Kirigakure Purge Plan!
The next morning, the sea was still shrouded in a thick fog.
A fast boat came from the sea current outside the island at great speed, and in the blink of an eye, its blurry shadow could be vaguely seen emerging from the hazy fog.
"No need to follow me, just wait on the boat." Minazuki Gin glanced at the boatman, then turned and walked deeper into the island.
Following behind was a masked ninja, whose tight-fitting clothes accentuated his perfect physique; this person was clearly an ANBU Anbu of Kirigakure.
As one of the three Advisor of Kirigakure, it's understandable that Minazuki Gin would bring an Anbu bodyguard, but what's strange is...
This time, Minazuki Gin is visiting on behalf of the Yuki family, so he should bring guards from the Yuki clan.
With the Kirigakure's Anbu...
What does this mean?
Kaguya's patrol team, responsible for patrolling the island, noticed the small speedboat approaching immediately.
"Go back and report. We'll keep an eye on them!" the squad leader said in a deep voice.
They received orders from Kaguya Shōtarō yesterday that guests would be visiting today.
Therefore, the patrol squad leader did not order an operation to apprehend the people who landed on the island. Instead, he chose to send someone to report the incident while secretly following and keeping watch on the other party.
Upon receiving the order, one member of the patrol team quickly left the team and ran towards the depths of the island.
"We just need to keep an eye on them." With the Dragon Bone Barrier set up by Tōka for defense, the Kaguya Clan grounds has nothing to worry about from powerful enemies invading.
Besides, there were only two of them.
However, the three members of the patrol team were unaware that they had been spotted by Minazuki Gin the moment they appeared on the shore.
A cool, misty fog suddenly appeared in the forest, the biting cold stimulating the skin, sending a chill down one's spine.
"In the back?!" The squad leader's expression changed and he turned around abruptly, only to see a silver-haired man with a beaming smile looking at him.
Cold sweat immediately trickled down his temples, slid down to his chin and gathered, until it finally dripped down when he could no longer bear it.
Wow, that's fast!
No, that's a very strange hiding method.
As members of a fighting clan, Kaguya's squad leader quickly realized that their failure to notice Minazuki Gin's approach was not due to his speed.
Rather, it was the opponent's ability to conceal their presence that surpassed their perception!
What a terrifying ability!
As the captain of the training squad, Kaguya Masakazu strength was approaching that of a Jonin, felt a sudden chill run down her spine when facing the kind-looking Minazuki Gin.
"Yuki Clan Minazuki Gin clan has come to pay his respects to Clan Chief Kaguya. Gentlemen, please lead the way!" Minazuki Gin smiled and spread his hands, indicating that he had no hostile intentions.
"Please follow us." Kaguya Masakazu and gestured to the other two not to make any rash moves.
Minazuki Gin will be appearing today; Kaguya Shōtarō has already informed his subordinates.
By now, the patriarch and the clan leader should have received the news.
The thought flashed through her mind, Kaguya Masakazu and quickly led Minazuki Gin and the other two toward the Kaguya Clan grounds.
We traveled along the way, passing through forests interspersed with rocks on the outer slopes.
Gradually, the group ventured deeper into the island.
A desolate Stone Forest came into view; this was Minazuki Gin's first visit to the island where Kaguya lived.
But what he saw before him found very interesting.
Although his face remained calm and showed no emotion, his slightly open, squinting eyes betrayed Minazuki Gin's current mood.
The giant rocks in the Stone Forest...
They are clearly formed from enormous bones!
Life decays over time, but these enormous bones have been preserved intact as fossils.
What's strange is that bones usually take tens of thousands of years to gradually turn into fossils.
And what's in front of us...
Has the island existed for ten thousand years?
Retract the strange thought.
Minazuki Gin closed his crescent-shaped, squinty eyes again and silently followed behind Kaguya Masakazu.
After passing through the Stone Forest, a huge dragon skeleton appeared before their eyes.
"This..." Minazuki Gin was truly shocked this time.
A decaying stench enveloped the entire Kaguya Clan grounds.
A chill ran through his body, and his subconscious told him that he must never touch those huge gray skeletons.
"Please stay close to us, the Dragon Bone Barrier is very powerful!" Kaguya Masakazu seemed to be a reminder, but were actually a warning to Minazuki Gin.
Let alone one Kage-level, even ten more would instantly perish if they triggered the Dragon Bone Barrier and were hit by the All-Killing Ash Bones' attack!
Minazuki Gin's expression stiffened slightly, but he quickly put on a fake smile again.
Guided by Kaguya Masakazu, the group passed through the Dragon Bone Barrier without incident and arrived inside the Kaguya Clan grounds.
In the main hall of the courtyard where the clan chief resided, Tōka and Kaguya Shōtarō were already waiting.
Hot tea was refilled into the water glasses on the table.
"Huh? There's also the Kirigakure Ninja Anbu?"
Tōka noticed the masked ninja following behind Minazuki Gin; the chakra within him was already at the Jonin.
"They came so fast!" Kaguya Shōtarō was slightly surprised.
The patrol team had just relayed the information that Minazuki Gin had arrived on the island when he appeared here.
Doesn't this mean...?
The two walked towards the depths of the island, almost one after the other.
"In that case, let's get ready." As Tōka finished speaking, he took out a Fox Mask from his pocket and put it on.
Kaguya Shōtarō didn't hesitate, stood up from the chair next to him, walked to the head seat, and plopped down.
Meanwhile, Tōka stood beside Kaguya Shōtarō as a bodyguard from the Anbu.
Before long, a servant led Minazuki Gin and the Mist Kirigakure Ninja Anbu into the main hall, Kaguya Shōtarō immediately stood up.
He grinned broadly and stepped forward, "A rare guest indeed! This way, please!"
"Hehe, Clan Chief Kaguya, there's no need to be so polite." Minazuki Gin, also with a beaming smile, followed Kaguya Shōtarō into the main hall.
Glancing at the hot tea that had already been prepared, Minazuki Gin knew that the seat next to him was the one that had been arranged for him.
It is perfectly reasonable for the host to sit in the main seat, while the guests sit to the left or right; this is the most basic respect and etiquette.
The two quickly sat down, but neither of them looked at the other.
Kaguya Shōtarō sized up the Kirigakure Ninja standing behind Minazuki Gin, noting his Anbu, graceful figure and beautiful brown hair.
She's a female ninja, and quite strong.
At the same time, Minazuki Gin's crescent-shaped, squinty eyes occasionally swept over Kaguya Shōtarō Tōka.
Fox Mask? Casual clothes? What a strange outfit.
It's quite unique, at least within the Anbu; animal masks are a characteristic of the Konoha Anbu, but not in the other four countries.
Secondly, he wore an Anbu mask but was dressed in casual clothes.
This...
The most important point shocked Minazuki Gin greatly, because he couldn't even discern the extent of his opponent's strength.
The man stood there casually, his gaze fixed on the other person as if they were being sucked into a giant Black Hole.
Unable to obtain any information!
Very strong, my Sixth Sense tells Minazuki Gin, that guy with the Fox Mask is very strong!
He's at least a level above him and Kaguya Shōtarō!
When did such a powerful figure emerge from the Kaguya Clan?
With this question in mind, Minazuki Gin secretly composed himself and prepared to deal with Kaguya Shōtarō.
"Gin, I didn't know you came here this time?" Minazuki Gin, one of the most mysterious Advisor of Kirigakure, was always elusive and rarely seen.
Many people don't even know if he's male or female; he's come to Kaguya Clan grounds this time.
Only a fool would believe that there's nothing important going on!
"It's nothing serious, just some minor issues I'd like to clarify with Clan Chief Kaguya," Minazuki Gin said with a smile.
His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, leaving no room for criticism.
Kaguya Shōtarō glanced at Tōka out of the corner of his eye, and seeing that he didn't react, he continued to ask, "What small problem?"
"Is the Kaguya Clan..." Minazuki Gin smiled broadly, but in Tōka's eyes, that smile was nothing but hypocrisy.
"It still belongs to Kirigakure?"
The air froze instantly upon hearing this.
As if frozen by invisible ice, everyone, including the brown-haired female ninja standing behind Minazuki Gin, stared at him in shock.
This is on the Kaguya Clan's territory!!
Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake, and besides, Kaguya's strength is in no way inferior to Minazuki Gin's, okay?
Such a forceful tone—if the Kaguya Clan truly harbored ulterior motives, wouldn't they have simply detained Minazuki Gin and his companion?!
The female ninja behind Minazuki Gin's heart pounded, and her body tensed instantly. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into fists, ready to strike at any moment!
However...
The expected battle did not occur.
After a moment of shock, Kaguya Shōtarō slowly composed himself.
His face was grim, and his low, hoarse voice rang out.
"Some things aren't just things you can say offhand! Our Kaguya Clan has never done anything detrimental to Kirigakure!"
Upon hearing this, Minazuki Gin burst out laughing.
As if mocking Kaguya Shōtarō's self-admitted expression, Minazuki Gin picked up his teacup and took a small sip to hide his embarrassment.
Immediately, Kaguya Shōtarō's expression turned even more unpleasant.
"Of course I'm not saying the Kaguya Clan has ulterior motives..." Minazuki Gin smiled broadly, his fake smile almost making Kaguya Shōtarō lose his temper.
If it weren't for Tōka standing behind him, Terrifying Kaguya Shōtarō would have already started fighting with Minazuki Gin.
"Instead, we hope that the Kaguya Clan can contribute to Kirigakure."
Hearing this, Kaguya Shōtarō's anger subsided, and he then looked puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
"There's a mission that requires the Kaguya Clan's help," Minazuki Gin said, his smile fading and his expression turning serious.
"Task?"
"That's right!"
Minazuki Gin nodded slightly, indicating that the Anbu behind him could remove their masks.
Kaguya Shōtarō's gaze then fell on the female ninja's face, as she raised her hand to remove her mask.
A glimpse of her face...
"It's you?!"
The woman had a pair of bright green eyes, long brown wavy hair shaped like a tree, and her right eye was covered by wisps of hair on her forehead.
This person was none other than the Mirai Fifth Mizukage — Mei Terumī!
Tōka's eyes flickered slightly as he sized up Mei Terumī, who wasn't much older than him, compared to when they met several years ago.
Mei Terumī has lost some of her girlish naiveté and gained more composure and maturity, like a delicate and beautiful flower in full bloom, tempting one to pick.
She's so young, yet so alluring; it's impossible to look away.
In another two years, when things are ripe...
Tōka swallowed hard, then quickly averted his gaze, standing like an old monk behind Kaguya Shōtarō.
"Let Mei Terumī tell us what's going on next, let her say it." Minazuki Gin leaned back in his chair with a smile, sipping his Clear Tea.
"Perhaps... that would be more convincing."
Upon Mei Terumī the sound, Terumi Akira took a few steps forward with her long, beautiful legs and stopped directly in front of Kaguya Shōtarō.
"Kaguya." A respectful yet assertive voice rang out, interrupting Kaguya Shōtarō's thoughts.
"Hmm?" Kaguya Shōtarō slightly raised his eyes to look at Mei Terumī.
"Here is some intelligence; please take a look." As her alluring voice rang out, Mei Terumī took out a Scroll from her bosom.
He presented his hands with an extremely low posture.
Kaguya Shōtarō glanced casually at Tōka behind him, and seeing him nod slightly, he reached out and took the intelligence Scroll from Mei Terumī's hand.
Untie the thin string binding the Scroll and slowly unroll it...
The few lines of text possessed immense power, Kaguya Shōtarō completely in his seat.
He stared in astonishment at the Scroll in his hand, unable to believe what was written on it.
"Is the information on this Scroll true?" Kaguya Shōtarō asked in a trembling voice, the usually composed man genuinely flustered at this moment.
Such a serious matter...
Minazuki Gin subtly gave Mei Terumī a look, then continued to elegantly sip his tea, seemingly oblivious to Kaguya Shōtarō's exclamation.
"Clan Chief Kaguya, the information is indeed true," Mei Terumī said seriously, her slightly furrowed brows seeming to say, "How could she possibly joke about something like this?"
"If the intelligence is accurate, my Kaguya Clan will definitely do everything in our power to help!" A sharp glint flashed in Kaguya Shōtarō's eyes, along with a hint of excitement that he himself was unaware of!
How many years has it been!
The Kirigakure, the conflict between the Kaguya Clan and the Hozuki Clan.
This time it will be completely over!
The Hozuki Clan, you've lost in the end!
The image of Kaguya Shōtarō flashed through Hozuki Jōgetsu's mind; he simply couldn't imagine that shrewd fellow would do something so foolish.
Do you think you can overthrow the rule of Kirigakure with the power of a single clan?
How ridiculous...
Seeing this, Minazuki Gin and Mei Terumī, who were standing nearby, couldn't help but smile briefly. Kaguya Shōtarō believed it.
Whether it was because Kaguya Shōtarō wanted to get rid of Hozuki Jōgetsu, or Kaguya Shōtarō wanted the Kaguya Clan to become the largest clan in Kirigakure.
Whatever the reason, the important thing is that he believed it.
That's enough. This is also the purpose of Minazuki Gin and Mei Terumī's trip— the Kirigakure Purge Plan!
Tōka watched all of this with a detached and indifferent eye.
He wasn't entirely clear on Mei Terumī's plan, but he vaguely knew it was a conspiracy to deal with the three major clans of Kirigakure.
Although it's unclear why Minazuki Gin, a prominent figure in the Yuki Clan, would get involved in this matter.
Moreover, they are on the side of Kirigakure.
However, Tōka was certain that what happened to the Kaguya Clan today also happened in the territory of the Hozuki Clan.
After this battle, the three major clans of Kirigakure will cease to exist.
A strange ripple spread through the Void, and Tōka's figure silently disappeared into the darkness.
Tōka wouldn't bother reminding that idiot Kaguya Shōtarō that the Kaguya Clan was just a pawn in his control of Kirigakure.
Whatever the reason, since the pawn is already under suspicion, there is no need for it to continue existing.
Kirigakure planning to make a move?
Let them have it then. If they want to wipe out the three major clans in one fell swoop, Kirigakure's resources will have to be depleted by at least a significant amount.