The moment the bone spike pierced outward, a sharp gleam flashed through Shigure's eyes.
The leading Kirigakure shinobi—the "Captain"—stiffened in alarm.
"W–What… what is this?!"
He turned to his teammates for answers, but bone spikes were sprouting from their shoulders as well.
Each of the three manifested Shikotsumyaku differently. The Captain had the most bone protrusions, suggesting his compatibility was the highest—he had gained the strongest initial expression of the Kaguya clan's power.
"Lord Shigure, what… what did you do to us?!"
Shigure smiled calmly.
"Relax. This is a blessing, not a curse. I've granted you the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai."
All three men froze.
Their gazes shifted between one another, then down to the bone spikes protruding from their bodies, disbelief written across their faces.
"You can control it instinctively," Shigure said. "Try retracting the bones."
They hesitated, then focused—
The bone spikes slowly withdrew beneath their skin.
And immediately, they sensed it.
Their bodies felt different. Sharper. Responsive. Alive in a way they had never experienced.
Although they had just awakened the power, their mastery was far from the level of Kimimaro.
Still:
The Captain could control both arms—extending, reshaping, or hardening bone at will.
The other two could only manage one arm for now.
But with training, their control would expand. And as Shigure fed them more of the Bloodline's power, their Shikotsumyaku would continue to strengthen—eventually matching, or even surpassing, the original Kaguya line.
"Lord Shigure, this… this is…"
The Captain struggled to form his words.
"What? You don't want it?" Shigure asked lightly.
"If you truly reject it, I can remove the ability right now. You'll return to how you were—no side effects."
He lifted his hand as if prepared to pull the blessing away.
The Captain dropped to his knees at once.
"No! Please—keep it! Lord Shigure, thank you for granting us the power of Shikotsumyaku!"
Shigure nodded.
"From this day onward, the three of you will be the reborn Kaguya Clan. The clan that once vanished from Kirigakure will rise again through you."
The three froze.
None of them had families—they were orphans of the Bloody Mist era, raised as tools, molded through endless trial and suffering. For them, taking up the Kaguya name carried no conflict of lineage.
But to suddenly become a Bloodline Limit clan?
Their expressions shifted uneasily.
"But Lord Shigure… if we take the Kaguya name, Kirigakure might…"
They knew well how the village treated Kekkei Genkai users. Even under Terumī Mei's leadership, remnants of the old prejudice remained.
If they openly became Bloodline shinobi, they risked rejection—or worse.
They could already feel the weight of the village's past pressing down on them.
Shigure immediately understood their hesitation and waved it off.
"Don't worry. Soon, in Kirigakure, Kekkei Genkai users will stop being the ones ostracized. Instead, the ones without Bloodline Limits will be the minority."
He smiled lightly.
"For now, your first mission: go to Terumī Mei and show her what you can do."
The three nodded and left at once.
As soon as they were gone, Shigure's expression grew pleased.
He was certain that once Mei saw the newly awakened Shikotsumyaku, she would rush straight to him.
If the Kaguya Clan was going to be revived, then the Yuki Clan had to be rebuilt as well.
Reversing decades of prejudice in Kirigakure wouldn't happen overnight—but establishing two major Kekkei Genkai clans was the perfect beginning.
And afterward?
Clans for Boil Release, Storm Release, Cloud Release, Light Release—every Kekkei Genkai he possessed could become the foundation of a new family.
Shigure was still deep in thought when—
Fwoosh—!
A high-speed impact struck the ground before him.
Boom!
A figure crashed hard enough to leave a crater. Wind burst outward, clearing the dust.
Mei Terumī emerged, storming straight toward Shigure.
"You—how did you—how did you make them—"
"Calm down. Listen first."
Shigure already had a plausible explanation prepared. The true nature of the food chain was something he would never reveal.
But saying that he could imprint a Bloodline's chakra nature transformation into another person?
That was believable.
After all, aside from purely physical Kekkei Genkai, every Bloodline ability could be traced back to chakra nature transformation. His claim wasn't something anyone could immediately disprove.
Mei listened carefully, brows furrowed.
"So you're saying… you can use your chakra to record a specific Kekkei Genkai transformation and imprint it onto someone else's chakra system, allowing them to develop the same ability?"
"That depends on their talent and aptitude," Shigure replied.
"Someone with poor chakra control or weak foundations may not awaken anything at all."
Mei slowly nodded. That made sense. People with poor talent remained weak regardless of the jutsu they were given.
"Then you really intend to rebuild the Kaguya Clan?"
Shigure smiled.
"Not just the Kaguya. The Yuki Clan as well."
The Village's Kekkei Genkai clans had been wiped out through war, fear, and old policies. If Kirigakure wanted to regain its former strength, rebuilding Bloodline clans was imperative.
"Konoha thrives because of its clans," Shigure continued.
"Hyūga, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka… their existence stabilizes the entire village. Kirigakure needs the same foundation."
Mei fell silent, thinking it over.
Bloodline clans provided security. Even if no prodigy appeared, ordinary shinobi born with Kekkei Genkai would always be stronger than those without them. That alone raised the village's baseline combat power.
"All right," Mei finally said. "I support this."
"How many people do you need?"
"For the Kaguya Clan—thirty members. That's enough. Any more would be unnecessary.
For the Yuki Clan—fifty."
Shigure had originally entered Kirigakure under the Yuki name, so this clan was naturally important.
Mei narrowed her eyes. "Are you absolutely sure you're not lying to me?"
Shigure let out a small sigh.
"Why would I lie? I'll be the Sixth Mizukage eventually."
She snorted softly.
"And I know you possess more Kekkei Genkai than you've shown. You don't plan to stop at two clans, do you?"
Shigure chuckled.
"If too many new clans appear at once, it'll draw unnecessary attention. But once Kaguya and Yuki return, the rest will follow naturally."
He looked toward the horizon, eyes gleaming.
"From now on, Kirigakure will be rebuilt—not with fear, but with strength."
...
TN:
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