Chapter 97: Chapter 97 : Support the Puppet! Select the Target!
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"Uchiha?"
"Is he from the Uchiha Clan of Konoha?" asked the head of the Kaguya Clan, frowning.
Although the Land of Water was far removed from the mainland and its news flow restricted, they still knew of Konoha's infamous Uchiha Clan. During the past Ninja World Wars, they had clashed with them countless times—formidable warriors with a powerful Kekkei Genkai and a bloodline that commanded respect, even from enemies.
"Konoha is Konoha. The Uchiha are the Uchiha," Uchiha Haru corrected the clan leader bluntly.
The Uchiha he represented had long severed ties with Konoha.
"Oh?" the Kaguya patriarch arched an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
It seemed that much had changed in the outside world during the time their land remained isolated under the tyrannical regime of Yagura Karatachi. But this wasn't the time to press for details. He focused instead on the young man before him—Uchiha Haru radiated a dangerous aura that couldn't be ignored.
"Why are you here?" he asked, his tone cautious yet alert.
He had a hunch that this Uchiha wasn't here by accident. He hadn't killed any of the Kaguya elite who had just attempted to ambush him. Instead, he had allowed them to retreat—observing them rather than exterminating them.
That didn't align with hostility. If anything, it suggested potential alliance.
"I want to help you rebel," Haru said, straightforward and without the slightest hesitation.
If he wanted to establish a foothold in the Land of Water, relying solely on Mei Terumi would be a mistake. She was too young. Her strength and political capital weren't enough to challenge the established power structure. Even if she exposed Yagura's manipulation by an outside force and earned massive credit, the seat of Mizukage would likely still fall to someone older, someone more "qualified."
That wasn't an outcome Haru could accept.
To secure Mei Terumi's ascension, he needed an ally—someone powerful, influential, but not politically ambitious enough to threaten her future rule. Someone who could sway a faction within Kirigakure while remaining outside the direct line of succession.
That person was the head of the Kaguya Clan.
Haru had thought this through.
First, the Kaguya were the most prominent bloodline clan in the Hidden Mist Village. Shikotsumyaku, or Corpse Bone Pulse, was a rare and terrifying Kekkei Genkai—proof enough of their overwhelming strength.
Second, the Kaguya were politically sidelined. Like the Uchiha in Konoha, no matter how powerful they were, they would never be allowed to hold the title of Mizukage. Neither the elders nor the populace would accept it.
That meant they posed no threat to Mei Terumi's ambitions.
And most importantly...
Under Yagura Karatachi's violent, isolationist regime, all bloodline clans were marked for extinction. The Kaguya had two options: remain passive and be purged like the others, or rise in rebellion.
They needed to choose now—before Yagura turned his attention fully on them.
Waiting meant certain death.
Fighting meant a slim chance at survival.
On their own, the Kaguya had no chance of defeating one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
But with help—maybe.
And Haru was the help they desperately needed.
"Help us?" the Kaguya leader's tone was skeptical. "Why?"
"Why should we believe you're here to help? What's in it for you?"
No one in this world acted without motivation.
There was no such thing as a free favor—especially not in the ninja world.
What did this Uchiha expect to gain? Did he want something from the Kaguya? Was he laying a trap? Was this all just a delay tactic so he could alert the authorities?
The weight of the decision settled on the clan leader like a ton of stone. He had to be sure—one wrong move and his entire clan would be wiped out.
Haru narrowed his eyes.
Didn't people say the Kaguya were all muscle and no brains?
Where was that supposed idiocy now?
These questions were annoyingly reasonable.
"If I wanted to destroy the Kaguya," Haru said coldly, "I wouldn't need to waste time talking."
"I could have killed all of you in seconds."
His voice dropped, a blade of ice in his throat. "You have two choices—submit or die."
"What?!"
"You arrogant brat!"
The Kaguya warriors, already incensed, could take no more.
Old grudges flared. Insult and threat merged into fury, and they attacked—ready to silence the outsider who dared look down on them.
They had been holding back earlier.
They hadn't used Shikotsumyaku.
But now—now they would show him.
Or so they thought.
As they lunged, bone spears erupting from their bodies like jagged weapons of war, Haru didn't even blink.
Just as several Kaguya warriors prepared to attack, they were abruptly halted by the clan leader's outstretched arm.
Others might not have noticed anything unusual—but the head of the Kaguya Clan did.
The Uchiha youth standing before them held a strength that defied comprehension. He wasn't someone ordinary shinobi could handle—not even the seasoned elites at his side.
In the Kaguya Clan—or even across the entire Hidden Mist Village—those warriors were regarded as top-tier fighters. And yet, they had been subdued in an instant.
All of them.
Simultaneously.
It wasn't a coincidence.
No matter how many times they tried, the result would be the same.
The Kaguya patriarch stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with something primal.
He spoke calmly, but his words struck with force. "Let me fight him."
Unlike the other Kaguya clan members, known for their impulsive nature and brute force, the clan head was calm, measured, and cunning. But that didn't mean he had abandoned the bloodlust embedded in his lineage.
On the contrary—he had simply learned to restrain it.
To bury it beneath a cool exterior.
There simply hadn't been anyone worthy of unleashing it on… until now.
Until he met Uchiha Haru.
A fellow bearer of a rare and powerful bloodline. A shinobi whose strength was immeasurable.
The dormant flame in his heart roared to life.
Battlelust.
Behind him, several elite Kaguya shinobi smiled with wicked glee when they heard their clan leader speak. They understood what it meant when the patriarch decided to take the field personally.
It meant the enemy was truly formidable.
And it also meant they were about to witness something glorious—and terrifying.
They knew all too well the terrifying might buried within their leader. In their eyes, once he stepped forward, the outcome was already sealed.
"There was a time, during the Third Great Ninja War," the Kaguya leader said, his voice rough with nostalgia, "when I clashed with many from the Uchiha Clan."
"Their strength left a deep impression on me... and I still miss the sound of Uchiha bones breaking. The stench of their blood."
His gaze fixed on Haru, and the mask of calm was replaced by a twisted, bloodthirsty grin.
Slowly, he peeled off the white robe draped over his upper body, revealing a thick, muscular frame rippling with power.
"Hehehehe…"
"Uchiha... you'll regret stepping into our territory."
His pupils widened—madness flaring in his eyes. Bloodlust pulsed through him.
Then—his body began to shift.
With a sickening sound, bone spurs erupted from beneath his skin.
From his hands, his arms, his chest… his entire frame was bristling with sharpened ivory-white spikes.
Far more than the warriors who had tried—and failed—to subdue Uchiha Haru.
These bones were denser, sharper, and visibly more refined.
Like all Kekkei Genkai, mastery of Shikotsumyaku—the Kaguya Clan's Corpse Bone Pulse—varied greatly from individual to individual.
Just as not all Uchiha could awaken Sharingan, and only a handful reached its peak—the Mangekyō—so too did the Kaguya differ in their affinity and control over their bloodline ability.
This man—this monster—was clearly the apex of his clan.
His entire body became a fortress of ivory spears.
It would be nearly impossible for an average shinobi to even land a blow, let alone wound him.
He was a walking weapon—built for war.
"Heh…"
The clan head smirked, reaching behind his back and drawing out a massive bone spear. It wasn't like the others—a meter-long jagged blade, shaped like a ninja sword, and far harder than steel.
It was the densest, strongest bone in his body.
The kind of weapon only he could wield.
"The hunt begins now!"
With a roar, he shot forward—bone blade in hand—charging at Haru with blinding speed.
He moved like a wraith, flickering across the battlefield with impossibly fast body flickers.
Each leap brought him closer, his presence like a crashing wave of killing intent.
His speed rivaled that of Killer Bee before the Eight Tails transformation—except worse.
Killer Bee had seven swords.
This man had a thousand—growing from every inch of his body.
He was the embodiment of death in close quarters.
But Haru was ready.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The same jutsu he had used before erupted from the ground—dozens of thick, living vines burst forth, twisting and snapping toward the Kaguya clan head like a swarm of serpents.
Swish—swish—swish!
The vines surged like a tidal wave.
But the clan leader didn't stop.
He twirled the massive bone blade in a wide arc, carving through the incoming vines with graceful, deadly movements.
His blade sang through the air—slash after slash.
It was almost… beautiful.
The way he moved—balanced, elegant, fluid—was like a macabre dance of war.
But beneath that elegance was overwhelming bloodlust.
Snap—snap—snap!
The thick vines that had previously overwhelmed several Kaguya elites were nothing now. They shattered on contact with his attacks—torn to pieces as if made of paper.
The Kaguya leader moved forward, carving his way through the forest of vines as if it were nothing.
With each step, he closed the gap between him and Haru.
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