Naruto: From Shikotsumyaku to Otsutsuki

Inside the room, twenty or thirty members of the Kaguya clan gathered together, suppressing their anger.

Before them lay the corpse of a clansman, assassinated.

The Kaguya clan originally numbered at least forty or fifty people, but a series of assassinations and high-risk missions resulted in heavy casualties among its members.

The Kaguya clan chief stood at the front, roaring angrily: "My people, the Kaguya clan must resist! We are a fighting clan; we can die a glorious death, but we will never be assassinated in humiliation!"

"Rebel, kill Yagura Karatachi, and set things right."

The roar echoed in her ears, and Kaguya Kazama followed suit, pretending to be furious. But when it came to the specifics of the raid, she activated the power of the All-Killing Ash Bones and coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

"Cough cough cough..."

The pungent smell of blood made everyone frown.

At a time when the entire clan was facing a life-or-death crisis, bloodshed occurred before the attack even began, which was truly disappointing.

Kaguya Kazama seized the opportunity to say, "Clan leader, the Fourth Mizukage really deserves to die. I also want to join the raid team, but I'm afraid it will delay everyone's attack. Why don't we stay here and guard the clan territory to prevent those civilian ninjas from raiding our base?"

Kaguya Kazama's terminally ill appearance is simply irresistible.

After a moment of silence, the clan chief said, "Everyone else, follow me in this surprise attack. We only have one chance. As for you, your bloodline disease is too severe. Just stay and guard the clan's territory. If any greedy commoner ninjas dare to trespass on the clan's territory, kill them all."

"My Kaguya clan, even though we have been targeted and assassinated by Yagura Karatachi for a long time, is not something those hyenas can lay their hands on at will."

By the end, his face was filled with a grim expression.

In the firelight, his angular face, with its high cheekbones, seemed to pierce the skin and drink the blood of slaughter.

Kaguya Kazama, seeing that her goal had been achieved, quickly declared, "Clan leader, rest assured, as long as I live, no one can break through the gates of the clan's territory."

"Very good." The clan chief nodded with satisfaction, and then began to assign Kimimaro his tasks.

Although he was regarded as a weapon, he was still young and not of much help in assassinating the Mizukage. He was assigned to go alone to slaughter civilians in order to attract the attention of the higher-ups and cover the main force's surprise attack.

Soon, Kaguya Kazama saw Kimimaro emerge from the dungeon.

His mission was to launch a night raid and kill everyone he encountered, whether civilians or ninjas.

The two exchanged a glance but did not speak further.

Everything had been arranged long ago.

After Kimimaro charged into the village first, the clan leader had already gathered all the fighting forces.

Kaguya Kazama thought they would set off soon, but unexpectedly, trouble came from within.

Under the watchful eyes of dozens of people, the clan chief suddenly took out a key and handed it to him: "Kazama, this is the key to the clan's storeroom. Keep it safe."

Kaguya Kazama was stunned, completely unexpected that the clan leader would pull this stunt.

"The warehouse key? For me?" He looked incredulous.

Within the Kaguya clan, she had always been a nobody, fully aware of her own limitations.

The warehouse contains countless treasures accumulated by the Kaguya clan.

Kaguya Kazama had always coveted this key, but never dared to dream of it. Now, unexpectedly, it had somehow ended up in her hands.

The clan leader ignored Kaguya Kazama's changing expression. He paused, the light in his eyes dimming slightly, his expression complex, as if giving his last words:

"Kazama, it's better that you don't participate in the raid. Just protect the clan's territory. If this mission fails, Yagura Karatachi won't give us a chance to come back alive. The extermination of the clan is imminent."

"If we leave, the tribe will be full of women and children, and you will die soon too. You can't escape."

The clan chief sighed, his voice growing increasingly low and hoarse as he spoke:

"Hozuki and Minazuki have already been wiped out. If we are defeated, you should take the women and children into the storeroom and activate all the explosive tags inside. Don't let the bloodline and resources of my Kaguya clan be tortured and exploited."

His words were like a thousand-pound iron block, making Kaguya Kazama see stars.

"No, I'm going to become a rogue ninja. I've already hired bodyguards; I'm going to run away."

Kaguya Kazama screamed wildly in her heart, the key in her hand feeling like a red-hot iron, burning hot to the touch.

All he wanted was to live, run to Konoha, obtain the Byakugan bloodline limit, evolve into an Otsutsuki, and live safely in the ninja world, while also showing off and enjoying the thrill of powerful strength.

However, what is this called now?

They used women and children to morally blackmail him, dug a pit for him, and made him perish along with the Kaguya clan.

Even if he just tricked Kisame Hoshigaki, the backlash shouldn't be like this!

"Chieftain..."

Kaguya Kazama tried to throw the key away, but was stopped.

The clan chief grasped his hand firmly, holding the key tightly in his grasp, and said sincerely:

"Kazama, I believe in you. There has never been a coward in my Kaguya clan."

"If we succeed, Kirigakure will be transformed; if we fail, you will be the one to restore our clan's honor."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at his people who stood firmly behind him, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

Chakra surged, the Shikotsumyaku (Corpse Bone Pulse) was activated, and bone spikes pierced out of his body, coalescing into a giant bone spear.

The clan chief raised his bone spear like a military flag for a rally, and roared loudly.

"Kaguya has only pride! Kill!"

In the next instant, countless bone spikes shot into the sky, transforming into a pale torrent that rushed toward the Water Shadow Building.

Kaguya Kazama stood frozen in place, completely petrified.

His face flushed red, and as he watched the rapidly disappearing white torrent, he burst into curses:

"Damn it, Old Biden, are you trying to morally blackmail me?"

"Kaguya has no cowards, only pride???"

"I....."

Kaguya Kazama wanted to shout: I'm a coward, I just want to survive.

However, the words just wouldn't come out.

Because from a house not far away, women were coming out with young children.

They neither cried nor made a fuss; each of them had explosive tags strapped to their bodies, and they stared at him with a look of resignation.

The Kaguya clan's territory was eerily quiet at this moment.

"Explosive tags? Human bombs? Better to die a glorious death than live a shameful life? Is this the pride of the Kaguya clan?"

Kaguya Kazama was completely stunned, as if struck by a thunderbolt.

"This is insane, absolutely insane. This fucked-up world, damn it!"

His voice was trembling and powerless, as if he were torn between his inner turmoil and his own conscience.

He just wanted to live, what's wrong with that?

But in this situation, if he were to run away in front of so many women and children, he would probably live in the shadow of it for the rest of his life.

Even if he obtained the power of the Otsutsuki clan, he would still be a rat in the sewers, unworthy of respect.

"To stand eternally high in the heavens? Ha, that's too much to say."

"The wind is too strong up there. I'm just a little karaomi, why am I daydreaming like this..."

"Is the ninja world really this cesspool? No wonder the Uchiha clan's lunatics always want to create a beautiful and peaceful world."

"Question him! Understand him! And then..."

At that moment, Kaguya Kazama suddenly understood why the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan was accepted by so many rogue ninjas.

Why is it that from the Sage of Six Paths to Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, Nagato, Obito, and even Naruto Uzumaki, all of these people wanted to pursue peace?

People are simply tired of the mental torment caused by killing.

He sighed, a multitude of thoughts swirling in his mind.

Those naive and wishful thinking ideas quickly burned to ashes.

All that remains are those heavy, bitter, and soul-wrenching thoughts filled with a sense of responsibility.

"Perhaps, I should shout one of my own someday: How many flights of stairs do I have to carry a bag of rice up?"