XV 01.15

Despite having split into dozens of small groups, the Kaguya's shouts of war still echo well past the Tanataki compound's exposed walls. The second half of the clan were just a few minutes away from breaching the walls as well, adding on to their dwindling numbers.

Baiza scanned his immediate surroundings, his dark eyes meeting the same waves of black that they had the other dozen times his eyes jumped between shadows. The Tanataki no longer rained down upon them with waves of water, having been split apart by the Kaguya's size.

Despite that, their push into the compound hadn't been going well for them. Baiza had been one of the earlier members to scatter through the small spaces created in between the two and three story buildings, but even he hadn't been unaware of the effects of the initial strike they'd performed.

They no longer had the element of surprise; most likely every Tanataki residing in the village had joined the fray, fighting through tooth and nail to defend their kin. Despite being outnumbered, the gap in skill was clear to all.

Such a revelation struck at Baiza's pride. Both Katsuo and Kimimaro had warned him not to underestimate their opponents, but he'd brushed it off as an expression of their cautious nature. To be a Kaguya was to throw caution to the wind and let your fists do the talking.

That attitude hadn't gotten him very far, even as the battle progressed past its initial phase. He'd run into a Tanataki member pretty early on into the battle, nearly getting struck by the older boy's water bullet before spotting him.

Like he'd likened to do, he immediately rushed the dark-blue haired teenager, keen on overwhelming him with his perceived superior strength. He had only been able to take two steps before the bullets of water crashed into him, easily knocking him off of his feet and flying into a nearby wall.

His head rang and the world split in two as the Tanataki moved to finish the job. Luckily for Baiza, the older boy had been blindsided by a group of Kaguya before he could place his kunai within his throat. The older Kaguya tore into the teen from all sides, negating any chance at blocking.

The group had barely spared him a glance before moving on to their next target, leaving him alone to recover from his injuries. His body ached from the attack and his muscles yelled at him to rest, but Baiza pushed on.

He wouldn't let such an embarrassing display be his only contribution towards the Kaguya's efforts. He rose from the cratered dent in the wall and continued forward.

His second encounter with a Tanataki had been even worse than the first. He'd turned a corner just to nearly get hit by a stray kunai. As he turned to the source, he saw an adult Tanataki slice through a Kaguya.

The other two members of the group rushed her with great ferocity, although sporting wounds of their own. The Tanataki kunoichi easily weaved through their assault, striking out at them whenever an opening presented itself.

Baiza wanted to intervene in the fight, but his own injuries made it clear he'd be little help. He'd ducked behind the corner just moments after the kunoichi finished off the other two Kaguya.

Biting his teeth and cursing himself, he continued on the other way. His fantasies of becoming a hero among the Kaguya had been shattered into pieces as he finally started to understand just where he stood in the power hierarchy of the world.

Still, he'd be damned to die such a worthless death.

His grip on his kunai tightened as he continued through the compound, debris created from the numerous battles starting to litter the streets. The sun had started to descend from its peak in the sky, signaling the passage of time.

The sounds of deep yells and harsh profanities in the distance had soothed Baiza's nerves ever so slightly as the other half of the Kaguya joined the fray. With their rejuvenated numbers, the Kaguya's chance of victory had risen back to what it had been during the earliest stage of the assault.

Or at least, it should have.

A giant wave of water crashed into the compound, submerging the streets and buildings alike in a harsh current of water. The initial attack swept Baiza off of his feet, carrying him along the rushing water.

He'd quickly been joined by Kaguya and Tanataki alike, the sudden attack nondiscriminate in who it caught within itself. The confusion began to diminish when the water started to settle, sitting at a waist level throughout the entire compound.

That confusion was quickly replaced by shouts of shock among the Kaguya as they began taking attacks from underneath the water. What felt like two sharp blades dug into Baiza's right thigh, pulling him along as whatever had contributed to the attack continued onward through the water.

Baiza attempted to stab down onto his attacker, but the water as well as the seemingly slippery flesh of the perpetrator deflected even the tiniest cut. Looking around, Baiza could see other Kaguya members suffering the same fate.

He struggled to free himself to no avail, being dragged along by whatever had sunk into him. It wasn't until his pace began to slow that he saw the true caster of such a jutsu.

Dozens of Kaguya pooled together in a circle, surrounding a singular man whose harsh gaze drilled into all of them. The tattered rode and hanging hat he wore was a clear signal on who he was.

The Kawakage.

/6/​

"Moriko!" The name escaped his mouth before he could even process the situation he was in. Piles of rubble pressed into him, the sharper ones stabbing into his body.

"Moriko..!" His voice repeated, suddenly hoarse despite having talked quite a bit throughout the day. He'd been met by nothing but silence, either due to the chamber the rubble had created or the lack of anyone to hear him. He'd hoped it was the former.

Mustering up all the strength he could, Kawatsuyo moved to free himself from his trapped position, further burying the harsh stone from what had been the Kawakage's tower into his body.

The village had evolved from its usual idle state to one of chaos in seemingly an instant. Kawatsuyo had been shocked to learn of the Gurueru's attack on the Yosai. They'd expressed their desires towards many of the Yosai's mines for as long as he could remember, but he hadn't expected them to attack one of them.

It hadn't taken much convincing to get Kawatsuyo's and the Tanataki's support towards the Yosai cause. They couldn't afford to let the Gurueru run unopposed, otherwise their territories would be next.

Had they already amassed a response towards the Tanataki's involvement in what was nothing short of a civil war? He'd only announced their involvement a few hours prior.

With a groan he pushed himself through an opening he'd created, met with the dust-filled atmosphere created by the destruction of the Kawakage's tower. Was Yagimiru here? He wasn't sure of a singular person capable of such a feat other than the older general. Or maybe they'd dispatched a team to do the attack.

"Moriko!" His voice cried out, louder than it had been before. This time, the lack of response sent panic careening through his body. If he survived the attack, Moriko had to have also. He'd made sure to protect her when the building first began falling.

"Moriko! Moriko!" The panic had now seeped into his voice as his head frantically darted from left to right. He fought hard to diminish the thoughts of losing his daughter within his head, but every second without a response only seemed to feed into the notion.

She was a Chunin, well on her way to becoming a Jonin. She had to have survived the attack. She had to.

Kawatsuyo had been brought to his knees when he finally saw her. The dark blue hair that was a signature of their clan had donned streaks of red, mirroring the pool of blood she laid face down within. The gaping hole in her left side clearly signaled who the blood belonged to. 

Tears streamed down his face as he clutched the lifeless body of his daughter. It was clear that she'd survived the initial attack, which meant that someone else had come to finish her off. He scanned the immediate area, finding nothing but the dull brown air created from the debris.

Sadness converted to rage as he emptied all the water that he had in his eyes. Whoever did this would pay tenfold, but first he'd have to give his daughter a proper resting place for the time being.

Crossing the bridge towards his residence tower had taken much more effort than he'd have like, especially with the weight of his daughter in his arms. The streets were unusually devoid of its constant movement, leaving the aching Kawakage to travel undisturbed.

He'd worked his hardest not to look at her as he positioned her into one of the chairs of the first floor, but his eyes kept finding themselves drawn to her. His eyes started to water once more, reviving the stream of tears that fell down his cheeks.

He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before turning away. It pained him to leave her, but he had a duty to fulfill. He'd make sure to avenge her death.

"I need you to tell me what's happening," the demand escaped from his mouth before the smoke created from the summon seal had even begun to dissipate. The beady eyes of Mujūryoku stared back at him, the walrus taking a moment to process his words as he'd always had.

"What happened to 'please' and 'thank you'." Mujūryoku bellowed, his deep voice echoing within Kawatsuyo's body. Despite his complaint, the summon complied, pushing himself off of the bridge and into the rushing river underneath. Mujūryoku was one of the fastest swimmers among the walrus summons, so if there was anything happening around the village he'd be sure to alert him at a quick pace.

Kawatsuyo's assumption had come to fruition as the now wet summon shot out from the river just a few minutes later. The walrus eyed him for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"There's an assault going on in the Tanataki compound. Doesn't look like anyone I'd seen before." Mujūryoku rolled on his back, basking in on the sun overhead. Kawatsuyo's eyes narrowed as he processed the summon's remark. Had the Gurueru hired outside help?

Whoever these people may be, their intentions had been made obviously clear, which meant his response would remain the same. The time would come to punish the Gurueru for their actions, but for now he had to focus on protecting his clan.

Another puff of smoke appeared as Mujūryoku was joined by another walrus, this one much bigger than he was. Kyodaina was one of the bigger walruses, which meant he could effectively ride on her back. The expression on his face painted a clear picture in her mind, not needing any instructions before she turned around and allowed him to mount her.

"To the Tanataki compound." He instructed, his voice more calm than it had been just a few moments earlier. With the shock of the sudden turn of events gone, the steel resolve he'd usually carried on the battlefield had made itself present. His eyes remained focused and his mind deep in thought, even as Kyodaina bobbed over and under the surface of the rushing river.

In what felt like seconds he found himself in the middle of the compound of his kin, the damage that'd been done by their attackers evident as broken glass and debris littered the streets. His eyes shut in focus as he began weaving hand signs. He'd end this as quickly as possible.

A great amount of his chakra drained from his body as his torso began to inflate. The enclosed walls of the compound as well as the river nearby would only work to strengthen the power of the jutsu. With one final snake seal, a great wave of water began streaming out of his mouth. 'Suiton: Bakusui Shōha'.

The water crashed into buildings, striking everything in sight. Kawatsuyo was brought to one knee from such a great amount of chakra expended in one jutsu, but was able to slowly rise to his feet. Even as the water smashed into everything in its way, Kawatsuyo's technique wasn't complete.

Dozens of summoning circles sprouted beneath the water, the smoke they'd created rising swiftly into the air followed by dozens of walrus calves who swam in circles around him. Their tusks weren't as long as their adult counterparts, but they'd do for now.

They shot out in all directions, the now settled water allowing for them to use their fins to their advantage. They'd bite down into his enemies and bring them to him, so that he could finish as many of them off at once with one final ninjutsu.

The combination of the three techniques had been his magnum opus, and what had seen him rise into the respected shinobi he'd become following the Third Great Shinobi War. The rushing water and the winding canyons of the Land of Rivers weren't only a shield for its inhabitants, but a sword that could be used with the right skills.

His nickname wasn't 'The Dam' for no reason.

His eyes locked onto the black haired assailants as the calves brought in more and more people. The look of panic was etched clearly onto their faces as their eyes met his own. Once the number reached around three dozen, he brought his hands together once more.

"Suiton: Mizu Kami–" Kawatsuyo was forced to abandon the ninjutsu to dodge the small pellets that raced towards him. Five splashes sounded in the water around him as his head turned towards the person behind the attack.

Standing atop one of the nearby buildings was white-haired boy, his right hand pointed towards him. It seemed as if the skin on the tips of his fingers had been pulled back, revealing the bone underneath.

The boy extended his other hand, this time sending ten white bullets soaring towards him. Kawatsuyo dodged most of them, but was clipped by one on his forearm. Despite just clipping him, the bullet cut a clear line down where it'd struck. 

The boy had his clear attention now, as what he'd been wondering this entire time had been finally made clear. Last he'd heard of the Kaguya, they'd been chased out of the Land of Iron decades ago. He didn't know what business they'd had in his village, but he'd be damned if he let these brutes leave alive.

He'd been given the opportunity to rid the world of one of its many nuisances, and he wouldn't waste it.