The Kaguya Clan That Should Have Perished

Land of Water.

Following the location of the Kaguya Clan provided by Zabuza.

After finding Haku, Shien and Akabane did not delay any longer and set off immediately.

Although Haku had unleashed Ice Release to kill his ignorant father, that was essentially an instinctual outburst during a moment of crisis.

He currently did not know how to refine Chakra at all, and he did not even know how to read.

His pace could not keep up with Shien and Akabane.

Therefore, along the way, Shien carried him to travel.

Haku's body was too thin and weak; he could barely feel any weight.

Shien felt as if he were holding a doll.

Although Haku was a bit shy, he had no choice but to let Shien carry him so as not to delay their progress.

However, Akabane's gaze toward Shien became increasingly strange.

However, as they gradually approached the Kaguya Clan's iconic, primitive, and wild-style settlement.

The murderous atmosphere permeating the air made Shien and Akabane immediately alert.

From afar, they could see the Kaguya Clan grounds surrounded by a large number of Hidden Mist ninjas, and at the head was the short-statured yet impressively imposing Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura.

He held a hooked staff, looking coldly ahead.

The ninjas of the Kaguya Clan gathered at the entrance of their grounds, most of them wearing ferocious expressions; they had clearly entered a combat state, and a bloody internal conflict was on the verge of breaking out.

Hmm? It seems Karatachi Yagura is here to stop the Kaguya Clan from rebelling.

The appearance of the three of them immediately drew the attention of the Hidden Mist ninjas guarding the perimeter.

"Who goes there?!" Several Hidden Mist ninjas surrounded them instantly, Kunai flashing with cold light in their hands.

Akabane immediately stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his blade, his eyes sharp.

Haku subconsciously moved closer to Shien, his small hand gently gripping the corner of Shien's clothes.

The commotion here also caught Yagura's attention. He turned his head, and seeing it was Shien, a flash of surprise crossed his single eye. He then waved his hand, signaling the surrounding Hidden Mist ninjas to stand down.

"Shien Uchiha? What are you doing here?"

"I heard the Kaguya Clan is planning a rebellion, so I thought I'd catch a couple to take back for research."

Karatachi Yagura's brow twitched. Good grief, you come to our village to kidnap people and tell me directly?

"Aren't they planning to rebel anyway? It's not a waste."

Karatachi Yagura snorted, "They aren't planning to rebel; they are planning to assassinate me."

He pointed to the restless Kaguya clansmen and gave Shien a brief introduction.

The leader was a tall, wild-looking middle-aged man; he was the clan head, Kaguya Ranto.

Standing beside him was an elder with a relatively calmer gaze, Kaguya Sho.

And a hot-blooded, eager young man, Kaguya Renbu.

Seeing the groups of Kaguya clansmen inside the grounds with fierce glints in their eyes, most of them rugged and even somewhat hideous in appearance, Shien couldn't help but complain internally:

I really don't understand how a handsome boy like Kimimaro could emerge from such ugly clansmen.

Outwardly, however, he said to Yagura:

"Looking at this posture, Lord Mizukage, are you reluctant to part with these Kaguya clansmen? If you attack by force, the losses will likely be significant."

Yagura fell silent for a moment, not denying it. The combat power of the Kaguya Clan was indeed formidable; if they could be subdued, it would be a great boost for the Hidden Mist.

Seeing this, Shien curled his lips and lowered his voice, "Lord Mizukage, have you heard of 'capturing Meng Huo seven times'?"

Yagura's gaze sharpened as he looked at Shien.

This was completely nonsensical, as this world naturally had no idiom about capturing Meng Huo seven times.

However, Shien immediately explained, "Subduing people with force makes their hearts rebellious; only by subduing them with virtue can one achieve long-term peace and stability."

Shien said slowly, "Blocking the entrance, defeating them time and again, and then releasing them time and again—crushing their spirit and breaking their will, while showing your magnanimity—until they are convinced and submissive."

"Since you aren't in a hurry, there is no need to exterminate the clan. That only increases losses and chills the hearts of other families watching from the sidelines, doesn't it?"

A flash of brilliance crossed Yagura's eyes; he had clearly taken it to heart. He had been inclined to subdue them all along.

Shien's words provided him with a clear and intelligent strategy.

"Good!" Yagura made a prompt decision and spoke loudly toward the Kaguya clan grounds:

"Ranto! Your preparation for rebellion is an unforgivable crime! But considering you were all forced by the Bloody Mist Policy before."

"I will give you a chance! Do you dare to fight me?"

"If you win, the Hidden Mist will retreat; if you lose, you will submit to me!"

Kaguya Ranto roared, "Karatachi Yagura! Enough talk!! Do you think I'm afraid of you?!"

He didn't believe for a second that Yagura would let them go, thinking this was just a performance before the slaughter.

Then, his figure flew out instantly like a phantom.

"Everyone else, stand back!"

Yagura roared, gripping his uniquely shaped hooked staff, and met him head-on without dodging.

Kaguya Ranto's speed was so fast it stirred up a gust of wind!

His muscles bulged all over his body, and he unleashed astonishing speed relying purely on physical strength.

Ranto did not use any flashy Ninjutsu. Charging to close range, his bowl-sized fist struck toward Yagura's face with a fierce wind—simple and brutal!

Yagura's short body was exceptionally agile. While dodging sideways, his hooked staff struck toward Ranto's ribs like a viper emerging from its hole.

Ranto reacted extremely quickly, his other hand pressing down violently, attempting to grab the hooked staff.

At the same time, the skin on the knuckles of his right fist ruptured instantly, and several sharp bone spurs protruded violently, turning his fist into a terrifying bone hammer, which slammed toward Yagura again!

Yagura's eyes narrowed, and he quickly retracted his hooked staff to block.

"Clang!"

With a muffled sound, the hooked staff collided with the bone hammer. Yagura felt a massive force transmitted through it and took half a step back.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Yagura performed a hand seal with one hand, and a rotating wall of water rose instantly in front of him, temporarily blocking Ranto's continuous fierce attacks.

Ranto roared, not dodging or evading, and his bone-hammer fist actually smashed straight into the Water Formation Wall!

"Boom!"

Water splashed everywhere, and the Water Formation Wall shook violently. Although it was not completely broken, it was enough to show the terror of his strength.

Taking advantage of the moment the water wall blocked his vision, Ranto crossed his arms to protect his chest. Beneath the skin of his forearms, stark white bones instantly emerged, forming two rough but sturdy bone shields.

Like a wild bull clearing a path, he pushed through the impact of the Water Formation Wall and crashed out!

Yagura seemed to have anticipated this. The moment the water wall shattered, he lowered his body and lunged forward. His hooked staff no longer collided head-on but clung to Ranto's body like a maggot on a rotting bone.

Sticking to Ranto's frame, he specifically attacked his lower body and joints—the areas where his force was weakest.

Although Ranto's strength was fierce, his movements were wide and open. In front of a technical opponent like Yagura, he appeared somewhat clumsy.

He swung his bone hammers and bone shields, his offensive fierce, yet it was repeatedly neutralized by Yagura's exquisite footwork and the guidance of the hooked staff, as if he were punching cotton.

This was also the first time Shien had seen a Kaguya clansman fight other than Kimimaro.

As the Kaguya clan head, although Ranto's Taijutsu was formidable, his manipulation of bones seemed limited to the bone hammer and bone shield techniques.

While they were practical, they were far inferior to Kimimaro's.

Moreover, the current Karatachi Yagura hadn't even donned his Tailed Beast Cloak yet.