Leaving the Land of Waves, Ye Zi and Sasori set sail on a boat made with Wood Release, heading toward the central islands of the Land of Water. The Kaguya clan resided on the largest island, which was also home to Kirigakure.
The Land of Water had a cooler climate, and the late-autumn winds cut like icy blades.
Sasori, in his puppet body, felt neither pain nor the chill of the sea breeze as he stood at the bow of the boat. Beside him, Ye Zi also stood, gazing out over the vast, distant ocean.
Their boat advanced steadily toward the islands of the Land of Water.
A few days later, they reached their destination, docking their wooden boat in a secluded rocky area. Ye Zi and Sasori abandoned the boat and climbed up from the cliffs to set foot on the island.
Having been to the Kaguya clan's settlement before, Sasori led the way.
After trekking on foot for a full day and night, they arrived at a cliff overlooking a small complex of buildings below, nestled against the mountainside.
It was now midday, and thin columns of smoke rose from cooking fires. With his keen vision, Ye Zi could spot a few burly men moving around.
The Kaguya clan, a unique and isolated group, had their own traditional clothing and the habit of tying their hair into two braids. In childhood, they adorned their foreheads with red markings that gradually faded over time.
Known as a warrior clan, they fought to the death without retreat. Their fierce battle style led many shinobi to think of them as muscle-bound brutes.
Though many dismissed them casually, few actually wanted to fight the Kaguya clan due to their fearless, relentless combat style.
Sasori had previously provoked them, only to retreat in frustration. Now, with Ye Zi's help, he hoped for a more successful outcome.
"Let's begin," Sasori said.
He unrolled a scroll, and with a puff of smoke, summoned his repaired Third Kazekage puppet, the only human puppet he had left.
Ye Zi glanced at him, made a few hand seals, and created a Wood Clone.
"I'll let my clone handle it. Since you say they're a warrior clan, there's no need to waste chakra blocking their retreat," Ye Zi said coldly, looking down at the cluster of buildings below.
"With the Kaguya clan's temperament, if we attack, they'll fight to the death," Sasori replied indifferently, unfazed by Ye Zi's decision to use a clone. After all, the Wood Clone held half of Ye Zi's chakra.
Sasori added, "I want them alive. Leave the ten strongest, and kill the rest."
"Is there any choice but to kill them?" Ye Zi replied with a faint smile.
Sasori nodded slightly. Given the Kaguya clan's ways, even if they wanted to spare the survivors, the clan members would continue charging forward to their deaths.
"Then let's begin."
Ye Zi and his Wood Clone jumped down from the cliff.
They were still some distance from the village, too far to launch a surprise attack with a combined Wind and Fire Release jutsu from above.
As they landed, the Wood Clone hadn't yet approached the buildings when he was spotted by a pair of Kaguya sentries, breaking the village's silence with the alarm of an enemy attack.
Ye Zi's clone threw kunai at the two guards, who responded by pulling long bone spikes from their palms, deflecting the projectiles.
"So, that's the Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai?" Ye Zi thought, watching from a distance.
He didn't know much about the clan, so he wasn't sure how useful the bone-manipulating ability would be in combat.
After deflecting the kunai, the two Kaguya sentries didn't wait for reinforcements but charged toward Ye Zi's clone with ferocious smiles.
Sasori followed behind, leisurely controlling the Kazekage puppet.
The two Kaguya shinobi closed in on Ye Zi's clone, their bone spikes cutting through the air as they aimed for his vital points.
"Impressive speed, but nothing more."
Expressionless, Ye Zi's clone twisted to dodge the bone spikes, grabbing one of the Kaguya shinobi with each hand.
Thwack!
Wooden spikes erupted from the bodies of the Kaguya shinobi, branching out as they were bathed in blood.
The two screamed and fell forward, dead before they hit the ground. They'd never understand how a mere touch had killed them instantly.
Without pause, Ye Zi's clone continued toward the village.
The real Ye Zi approached the bodies, picked up one of the fallen bone spikes, and tested its hardness, finding it comparable to kunai.
"Good hardness, but if that's all it does, this ability is limited," he murmured. Ye Zi then deftly cut away the flesh around the shoulders of one body, exposing the pale bone beneath.
Under Sasori's watch, he tossed the bone spike aside and drew his sword, Blood, from his hip, slicing it with a swift flourish before stabbing the shoulder bone.
With a clang, the tip of the sword barely sank in.
Raising an eyebrow, Ye Zi applied Lightning chakra to his blade and drove it in with force. This time, the sword pierced through the shoulder bone and into the ground beneath.
"Interesting."
Ye Zi withdrew his sword and headed toward the village, where his clone had already engaged the Kaguya shinobi.
Sasori glanced at the bodies and sneered before following him.
In the village, excited battle cries filled the air, and bodies lay scattered across the ground. However, instead of sorrow, the faces of the Kaguya villagers displayed a fierce, almost crazed excitement.
Sasori joined the fray, controlling his Kazekage puppet, while the real Ye Zi observed coldly from a distance.
Bone spikes and kunai clashed, sparks flying, with Kaguya warriors falling one by one.
Suddenly, a large Kaguya man covered in sharp bone spikes forced Ye Zi's clone back momentarily.
"Hmm? This ability isn't as shallow as it seems," Ye Zi thought in surprise as he watched from afar.
At that moment, a Kaguya warrior attempted to ambush him from behind.
Without even turning around, Ye Zi sidestepped to the left, dodging the attack, then swung his blade backhanded, decapitating his attacker.
Simultaneously, a dozen thumb-sized bone projectiles shot toward him, fired by a female Kaguya shinobi nearby.
Ye Zi calmly deflected each bone projectile with his blade, then hurled Blood, which flew through the air, piercing the woman's chest.
Her face twisted in fury as Ye Zi pulled the sword back with a flick of his arm, catching it mid-air as her body collapsed.
He knew he would be targeted, but he didn't mind; he would cut down anyone who came his way.
Following Sasori's request, Ye Zi's clone wasn't killing indiscriminately. Amidst the battle, he identified those whose abilities met the criteria and knocked them out instead, adding an extra layer of difficulty.
After a few rounds of skirmishing, he managed to knock out one Kaguya warrior with decent control over their kekkei genkai and continued fighting others nearby.
Amid the screams and clash of weapons, even the children of the Kaguya clan, wielding small bone spikes, charged fearlessly at Sasori and Ye Zi's clone.
"Such a battle-hungry clan. It's a wonder they've survived this long," Ye Zi remarked coldly.
Soon, more and more Kaguya shinobi fell.
With Ye Zi's clone assisting him, Sasori found this mission unexpectedly smooth.
Meanwhile, around the real Ye Zi lay numerous bodies, all Kaguya warriors who had chosen to attack him.
Observing the battle, Ye Zi noted the various ways the Kaguya clan used their kekkei genkai, giving him a better understanding.
Overall, the kekkei genkai was a powerful weapon for taijutsu, providing impressive offensive potential and a decent attack range.
Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 392 - Pitch-Black Lightning