belamy20

#I# kirigakure 21-29

Added 2025-05-14 04:16:57 +0000 UTC

Chapter 21: Mercy is the Luxury of the Strong

Beneath the hazy moonlight…

Whoosh—whoosh—

Two figures darted across the treetops, landing softly alongside fluttering leaves.

"Bloodhound, how much longer until we catch up?"

The pair wore masks—one shaped like a crow, the other a dog. They were Uzukage and Bloodhound, dispatched on a kill order by their captain, Ōtengu.

Bloodhound didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pulled a kunai from his ninja pouch. The blade was ordinary, its edge stained with dried black blood. Flipping it into a reverse grip, he formed a one-handed seal. A strange, viscous liquid oozed from between his fingers, slithering toward the kunai like a living thing.

Within moments, the liquid coiled around the blade, absorbing the blood residue. The clear fluid darkened to crimson, then suddenly lurched forward—as if sensing something—before Bloodhound yanked it back, analyzing its pull.

"Three hours."

"Three hours?" Uzukage glanced at his watch. **"That’d put us at Tasogare-doki—the Hour of Twilight. Bad omen."**

"Since when do you believe in that crap?" Bloodhound’s voice was laced with disbelief, as if seeing his comrade for the first time.

In Kirigakure, elders called the twilight hour "the Time of Cursed Spirits." They swore it was when demons and lost souls roamed freely, waiting to steal the souls of those who walked alone. Uzukage had always mocked them, even calling them "old relics." Now, suddenly, he was spouting superstitions?

"Didn’t used to…"

Behind his mask, Uzukage’s jaw tightened.

Something about this mission felt wrong.

The image of Meiko—her throat torn open, eyes wide in death. Naoko, crumpled beneath a washbasin, her hands severed. And finally, that girl—her small frame smeared with blood, her eyes dull as stone.

It was her.

When the captain named her as the target, Uzukage hadn’t questioned it.

The moment he’d seen that blind child, his instincts had screamed danger. But her age, her disability, his own arrogance—he’d dismissed it. Worse, he’d let her slip away.

At least he’d secured a blood sample.

Thanks to Bloodhound’s Blood-Tracking Jutsu, they still had a chance to fix this.

"What if Kurumari interferes when we grab the girl?" Bloodhound asked suddenly.

"She won’t." Uzukage’s tone lightened slightly. "The girl’s a Kekkei Genkai user."

"A bloodline limit? How do you know?"

"The wounds on Meiko’s body—small, elliptical punctures. Cross-referenced with the morgue archives. Matched the Shikotsumyaku of the Kaguya clan."

"Kaguya…"

Bloodhound fell silent, then chuckled. "So she’s not some child prodigy jōnin. Just a brat who got lucky with a sneak attack."

"Exactly. A six-year-old jōnin? Impossible." Uzukage shook off his unease. "The Kaguya family’s feud with bloodline clans is irreconcilable. Kurumari’s no exception. Two special jōnin and a chūnin against some half-pint? Easy win."

"I’ll be jōnin soon," Bloodhound grunted, correcting him.

"Wait, what? Your chakra’s still—" Uzukage cut himself off, sensing no change in his partner’s energy. "How?"

"I… volunteered for Elder Gengetsu’s experiment."

Silence.

The night itself seemed to freeze.

"You’re insane!" Uzukage’s voice sharpened to a razor’s edge.

"They said my body could handle it," Bloodhound replied, thumping his chest with forced bravado.

"97% mortality rate. What’d they promise you?"

"…80%. How did you—?"

"Mine was 92%."

A bitter laugh. A muttered curse. Uzukage didn’t elaborate. Instead, he surged ahead, leaving the unspoken horror between them.

The night grew heavier.

Inside a tent, a girl’s eyes snapped open.

What was that?

Hikari activated her Byakugan, scanning her body. No anomalies. Yet the sensation lingered—a distant pulse, like a far-off drumbeat thrumming through her veins.

Her head turned eastward.

Back toward Kirigakure.

**"Byakugan… Kai!"**

Her pupils constricted. Veins bulged like cracks in stone.

One kilometer… two…

The pressure mounted. Her vision blurred. But she saw them—

Two figures, leaping through the trees, following a trail of blood.

The ANBU from the village gates.

They found me.

"Three minutes."

Her gaze flicked to the tent’s entrance. Outside, the campfire dimmed. Kurumari kept watch, feeding the flames.

Would she protect me?

Hikari’s lips twisted into a grim smile.

What a joke.

Even ice-release users were called monsters. A dual Kekkei Genkai freak like her? Unthinkable. And Kurumari—loyal sister of the ANBU captain—would never betray Kiri.

In her Byakugan’s sight, the pursuers closed in.

Their chakra reserves neared Kurumari’s—high chūnin, maybe low jōnin. With Kurumari’s squad added, that meant three near-jōnin and three elite genin.

All against a six-year-old.

"What a shitty world."

She shed her cloak, revealing a fitted combat shirt.

Through the Byakugan, six blazing chakra signatures glowed in the dark.

And her?

Just a moth flying into the fire.

(◠‿◠)

Chapter 22: Cruelty is the Weapon of the Weak

Nightfall.

Kurumari fed another log into the fire, watching as flames licked up the edges of the wood, casting flickering light across the campsite.

The memory of the girl from earlier—the one who’d snuffed out their flames with Ice Release—lingered in her mind like a stain.

"One day, I’ll slaughter every last kekkei genkai user. I swear it."

Her brother had held her as she cried, their matching blue eyes burning with the same icy hatred. He wielded power in the ANBU, while she rallied the common shinobi against the bloodline clans. And when the Mizukage aligned with their cause, one by one, the great kekkei genkai families crumbled beneath their hands.

They all deserved to die.

"Kurumari-nee…"

A soft voice called from the lone tent. Hikari’s tone was hushed, gentle—like a kitten afraid to wake its mother.

"What is it?"

"I… I need to use the bathroom."

Clad in only a thin undershirt, the silver-haired girl fumbled at the tent flap, her blindfolded face peeking out timidly.

"Careful, I’ll take you."

Kurumari’s expression softened, her heart swelling as she rushed to guide Hikari by the arm.

She didn’t see it.

The way Hikari’s delicate fingers—so small, so harmless—brushed against her neck.

"This way. Watch for the—"

—Shink!

A flash of white.

Kurumari felt a cool touch at her throat, like a damp fingertip tracing her skin. Puzzled, she wiped at it.

Her hand came away slick with blood.

"Ghk—!"

Air hissed through her severed windpipe. Trembling, Kurumari stared at the girl in front of her—the one who now tilted her head, blank-eyed and serene.

Hikari’s soft hands were no longer soft.

Five needle-like bones jutted from her fingertips, dripping crimson.

"You…"

Kurumari clutched her throat, stumbling back. Her legs gave out.

Thud.

"M-Kurumari-nee! Are you okay?!"

"What happened?!"

The others came running, jolted awake by Hikari’s panicked cries and the sound of a body hitting the ground.

(They’d been pretending to sleep. They’d heard everything.)

"Kurumari-nee, she’s—!"

Hikari pointed. Across the clearing, Kurumari writhed in the dirt, hands clamped over her gushing neck.

"Protect Hikari! Karui, heal her—now!" Nakama barked.

Okamura shoved Hikari behind him without hesitation. Douzan Karui lunged for Kurumari, hands glowing green with medical ninjutsu.

"It’s okay, it’s okay…!"

Karui pressed her palms to the wound, pouring every drop of chakra into sealing torn flesh.

"Gh… ru…n…" Kurumari’s lips formed the words, her face ghostly pale.

"You’ll be fine! Just hold on—"

—Sssss.

Something sizzled beneath Kurumari’s collar.

Karui yanked the fabric aside.

Five exploding tags.

Their seals burned red-hot.

Kurumari’s eyes shrank to pinpricks. "K-Karui… RUN—!"

—BOOM.

The night split open.

Fire swallowed the clearing, the blast hurling Nakama backward. He scrambled up, staring at the crater where Kurumari and Karui had been.

Blackened meat. Scattered limbs.

"No… No, no, no—!"

This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.

"Okamura! Oka—"

He whirled around.

Hikari stood behind Okamura, her bone blade sliding free of his spine. Blood painted her sleeves as he crumpled, dead before he hit the ground.

"Hikari…? YOU—! WHY?!"

Nakama’s scythe shrieked through the air.

"Because I’m weak."

—Clang!

She caught the blade bare-handed, bone grinding against steel.

Nakama’s face twisted with hate. Hikari didn’t flinch.

There was no anger in her. No vengeance.

Only necessity.

They could track her. She wasn’t strong enough to outrun them.

So she made sure they couldn’t follow.

"You… fucking monster…" Nakama spat, swaying as blood poured from his ribs. "Why… not kill me first…?"

"Sorry, Nakama-nii." Her voice was quiet. "But you were the least dangerous."

—Schlik.

The bone sword tore upward, splitting him open.

He fell.

Silence.

Then—

"Tch. We’re late."

Two figures dropped from the trees.

Karasu sighed, scratching his head as he surveyed the carnage. Blood Hound’s muscles tensed, his hackles rising.

"You took a detour," the latter growled.

"Had to avoid the traps. Didn’t wanna spook her."

Hikari’s bone blade dragged through dirt, leaving a scarlet trail.

"They didn’t have to die," she said. "You came too soon."

The scene was familiar.

The fog. The blood. The bodies.

Just like that night.

"My name is Hikari."

Karasu twirled a kunai. "Not planning to let us leave alive, huh?"

A cold smile touched her lips. "If I did, Kurumari-nee would haunt me."

"Funny." Blood Hound bared his teeth. "We were just thinking the same thing."

Wind howled.

Fire roared.

Three shadows faced off beneath the burning trees, the air thick with the scent of blood and killing intent.

(✧ω✧)

Chapter 23: Crow and Hound

The night grew darker, the stars and moon swallowed by the void—leaving only the firelight clinging to the treetops, flickering like a dying pulse.

A flash of flame.

Uzukage’s eyes sharpened.

His hand snapped forward.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two kunai streaked toward Hikari’s face.

At the same instant, Bloodhound roared, channeling chakra into his legs and kicking off the ground with enough force to blast dust backward like arrows.

The recoil launched him forward—

His nodachi, longer than a man’s height, thrust straight for Hikari’s gut.

The blade and kunai arrived simultaneously.

A pincer attack. High and low.

Uzukage, already circling her flank, gripped another kunai. His eyes locked onto every vital point on her body. One opening. Just one. A single throw would end her.

Her escape routes were sealed. Only retreat remains.

And if she stepped back? Bloodhound would press forward. Uzukage would tighten the noose. Victory was inevitable.

That’s what a decade in ANBU had taught him.

But tonight—

Tonight, he’d face something beyond experience.

Because standing before him was the first shinobi in a thousand years to wield both the Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku.

Two Kekkei Genkai, perfected in one vessel.

And in Hikari’s hands?

They would shine.

"Byakugan!"

Hikari’s veins swelled, crawling down her cheeks like roots.

Beneath her blindfold, her gray pupils sharpened to knife-points.

Hmm!

The world slowed.

Uzukage, circling like a hawk, kunai poised.

Bloodhound, charging, dust swirling at his feet.

The kunai’s poisoned edges glinting midair—she could count the toxins seeping into the steel.

In raw perception? The Byakugan left the Sharingan in the dust. Precision strikes were child’s play for the Hyūga.

A tilt of her head—

Sssk! Sssk!

The kunai grazed her ears, close enough to feel the wind—but not a single hair was cut.

Then—

Schlick!

Bone blades erupted from her palms.

Clang!

Bloodhound’s nodachi skewered her—

—and passed clean through, drawing no blood.

An afterimage.

Her other blade scythed toward his chest.

Bloodhound barely twisted back, the bone edge missing his ribs by a breath.

Too bad.

Hikari’s grip tightened.

The blade in her hand stretched—1.2 meters to 1.4—then snapped back.

Her muscles coiled.

Chakra flooded her legs.

BOOM!

The ground shattered beneath her kick.

Uzukage blinked—

—and she was already in Bloodhound’s face.

Too fast.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two more kunai shot from his blind spot, aimed at her skull.

She didn’t turn.

Her left blade flicked up, batting them away mid-swing.

Meanwhile—

Her right blade morphed—

—into a massive cleaver, wide as a door.

SWOOSH!

The wind pressure alone flattened the grass.

Bloodhound knew—no block would hold.

But he had no choice.

CRACK!

His nodachi splintered on impact.

The force slammed through his arms—

—shredding his palms, bursting capillaries in his wrists.

But he lived.

Then—

SWISH!

The left blade—already mid-motion from deflecting the kunai—elongated mid-swing.

Two meters of bone screamed down.

How?! No recoil?!

Bloodhound’s mind blanked.

"Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu!"

Uzukage’s hands flashed through seals—

—and water exploded from nowhere, twin hemispheres clamping toward Hikari like jaws.

Now—

Retreat, and lose the advantage.

Attack, and drown.

Hikari chose.

Her blade fell.

Bloodhound split in two.

Blood fountained.

Her Byakugan’s dead-gray hue deepened, chakra flooding her eyes—

POP!

The water prison shattered.

So did Uzukage’s illusion.

The real Bloodhound gasped, clutched by Uzukage meters away.

"You good?"

Bloodhound spat blood. "Barely."

Their eyes locked on the girl.

Her blades retracted, the cleaver’s chips sealing smooth.

She stood.

Turned.

Her blindfolded gaze locked onto them.

Not a scratch. Not a tremble.

Muscle fibers, micro-torn in battle, knit themselves under chakra’s glow.

Then—

Hsss!

Steam billowed from her pores—

—like a warship’s engine.

A child’s face.

A monster’s aura.

Gulp.

Bloodhound’s voice cracked. "…We shouldn’t have taken this mission."

Uzukage’s skull throbbed. "Turns out the old bastards were right."

Above them, the sky blackened.

No stars.

No moon.

Only flames—

—and the true Hour of Twilight.

(◠‿◠)

Chapter 24: The Shinobi Intelligence War

"Bones harder than steel, yet able to morph freely. Overwhelming strength, speed, defense, and technique—no weaknesses in taijutsu."

"Some kind of sensory ability that doesn’t rely on sight. Ambushes are useless. High genjutsu resistance too—my Mist Illusion lasted less than a second. Doubt any other genjutsu would work."

Bloodhound and Karasu rapidly exchanged intel.

The more they spoke, the more their dread grew.

Monstrous strength. A body like tempered steel. Weapons shifting unpredictably—paired with bizarre sensory perception and genjutsu immunity.

Bloodhound, a master swordsman, had his blade shattered in a single clash, his arm nearly crippled. If not for Karasu’s intervention, he’d be dead.

Karasu, a specialist in illusions and assassination, fared no better.

His poisoned shuriken, launched from a blind spot and laced with lethal venom, were swatted away like flies.

His strongest genjutsu—A-Rank: Mirage Mist Technique—was shattered in under a second. The backlash felt like a club to the skull; his vision still swam.

Karasu stared at Hikari’s youthful face and delicate frame, his mind sharp through the pain. Cold logic overrode panic as he pieced together the facts:

"She slaughtered the Kurumari squad before we arrived—her sensory range is vast. Escape is impossible."

"Close combat is suicide. Keep our distance, use ninjutsu to harass."

"Her age suggests limited chakra and stamina. A battle of attrition is our only chance."

In seconds, Karasu devised their strategy.

Meanwhile, Hikari wasn’t idle.

Intel was the lifeblood of shinobi warfare.

No matter the rank, identifying an enemy’s weakness was fundamental.

But Hikari’s methods were… simpler.

With her 360-degree vision, the duo became living blueprints—clothing, masks, muscle, bone—all dissected into data flooding her mind.

Karasu: Chunin-level chakra. Genjutsu-specialized tokubetsu jonin.

Poison pouches at his waist. Six kunai, twelve shuriken, three explosive tags.

Weak physique. Skilled in illusions and sensory ninjutsu. Frail in direct combat.

Bloodhound: Chunin-level chakra.

Dense bones, reinforced muscle. Proficient in kenjutsu and taijutsu.

Right arm tendons torn, wrist fractured. Useless now.

They stood no chance in close quarters. If they resorted to ninjutsu, their chakra would drain faster than hers. Her Shikotsumyaku and Byakugan required minimal upkeep.

A war of attrition? She’d win.

But they’d avoid melee now. She had to brace for powerful ninjutsu—while exploiting her edge: rush them down.

Crack.

Beneath her skin, bone membranes thinned everywhere but vital areas, shedding weight.

Chakra surged into her thighs.

Muscles tore—then regenerated thicker, fibers coiling like steel cables.

Bone spikes erupted from her soles, armoring her feet and anchoring her stance.

Twin blades fanned from her arms like wings.

Her body coiled—a bowstring at its limit.

Karasu’s instincts screamed.

Hikari moved.

BOOM—

The ground cratered as she launched, a blur even to shinobi eyes.

Her blades lashed outward, a guillotine’s sweep aimed to bisect both men.

"NOW!"

Karasu and Bloodhound folded mid-air, knees to chest, as the blades shrieked beneath them.

Their sandals’ steel soles sparked against bone.

Still airborne, they flanked Hikari—hands flashing identical seals:

Tiger → Ox → Rabbit...

Ram → Horse → Dragon → Tiger...

"Suiton: Wild Water Wave!"

"Doton: Earth Spears!"

A torrent crashed into jagged stone spikes—engulfing Hikari in a maelstrom.

The duo landed lightly, scanning the chaos—

"Chakra signature is— BEHIND YOU!"

Karasu whirled—

WHOOSH.

Hikari was already there, arms crossed.

A crimson X split Karasu’s torso—before his body splashed into water.

Water Clone.

The real Karasu staggered meters away, coughing blood, a shallow X carved into his chest.

"Damn… fast," he wheezed.

Hikari tilted her head, avoiding a sudden earth spear.

Bloodhound’s sweat dripped. That stunt bought Karasu seconds.

"But…" Karasu grinned behind his mask, voice taunting despite his wounds. "You always pause after attacking. Not out of mercy, right?"

"That speed… that brute force…"

"No way a body like yours handles that strain naturally. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have slaughtered Kuriu Mari’s squad before we arrived."

"Every burst leaves you vulnerable. Am I wrong?"

Silence.

Then—

"Heh. What’s knowing gonna change?"

Steam hissed from Hikari’s lips. Her chest heaved.

Pushing her muscles to the limit demanded recovery time—like a bow kept drawn too long.

But now… she was ready.

"Six seconds."

Bloodhound’s monotone cut through the tension.

Karasu burst into laughter, blood dripping from his grin.

"Hah… hah… Got you."

( ¯ ꒳ ¯)ｂ

Chapter 25: Final Victory

———

Whoosh!

White bone splashed through puddled water.

Without warning, Hikari lunged at Bloodhound.

The masked ninja spun to flee—but she closed the gap in an instant, her bone blade slashing downward toward his spine.

CLANG!

The razor-edged strike didn’t cleave him in two as she’d expected. Instead, it bounced off his back as if she’d struck a mountain. Her wrist trembled from the recoil.

Seizing the opening, Bloodhound bolted.

Byakugan—activate.

Beneath his cloak, his skin was armored with densely packed Earth Release chakra.

"Earth Style: Hardening Technique," crooned Karasu’s slimy voice from the shadows. "Little miss, what will you do now?"

Ignoring the taunt, Hikari assessed her options.

These Kirigakure ANBU elites live up to their reputation.

Even with her taijutsu and genjutsu specialties countered, they were relentless. A full-power burst would leave her drained for six critical seconds—but without it, her six-year-old body lacked the strength for a killing blow.

Karasu’s Water Instantaneous Movement made him untouchable.

Her only path? Kill Bloodhound first. His right arm was crippled, his weapon lost. To break his hardening, she needed blunt force.

Creeeak—

Thick bone erupted from her palm, reshaping—tapered at the tip, weighted at the base. Edges sharpened into brutal facets.

A dense, four-edged bone mace now filled her grip.

She tested its heft. Perfect balance.

Bloodhound’s eyes narrowed at the grotesque weapon.

Too late.

WHOOSH!

Hikari vanished—reappeared in his face—mace already mid-swing.

Wind pressure screamed as it descended.

His temple throbbed. Locked in hardening’s stiffness, he crossed his arms to block.

BOOM!

The mace struck.

Impact shattered his earthen armor like glass. The force launched him spinning through the air—CRASH!—into a tree trunk.

"Guh—!" He vomited blood, arms shaking as he tried to rise.

SWISH!

Hikari swung again—aiming for his skull.

His hairs stood on end. A direct hit would crush his head like a melon.

"Got you!"

Karasu materialized via Water Instantaneous, tendrils of liquid lashing at her ankles.

She sidestepped—

—only for Bloodhound to tackle her, pinning her arms.

SNAP! Bone spikes jutted from her body… but his hardening deflected them, sparks flying where they scraped.

Muscles spent from her earlier strikes, she couldn’t break free.

Five seconds.

Both enemies knew: her next burst wasn’t ready.

Karasu’s hands plunged into gathering water.

"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"

The ground’s moisture spiraled upward, poised to engulf them. Once sealed, no one escaped alive.

Now.

Hikari’s fingers flexed—aimed at Karasu.

"Dead Bone Pulse—!"

Glinting bone bullets loaded at her fingertips.

Three seconds.

A whirlpool barrier erupted between them.

"Water Style: Water Wall!"

A second Karasu (a water clone?) completed the jutsu before dissolving, speeding the prison’s formation.

"Little miss, this is how Hellfox died, isn’t it?" His voice oozed through the liquid. He’d anticipated her trick.

One second.

The water sealed shut.

Karasu exhaled. "Game over."

Just wait for suffocation—then extract Bloodhound. Victory.

…Hmph. Impressive child—

RUMBLE!

The prison shuddered violently.

"What?!"

He poured in more chakra—but his pathways clogged. Alien energy choked his flow.

His eyes widened.

Beneath the water, hair-thin bone needles had pierced his acupuncture points.

His veins were paralyzed.

SPLASH!

The prison collapsed, revealing Hikari—drenched but smirking—as Bloodhound still clung to her.

Her finger gun leveled at Karasu.

"Bang."

PCHOO!

A fingerbone bullet pierced his skull.

Brains sprayed. He crumpled.

"Karasu!!" Bloodhound roared, crushing her throat in his arms.

SNAP!

Her neck bent backward—vertebrae exposed, throat torn open.

Yet—

Her upside-down face kept smiling.

THUNK!

A spinal spur impaled his eyeball, drilling into his brain.

"G-GAHHH—!"

More bone spikes erupted, turning him into a pincushion.

Bloodhound—DEAD.

———

Dawn light crept through the trees.

Hikari wrenched her head back into place, chakra stitching flesh. Steam rose from the wounds.

Not fatal. But close.

The Dead Bone Pulse had limits. A Senju or Uzumaki’s vitality would’ve healed this instantly.

Still—she’d won.

Rule #1 of combat: Never engage a Hyūga or Kaguya in close quarters.

Yet they’d nearly succeeded. Without Rabbit Hair Needles, she’d have died.

A genjutsu specialist (Tokubetsu Jōnin) and a taijutsu-focused Chūnin—with her Byakugan negating illusions—had almost killed a dual bloodline wielder.

Why?

Her body’s youth. A mere week had passed since her rebirth into this hunted life.
Kiri’s quality. The "Bloody Mist" bred only the strongest. The weak perished.

A cruel system—but one born of necessity.

The Land of Water was small, resource-starved, sandwiched between Fire and Lightning. The "Bloody Mist" ensured survival through ruthless meritocracy.

"Mist is fleeting—but blood feeds the roots."

Her father’s words echoed.

———

As sunlight burned away the mist, Hikari stripped her ruined clothes, skin sheathing itself in bone scales.

She dressed, packed, and burned the corpses.

Then—

A chakra-dense "worm" squirmed from Bloodhound’s remains.

The source of his sudden power?

She smashed it into a vial.

To be studied later.

Staff tapping, she turned west.

Toward Konoha.

Where true power awaited.

(◠‿◠)

Chapter 26: Speedrunning Haikawa

Haikawa Port — a bustling harbor city on the western coast of the Land of Water.

Its proximity to the Land of Fire made it a hub for merchants, politicians, and pleasure-seekers alike. What was once a tiny fishing village had morphed into a glittering nexus of trade and vice.

But where there’s light, shadows fester.

While the city center thrived under the Mizukage’s watchful eye, the slums festered with yakuza and desperation.

"Hey, old hag—where’s this ‘prime goods’ you promised?"

Bunpei Yo, a greasy-haired thug in a gaudy Yokosuka jacket, sneered as he flashed the tattoos snaking up his arms. Passersby shrank away, feeding his smirk.

"Boss, she’s right here—absolute top-shelf!" The old woman running the ramen stall bowed, unfazed by his tone.

Bunpei scoffed. Slum trash wouldn’t know quality if it bit ’em. The last "pretty girl" he’d harassed here had skin like a pickled radish.

Then he saw her.

A silver-haired child, barely 150 cm tall, cloaked in white. Her face—pale as moonlight—was half-hidden by a blindfold, but the delicate slope of her nose and soft lips promised beauty beneath.

Jackpot.

"Tch. Too young. And crippled," the old woman muttered, eyeing Bunpei’s reaction.

"Shut your damn mouth!" He shoved her aside, circling the girl like a shark.

Silver hair. Blindfolded. A living doll.

If he sold her to those rich freaks in the red-light district? Retirement money.

"Another bowl, ma’am," the girl chirped, slurping the last of her noodles.

"Hey, kid," Bunpei leaned in, reeking of cheap tobacco. "How ’bout I treat you to some real meat?"

She turned, smiling sweet as poisoned honey. "Oh? Sure~"

Bunpei nearly drooled. Gods, she’s even cuter up close.

He spat out his toothpick. "C’mon, let’s go."

The alleyway reeked of piss and iron.

Bunpei yanked her blindstaff—or tried to. The damn thing didn’t budge.

"…Huh?"

The girl’s smile never wavered.

Then—

THWACK. CRUNCH. SPLAT.

Ten minutes later, Hikari stepped out, her staff’s tip dripping crimson. Behind her, the slurry that was Bunpei Yo seeped into the gutter.

Local scum know everything.

Thanks to his enthusiastic cooperation, she now had maps, faction intel, and a list of "untouchables" in Haikawa.

Her goal? A smooth transit to Konoha. No detours.

"One more bowl, please."

The ramen granny looked up—then froze.

No Bunpei. Just Hikari, her staff crusted with gore.

"Y-You… He…"

"Hurry. I’m on a schedule."

The old woman sobbed as she cooked, hands shaking. "P-Please… I won’t tell—"

CRUNCH.

A wet thud hit the floor. The woman had bitten off her own tongue, blood pooling between her teeth.

Hikari sipped her broth, unfazed. "Cruel to others. Cruel to yourself." She stood, tossing coins on the counter. "If I’m back in Water Country, I’ll eat here again."

The granny kept bowing, forehead smearing red on the tiles.

Golden Lights Casino — High-Stakes Floor

Dice clattered. Drunks roared. Hikari sat alone at the "Lucky Leopard" table, her mountain of chips gleaming under chandeliers.

"LEOPARD! 150x PAYOUT!!"

The dealer sweat through his shirt. Third fucking time. Two billion ryō gone. The boss would skin him.

"Keep rolling!" Gamblers shoved forward, desperate to ride her streak.

Hikari sipped juice,byakugan humming beneath her blindfold.

Three chakra signatures in the building. All weaker than academy dropouts.

A grim truth dawned:

Not every ninja was Kiri ANBU.

Most were like these—barely genin-level, scraping by as muscle for hire.

Thud. Thud.

Black-suited bodyguards parted the crowd.

"Move."

A portly man waddled forward—Boss Jounagare, Haikawa’s underworld kingpin.

"Miss…" He hesitated, eyeing her childlike frame. "How may I serve you?"

Hikari crushed her steel cup into a origami crow.

"Three things."

Cash out my chips.

A ticket to the Land of Fire—fastest ship.

A room for the night.

Jounagare bowed. "Of course. The SS Hope leaves at dawn. Top suite is yours."

"Deduct expenses from my winnings. Plus an extra million."

"…May I ask why?"

"Compensation." She tapped her bloody staff. "For a man named Bunpei Yo."

The boss blinked. "Ah. How… generous." (Who the hell was Bunpei?)

Hikari stood. "Pleasure doing business."

Epilogue:

By sunrise, she was aboard the Hope, her pockets lined with Konoha’s currency.

The slums whispered of a demon-child who’d humiliated the yakuza.

The casino pretended nothing happened.

And the ramen granny?

She never spoke again—but her stall thrived.

After all, fear was terrific for business.

Chapter 27: The Flesh of the Three-Tails

"Miss Hikari, your dinner is here."

A handsome waiter stood at the door, pushing a cart piled high with meat. The doorbell chimed politely.

"Enter."

The door was unlocked.

Before he could even step inside, the sound of crunching echoed from within—gnawing, grinding, the kind of noise that made his own teeth ache in sympathy.

Pushing the cart in, his vision gradually adjusted to the scene.

In the spacious, well-lit room, a long mahogany dining table was stacked with empty plates. At the center sat a silver-haired girl, her cheeks bulging as she tore into a roasted beef leg larger than her own head.

CRACK!

She bit through the bone like it was a watermelon, chewing without hesitation. The waiter quickly averted his gaze.

"Miss Hikari, the Ship of Hope departs in two days. Here’s your ticket—it includes your cabin number and departure time. Please keep it safe."

"Mmm..."

She barely acknowledged him as he placed the ticket on the bedside table. He swapped out the empty plates for fresh food, then fled as if escaping a predator.

Hikari kept eating.

Her Byakugan flicked idly toward the neatly placed ticket.

Mermaid Dock. Departure: 1 PM, two days from now. VIP single cabin. Fifteen-day voyage.

Finally, she was leaving the Land of Water.

A strange emotion stirred in her chest—something between relief and melancholy.

Only a week had passed since her memories awakened. Yet it felt longer than an entire lifetime in her past world.

The nameless ANBU whose legs she shattered in the Kaguya battlefield. Hellfox. Amasaka Naoko. Kuriu Mari. Oka Mura Shin. Douzan Karin. Ouma. Karasu. Bloodhound...

Killing. Ambushes. Deception. Desperate struggles. Calculations.

Her past life blurred at the edges, as though it had happened both yesterday and an eternity ago.

Sometimes, she couldn’t tell if she was Kaguya Hikari—or that middle-aged woman who had lost everything in an earthquake, clinging to life like a weed.

But it didn’t matter.

Whoever she was, her goal remained the same:

Gain power. Control her fate.

Konoha.

Her gaze drifted toward the setting sun.

The Sharingan. Hashirama Cells. Flying Thunder God. Shadow Clones. Edo Tensei. Dead Demon Consuming Seal. The Hyūga’s secret techniques...

So many paths to strength awaited her there.

She ripped another chunk of meat from the bone, her sharp teeth reducing it to pulp in seconds. Her stomach churned, converting the meal into chakra, storing excess energy as fat for future battles.

The Akimichi Clan’s secret techniques? For someone who could manipulate her own flesh, it was mere instinct.

The Dead Bone Pulse and Byakugan were absurdly powerful. The more she used them, the more she understood how unfair her bloodline was—and why the Kaguya Clan was doomed to extinction.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki’s abilities:

The Rinnegan (Sage Eyes).

The Sage Body.

Byakugan.

Ash Killing Bones.

And, of course, the Ten-Tails’ monstrous chakra reservoir.

If Kaguya were a tank:

Rinnegan = Cannon.

Sage Body = Fuel tank + armor.

Byakugan = Radar + targeting system.

Ash Killing Bones = The kill switch.

The Senju and Uzumaki inherited the Sage Body—the fuel and armor. No cannon, but they could drown enemies in sheer vitality.

The Uchiha got the cannon—but without the fuel tank, their Mangekyō Sharingan drained their lifeforce.

The Hyūga took the radar and OS, but without hardware, most functions were locked. They became specialists in chakra control and precision strikes.

And the Kaguya Clan?

They got the empty hull.

No fuel. No cannon. No radar.

So what could they do?

Ram into people.

But without the Sage Body’s regeneration, every injury cost them chakra and lifespan.

Kimimaro’s illness? A classic case of burning through his reserves until his body gave out.

That’s why Hikari gorged herself before battles—stockpiling energy to offset the Dead Bone Pulse’s toll.

But it wasn’t a permanent solution.

She forced down another mouthful of tasteless beef.

The Ash Killing Bones—Kaguya’s "instant death" technique—terrified her. If her Dead Bone Pulse evolved in that direction without the Sage Body’s vitality…

She’d crumble to dust.

Three Solutions:

Transplant Hashirama Cells (acquire Wood Style and Sage Body).
Learn Tsunade’s Strength of a Hundred Seal (store excess chakra, but it’s a stopgap).
Become a Jinchūriki (gain a new chakra source).

The first two were out of reach for now. But the third…

Maybe.

She set aside the empty plate and rang the bell. The waiter returned, cleared the table, and left.

Click.

The door locked.

Byakugan—activate.

No observers.

From her clothes, she retrieved a white porcelain vial—emblazoned with the Kaguya Clan’s crest.

Inside was the "thing" she’d taken from Bloodhound’s corpse.

She poured it into her palm.

A slick, blue-black mass slithered out, pulsating with chakra.

Like a leech made of condensed ocean.

Her Byakugan analyzed it.

Despite its small size, its chakra reserves dwarfed an average Chūnin’s.

This was what had allowed Bloodhound to overpower her at the last moment.

And she was almost certain of its origin.

The Three-Tails.

One of the Narutoverse’s six great power-ups:

Sharingan.

Wood Style.

Sage Mode.

Shadow Clones.

Tailed Beast Chakra.

Space-Time Ninjutsu.

Now, she might have a shot at becoming a pseudo-Jinchūriki.

But how?

She knew no sealing jutsu.

Eat it?

Probably not ideal—though Kinkaku and Ginkaku had devoured Kurama’s flesh and survived.

But they were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.

She might not have horns, but with two of Kaguya’s bloodline traits, her pedigree was just as strong—if not stronger.

Her tongue flicked over her lips, still greasy from the beef.

I’ve stockpiled enough energy. Worst case, I’ll regrow my stomach.

But if this worked…

I’ll be a Three-Tails vessel.

Her grip tightened.

"Let’s do this."

(•̀ᴗ•́)و

Chapter 28: Beyond Human

No hesitation.

Hikari locked the door and windows, drew the curtains, and sat cross-legged on the bed.

Eyes shut, she shoved the revolting strip of flesh into her mouth.

The meat had no distinct odor—its texture, somewhere between chicken and fish, was almost novel. But the way it writhed and squirmed the more she chewed made her grimace.

Gulp.

After a few perfunctory chews, she swallowed.

At first, nothing happened.

But Hikari didn’t let her guard down.

Her Byakugan remained fixed on the dissolving mass of flesh in her stomach, watching as stomach acid corroded it into sludge.

Until it melted completely.

Splash—

A phantom sound of rushing water echoed in her mind.

The liquefied Three-Tails’ flesh surged like a tidal wave, seeping past her stomach and spreading through her body in an icy rush.

Hikari shivered.

The Three-Tails’ chakra had invaded her chakra pathways, rampaging like a wild beast. In mere moments, her once-orderly chakra network was thrown into chaos.

If this kept up, her pathways would rupture.

Hands forming the "Ram" seal, she focused.

Mental and physical energy merged as sapphire-blue chakra surged from her heart, encircling the Three-Tails’ watery chakra.

But her chakra reserves, though equal in volume, were no match in density. The beast’s energy scattered her blockade effortlessly, charging straight for her *"Chakra Seed"*—the core of her heart.

Damn it!

If that was destroyed, her life as a shinobi would be over.

Forget becoming a jinchūriki—she hastily rallied her chakra, forming a barricade before her heart.

Boom.

The collision sent a shockwave through her veins. Hikari gasped, blood trickling from her lips.

Capillaries ruptured under the pressure. The Three-Tails’ superior chakra crushed hers, driving it back into her heart.

This difference in power…

So this is a tailed beast’s strength?

A thrill shot through her.

No wonder tailed beasts topped the "cheat-tier" rankings.

But the more formidable it was, the more she craved it.

Taming this chakra would double her power—at least.

Her Byakugan’s ashen hue deepened as pupillary power, physical energy, and chakra united against the invader.

Sensing danger, the Three-Tails’ chakra grew frenzied.

The liquid chakra crystallized into jagged ice, surging toward her heart. Flesh paled under the cold; blood froze into crimson shards.

Ice Release?

Hikari’s Byakugan sharpened. Since when could the Three-Tails do that?

Her chakra pathways split and reconnected, rerouting the icy chakra past her heart into a new loop.

Flesh pulsed.

A labyrinth of veins stretched, thinning the Three-Tails’ chakra into a fragile thread.

Now.

Buzz—

Her blue chakra severed the thread’s end.

A fragment of the beast’s energy was trapped, thrashing against her containment.

Relentless, she shattered it further, branding the remnants with her Byakugan’s will.

Slowly…

The chakra stilled.

Her pupillary power dominated it, dissolving the fragments into her own.

The blue of her chakra darkened, now tinged with the tailed beast’s essence.

No time to marvel.

Most of the Three-Tails’ chakra still raged inside her, spreading frost through her veins. She was turning into an ice statue.

Hikari hurled her enhanced chakra at the remnants, devouring them faster with each passing second.

Finally, the beast’s energy relented, merging seamlessly into her own.

Outside.

The dim hotel room was silent.

The silver-haired girl sat motionless on the bed, pale as porcelain.

Then—

Gurgle. Gurgle.

Translucent red bubbles oozed from her skin as indigo chakra cloaked her body.

The curtains billowed. Silver hair lashed like wind-whipped threads. A phantom crimson cloak flickered over her skin.

Her eyes snapped open—silver hair, red shroud, Byakugan, gray irises. A single chakra tail swayed behind her like a spectral fox’s.

Withdraw.

The tailed beast cloak receded. Her chakra, now twice as potent, flooded back into her Chakra Seed.

A strange fullness settled in her chest.

The altered chakra dissolved back into mental and physical energy, now tainted with an azure hue.

The foreign energy seeped into her cells—her very soul.

Zap.

A jolt shot through her core.

Bones tingled. Flesh sang. Her mind buzzed with ecstasy—a fleeting glimpse of evolution.

Then, just as suddenly, it vanished.

Tch. Greed’s a poison.

Today’s gains were already monstrous. Any more, and she’d have exploded into ice dust.

Still… Ice Release? That was new.

Hikari rose, testing her body.

No Ice Release manifested. No drastic physical changes.

But her chakra—

It’s like a tidal wave now.

Her reserves neared jōnin-level, and the quality had skyrocketed. Even without ninjutsu, this density would make any technique devastating.

And that wasn’t all.

She eyed a glass on the table.

Indigo chakra pooled in her palm—then morphed into a translucent red tendril. With a thought, it snatched the glass midair.

Not a crack.

Her chakra had inherited the tailed beast’s malleability. With enough control (and her Byakugan’s precision), she could mimic even the Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands.

Her heart pounded.

This wasn’t borrowed power.

It was hers.

Harmonious. Natural. Alive.

A thought dried the humid air.

Moisture bowed to her will, condensing into a water serpent that coiled around her fingers.

Next, she activated Shikotsumyaku.

Her palm split open. Blood dripped—only to leap back into the wound at her chakra’s command.

The flesh sealed shut.

…

Somehow, she felt herself drifting further from the word "human."

And there was no turning back.

---(◕‿◕)

Chapter 29: The Gathering of Elites – The Ship of Hope*

Two days later, at Mermaid Harbor.

Waves crashed against the hull, scattering foam across the water’s surface. Yet the massive Ship of Hope remained as steady as a mountain.

"Alright, line up for ticket checks—no cutting!"

A tanned, muscular crewman snipped a corner off each passenger’s ticket, motioning for order.

"Lord Orochimaru… something feels off."

At the back of the crowd, a fair-skinned boy with white hair, green eyes, and red markings around his eyelids frowned at the crewman. His sharp instincts screamed danger, but he couldn’t pinpoint why.

"A shinobi’s greatest weapon is vigilance. You continue to impress me."

Orochimaru—pale, with serpentine golden eyes—smiled thinly, his gaze icy.

These Kirigakure rats just won’t give up.

He rolled a dull, wrinkled orb in his palm, frustration simmering.

What is this Kaguya clan relic?

Unbreakable. Resistant to fire and lightning. Impossible to seal or reverse-summon to Ryūchi Cave.

And now, forced to flee Water Country by ship—with Kiri’s ANBU clinging like leeches.

Fine. If they want death, I’ll oblige. Fresh test subjects are always welcome.

"Board the ship, Kimimaro."

Orochimaru’s voice was rougher now, like scales dragging through dirt.

Kimimaro nodded. To him, Orochimaru was purpose. Even if ordered into hell itself, he’d leap without hesitation.

Meanwhile, inside the bridge…

Two men—one standing, one seated—watched the crowd through the glass.

"Captain, they’ve stopped. Did they sense something?"

"Prepare for combat."

"But the civilians… What if the Daimyō—"

"The Fourth’s relic takes priority. With Orochimaru involved, blame won’t fall on us."

Kurō Shun sat motionless, his brown eyes locked on the duo below. Cold. Mechanical.

After hunting Orochimaru for so long, this was their chance.

They’d replaced the Ship of Hope’s entire crew—save a few essential sailors—waiting to ambush him at sea.

As for the passengers?

Unfortunate collateral.

A Kage-level fighter and a Kaguya remnant? A worthy sacrifice.

Only one person truly mattered to him.

The thought of his sister, waiting back in the village, softened his hardened face for just a moment.

"Captain, they’re boarding."

"Hmph. Luck’s on the civilians’ side today."

Kurō’s chakra settled as Orochimaru and Kimimaro stepped aboard.

Elsewhere in the crowd…

Two cloaked figures lingered.

"Zabuza-sama, shouldn’t we board?"

Haku tilted her head up, pale face framed by dark hair.

Zabuza scanned the docks, jaw tight.

Something’s wrong.

The crew’s stares prickled his instincts—like hidden eyes tracking him. Yet his senses detected no immediate threat.

Since that damned forest…

Haku sighed inwardly.

Ever since Zabuza had stumbled out of the mist that night, he’d been jumpy. Last night, she’d accidentally tapped a cup too hard—only for him to bolt upright, drenched in sweat.

"Let’s turn back."

Zabuza’s battle-honed instincts roared warnings.

That blind woman…

Even now, her ghostly tap-tap-tap haunted him.

"We leave today."

He shoved past the queue, dragging Haku aboard.

Meanwhile…

Hikari was gone.

She’d fled without hesitation—because in her Byakugan’s vision, the Ship of Hope wasn’t a vessel.

It was a death trap.

Two Kage-level monsters, their chakra blazing like suns.

Three elite jōnin (not counting Zabuza), each with reserves dwarfing hers—even after swallowing Isobu’s flesh.