Too Much Given

While the battlefield raged with intensity, the Kaguya had already organized a team to head toward the coast.

"Is there any problem this time? I heard that old geezer from the Senju has returned."

"What is there to fear? If the Senju Clan were truly coming, would the smaller clans nearby dare not report it?"

"Don't overthink it. Building ships and transporting goods consumes an immense amount of storage scrolls; if they had that kind of spare time, the Senju could have already relocated a batch of supplies."

"That's true..."

The Kaguya ninja were busy loading equipment onto the ships. Although ninjas are capable of walking on water, it consumes Chakra, and the sea is also home to dangerous ninja beasts.

As a major clan, they were not without storage scrolls, but they were scarce. Since these scrolls were easily targeted during trade with the Land of Water, they opted for the most primitive method: shipping by boat.

Responsible for security was Kaguya Shirotake, a veteran peak Jonin whose status was second only to the three elders.

The ship could accommodate twenty-four people in total, including eight Kaguya ninja. The remaining sixteen—ten men and six women—were versatile laborers brought from vassal clans, responsible for rowing, cooking, and occasionally serving as subjects for the Kaguya ninja to discuss the meaning of life.

Kaguya Shirotake was already very familiar with the route; he didn't even need specific landmarks to determine their approximate position based on speed alone.

Because of the nature of the exchange, the Kaguya clansmen selected were of a relatively mild temperament. Of course, aside from Kaguya Shirotake, these individuals were usually the ones who didn't quite fit in back at the clan grounds.

"Lord Shirotake, you seem a bit tense."

Kaguya Manjin walked over with a jar of wine and spoke.

"A sense of tension is good when executing a mission; it makes one feel as though they aren't growing old yet..."

Kaguya Shirotake took the wine. As long as he didn't drink too much, it was effective at resisting fatigue.

"Where are the others?"

"In the women's quarters."

"Heh, you are quite different from the other clansmen. Even after awakening your bloodline, your personality remains the same."

Kaguya Manjin lowered his head slightly, his mood dejected as he said:

"My Lord, I know. I am a cowardly person. I am often not as fierce as the other clansmen on the battlefield; one could even say I am timid..."

"No... perhaps this is what a true awakening is. Although our Kaguya Clan possesses formidable power, we cannot control it. The pleasure of slaughter often occupies our hearts, leading to unnecessary sacrifices."

"My Lord, if the Clan Head finds out, he will blame—"

"Manjin, the Clan Head is not as insane as you think. Once cultivation reaches the peak Jonin level, emotions can be restrained. But compared to a few individuals, the temperament of the masses determines the way the clan lives."

"There were once Clan Heads who tried to change, but the majority of the clansmen could not overcome themselves..."

Kaguya Shirotake patiently explained, suppressing his temper, when a sheet of white mist slowly appeared, blocking the view ahead:

"Mist? No, that's not right. I can sense Chakra—it's the Hidden Mist Technique of the Land of Water! Quickly, tell those idiots to get ready!"

Kaguya Manjin immediately ran toward the ship. As he turned back, a massive wave suddenly appeared, revealing a laughing human face.

Dance of the Imperial

Kaguya Shirotake felt immense pressure as a bone shield expanded before him, guarding the front of the ship.

The next second, the wave crashed down violently. The bone shield immediately emitted a cracking sound, and the water surged through the gaps, piercing the hull.

The ship began to shake, the wood splintering continuously. The Kaguya ninja reacted, some not even having time to put on their clothes, using their own bones as patches to temporarily stabilize the vessel.

Kaguya Shirotake panted slightly. After that single exchange, he understood that his opponent's strength was above his own—this was a Clan Head-level powerhouse.

"Not bad."

A puddle of water transformed into a human shape and stood on the surface of the sea, mocking them.

Hydrification Technique... the Hozuki Clan.

Kaguya Shirotake suppressed the violent urges in his heart and said in a low voice:

"It seems our Kaguya Clan has no friction with the Hozuki Clan."

Hozuki Shingetsu chuckled:

"Indeed, there is none. But the Senju offered too much 'sincerity,' and I simply couldn't resist making a move. Do you have any idea how much effort it took me to figure out your route..."

Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets

During the conversation, Kaguya Shirotake fired several finger bones from his hands, piercing Hozuki Shingetsu's body. However, no red blood flowed onto the azure sea; only faint splashes of water erupted from his skin.

"Let me tell you one last thing: I am a sensory ninja."

Hozuki Shingetsu's smile faded. The surrounding seawater rose like city walls, crashing down toward the ship in the center.

The ship could no longer maintain its balance and capsized completely. The water then formed a whirlpool, gradually swallowing and grinding it down, while pieces of precious supplies fell into the water and continued to sink.

Kaguya Shirotake stood on the water's surface with a gloomy expression, drawing a bone blade from his body, intending to fight to the death.

However, Hozuki Shingetsu fully liquefied and dropped into the sea. His mission was only to sabotage the Kaguya Clan's trade, not to kill these Kaguya ninja.

Dealing with guys who were nothing but hard bones was time-consuming and laborious; there was no need to waste the effort.

Kaguya Shirotake felt powerless. As a user of the Shikotsumyaku, he was not proficient in other elemental techniques and could not inflict damage on Hozuki Shingetsu.

The Kaguya ninja gathered together, while the people from the vassal clans had already sunk into the sea along with the ship, either because they were in the lower decks or simply lacked the strength to survive.

"My Lord, what should we do? Should we salvage the goods?"

Kaguya Komo panicked, only to be punched into the water by a foul-tempered Shirotake.

"You idiot, can you even swim? If you actually fished all this stuff up, would you even be able to carry it back? Use your brain for once, or I'll cut off that thing between your legs."

Kaguya Shirotake cursed furiously; being punished for this shipment was a minor matter, but delaying the clan was a catastrophe.

Without medicine to suppress their condition, who knew how many would die of illness before the next battle? If the Senju caught wind of this and launched a counterattack, the clansmen—stubborn as they were—would insist on fighting at full strength, waiting for the medicine to arrive before seeking treatment.

"Manren, you take the news back to the clan first. Make it quick!"

Kaguya Manren gritted his teeth, then turned and sprinted away.

After he had gone, one Kaguya ninja asked:

"What about us?"

Kaguya Shirotake looked at the wooden planks still floating on the sea and said coldly:

"What do you think will happen if we go back? Rather than accepting the clan's punishment, we might as well head to the Land of Water and let them know the price of opposing the Kaguya Clan."

"But how can Manren go back?"

"Do you think the crime of losing this shipment is small? Once we return, the Clan Head will want to kill you. If it weren't for the sake of the Kaguya Clan, I wouldn't even have let him return; we might as well have all died in battle."

The few Kaguya ninjas exchanged glances and nodded slowly.

Kaguya Shirotake narrowed his eyes: "For now, build a boat. Regardless of anything else, we'll decide once we reach the Land of Water."

"Understood."

Kaguya Shirotake did harbor a sliver of selfishness; letting Manren return meant he would bear the blame for this failure, but he had a high chance of survival. The sin attached to a name could be washed away simply by changing it.

The Kaguya ninjas quickly fashioned a small boat using bone patches. Fortunately, the materials from the original vessel were of good quality, so even a crude assembly was enough to support the weight of the seven of them.