Minato's Might

"Brat, you dare challenge the Kaguya clan?"

"Good! I'll rip every bone out of your body and claim them as my trophies!"

The burly man, whose spine had just been shattered by Minato, roared in defiance. He tried to stand but was horrified to realize that his body no longer obeyed him.

Despite his bones' ability to defy the normal limitations of the human body, the severed central nervous system rendered him immobile.

"You bastard! What have you done to me?!"

Minato smiled faintly at him before raising his voice and shouting toward the distant village, "Is anyone else around—?"

Fuma walked up to the fallen man, plucked a bone from his body, and toyed with it for a moment before studying it closely.

"Just as I thought. The bones of the Kaguya clan are indeed harder than those of ordinary shinobi. But without chakra reinforcement, their durability remains insufficient."

"The power of ninjutsu, while convenient, has left chakra flowing only on the surface, failing to permeate the essence of the body..."

Fuma shook his head slightly. This phenomenon was all too common in the shinobi world. Behind it all, he suspected, lay a massive conspiracy.

Suddenly, shouts erupted from the village, "Who's there? Where's the enemy?"

"Stop your damn training! Someone's here to challenge the Kaguya clan. Time to hack down a few fools who don't know their place!"

Nearly a thousand members of the Kaguya clan charged out of the village. Each wielded long bone blades, and irregular bone spikes jutted out from their bodies, making them resemble grotesque zombies.

"Ugh, what an ugly bunch," Minato remarked disdainfully as he caught sight of them.

In later generations, someone like Kimimaro Kaguya—broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, with flowing white hair and a handsome face—was considered a genetic anomaly.

Over centuries, he might have been the only good-looking member of the clan.

The men standing before Minato and Fuma, however, were a stark contrast. Each sported unflattering topknots, rectangular faces full of coarse features, and two large red dots between their brows, giving them the appearance of deranged lunatics.

Interestingly, the Kaguyas' hair color was divided into two groups: black and white. The white-haired Kaguyas evidently held higher status within the clan, often surrounded by underlings.

Meanwhile, the black-haired ones seemed relegated to the role of cannon fodder, shouting stereotypical taunts common among low-level thugs.

"Oh? A visitor from the Uchiha clan—what a rare sight…" A middle-aged man with pure white hair squinted as he scrutinized Fuma's Sharingan.

"So, it's the Uchiha, huh? Hmph!"

Upon recognizing Fuma's Sharingan, the Kaguya clan's fiery arrogance visibly diminished. Their fearless demeanor faltered, replaced by a hint of caution.

It seemed even among the war-crazed clans of the Warring States Era, there was an unspoken hierarchy.

The Uchiha clan, led by the legendary Madara Uchiha, had long dominated the battlefield. Crushing a few of the Kaguya clan's infamous "hard bones" would have been no challenge for them.

Fuma took a step forward, his Sharingan gleaming with a sharp black light that swept across the assembled Kaguyas with overwhelming ocular power.

"I know you're all impatient, so I'll keep this short. You've offended my friend, and I've come to settle the matter."

"Today, I've brought my apprentice along for a match. If you lose, you'll follow my orders and join our organization."

A white-haired middle-aged Kaguya stepped forward with equal intensity, locking eyes with Fuma. He spoke sharply:

"When did the Uchiha clan gain the right to meddle in Kaguya affairs? Our clan has thrived on the Land of Water for generations—we won't join any of your absurd organizations!"

Despite the clan leader's bold words, some Kaguyas began whispering among themselves. It seemed they were piecing together the reason for today's conflict.

Currently, the Kaguya clan had devolved into a band of marauders, attacking and pillaging the surrounding smaller nations near the Land of Water.

The Lands of Waves and Hot Water had both suffered under their brutal raids. However, they still couldn't determine on whose behalf Fuma was intervening.

Fuma smirked, his tone calm yet intimidating:

"I don't need the right to meddle. What I do have is the strength to kill every last one of you here. Given that alternative, I trust you'll make a wise decision."

His words sent the crowd into chaos. Shouts, insults, and provocations erupted from the Kaguya clan.

"Clan Head Muzuki! Kill this arrogant red-eyed bastard! The Uchiha have no manners these days!"

The white-haired Kaguya who had spoken earlier was none other than Kaguya Muzuki, the current clan leader. Judging by the reactions of his clan members, he held considerable prestige even among their battle-crazed ranks.

Muzuki snorted coldly, pointing to the Kaguya warrior that Minato had incapacitated earlier, "Fine. Since you've got the guts, the Kaguya clan will accept your challenge!"

"Just don't resort to the same cowardly tricks your ancestor Tajima Uchiha did against me!"

"Now speak—how do you want to play this? We won't bully you for being outnumbered."

Minato's lips curled into a faint smile as he spoke softly, "Simple. Whether it's one-on-one or all of you at once, the winner will be the last one standing on this battlefield."

........

"Don't get cocky, you yellow-haired brat!"

The words had barely left the mouth of the Kaguya clan member when a heavily tattooed man stepped forward, his presence menacing.

"My name is Kaguya Yama. Remember it well, because today, I'll use my bones to patiently sever your head!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thick, sturdy bones erupted from Kaguya Yama's body. Without hesitation, he entered combat mode.

"Dance of the Clematis: Ten Finger Drills!"

Kaguya Yama thrust his large hands forward, unleashing a barrage of sharp white finger bones from his fingertips. These projectiles sliced through the air, drawing gleaming white arcs as they hurtled toward Minato.

Minato, unfazed, yawned exaggeratedly, showing no intention of dodging. He allowed the deadly bones to pass straight through his body.

Yama's eyes glinted with vicious glee, as if he could already see Minato's body riddled with gaping holes, collapsing in a pool of blood.

However, reality was far from his expectations.

"Splish..."

The finger bones struck Minato's body, but instead of tearing through flesh, they merely caused ripples, as though plunging into water. Not a single drop of blood was spilled.

"What?! Isn't this the Hydrification Technique of the Hōzuki Clan? How did this guy learn it?" one of the observing Kaguya clan members exclaimed in disbelief.

Yama frowned deeply. As a fellow Mist Village clan, the Kaguya clan harbored a deep-seated wariness toward the Hōzuki clan.

In the era of the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, the Kaguya clan had been utterly suppressed.

Gengetsu's "Explosive Steaming Bullet" could obliterate any bone, while his illusionary clone technique rendered his enemies unable to discern reality. The Kaguya clan had been forced into submission.

The Kaguya and Uchiha clans, both notorious for their ferocity, were ultimately powerless against overwhelming strength.

"Hmph! Don't think that mastering those cowardly techniques will let you act tough in front of the Kaguya clan!"

With a thunderous roar, Kaguya Yama ripped two sharp, sturdy ribs from his chest, lunging at Minato with ferocious slashes.

Minato's gaze sharpened. With Kushina's training, his sensory abilities were extraordinary. He quickly sensed an unusual chakra emanating from the bone blades.

"These extracted bones are imbued with intense chakra. If I'm struck, it'll definitely be troublesome."

The Hydrification Technique transformed the user's body into water chakra to evade most physical attacks. However, if an opponent's jutsu could disrupt chakra flow, even the Hydrification Technique wouldn't suffice.

With a flick of his wrist, Minato unleashed a rain of Flying Thunder God kunai, scattering them like a web across the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into flashes of golden light, darting between the anchors of his teleportation.

"Flying Thunder God Technique?! Isn't that the technique of that despicable Tobirama Senju? How did this brat learn it?" Another Kaguya clan member, exclaimed, his wariness of Minato reaching its peak.

Nearby, Fuma couldn't help but chuckle. "Calling Tobirama despicable? Seems like it's not just my clan, the Uchiha, who think so. It's a sentiment shared across the ninja world."

As Fuma pondered, he recalled the source of Tobirama's infamy.

For a man who could summon your deceased loved ones from their graves and force them to fight, it was no wonder Tobirama earned such a reputation. Truly a despicable individual...

Meanwhile, the battle between Minato and Yama raged on. Despite Yama's relentless attempts to land a blow, he failed to even graze Minato, who flitted about like an untouchable specter.

Exhausted and growing increasingly unhinged, Yama snarled in fury, "Stop running! Face me head-on if you dare!"

Minato's calm voice rang out. "As you wish."

Before the words fully registered, Minato appeared right in front of Yama. In his hand, a spinning ball of chakra with delicate wind blades took form.

This wasn't the Rasenshuriken, but its predecessor—the Wind Release: Rasengan.

Without the aid of Sage Mode or the full power of the Nine-Tails, Minato couldn't wield the Rasenshuriken safely. But the Wind Release: Rasengan was more than sufficient.

The wind chakra erupted in a storm of razor-sharp blades as the attack struck Kaguya Yama's neck. The enhanced durability of his body, reinforced by the Shikotsumyaku, crumbled under the onslaught.

Coughing up blood, Yama staggered, barely keeping himself upright. But Minato gave him no respite. In a flash, he reappeared at Yama's side, slamming another Wind Release: Rasengan into his abdomen.

This time, Yama couldn't withstand the attack. His once formidable Shikotsumyaku-enhanced bones lost their luster, shattering like brittle glass as he collapsed in defeat.

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