Chapter 70 Kimimaro Kaguya

Shrouded in mist under the night sky, a man with long black hair and golden eyes stood on a high place, gazing down at something in the distance.

Suddenly, he turned his eyes toward a specific direction.

Hiroki deactivated his Byakugan and walked away.

"Orochimaru has arrived too. Those fools from the Kaguya Clan… Do they really not realize that everyone already knows their plans? They must think they're being so clever."

The next morning, a delicate-looking young boy with white hair and two red marks between his eyebrows sat on a tree branch, staring down at something.

There lay piled-up corpses of members from the Kaguya Clan.

Their resistance had ultimately been futile.

Within one night, they were wiped out by ninja sent by the Mizukage before even reaching Kirigakure.

"Alone again..."

Kimimaro muttered those words, his mood dark and heavy with loneliness. He leaped down from the tree and roamed aimlessly without purpose.

The Kekkei Genkai of the Kaguya Clan is the Shikotsumyaku, allowing them to extract bones from their bodies as weapons. He was the only one who had awakened this bloodline limit.

Such an ability frightened even other Kaguya clan members, and the moment he manifested his power, he was imprisoned inside a prison cell.

Last night was the first time he ever stepped outside that cell. The first time he saw so many people. The first time he realized his own value. But now, those fleeting things he'd just gained were already lost.

All the clan members had joined the uprising, yet he was the sole survivor.

He wandered into a forest, lost in thought.

Looking back, he noticed a blooming white flower and approached it, squatting down while falling into deep contemplation.

"Why did you bloom here?" Kimimaro murmured to himself. "Why won't you speak? Even you will ignore me..."

"He's really quite handsome—somewhat resembling you, don't you think, Kaguya? A pity he's a boy." Hiroki walked into the forest.

"..."

Kaguya remained silent.

Kimimaro's expression suddenly darkened. He pulled out a bone spike from his body and thrust it toward the white flower.

Hiroki suddenly appeared and snatched the flower just before Kimimaro could strike.

Kimimaro stood up, watching him warily.

"Why do flowers bloom? Why do birds sing? Want to find out? How about coming with me to see a much bigger world? Actually, we are family..."

Hiroki smiled gently and extended his hand.

Kimimaro became slightly dazed.

What was it like having family? Those clansmen were also his relatives, but they didn't seem to care.

"All encounters have meaning. Come with me—I need you."

After a brief silence, carefully studying Hiroki for a moment, Kimimaro's eyes flickered with a spark of desire and hope. Slowly, he placed his hand in Hiroki's palm.

"You really are quite naive," Hiroki said inwardly, hiding a smile.

"My name is Hiroki Hyuga. And yours?"

"Kaguya... Kimimaro." As he spoke, Kimimaro looked confused.

How could people with different surnames be family?

He fell silent, eyes clouded with thought. But Hiroki had already guessed what was on his mind.

"The Kaguya and the Hyuga families have always been close friends, both descended from the same ancestor."

"I originally came to visit the Kaguya Clan, but now you're all that remains. Don't worry — I'll make sure to take good care of you."

"Mm." Kimimaro silently nodded.

"Let's go then."

Hiroki left with him, leaving two shadow clones behind.

Inside Kiri.

"It really hasn't appeared again..." Terumi Mei sighed slightly upon hearing nothing from Hiroki since yesterday, and headed toward the Mizukage's office alongside Ao, Gonbee, and other jonin.

"Why are so many people here? Has something major happened?" Yagura coldly asked while looking at the group who suddenly entered his office.

"Mizukage-sama, please wake up!" Ao shouted loudly.

He tried to use the Byakugan's power to disrupt Yagura's chakra flow.

Terumi Mei was the first person suspecting that Yagura had fallen victim to Genjutsu, while Ao was the one who confirmed it. Using the Byakugan he obtained from the battlefield, he detected traces of Genjutsu on Yagura's body.

The others carefully moved around, forming an encirclement around Yagura from different directions.

"Come here, Anbu..."

Yagura called out several times, yet no one responded.

"Have all of them been lured away by you? Or perhaps they've all become your men?" His gaze grew colder. "Seems like you're planning a rebellion too."

"We simply want to correct what's wrong and return things to their proper course." Terumi Mei solemnly replied.

"Oh my, oh my, this is annoying. It seems we've been discovered."

A strange, casual voice entered everyone's ears.

Then, before Terumi Mei and others' astonished eyes, space behind Yagura distorted. A man wearing an orange mask and a black cloak adorned with red clouds suddenly appeared in midair.

Half his body emerged from the vortex.

Terumi Mei and the others stayed on high alert. Yagura, however, remained completely calm, showing no sign of surprise.

"Are you the one who cast Genjutsu on the Mizukage?" Ao challenged him.

"This should end here. Let me conclude this story."

Obito ignored Ao, vanished from sight after saying those words using Kamui, disappearing into the spiral vortex.

Before his words completely faded, Yagura—who had been peaceful all along—suddenly wore a strange expression.

Wild chakra surged from his body.

"Oh no, he's transforming into the Tailed Beast!"

Everyone's expressions changed as they rapidly Body Replacement Technique away.

The Mizukage's building exploded violently, its broken structure crashed down, raising thick clouds of dust.

Before the Mist villagers stood a gigantic turtle covered entirely in sharp spikes.

Screams, wails, and chaos erupted across the village.

At the sight of Three-Tails, mayhem immediately broke loose.

"Hahahaha..." Watching this unfold, Obito felt elated and laughed heartily.

Let history repeat again — exactly what happened in Konoha!

Die! Die! All of you! Why do you deserve to live?!

I'll drown in your blood to avenge Rin's death...

Feel the pain of being hurt by someone you cared about...

Black Zetsu watched emotionlessly as he descended into madness.

"Something interesting has happened again..."

Orochimaru glanced toward the direction where Tailed Beast chakra had appeared, then continued following Kimimaro's trail.

He stepped into a dense forest and watched the retreating figures of Hiroki and Kimimaro — one taller, one shorter. Speaking softly, he asked, "I like that child too. May I have him?"

"What?" Hiroki turned around and asked.

Giving him a regretful look, Orochimaru continued, "Leave that child behind."

"No."

The smile immediately faded from Orochimaru's face, his eyes turning cold.

[Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands]

Multiple snakes shot forward, determined to strangle one and entangle the other.

With two "puff" sounds, the two figures showing painful expressions turned into smoke one after another.

"They were just shadow clones. They're long gone now," Orochimaru said with regret. "In which direction..."

Three-Tails Isobu crushed countless houses as it sprayed high-pressure water jets in all directions.

Hiroki silently watched this scene while mentally communicating with Kaguya.

"Kaguya, what do you think about my suggestion earlier?"

Kaguya still didn't speak, only coldly snorting in her mind: Give up this wishful thinking sooner rather than later. Behave yourself. What I give you is what you'll have.

Seeing her attitude, there was no way she would help.

After calming himself, Hiroki thought inwardly, "Fine, I'll just have to wait until the Three-Tails gets severely injured before swooping in."

Ever since the Three-Tails appeared, Kiri had briefly fallen into chaos.

Following Elder Genshi's orders, lower-ranking ninjas escorted villagers to shelters while the rest rushed to the battlefield.

As the ninja became busy, the guards at entrances and exits became particularly weak. Hiroki easily brought Kimimaro into Kirigakure.

Three-Tails specialized in water manipulation while Mist ninja were also experts in Water Release techniques.

This created an awkward situation — even if the Mist ninja hit the Three-Tails with their Water Release techniques, they couldn't injure it. Conversely, whenever the Three-Tails hit someone, that person would likely lose their fighting ability.

Standing on a relatively deserted path with Kimimaro, Hiroki simply watched the giant turtle without intervening.

He believed that since Terumi Mei and others had dared to resist, they must have anticipated such circumstances.

One individual might not defeat a Tailed Beast, but with the united efforts of an entire village, the problem could be resolved.

He just hoped they wouldn't go overboard. If the Jinchuriki died, the Tailed Beast would also disappear for a while.

Another three years after three years — how many more cycles can one afford to wait?

As for the quiet Kimimaro standing beside him, he showed little reaction to the screams coming from all around, maintaining his silence.

He kept thinking about his own matters.

Where will he take me? Will people there accept me?

What do family members usually do with each other?

Though Obito didn't participate in the battle, he was still paying attention to the surroundings. Suddenly, he uttered in surprise, "That brat hasn't died yet. What amazing luck."

Following his gaze, Black Zetsu immediately felt his heart tighten.

Are the Mist Ninja not enough for you to mess with? What else are you up to?

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>