In the twilight of a dark forest, a highly elite squad of over two hundred ninjas moved swiftly through the shadows!
Boom!
The ground suddenly erupted, cracking open across an area spanning nearly two hundred meters. Thick, jagged bone spikes shot out from beneath the earth, tearing apart the towering trees in an instant. What was once a lush forest was now a deadly bone jungle!
**Dance of the Seedling Fern!**
At that moment, every single ninja in the elite squad leaped into the air. Their reactions were incredibly fast—unsurprising, considering the weakest among them was a Jonin. Despite the large-scale surprise attack, they all had the skill to dodge appropriately.
However, dodging didn't mean they all escaped unscathed!
Several Jonin suffered injuries from the sudden onslaught, and a few unlucky ones were directly impaled, their lives hanging by a thread!
"What the hell are you doing, Meibuyu?!!" roared Guiding Rochi, the Captain of the Hozuki Clan's Guard, as he narrowly evaded the deadly spikes.
"You dare?!" bellowed Kawasa, the Chief Commander of the Kirigakure Police Forces, his voice filled with rage and shock.
Kaguya Meibuyu himself was utterly dumbfounded—because he hadn't launched the attack!
But to everyone else, it seemed obvious that he had!
The **Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse)** was the Kaguya Clan's unique bloodline ability. Because this technique was exclusive to them, many of the ninjas had lowered their guard upon sensing the chakra fluctuations. Their first instinct was to assume it was an ally's action rather than an attack.
That brief hesitation was enough for the attack to claim victims!
The deafening roar of destruction filled the air, and thick clouds of dust billowed skyward.
"You traitor!"
"Damn you!"
Kawasa and Guiding Rochi cursed in succession.
"No! It wasn't me!" Meibuyu shouted in anger, desperately trying to explain.
He was telling the truth!
But the timing of the attack was too perfect, and **Dance of the Seedling Fern** was undeniably the Kaguya Clan's signature move. The sheer scale of the attack made it difficult for anyone to believe it wasn't his doing.
Even within Kirigakure, the Kaguya Clan had always been viewed with suspicion—much like how the Uchiha Clan was treated in Konoha. Though their circumstances weren't as extreme, they still suffered from considerable discrimination.
Meibuyu landed on a distant tree branch, while the other ninjas quickly scattered, activating various jutsu to escape the deadly bone spikes. The two Kage-level warriors, Guiding Rochi and Kawasa, immediately distanced themselves from Meibuyu.
"I swear it wasn't me! It wasn't me!" Meibuyu shouted again.
Kawasa's expression flickered with uncertainty. His earlier outburst had been a knee-jerk reaction. Upon further thought, even he found it unlikely that Meibuyu was responsible. Rochi, on the other hand, remained wary.
The **Hozuki Clan** and the **Kaguya Clan** had a long-standing rivalry. Historically, the two clans were bitter enemies!
"It probably wasn't him…" Kawasa muttered from atop a boulder, glancing at Rochi, who stood on a tree opposite him.
Rochi's face remained cold, but it was clear that even he found it hard to believe Meibuyu was the culprit.
Whoosh!
Suddenly!
A shadow appeared behind Meibuyu, seemingly out of thin air, and a blade flashed with blinding speed! The strike was lightning-fast, executed with surgical precision, from an angle almost impossible to defend against.
If this had been an ordinary Jonin—or even an elite Jonin—they would have been slain instantly!
But Meibuyu's reflexes were extraordinary. In a split second, he spun around, drawing a pair of kunai to intercept the attack!
However, just as the blades clashed, the enemy's weapon suddenly flared with a burst of energy, its power surging to an overwhelming level!
**"One Hundred and Twenty-Eight-Fold Cannon Slash!!"**
Boom!!
Meibuyu was sent hurtling through the air like a cannonball, blood spraying from his mouth!
He had been ambushed!
Although incredibly powerful, his abilities weren't suited for head-on combat. His momentary distraction while defending himself from accusations had left him vulnerable, allowing him to be seriously wounded in an instant.
However, killing him outright with a single strike was no easy task!
His raw strength might be lacking, but his defensive capabilities were unparalleled. With his **Shikotsumyaku**, he could transform his body into a living fortress of bone, making him arguably the most resilient of the three Kage-level warriors present!
"**The Scarlet Eye of Konoha!!**"
"**Haruto Saito!!**"
"**Be on guard! It's him!!**"
Cries of alarm erupted among the ninjas as they caught sight of the attacker—Haruto Saito, the most feared enemy of Kirigakure!
Having just sent Meibuyu flying, Haruto Saito flickered out of sight, vanishing into the surrounding forest. The area was littered with his **Flying Thunder God Kunai**, making his movements incredibly difficult to predict.
Panic spread among the elite ninjas!
They swiftly adjusted their positions, moving into formation and scanning their surroundings, sweat beading on their foreheads.
After all, this was **Haruto Saito**!
Even **Hanzo the Salamander** had failed to kill him and had been forced to flee instead. Although Haruto hadn't defeated Hanzo single-handedly—he had led a squad of top-tier ninjas—the fact that he could go toe-to-toe with the legendary warrior was terrifying!
The forest fell silent once more.
Haruto had disappeared without a trace.
Everyone remained on high alert. Despite being gravely injured, Meibuyu was already in a battle stance, his face contorted with frustration. Why was he always the first to get targeted?!
"Haruto Saito can use **Shikotsumyaku**? Was that **Dance of the Seedling Fern** his doing?" Kawasa asked, scanning the area with narrowed eyes.
No one answered him.
Instead, several ninjas glanced at Meibuyu.
"Haruto Saito! If you know we're here, why keep hiding?" Rochi suddenly shouted. "Listen up! The **Mizukage** himself has arrived! Right now, he's in your precious **Gutian Village**! If you know what's good for you, surrender immediately!"
Of course, such words were meaningless.
But Rochi's statement had a purpose!
By openly revealing the Mizukage's presence, he was trying to pressure Haruto into withdrawing. They knew they were in danger—after all, Haruto had chosen to attack them instead of defending his village. That meant he had a **plan**.
Boom!
The ground beneath Meibuyu suddenly exploded, and a shadow lunged from below, slashing at him with deadly precision!
"Good timing!" Meibuyu roared, the earth around him fracturing as bone spikes erupted in all directions. At the same time, he extended additional bone blades from his own body and counterattacked with dual **bone swords**!
Haruto Saito had anticipated this. He knew there wouldn't be a second opportunity for an ambush—Meibuyu wasn't an idiot.
Still, he attacked anyway!
Because he needed Meibuyu to unleash his full power!
There was another key reason why Haruto prioritized killing Meibuyu—his weapons were made from **his own bones**!
And while his bones could regenerate… they were still a part of his **body**.
Haruto, on the other hand, wielded the **Cursed Blade**!!
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Hey everyone, this novel is fully translated, as the author only uploaded 434 chapters.