The plaza before the Mizukage building had completely devolved into a grinder of flesh and blood.
The Kaguya clan, once the sharpest blade in the Mist's arsenal, was now thrusting that blade deep into its own heart. Driven by the battle instincts embedded in their bloodline, countless Kaguya warriors fought bathed in blood.
Naoto Kaguya was completely soaked in gore. The hideous bone armor that had covered his entire body was now shattered and tattered, revealing wounds so deep the bone beneath was visible.
He was like an enraged lion, roaring as he swung his bone blade. Every strike carried the desperate resolve to take his enemy down with him.
"Dance of the Larch!"
With a furious shout, dozens of sharp bone spikes exploded from his body instantly. Like thorns of death, they forcefully caught the heavy chop of Juzo Biwa's Executioner's Blade.
Just as he was about to counterattack, Jinin Akebino brought the blunt hammer of the Kabutowari (Helmet Splitter) crashing down. As the sword with the greatest guard-breaking ability, Naoto dared not tank this hit head-on.
"Dance of the Clematis: Vine!"
While retreating rapidly, he whipped his spine out like a steel lash, aiming savagely at his opponent. Jinin reacted quickly, flipping the broad axe-side of the Kabutowari to block.
"Explosive Blade Art: Blast Limit Heavy Death!"
Another Swordsman, Jinpachi Munashi, attacked from the flank wielding the Shibuki (Splash). Wrapped in countless explosive tags, the blast sent Naoto flying violently through the air.
Watching from afar, Night Namikaze couldn't help but call him a "spendthrift." Who brings a money printer to a battlefield?
Under the coordinated assault of three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, even Naoto, with all his formidable strength, was running ragged.
The powerful regenerative ability granted by the Kaguya bloodline could quickly heal non-fatal wounds, but the drain on his chakra and stamina was very real.
Knowing this wasn't sustainable, and seeing the three attackers closing in again, Naoto decided to gamble everything.
"Dance of the Seedling Fern!!"
With a thunderous roar, Naoto slammed both palms onto the ground. Countless razor-sharp bone spikes erupted from the earth like a forest, instantly covering a massive area.
The three Swordsmen reacted with extreme speed—dodging, parrying, or blocking with their blades—and escaped largely unscathed.
However, several Mist ANBU who weren't fast enough were skewered on the spot, their screams filling the air.
"A dying struggle!"
Seeing his comrades failing to take Naoto down quickly, Fuguki Suikazan joined the fray.
With the participation of Samehada (Shark Skin), the uncrowned king of the ninja swords, the tide turned. Every heavy strike siphoned away Naoto's chakra. As Fuguki grew stronger and Naoto weaker, the Clan Head was soon teetering on the brink of collapse.
As for the rest of the Kaguya clan, their battle lines were also crumbling.
Leaving aside the other Ninja Swordsmen cutting through them like whirlwinds—where every flash of a blade meant a Kaguya was sliced in half, bone and all—the elite Yuki clan members were a nightmare.
They refused to engage in close combat. Instead, they constantly unleashed Ice Release jutsu to disrupt the Kaguya's movements.
Ice senbon rained down like a storm on the besieged clan. The battlefield had turned into the Yuki clan's domain; massive ice crystals froze the ground, making it impossible for the Kaguya warriors to find their footing.
And then there was the Hozuki clan. Their Hydrification Technique rendered the Kaguya's physical attacks useless.
One elder roared as he plunged a bone blade into a Hozuki ninja's chest, only for the opponent to turn into a puddle of water. The next second, the ninja reformed behind him. Their constant harassment with the Water Gun Technique made defense impossible.
The battle had essentially become a one-sided slaughter. Even though the Kaguya warriors were individually fierce, against the coordinated suppression of the prepared Mist elites—and facing complete elemental disadvantages—their resistance was pale and futile.
Naoto was backed into a corner with nowhere to run. His chakra was nearly exhausted, his body riddled with wounds. Even the robust recovery speed of the Dead Bone Pulse couldn't keep up anymore.
"It is time to end this farce, Naoto Kaguya," the Third Mizukage's cold voice rang out. Without anyone noticing, he had already finished his hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
A massive water dragon materialized out of thin air and crashed into Naoto with speed he couldn't react to.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed across the plaza. Water mixed with blood and shattered bone fragments splashed everywhere.
When the jutsu dissipated, Naoto Kaguya lay limp on the ground, blood gushing from countless wounds.
His eyes were wide open, staring fixedly at the Mizukage. But the anger and unwillingness in them had been replaced by a hollow deathly stillness. Under that single strike, Naoto's life had been extinguished.
The death of their Clan Head completely shattered the Kaguya clan's morale. aside from a few die-hards who fought until they dropped, most gave up resistance and were captured.
In this single battle, the Kaguya elite who participated in the coup suffered nearly 50% casualties. Corpses were piled like mountains.
The plaza in front of the Mizukage building was dyed a dark, grim red.
All captured Kaguya ninjas knelt on the ground, their eyes empty, filled with confusion about the future. Their former arrogance was gone without a trace.
---
Several days later.
The Mizukage's office released the final judgment.
Considering the Kaguya clan was a founding noble family with a distinguished history, and that internal slaughter weakened the village and could panic other clans, the Third Mizukage showed "the mercy of a Kage."
Since the ringleader, Naoto Kaguya, had been executed, the remaining clansmen were pardoned. The bodies of those who died in the rebellion were returned.
However, the entire clan was to be exiled to the furthest edge of the village. A new, restricted clan district was designated. They were under strict surveillance and forbidden from leaving without a direct order.
Simultaneously, the Kaguya clan was stripped of all important positions within the village and their mission quotas were revoked. They were provided only the bare minimum resources for survival.
Because the previous leadership had been almost entirely wiped out in the rebellion, Kento Kaguya was appointed as the new Clan Head.
In the new Kaguya district, everything was in ruins. The relocated clansmen lived in crude shacks; compared to their previous estate, it was practically a refugee camp.
After burying the returned bodies in a corner of the new grounds, grief, humiliation, and uncertainty spread among the survivors.
Kento Kaguya, the new Clan Head, looked at the desolate state of his clan. He clenched his fists so hard his nails dug deep into his palms.
"Kento... Clan Head, what do we do... next?" a one-armed clansman asked hoarsely, his voice filled with hesitation and loss.
Kento didn't answer, but the hatred burning in his eyes said everything.
However, a pair of eyes was still watching them from the shadows, undeterred by the Kaguya's downfall.
Because there were few empty houses in the new district, Night Namikaze could only patrol and hide on the outskirts.
The Kaguya clan's surplus value hadn't been squeezed dry yet. After this battle, the Mist's sharpest blade was indeed broken.
But who says a broken blade can't kill? If used correctly, it could still gouge a deep, bloody wound into the Hidden Mist.
Kento Kaguya's ascension to power suited Night perfectly.
The man had more ambition than ability. And he was filled with resentment toward their current situation. It would only take a little "help" to ignite him once again.