"Ninja Art…"
Shiranami swept his eyes over everyone present, forcing himself to remain calm. He began forming hand seals, but before he could finish speaking—
Whoosh—
One of the four Tsuchigumo guardian ninja—the one who had previously looked emotionless—suddenly flickered, his figure vanishing like lightning as he lunged at Shiranami.
Crack, crack, crack—
With a cold expression, the ninja's body shifted mid-motion. Sharp cracking sounds echoed as his right arm underwent a grotesque transformation.
It rapidly turned to white bone, layers of hard, sharp skeletal growth twisting clockwise into a spear that encased his right fist—thrusting directly at Shiranami's abdomen.
A blinding flash of white shot forth, its deadly edge impossible to evade.
"Ugh…"
Shiranami's pupils widened in horror. He had no time to dodge—the bone spear pierced his abdomen with brutal ease.
His skin tore like paper.
"W-Who… are you?"
Shiranami coughed up blood, hands gripping the bone spear as he collapsed to his knees.
Looking up at the Tsuchigumo ninja who had suddenly attacked him, pain surged through his body, and his life rapidly ebbed away.
"When addressing a lord, speak respectfully."
The Tsuchigumo ninja spoke indifferently beside Shiranami's ear. Then he raised his left hand and tore off the human-skin mask from his face, revealing a striking young face with two blood-red dots on his brow.
Whoosh—
The boy withdrew his bone-spear arm and flicked off the blood coating the skeletal exoskeleton—formed by the power of the Shikotsumyaku.
A crimson arc painted a graceful streak across the floor.
Shiranami's eyes remained wide open—filled with unwillingness, regret, and terror—as he collapsed in a pool of blood, breathing his last.
He hadn't expected that in this cabin, aside from the S-rank rogue ninja, there was also such a terrifying youth.
It had happened too fast.
Even the Tsuchigumo ninja—Grand Elder, Hotaru, and the Clan Leader—hadn't had time to react.
The battle ended in a flash.
The Uchiha clan members around the room grew wary, instantly surrounding the Tsuchigumo youth who had acted.
All eyes were on the long, sharp bone spear extending from his right arm.
Uchiha Mikoto, Yūhi Kurenai, Nonoyu, and the others studied the boy closely, concluding—he was using a kekkei genkai.
Still, the question remained: Why had he helped them by killing Shiranami?
"Stand down."
Uchiha Yu calmly issued the order, gazing at the disguised young ninja before him.
The surrounding Uchiha immediately understood—their captain knew this boy. They sheathed their blades and withdrew to Yu's side, staying alert.
Crack—
The white bone on the youth's arm slowly receded, melting away like snow and vanishing into his skin. His right hand returned to normal.
Facing Uchiha Yu, the boy respectfully knelt on one knee:
"Greetings. My name is Kimimaro. My lord said your actions exceeded his expectations—he's very pleased. He acknowledges you as both a friend and ally, and sent me to support you, along with the latest intelligence from the Hidden Leaf."
Uchiha Yu looked over the boy—delicate features, still physically developing—and gave a nod.
"Rise."
"Yes, sir."
Kimimaro responded politely and stood, naturally taking his place beside the Uchiha.
Tamao couldn't help but study the boy who stood about the same height as himself. He clicked his tongue and thought: This guy's bones are interesting!
Can they change shape at will?
Kimimaro noticed Tamao's curious gaze but remained composed—he was used to it.
The other Uchiha, including Mikoto, were all wondering the same thing:
Who exactly was the "lord" Kimimaro spoke of?
That "lord"… was even able to obtain all of Konoha's recent intelligence?
Uchiha Yu walked past Kimimaro.
He approached the dazed clan leader and looked straight at the Tsuchigumo clan.
"Tsuchigumo Clan—you must leave here tonight. Head southeast, detour around the Valley of Sanctions, and stay near the Land of Earth. This place is no longer safe."
Having given his instructions, Uchiha Yu turned his back to the Tsuchigumo people and added:
"Once things settle down… someone will come to retrieve Hotaru."
At the mention of her name, Hotaru blushed. The women and girls among the Uchiha all turned their heads in unison to look at the Tsuchigumo girl.
They didn't yet know the kind of secret pact Uchiha Yu had made with the Tsuchigumo clan.
"Please… wait… just a moment…"
With help from his granddaughter, Clan Leader struggled to sit up, staring at Yu's upright, aloof figure and spoke with difficulty to hold him back.
"…Hmm?"
Uchiha Yu paused, turning slightly to glance at the white-haired elder—his gaze asking a silent question.
He had already made everything clear.
Clan Leader looked down at Shiranami's corpse on the wooden floor and, with gratitude in his voice, said:
"To thank you… for cleansing us of a traitor, I've decided… to remove the sealed prototype of Fury from my body… and give it to you."
As he spoke, Clan Leader removed his simple cloth robe, revealing the grotesque, twisted skin on his back—at its center lay a black metallic device.
That was the Fury's sealed container.
Hotaru's lips parted slightly, her eyes filled with shock and heartache. She sobbed—
"Grandfather… if you extract the forbidden jutsu, you'll…"
The leader looked affectionately at Firefly and sighed.
"Grandfather can't stay by your side forever. The future of the Tsuchigumo clan… is now in your hands."
As he spoke, the white-haired elder reached under the bed and retrieved another green scroll, placing it on the bedside and explaining:
"This contains several defective Fury sealing containers. Their power doesn't compare to the complete version.
They were originally meant to help restore the Tsuchigumo clan. But now—take them all."
Hope gleamed in clan leader's eyes as he watched Uchiha Yu turn and walk back toward him, pick up the scroll, and accept it.
He believed that the forbidden jutsu Fury would flourish in Yu's hands.
Uchiha Yu stored the defective sealing scrolls into his storage space. His thoughts were simple—one day, this forbidden technique would bloom throughout the ninja world.
Within the Uchiha ranks, Tamao glanced at the elder with admiration and chuckled:
"You're a solid old man. With that move of yours, the Tsuchigumo clan will surely earn a place in the ninja world!"
"…Let's hope so," Clan Leader replied, forcing a smile similar to Tamao's.
Then he had the Grand Elder take Hotaru aside. He clasped his hands into a seal.
Zzz—
Azure chakra gathered on his back, gradually forcing a dark metallic rod, streaked with blood, out of his flesh.
Clack.
The thick black rod, about the width of a wrist, fell to the floor. In that moment, his face aged dramatically, his life force draining away. He collapsed sideways onto the bed and slowly closed his eyes.
"Grandfather!!"
Hotaru cried in anguish, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to rush over—but the Grand Elder held her back firmly.
Uchiha Yu glanced at Nonoyu behind him. She understood instantly and flickered to the old man's side, activating healing ninjutsu to examine and treat him.
Moments later—
Nonoyu let out a quiet sigh, her medical instincts kicking in. She looked at Hotaru, then at Uchiha Yu, and gently shook her head.
"His life had already reached its natural end. Even if he hadn't extracted the forbidden jutsu, he wouldn't have lasted more than a few days.
Maybe tomorrow.
Maybe the day after.
But he would've passed soon, regardless."
Uchiha Yu nodded, signaling his understanding. Then, right in front of the grieving Tsuchigumo clan, he walked to Clan Leader's corpse and absorbed both the body and the complete Fury sealing container into his storage space.
Everyone was stunned.
"You…"
Especially Hotaru, who stared blankly at Yu as her grandfather disappeared before her eyes.
"You'll see him again."
Uchiha Yu said this quietly to her, then looked toward the dumbfounded Tsuchigumo Grand Elder and asked,
"Can your people reach the Land of Earth within three days?"
"We can!" the Grand Elder answered instinctively.
Mt. Katsuragi wasn't too far from the Land of Earth.
There would be no obstructions on the road.
Three days would be enough.
"Then set out tonight," Yu said.
He turned to the Uchiha and Kimimaro and said calmly,
"Let's leave this place."
Hotaru stood frozen, staring at Yu's retreating back—those words of his echoing again and again in her mind:
"You'll see him again."
°°°
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