"Shikotsumyaku: Ten Finger Drilling Bullets!"
Kaguya Masaru unleashed the technique once more.
The Shikotsumyaku allowed him to freely manipulate every bone cell in his body. Even if he fired all ten of his finger bones as projectiles, he could regenerate them instantly.
White steam curled up from the corners of Kiyohara's mouth and from across his body, as though he had entered some kind of extreme high-output state.
In truth, this form placed a tremendous burden on him.
He wanted to move, yet the only way he could do so was by relying on the explosive, instantaneous bursts of speed provided by the Body Flicker Technique, teleporting again and again.
If his current chakra reserves weren't already greater than those of an average jōnin, he truly wouldn't be able to endure this level of consumption.
Swish!
Kiyohara flung several shuriken, his fingers tugging sharply. The copper wires attached to them tightened, weaving into a hidden net that sliced through the mist. The flying finger bones collided with the wires, their trajectories thrown off.
"Wa—wait… Masaru, don't act recklessly!"
Mei tried to stop Masaru, urging him to calm down and wait for her ninjutsu to finish.
But Masaru had already drawn a bone blade from his left arm. Weapon in hand, he charged straight at Kiyohara.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia!
Kiyohara's counterattack earlier had exposed his exact location.
Whoosh!
As Masaru closed in, his body suddenly began spinning like a top, bone spikes protruding from him in increasing numbers.
From afar, he appeared to be wrapped in swirling white streamers.
Those were the trails carved through the air by the bone blades as he spun at extreme speed!
Even the surrounding mist began churning wildly from the rotation.
Because of that, Mei finally caught sight of Kiyohara—
And also of Masaru, burning his life force, his power rising to the absolute limit as he delivered an all-out strike aimed directly at Kiyohara!
"He's coming. Don't be afraid. Before the ninjutsu I created, victory is inevitable."
Magnet Release Kiyohara spoke while simultaneously guiding Kiyohara's chakra flow.
Watching his younger self use his technique to slaughter these meaningless weaklings—
It excited him.
This was… battle.
"I know."
The exchange between Kiyohara and Magnet Release Kiyohara lasted only the span of a lightning flash.
Facing Masaru, he felt the rushing wind—and his own strength surging. His power was magnified, as though he could lever the magnetic fields around him to aid his blows Kiyohara stepped forward and extended his right fist.
Boom!!
He launched a punch.
It sounded like thunder exploding from the heavens, driving the surrounding fog outward in a massive surge.
The airflow roared, as if the entire coastline were spinning.
The oncoming storm winds pressed against Masaru's rotating body, forcing resistance upon him.
Yet Masaru did not retreat—
He advanced.
"Raaaahhh—!!"
He roared, cutting through the fierce wind, hurling his bone blade toward Kiyohara.
Boom!!
Kiyohara threw another punch.
The compressed airflow exploded outward violently.
The Shikotsumyaku could strengthen bone cells, making them as hard as diamond.
But the flesh and muscles of the Kaguya clan's shinobi were still… mortal.
Shhk!
Kiyohara's hand was pierced straight through by the bone blade.
At the same time, Masaru stared in disbelief as his own arm was blown off—flesh torn apart in an instant.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Before Masaru could even feel the pain of losing his arm, Kiyohara slammed his palms together, then unleashed another fierce strike.
Slash!
A razor-like wind blade swept cleanly across Masaru's neck.
The words he wanted to speak could only escape as gurgling gasps.
"Masaru! Come back!"
Mei shouted, but her hands were already fixed in the final seal. She couldn't abandon her technique to save him.
But before she could do anything—
She could only watch helplessly as Kiyohara pulled an explosive tag from his pouch, slapped it onto Masaru's body, and instantly leapt back to a safe distance.
BOOOOM!!!!!
A violent explosion ripped through the dense fog.
Kaguya Masaru did return.
But the only thing that returned to Mei's side…
was a pile of charred bones mixed with scraps of flesh.
Mei's trembling grew so intense that even her eyelashes quivered.
Kiyohara had… blown Masaru into fragments right in front of her eyes.
And at that moment, the Wind Release technique in her hands completed itself reflexively—
A powerful gust burst outward, blowing away part of Masaru's ashes, together with the lingering white mist and lime powder.
Fwooooosh!!
The long-accumulated Wind Release finally cleared away the fog that had been slowly thinning.
Kakashi and the others could finally see the scene inside.
On the ground lay a heap of Mist-nin corpses and a woman shaking uncontrollably with fury.
Scattered beside her were bits of shattered bone and torn flesh.
"Not collecting the ashes, but scattering them instead… seems Mist shinobi prefer sea burials," Kiyohara said lightly. He released his heightened state, blood draining from his body, leaving him pale and exhausted.
"But the scenery here is nice. Quite fitting for scattering ashes."
He smiled faintly and glanced toward the nearby shoreline, where the vast sea stretched endlessly.
Hearing his words, Mei wished she could smash Kiyohara to the ground, drag him back alive, and enslave him for life as punishment.
But she forced those emotions down.
She had long grown used to losing comrades.
There was no right or wrong. She herself had killed Leaf shinobi—someone else's comrades. In the end, it was simply a matter of strength.
Mei stopped trembling and regained her smile.
A shinobi must endure everything, conceal all emotions, and bury them deep within the heart.
That was the duty of a shinobi.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
Combining her Fire and Water chakra natures, she exhaled a billowing cloud of scalding acid mist.
It looked similar to the earlier white fog, but within it, the corrosive vapors were potent enough to melt even a Susanoo's skeletal structure.
Then Mei turned and began to retreat.
The last surviving Mist-nin scrambled after her in panic.
Kiyohara didn't pursue.
He no longer had the strength.
Kakashi sent Genma and his ninken to chase the retreating enemies while he himself quickly approached Kiyohara.
He asked with concern whether Kiyohara was alright.
After all, Kiyohara had fought the entire battle alone.
They hadn't contributed at all, making Kakashi feel ashamed.
"I'm fine."
Kiyohara used a Hemostasis Jutsu to stop the bleeding in his hand.
He had deliberately avoided the vital areas—no bones or nerves were damaged, so recovery would be easy.
He then pointed to the many bodies on the ground, indicating that he would handle them all.
Originally, Kiyohara had planned to eliminate just a portion of the enemy before regrouping with Kakashi's team to finish off the rest together.
But the Magnet Release:Magnetic Field Rotation was too strong.
He accidentally… killed too many.
This made him firm in his resolve.
Damn it—this is exactly the kind of power he wanted!
But the technique had clear drawbacks:
Its duration was short, the physical strain immense, and he couldn't move freely.
He could only rely on explosive movement techniques like the Body Flicker.
"That's good," Kakashi nodded, suppressing the questions in his heart.
He wanted to ask why Kiyohara's power had increased so dramatically—
But for now, he held back.
As Kakashi pondered, Kiyohara was thinking too.
He needed to complete that final wish as soon as possible—
Preferably tonight, by asking Orochimaru directly.
"Shikotsumyaku bones, huh…"
Kiyohara glanced at the remains—bits of flesh and bone fragments.
He collected them carefully.
Orochimaru would certainly like them.
Orochimaru would surely appreciate them. Appeasing his interests would make it easier to present his own requests.
(End of Chapter)