While the battlefield was ablaze with fighting, the Kaguya had already organized a team and brought them to the seaside...
"Nothing should go wrong this time, right? I heard that old geezer Akema had returned."
"What's there to be afraid of? If the Senju Clan really came here, wouldn't the nearby minor clans tell us?"
"Don't overthink it. Building a ship and transporting everything here would take an enormous number of storage scrolls. The Senju could've moved a whole batch of supplies in the time it took to do that."
"Fair point..."
The Kaguya ninja were busy loading equipment onto the ship. Although ninja could all use Water Walking, it consumed Chakra, and there were also sea beasts lurking in the ocean.
As a great clan, the Kaguya did have storage scrolls, but not many. Those scrolls were easy targets when trading with the Land of Water, so they had opted for the most primitive method: shipping everything by boat.
Kaguya Shirotake was in charge of security. He was a veteran elite jonin, whose status was second only to that of the three elders.
The ship could hold twenty-four people in total: eight Kaguya ninja, and sixteen others—ten men and six women—recruited from affiliated clans as all-purpose laborers. They were responsible for rowing and cooking, and occasionally the Kaguya ninja would discuss the meaning of life with them.
Kaguya Shirotake was already very familiar with the route. He could even estimate their location just by their speed, without needing any particular item to guide him.
Because they were going to trade goods, the Kaguya chosen for this mission were the more easygoing sort. Of course, aside from Kaguya Shirotake, they were all people who didn't fit in well back at the clan grounds.
"Lord Shirotake, you seem a little nervous."
Kaguya Manjin came over carrying a jar of wine.
"It's good to feel a little nervous when you're on a mission. It makes you feel like you haven't gotten old yet..."
Kaguya Shirotake took the wine. As long as he didn't drink too much, it could effectively fight fatigue.
"Where is everyone else?"
"In the women's quarters."
"Heh. You're very different from the other members of the clan. Even after awakening your bloodline, your personality stayed the same."
Kaguya Manjin lowered his head slightly, his mood turning somber.
"Lord Shirotake, I know. I'm a coward. I'm often not as brave as the other members of the clan on the battlefield. You could even say I'm timid..."
"No... Maybe you're the one who's truly awakened. Our Kaguya Clan possesses great power, but we can't control it. The pleasure of killing often takes over our hearts, and all it brings is needless sacrifice."
"Lord Shirotake, if the clan leader finds out, he'll blame you..."
"Manjin, the clan leader isn't as insane as you think. Once you reach the peak of the jonin level, you can rein in your emotions. But compared to a few individuals, the temperament of the majority determines how the clan lives."
"Some clan leaders tried to change things in the past, but most of our people couldn't overcome themselves..."
Kaguya Shirotake spoke patiently, keeping his temper in check. A white mist slowly appeared, obscuring the view ahead.
"Mist? No, I can sense Chakra. It's the Hidden Mist Technique from the Land of Water! Quick, tell those idiots to get ready!"
Kaguya Manjin immediately ran toward the inside of the ship. As he looked back, an enormous wave suddenly rose, its surface forming a grinning face.
Dance of the Imperial
Kaguya Shirotake felt immense pressure. A bone shield rapidly expanded in front of him, protecting the ship.
The next moment, the wave slammed into them. The bone shield immediately began to crack, and water surged through the gaps, piercing the hull.
The ship began to shake as the wood split apart. The Kaguya ninja had barely reacted in time; some hadn't even managed to get dressed. They used their bones as patches, temporarily keeping the ship together.
Kaguya Shirotake panted lightly. After that one move, he understood that his opponent was stronger than him—a true powerhouse on the level of a clan leader.
"Not bad."
A puddle of water transformed into a human figure standing on the surface. He spoke mockingly.
The Hydrification Technique... The Hozuki Clan.
Kaguya Shirotake suppressed the violent thoughts in his heart and said in a low voice:
"Our Kaguya Clan doesn't seem to have had any conflict with the Hozuki Clan."
Hozuki Shingetsu chuckled.
"That's true, but the Senju's 'show of good faith' was just too generous. I couldn't resist making a move. Do you know how much effort I went through to find out your route...?"
Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets
As they spoke, several finger bones shot from Kaguya Shirotake's hand and pierced Hozuki Shingetsu's body. But no red blood spilled onto the deep blue sea; only a faint splash of water appeared on his surface.
"One last thing: I'm a sensory ninja."
Hozuki Shingetsu's smile faded. The surrounding seawater rose like a wall, then crashed down toward the ship in the center.
The ship could no longer keep its balance and capsized completely. Then the current turned into a whirlpool, gradually swallowing and crushing it as precious supplies sank into the water one after another.
Kaguya Shirotake stood on the water's surface, his expression dark. He pulled a bone blade from his body, ready to fight to the death.
However, Hozuki Shingetsu turned entirely into water and sank into the sea. His mission was only to sabotage the Kaguya Clan's trade, not to kill these Kaguya ninja.
Fighting opponents with bodies made entirely of hard bones was time-consuming and exhausting. There was no need to waste time.
Kaguya Shirotake felt helpless. As a wielder of Shikotsumyaku, he wasn't proficient in other nature transformations and couldn't harm Hozuki Shingetsu.
The Kaguya ninja gathered together. The other members of the affiliated clans had been on the lower deck, or simply too weak, and had already sunk beneath the sea along with the ship.
"Lord Shirotake, what should we do? Should we fish the supplies out?"
Kaguya Komo asked nervously. Shirotake, in a foul mood, punched him into the water.
"Idiot, can you even swim? Even if you managed to fish all that stuff out, could you carry it back? Use your brain for once, or I'll cut off that thing between your legs."
Kaguya Shirotake cursed. Being punished for losing this batch of supplies was a small matter; holding the clan back was much worse.
Without medicine to suppress it, who knew how many people would die of illness in the next battle? If the Senju learned what had happened and launched a counterattack, the clan members would be eager to fight with everything they had, waiting for the medicine to arrive before trying to suppress the illness.
"Manjin, take the news back to the clan first. Hurry!"
Kaguya Manjin gritted his teeth, then sprinted off into the distance.
After he had gone, a Kaguya ninja asked:
"What about us?"
Kaguya Shirotake looked at the pieces of wood still floating on the sea and said coldly:
"What do you think we can do if we go back? Instead of accepting punishment from the clan, we might as well go to the Land of Water and show them what happens when they oppose the Kaguya Clan."
"But how can Manjin go back alone?"
"Do you think losing this batch of supplies is a small offense? The clan leader will want to kill you when you get back. If it weren't for the Kaguya Clan, I wouldn't even want to send him back. We might as well die fighting together."
The few Kaguya ninja exchanged glances, then slowly nodded.
Kaguya Shirotake narrowed his eyes. "First, we'll build a boat. No matter what, we'll talk once we reach the Land of Water."
"Yes, sir."
Kaguya Shirotake still had a little selfishness in him. Manjin would bear the blame for what had happened if he went back, but there was a very good chance he would survive. He only needed to change his name to escape the guilt attached to it.
The Kaguya ninja quickly built a small boat using bone patches. Fortunately, the original ship had been made of decent materials. Even roughly pieced together, it could still bear the weight of all seven of them.
Before you continue