"They've followed us. That man should have the strength of a Jonin. As for that little girl, although her Chakra volume is higher than an average person's, it doesn't flow very smoothly in her body. She should be a talented apprentice Ninja who has only recently started."
Ao had only gestured at Nakamura Iku's strength earlier, but now he finally revealed the information he had gathered with his Byakugan.
"What is your opinion, Ao?"
Mei Terumī asked, glancing at the two people behind them who were intentionally keeping their distance.
"The information I've perceived matches what they said; we can basically rule out them being part of the faction controlling the Mizukage. However, the possibility that they are spies from another country cannot be excluded. My suggestion is to use Genjutsu."
Not every Ninja village possessed convenient secret techniques like Konoha's Yamanaka Clan. Although similar memory extraction techniques certainly existed, most of them carried the risk of turning the target into a vegetable.
"Genjutsu, huh... It might be difficult at this point in time, and we can't use overly aggressive techniques. In that case, look for an opportunity to use Genjutsu on the little girl. As for the man named Nakamura Iku, let's focus on monitoring him."
While talking, the group arrived at the battlefield, and the clear sounds of flesh being pierced rose and fell in their ears.
The Bloodline Limit of the Kaguya Clan is the bones within their bodies, known as Shikotsumyaku. Therefore, during battle, bones would drill out from their bodies, which could then pierce flesh or crush internal organs and skeletons when striking enemies.
Consequently, the level of bloodiness on the battlefield was exceptionally high.
Even without mentioning the formidable physical attack power of Shikotsumyaku, just the shock of seeing bones burst out from a body was a significant source of psychological pressure.
"Aren't they also a Bloodline Limit clan?"
Amane showed no fear of blood, only asking with a strange sense of vigilance.
"They're a bunch of Bloodline Limit users with broken brains."
An unknown Kirigakure Ninja nearby couldn't help but blurt out. No one around him refuted it; instead, they silently entered the battlefield together to begin fighting.
Nakamura Iku took Amane onto the battlefield. He drew a shuriken and threw it tentatively at several vital points, but they were all blocked by the bone spur armor emerging from the Kaguya Clan members' bodies, leaving not even a scratch.
Seeing this, Amane couldn't help but inwardly praise the Shikotsumyaku for being so simple yet powerful.
Although it didn't look like much at first glance, the fact that a shuriken infused with Chakra couldn't even leave a scratch showed that the quality of these bones was likely far superior to steel. Moreover, with enough Chakra, they could regenerate infinitely.
[The setting of a Bloodline Limit is a new Nature Transformation produced by two attributes. So, is this Yang + Earth? It's a pity I can't reveal my hand, otherwise, I'd really like to test my skills against them.]
Amane felt an itch to fight for a moment, inwardly annoyed that the First Hokage Senju Hashirama's Wood Release was so exclusive. Otherwise, she could have made a move today.
She looked at Nakamura Iku. He had drawn a katana and infused it with Wind-natured energy, using his superb swordsmanship and Jonin-level strength to clear the field like a warrior with no equal.
Ordinary members of the Kaguya Clan would die upon contact, so the number of people around him gradually began to decrease.
It turned out the Kaguya Clan also knew how to pick on the weak.
On the other hand, Mei Terumī's side was more crowded. This wasn't because she or Ao were weaker than Nakamura Iku, but because their Ninjutsu clearly lacked sufficient killing power against the Kaguya Clan.
[I remember Mei Terumī has Water, Earth, and Fire... She shouldn't be without a Bloodline Limit during this period... Okay, she used it.]
As Mei Terumī exhaled a breath of white mist, the effect was immediate!
Several nearby Kaguya Clan members melted on the spot! Those further away were also severely injured. This result began to expand outward until the technique vanished, taking at least a dozen lives.
Amane kept her sensory perception active throughout, as she remembered Kimimaro had demonstrated a large-scale destructive skill called Dance of the Seedling Fern. If anyone on this battlefield used it, she needed to be prepared in advance; she couldn't entrust her safety entirely to Nakamura Iku.
But until the sounds of fighting nearby gradually died down, Amane didn't sense any unusual movement.
[It seems this batch of Kaguya Clan members is of average level, but their Chakra volume is clearly higher than our side's overall.]
After this battle, Amane gained a deeper understanding of sensory Ninjutsu.
"Wind-natured Chakra, that's quite rare."
Mei Terumī walked over, looked at the surrounding corpses and Nakamura Iku's blade, and then smiled at Amane.
"I'm quite confident in my swordsmanship. When I was younger, I even thought about... never mind."
As he spoke, Nakamura Iku glanced at the blade in his hand, then flicked the blood off with a cool gesture and sheathed it with incredible fluidity.
[He probably wanted to hint that he once dreamed of becoming one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. It's a pity, though; of those seven blades, only kiba, Kubikiribōchō, and Nuibari are relatively normal. I find it hard to even call the other four'swords'.]
bakutō bibara? It's an exploding tag launcher! Although there were fan theories in my past life about replacing them with Ninjutsu scrolls, those were just fanfics after all.
Kabutowari? Isn't it just an axe and a giant hammer? How did this thing get associated with'swords'? I can't understand it.
Samehada? Rather than a sword, it's more like a creature covered in spikes. However, its usage shows that a rasp is also a sword, so I'll grudgingly accept it as one.
kiba. This design is too lazy and incredibly ugly, a perfect example of lazy design.
"Hehe~ Were you perhaps born as a samurai in the Land of Iron? What is your relationship with this child?"
Mei Terumī asked curiously, her eyes constantly fixed on Amane with a gentle smile on her face.
"No, I was just taught. And I have some history with this child's father."
"What was the name of this child's uncle's wife?"
"I don't know. You should ask the child yourself."
Mei Terumī leaned in, still asking with a gentle smile: "What is your name?"
"Amane... Hibiki Tian Yin. My aunt's name was Ichiha; I don't know her surname. But back then, everyone said my aunt's child could create ice."
Amane hesitated slightly while speaking, but still gave her full name.
[Haku, I'm borrowing your backstory for a bit.]
Amane silently apologized to the childhood trap-icon she hadn't met yet.
"I see, the Yuki Clan?"
This wasn't uncommon—abandoned children of clans who were discovered to possess Bloodline Limits because their abilities were exposed. This often turned into a tragedy.
Mei Terumī couldn't help but sigh, and her trust in the two of them increased slightly.
"Come back to the base with us. As for her, I'll arrange for her to stay with you. If she wishes, we will also teach her to become a Ninja."
Having just fought side-by-side and seen their reliable strength, the surviving Kirigakure Ninjas also showed friendly smiles.
"Then I'll leave it to you. But I hope this child can stay in a safe place. I will take on her share of the fighting."
Saying this, Nakamura Iku bowed very solemnly to express his gratitude.
At this moment, Amane's small hand gripped the corner of Nakamura Iku's clothes, and she said: "No! Do you want to fight alone again? I'm willing and I'll become a Ninja too! Besides, didn't you say I was quite talented!"
After speaking, Amane looked at Mei Terumī with panic and pleading eyes.
"Hahaha, don't worry, little sister. What do stinky men know about a woman's strength? As long as you want to, we will teach you, and sooner or later, we'll make those men who look down on you kneel before you!"
[This is so different from the anime...]
During the Five Kage Summit period, although marriage-related topics were a forbidden zone for Mei Terumī, she could be described as gentle and intellectual.
[But perhaps only strength could restore the shattered Hidden Mist Village. The time she missed out on marriage was her sacrifice for the Mist.]
It's not easy for anyone.
Amane subtly exchanged glances with Ding; in any case, their first step was a success.