The moment the idea of capturing Kimimaro appeared in his mind, Ryūjin became even more determined.
With the strength he currently possessed, accomplishing such a task would not be difficult at all. In fact, it would be surprisingly easy.
The only real concern was Kimimaro's illness.
It was an incurable disease, one that even someone like Orochimaru, a genius scientist of the Hidden Leaf, had never been able to cure. Many people would see that as a hopeless situation.
But Ryūjin was not worried.
More precisely, if his future plan succeeded, then the illness would stop being a problem entirely.
As long as he could reach the Six Paths Level and obtain the power of Yin-Yang Release, curing Kimimaro would be nothing more than a trivial matter. With that level of power, reshaping life itself was possible.
After making his decision, Ryūjin did not hesitate any longer.
His figure flickered as he used the Body Flicker Technique and continued moving forward at high speed.
According to the Kaguya clan member who had attacked him earlier, the battlefield was somewhere ahead.
And sure enough, it did not take long before the distant sounds of battle drifted into Ryūjin's ears.
Shouting. Screaming. The clash of weapons.
When he finally reached a higher vantage point and looked ahead, the scene became clear.
Two groups of shinobi were locked in a brutal fight.
On one side were the ninjas of the Hidden Mist.
On the other were members of the Kaguya Clan.
However, the balance of power was far from equal.
The Kaguya Clan's combat strength was terrifying. Each clan member fought like a crazed warrior, charging into battle with reckless abandon. Their attacks were savage and merciless, completely lacking any hesitation.
Their fighting style was brutal to the extreme.
Combined with the clan's Bloodline Limit, the Shikotsumyaku, their destructive power became even more frightening.
Even if not every member possessed a bloodline as perfect as Kimimaro's, the ability to manipulate their bones already gave them an overwhelming advantage in close combat.
Even an imperfect Shikotsumyaku could drastically enhance a fighter's killing ability.
What was happening on the battlefield was less of a battle and more of a massacre.
Splat!
Blood sprayed through the air.
"Ahhh!"
Muffled screams and desperate cries echoed as one Hidden Mist ninja after another collapsed to the ground.
The Kaguya clan members showed no mercy.
"Hold on! Asada has already gone to report this. Mei Terumi will arrive soon!"
One of the Hidden Mist ninjas shouted desperately while struggling to hold his ground.
"Once Mei Terumi arrives, these traitors are finished!"
The voices were clearly meant to encourage the remaining fighters and keep their morale from collapsing.
Unfortunately, the outcome had already been decided.
The remaining Hidden Mist ninjas were quickly overwhelmed and slaughtered one after another.
Soon, silence returned to the battlefield.
All of the Hidden Mist shinobi had fallen.
Only around a dozen Kaguya clan members remained standing, their bodies soaked in blood.
Their expressions were twisted with excitement, and their eyes were filled with madness and bloodlust. Anyone who saw them might think they had stepped out of a nightmare.
"Mei Terumi?"
One of the Kaguya clan members suddenly laughed and licked the blood from his lips.
"Heh. Killing ordinary ninjas is boring. Fellow clan members, we should kill Mei Terumi... and Yagura!"
His eyes gleamed with violent excitement.
"Yes! Kill the Mizukage! Kill Mei Terumi!"
"Clan Leader, stop talking already. I can't wait!"
The other Kaguya clan members immediately responded, shouting with fierce enthusiasm.
Watching this scene from nearby, Ryūjin could not help but feel speechless.
From beginning to end, these people had never even considered their own survival.
With their combat strength, escaping the Hidden Mist Village should have been possible. The current forces of the village would struggle to stop them if they truly wanted to flee.
Yet none of them had even thought about it.
All they wanted was a massive fight.
To them, battle itself was the only thing that mattered.
Whoosh!
Just as the Kaguya clan members were getting more and more excited, a figure suddenly dropped down from the wall nearby.
The sound instantly drew everyone's attention.
The battlefield became quiet again.
All the Kaguya clan members turned their heads toward the newcomer.
It was a single ninja from the Hidden Mist.
Seeing only one person appear caused confusion among them.
A single man had come to face them?
Had this person completely lost his mind?
The newcomer stood calmly in front of them.
It was Ryūjin.
His expression remained completely indifferent.
"Do you know where I can find Kimimaro?"
His voice was calm and steady, as if the group of bloodthirsty warriors in front of him did not concern him at all.
According to Ryūjin's memory, during the Kaguya Clan rebellion, Kimimaro had not fought together with the clan.
Instead, he had been allowed to move freely.
The order given to him by the clan leader had been simple.
Follow your own will and kill any Hidden Mist ninja you encounter.
Because of that, Kimimaro could be anywhere within the village.
Finding him by blindly searching would take far too long.
However, clans in the ninja world often possessed internal communication methods. If these people knew his location, it would save Ryūjin a great deal of trouble.
The Kaguya clan leader stared at him with interest.
"Kimimaro... the child of our clan with the perfect Shikotsumyaku."
His tone carried a hint of curiosity.
"How do you know about him?"
Kimimaro was considered the clan's most perfect weapon. For that reason, he had been hidden deep within the clan territory and rarely revealed to outsiders.
Not only were the Hidden Mist ninjas unaware of him, but even many members of the Kaguya Clan themselves did not know he existed.
Yet this Hidden Mist ninja had come here specifically asking about him.
That was unexpected.
Ryūjin's eyes remained cold.
"You only need to answer whether you know or not. There's no need for unnecessary conversation."
Before the clan leader could respond, the surrounding Kaguya clan members began shouting.
"Clan Leader, why waste time talking to him? Just kill him!"
"That's right! Kill this guy! Today we kill as much as we want!"
The bloodthirsty warriors were already eager for another fight.
The clan leader grinned widely, revealing a cruel smile.
"You're right."
"Today is a day meant for slaughter. Such a wonderful atmosphere should not be ruined."
Whether this man knew Kimimaro or why he was searching for him no longer mattered.
Because today, the Kaguya Clan would perish together with the Hidden Mist Village.
"Die!"
A Kaguya clan member standing beside the leader suddenly rushed forward with a low roar.
As he moved, a disturbing sound echoed from his arms.
Gurgle.
Sharp bone spikes burst out from his palms and extended forward like deadly spears, aiming straight for Ryūjin's chest.
Ryūjin did not move.
He simply looked at the charging enemy.
"Kamui."
The word left his lips calmly.
At that instant, he activated Long Range Kamui.
Crack!
The charging Kaguya clan member suddenly froze.
Then his head separated cleanly from his body.
For a brief moment, the severed head vanished into Ryūjin's Kamui dimension.
However, Ryūjin immediately frowned in disgust.
The sight of a random head inside his Kamui space was not something he wanted to keep.
So he used Kamui again and removed it entirely.
Everything happened so quickly that none of the Kaguya clan members could understand what had occurred.
From their perspective, the man had simply rushed forward...
And then his head had suddenly fallen off.
It was eerie and incomprehensible.
Thud.
Two full seconds later, the headless body took another step forward before collapsing onto the ground.
Silence filled the battlefield again.
Every Kaguya clan member stared at Ryūjin with shock.
Yet that silence did not last long.
Instead of fear, their expressions quickly twisted with excitement.
Their eyes lit up with even greater madness.
"This guy is strong!"
"Kill him! Killing someone like him will make this day worthwhile!"
"None of you interfere. He's mine!"
The group of Kaguya clan members charged toward Ryūjin like a pack of wild beasts.
Seeing them rush forward in a frenzy, Ryūjin could not help muttering under his breath.
"What a bunch of lunatics."
Even so, he still did not move from his spot.
In the next moment, natural energy surged around him.
Ryūjin instantly entered Sage Mode.
At the same time, Lightning Release chakra exploded throughout his body.
Electric arcs crackled violently across his skin.
"Chidori Current."
Crackle!
A massive web of lightning burst outward from Ryūjin's body, spreading across the battlefield and engulfing every Kaguya clan member rushing toward him.
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