"Kill them! Wipe out that trash!"
"Heh heh heh, this time, I can finally kill to my heart's content."
"Tsk, tsk, blood... what a beautiful, wonderful taste. Ah~ This is just so... delightful."
Amid a chorus of battle cries, the northern part of Kirigakure was lit by flames. Across the dark earth, one life after another was being snuffed out.
The men in black ANBU uniforms and dog masks belonged to the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura's personal ANBU.
The people with white hair, two red tomoe between their brows, and long white robes were members of the Kaguya Clan.
They had once been the elite forces of Kirigakure, shinobi who stood together to defend the Land of Water and protect their village. Now, at the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's command, they had begun fighting to the death!
A tragedy of villagers slaughtering one another, enough to leave anyone lamenting, was unfolding in the darkness of this night.
Scarlet blood sprayed through the air. Eyes gleaming with bloodlust grew blurred, white robes slowly turned red, and powerful jutsu filled the sky...
The entire Kaguya Clan had descended into a frenzy of slaughter in the darkness. Not one of them retreated or showed fear. They felt only excitement and exhilaration!
They thrilled at the blood surging from their bodies, and at the pleasure of killing their enemies.
"Clang!"
In the darkness, Jun Tianlin, sleeping soundly in his cell, vaguely heard a sharp crash. Then came a tremendous roar, like a thunderclap in a clear sky, echoing right beside him.
"Hey, you two brats! The Fourth Mizukage's personal ANBU have already stormed into the Kaguya Clan's compound, and you still have the nerve to sleep?
Get up! The clan head ordered me to take you two brats to the battlefield to fight the enemy. You're members of the Kaguya Clan too, so you have to be baptized in blood. Get up and move!"
The half-asleep Jun Tianlin was jolted awake by the man's roar.
During the month he had spent in prison, Jun Tianlin had fully adjusted to his new identity. He understood all too well how lowly he and Kimimaro were now considered.
The Kaguya Clan was renowned throughout the Ninja World for its terrifying bloodline limit, Shikotsumyaku. Yet the clan's only two remaining Shikotsumyaku users were treated like prisoners.
It made no sense...
If they wanted to survive, all they could do was endure. Endure, and endure some more!
Over the past month, Jun Tianlin had come to understand just how unwelcome he and Kimimaro were in the Kaguya Clan.
To be precise, it wasn't the Kaguya Clan that rejected them. It was Kaguya Noyama, who had seized power, and who despised the two of them.
Jun Tianlin silently rose and followed Kimimaro. His movements were stiff, like a puppet, while fear surged through him like a tide.
"Is today the day the Kaguya Clan is wiped out?"
His face remained expressionless, but his heart was bitter. Jun Tianlin had a vague sense of what awaited him, and his heart sank.
For Kimimaro and Jun Tianlin, still only children, the brutal battlefield meant nothing but cruelty and death. There was no chance they would survive.
They walked out of the dim, damp cave. Since arriving in the Naruto World, this was the first time Jun Tianlin had left that lightless iron cell and seen the world outside!
Unfortunately, his first time out of the cell coincided with the catastrophe that would destroy the Kaguya Clan. He was at a loss for words.
"Ke ke ke, brats, today's a rare celebration for the clan! Tear your enemies apart in battle and savor the thrill of slaughter!
Heh heh, but brats like you should stay at the edge of the battlefield, get a taste of the action, and do your best to survive. Leave killing the enemy to us adults!"
With a roar, the Kaguya jonin standing before Jun Tianlin flashed away and charged into the battlefield nearby, joining the bloody fighting.
Watching the man charge straight into battle, Jun Tianlin said nothing. After tonight, the Kaguya Clan would be gone. Was there any point in talking to a dead man?
He lifted his head and looked at the full moon hanging in the black night sky, his gaze growing distant.
"Kimimaro... no, big brother, do you think we can survive this chaos?"
For the first time, Jun Tianlin called Kimimaro his big brother. His voice was helpless and panicked, with a faint note of despair.
Jun Tianlin had always been timid and weak in his previous life. After seeing the battlefield with his own eyes, his mind was already on the verge of collapse.
Kimimaro looked at his last remaining family member in the world, so lost and afraid. His heart shuddered, and a fierce resolve surged through him.
"Little brother, don't worry. As long as I'm here, I'll get you out of this place. I won't let you leave my side!"
Hearing Kimimaro's childlike voice, yet feeling the boundless certainty in it, Jun Tianlin was infected by his confidence. The heart on the verge of collapse stirred unexpectedly.
Looking toward the distant battlefield, a glint of wisdom and madness shone in Kimimaro's small eyes.
"Tianlin, what I'm about to tell you is crucial to our escape. Listen carefully!
The night is at its darkest now. We have a good chance of slipping straight through the fighting and escaping this place.
The entire Kaguya compound has become a battlefield. Yagura's personal ANBU and our clan members are already locked in combat. They won't have the attention to spare for two brats like us.
In the chaos, if we can make it through the gate, there's a good chance we'll survive.
So, Tianlin, when we make our move, stay right by my side. That's the only way I can keep you safe. Understood?
Let's go, Tianlin. We're putting everything on the line!"
After telling Jun Tianlin everything he had in mind, Kimimaro's eyes were like a hungry wolf's, gleaming with ferocity. Two shining bone blades had appeared in his small hands.
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