Simultaneously, in another direction inside Kirigakure, an intense battle unfolded as the Kaguya and Yuki clans clashed with Kirigakure's forces, bolstered by reinforcements from Kumogakure summoned by the Mizukage earlier.
The Kaguya clan, known for its brutal combat skills, focused its efforts on taking down members of the Hozuki clan, intent on permanently ending their influence within Kirigakure.
Meanwhile, the Yuki clan directed their ice-manipulating powers against the Hoshigaki clan to try and accomplish the same goal.
But smaller skirmishes also broke out throughout the village as some elites from both the Kaguya and Yuki clans pursued the assassination of other targets among the Mizukage's key supporters scattered all around the village. Now, the village was somewhat depleted of many shinobi who went to fight with Hyuga's team, which was still outside of it at this time.
The remaining Kirigakure and Kumogakure shinobi worked desperately to protect these vital figures, forming protective details and counter-assault units in response to all the threats.
However, the chaotic tide of battle momentarily paused as all participants sensed a massive surge of chakra rapidly approaching.
The source was Hikari, who, after a strenuous expenditure of his reserves, had successfully maneuvered the Mizukage toward a strategic location within Kirigakure—a steep hill surrounded by many important buildings of the Kirigakure and a bunch of their shinobi and civilians, and finally took a deeper breath of relief.
The impact of their arrival also sent a shockwave throughout the nearby areas, drawing the attention of both friends and foes everywhere.
As the dust settled around the crash site, it became clear that Hikari's tactical decision was about gaining the upper hand in combat and placing the Mizukage in a position where he had to fight cautiously.
Now, the Mizukage was not only facing Hikari's relentless assault but also had to be mindful of the battle's proximity to his own side.
As Hikari's Byakugan's long-distance type vision and ultra-processing speed power quickly scanned and analyzed the tumultuous broad battlefield, his gaze temporarily extended to an area near the Kaguya patriarch, Toru.
What he saw was a scene of true carnage. The mist was thick with the blood of countless fighters, a vivid testament to the ferocity of the battle. Rivers of blood were already flowing down these steep, vicious hills of the village.
The Kaguya clan, known for their fierce and often reckless combat style, had thrown themselves into the fray with abandon, suffering heavy casualties but inflicting significant damage on the Kirigakure forces as well.
Amidst this chaos, Toru's figure stood out starkly. His actions on the battlefield were nothing short of horrifying in their intensity and effectiveness.
In Hikari's opinion, Toru wielded his Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai with a skill and power that surpassed even the Kimimaro from the original story.
Toru's bones sliced through the air, cutting down enemy after enemy, his body moving with a deadly grace that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
Observing this, Hikari couldn't help but be taken aback by the sheer level of destruction Toru was capable of unleashing in his seemingly angered and bloodthirsty battle state.
The Kaguya patriarch was not just fighting; he was a whirlwind of death, his every move dictated by an instinctual drive to decimate his foes.
As Hikari continued to monitor the battlefield with his Byakugan, his attention was drawn to the dramatic transformation of the terrain.
Tens of thousands of bone spikes erupted from the earth, a testament to Toru's incredible mastery of the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai. These spikes radically altered the landscape of Kirigakure's steep interior.
The spikes jutted out like a forest of white daggers, creating a lethal barrier that disrupted enemy movements and strategies.
"Truly amazing...", Hikari murmured to himself, his usual stoicism giving way to a rare moment of admiration.
The scale of Toru's power was breathtaking; his ability to manipulate his kekkei genkai so extensively that it could reshape the battlefield was a feat that demanded respect.
As the fight still raged on, Toru continued to summon more bone spikes from the ground, each new wave strategically placed to decimate his enemies and provide tactical advantages to his clan members.
The sight was both awe-inspiring and horrifying as the spikes emerged amidst the chaos, skewering or decapitating unprepared and unlucky foes right away.
However, despite the impressive display of power, the casualties among the Kaguya clan were mounting alarmingly, just like those of the Yuki clan.
Hikari could see that the numerical superiority of the Kirigakure and Kumogakure forces was taking its toll. The Kaguya clan, though fierce and resilient, was significantly outnumbered, leading to a grim tally of losses.
'It's no wonder Toru is this mad and reckless...', Hikari concluded internally, understanding the desperate ferocity behind Toru's actions after seeing so many of his clansmen die.
The man was so bloodthirsty and in a frenzy now that he didn't seemingly register his and Mizukage's arrival and continued using the nearby confusion to kill more and more enemies.
As Hikari observed Toru's combat style and technique executions, he noted the significant enhancements in the Kaguya patriarch's abilities compared to Kimimaro's.
Toru's mastery of the Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai was not only impressive in its scope but also in its lethal efficiency and scale.
The man's inner bone armor was notably more robust and extensive, offering greater protection and resilience amid combat.
His Dance of the Clematis: Vine, a technique that extended bone material to entrap or impale opponents, was executed with a reach and thickness that dwarfed the versions Hikari had now seen from the select few nearby elite Kaguya clan fighters and even previous read about in his past life in the case of Kimimaro once again.
Similarly, the Dance of the Clematis: Flower, which formed a large, sharp bone weapon, was also significantly larger and more formidable, capable of cutting through multiple enemies with a single swipe.
Moreover, Toru's seemingly basic 'low-level' Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets, which many Kaguya clansmen here could also do, was a sight of rapid-fire devastation.
Each projectile was not only faster but also launched in greater numbers, turning Toru's hands into a blur as he unleashed a barrage of bone bullets that tore through the ranks of his foes with terrifying precision.
As Hikari watched Toru adapt his techniques to the flow of battle, it became clear that the Kaguya patriarch was a master of his craft, capable of tailoring his formidable abilities to each opponent's specific challenges.
Whether adapting his bone armor to withstand the heaviest of blows or using his more destructive techniques to clear areas of multiple enemies, Toru exhibited a level of skill and tactical acumen that made him a singular force on the battlefield despite his 'crazed' state. Perhaps that was the instinct of their clan members, Hikari noted, and the man relied on that.
As Hikari's gaze remained fixed on Toru's dynamic battlefield maneuvers, he witnessed the unleashing of several unprecedented techniques that even Kimimaro seemingly also didn't have during the original timeline.
One particularly devastating attack involved launching hundreds of bone needles into the air, which then cascaded down like a deadly rain upon his opponents.
This large-scale attack created a zone of peril around Toru. The dense barrage of bone needles made it nearly impossible for enemies to avoid injury without retreating or finding substantial cover.
Another innovative technique Hikari observed was even more subtle and manipulative. Toru conjured thin, flexible bone threads—almost invisible against the chaos of the battlefield—that he used to latch onto opponents or allies.
With these threads, Toru could control their movements remotely, through their bones, effectively puppeteering his enemies to expose themselves to further attacks or positioning his allies to strategic advantage.
This technique allowed for orchestrated attacks and complex battlefield manipulations that could turn the tide in a fluid combat scenario.
Perhaps the most chilling technique was the "Ossification Wave," which Hikari already knew about as it was a fairly standard technique within the Kaguya clan.
With just a touch or a focused glance, Toru and others could trigger an uncontrolled growth of bones in his opponent's body.
This horrifying ability could immobilize an enemy by causing their own skeletal structure to grow and protrude at odd angles, effectively using the body's own anatomy against itself.
The precision required for such a technique spoke volumes about Toru's mastery of chakra control and his intimate knowledge of human anatomy.
Hikari watched as Toru seamlessly integrated these techniques, using the bone needle barrage as a conduit for the Ossification Wave. This created a scenario where enemies were not only pelted by needles but also suddenly ensnared and immobilized by their mutated skeletons, something that Hikari saw only Toru being able to do now.
Witnessing these techniques in real-time, Hikari couldn't help but be amazed at the level of innovation and sheer power Toru brought to the battlefield.