Mist Ninja Attack, and the Dumbfounded Border Ninja

"Commander Kimori, the Kaguya Clan is about two kilometers from here! The men ahead can't hold them back anymore!"

The disheveled border ninja reported to Kimori Ichirō.

"What?"

Kimori Ichirō cried out in alarm, then turned to look at Uchiha Fugaku.

"Mm."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded and said to Hiashi Hyūga beside him, "Jōnin Hiashi, we'll be relying on you."

Hiashi Hyūga nodded steadily and activated his Byakugan to scout.

"Commander-in-Chief, the two sides are fighting fiercely 1.5 kilometers southeast of the main camp!"

"Good!"

Uchiha Fugaku nodded. "Captains, it's time for us to take the field!"

Several figures knelt on one knee before Uchiha Fugaku.

"Commander-in-Chief, please give your orders!"

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath and slowly rose from his seat.

"All Hyūga Clan squads and Uchiha Squads One through Five will follow us to the battlefield! Everyone else will remain to guard the main camp as usual."

"Yes, sir!"

Uchiha Fugaku swept his gaze around. Everyone wore a different expression, but not one of them was afraid.

"Move out!"

"Cover them! Use thrown ninja tools for cover!"

At the urgent command, a swarm of shuriken and kunai shot toward the Kaguya Clan members not far away.

Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!

Several Wind Release ninja unleashed their techniques at once, attempting to injure the Kaguya Clan.

But it all seemed futile.

Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia! Hahaha!

A Kaguya Clan jōnin let out an exaggerated, eerie laugh as he used a Shikotsumyaku secret technique to block every attack.

Shikotsumyaku: Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!

More than a dozen Kaguya ninja laughed strangely, firing a section of bone from each finger like rifles as they assaulted the Konoha ninja.

Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!

Several Earth Release ninja mounted an extremely practiced defense.

Earthen walls rose one after another, stacked together like a thick fortress wall.

Earth Style: Earth Spear!

Several Kaguya ninja tried to charge the Konoha forces, but sharp earthen spears broke their momentum.

Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!

Uchiha Hono unleashed a Fire Release technique, striking several grinning Kaguya ninja head-on.

Boom!

The heat wave erupting from that powerful Fire Release technique drew everyone's attention.

One Kaguya ninja scratched his arm, then scratched his head. Only when he saw Uchiha Hono's eyes did he speak in surprise. "Why are those red-eyed Uchiha freaks here? And there are quite a few of them."

"Never mind that. Let's fight first! Dance of the Larch!"

More than a dozen Kaguya ninja worked together as hundreds of bone spikes and spears burst from their bodies.

Then they spun at high speed like tops. Beneath those sharp bone blades, the multiple Earth-Style Walls, two or three meters thick, turned to dust in an instant and scattered away.

Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!

Uchiha Inabi also reached the battlefield. He leaped high into the air, dodging the bone spikes that suddenly thrust up before him. A lifelike water dragon formed in front of him, drenching more than a dozen shouting Kaguya ninja like drowned rats.

Lightning Style: Earth Current!

The enormous water dragon had barely hit the ground when Uchiha Inabi stood at the edge of a puddle and thoughtfully sent electricity through the water.

Tiny arcs of lightning flashed from time to time, shocking Kaguya ninja one after another until their entire bodies convulsed.

"Damn red-eyes! Die! Shikotsumyaku: Multiple Willow Dance!"

An old-guard Kaguya jōnin roared. The thick, hard bone spear in his hand instantly became as soft as willow branches, dragging the dozen or so Kaguya ninja crackling with electricity back to his side.

"Oh? Not bad, you bone-playing bastard!"

Uchiha Hono spoke teasingly. He did not attack, merely letting his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spin as contempt practically overflowed from his gaze.

"Damn red-eyes, don't think holding back means you can do whatever you want! Shikotsumyaku: Bone Axe!"

The Kaguya jōnin roared as the bones of his right arm intertwined into a long axe-halberd, which he brought slashing down from midair.

A flash of sword light passed by, and the arm bone serving as the haft of the axe-halberd snapped apart.

Uchiha: Sword Leap Flame!

Uchiha Inabi pressed the advantage. His swift, fierce slash directly cleaved open the bone armor on the Kaguya ninja's chest.

Bright red blood seeped from the gaps between the bones on his chest. "Damn Uchiha! You're actually ganging up on me two against one! Where's your martial honor?!"

The Kaguya ninja's eyes turned crimson. The wound on his chest was wrapped in armor once more, while the giant axe in his right hand silently restored itself. He brought it crashing down upon Uchiha Inabi, who was right before him.

Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!

A powerful palm blast struck the Kaguya ninja squarely in the chest, knocking him several meters back.

At that moment, the Hyūga Clan's three ninja squads finally arrived.

The one who had launched that palm strike was Hiashi Hyūga!

"Konoha's future will be protected by us! Kaguya Clan, take this palm!"

"You've already entered my domain—Eight Trigrams Palm!"

Watching Hiashi Hyūga charge at the Kaguya Clan using the Hyūga Clan's most basic palm technique, most of the ninja present were completely baffled.

"Ah~, how can you be~, so strong~"

The Kaguya Clan ninja were quite cooperative too. Though it would have been better if they had not drawn out their words so much.

The sight made the ninja still fighting on the field slow their attacks considerably.

War... could be fought like this?

Perhaps sensing the doubtful looks from the Konoha ninja.

A Kaguya Clan jōnin pointed at Hiashi Hyūga and shouted arrogantly.

"Get them! Kill them! Show them how strong we are!"

More than a hundred Kaguya ninja roared as grim white bones erupted from all over their bodies, turning them into human hedgehogs.

"Hyūga Clan, hit them! We can't look weak either!"

Hiashi Hyūga also threw out trash talk as he called on his teammates beside him to charge alongside him.

Then, the Hyūga Clan, with only three ninja squads, used the most basic Eight Trigrams Palm technique to beat more than a hundred howling Kaguya ninja into a steady retreat.

The Kaguya ninja fought as they withdrew, while the Hyūga ninja only grew fiercer with every battle.

Before long, they vanished from everyone's sight.

Leaving more than a hundred Konoha ninja standing there, staring at one another.

Uchiha Makoto, hiding in the shadows, held back his laughter as he silently cursed the Kaguya and Hyūga ninja for their terrible acting.

Then he looked around. After repeatedly confirming that no Kaguya ninja had been left behind, he followed his senses toward the Hyūga and Kaguya groups.

Not far away, he saw the Kaguya ninja accepting the sealing scrolls he had prepared in advance from Hiashi Hyūga.

The leading Kaguya ninja accepted the money with a broad grin, then slapped Hiashi Hyūga on the shoulder with his large hand, making him bare his teeth in pain.

Seeing the two of them acting like such good brothers, Uchiha Makoto smiled knowingly and turned his gaze toward the scattered Kaguya ninja.

Suddenly, Uchiha Makoto's pupils constricted sharply.