guy… is growing?'
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