392. The Massacre of the Kaguya Clan
Added 2025-03-22 01:08:11 +0000 UTC
After suffering such a devastating disaster, Kirigakure was thrown into chaos.
Fortunately, the highly respected elder Genji was still present.
Before receiving medical treatment, he explicitly appointed Mei Terumī as the acting Mizukage.
Although this appointment seemed somewhat rushed, it finally provided Kirigakure, now in disarray, with a central figure to rally around.
In such a critical moment, the still-young Mei had no choice but to take on this heavy responsibility.
She immediately convened an emergency meeting in the partially collapsed Mizukage building.
While it was called a meeting, in reality, there were only three people who could make decisive moves for Kirigakure at this point: Mei, the former "Byakugan Killer" Ao, and Zabuza Momochi, the "Demon" who had attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage during the recent battle.
"What do we do next?" Ao was the first to ask.
With Kirigakure in complete chaos, it was crucial for Mei, as the acting Mizukage, to issue clear orders to stabilize the situation. Mei clearly understood this, so she decisively commanded:
"Ao, take a team and assist with disaster relief. Make sure to prevent the village's order from deteriorating further, and do everything you can to treat the injured!"
After that, she turned to Zabuza and said sternly:
"Zabuza, you will lead the elite forces of the opposition to clean up the remaining members of the Blood Mist faction within the village. Be sure to distinguish between those who are true Blood Mist loyalists and those who were forced to join. We must minimize the loss of our own people."
As a former core member of the Blood Mist faction, Zabuza was naturally very familiar with its internal structure.
Having him identify the Blood Mist criminals was undoubtedly the best choice.
Combined with his formidable strength, cleaning up the remnants of the Blood Mist faction shouldn't be a problem, especially with Yagura, Fuguki Suikazan, and Biwa Juzo all absent.
As for loyalty... the fact that Zabuza had thrown a kunai at Yagura spoke volumes.
Of course, the main reason was that Mei simply had no one else to rely on.
Ao, her most trusted ally, had lost his Byakugan and seen his strength greatly diminished, making him unfit for the task of purging the Blood Mist faction.
Hōzuki Mangetsu, the "Swordsmanship Prodigy" and a loyalist, was still unconscious.
Thus, Zabuza, a defector from the Blood Mist faction with immense strength, was her only remaining option.
Regardless, with clear orders in place, Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, finally began to function properly.
On the surface, Mei, as the acting Mizukage, personally stepped forward to reassure the villagers and maintain order.
Her partner, Ao, led medical teams to rescue the injured and minimize the losses from the disaster.
Behind the scenes, Zabuza led the elite opposition forces, composed of members from various clans, to raid numerous Blood Mist strongholds.
They killed all the remnants of the Blood Mist faction who were either preparing to counterattack or flee!
For a time, the streets of Kirigakure ran red with blood.
The thick scent of blood mingled with the mist, turning Kirigakure into a literal "Village Hidden in the Bloody Mist."
While this brutal purge sounded cruel, it was undeniably effective.
It strongly deterred those who sought to take advantage of the chaos, bringing Kirigakure into a brief period of calm.
Of course, Mei's greatest concern wasn't internal turmoil.
It was the possibility that the mastermind who had even Danzō on edge might return with core Blood Mist members like Fuguki Suikazan and Biwa Juzo.
If that happened, it was hard to say whether Kirigakure, with its current limited combat strength, could withstand them.
Fortunately, her worries were soon put to rest.
Just a day later, the reinforcements promised by Danzō arrived in Kirigakure.
They were led by Danzō's right-hand man, Aburame Ryoma, the deputy commander of the Root division!
While relying on foreign shinobi to protect their village was something that would be difficult to admit publicly, the arrival of Konoha's support did ease Mei's mind.
At the very least, she no longer had to worry about the Blood Mist faction making a sudden comeback.
As for how to handle these Konoha "occupiers" in the future... that was a problem for another day.
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On the other side of the Land of Water, Fuguki Suikazan and Biwa Juzo, leading the elite forces of the Blood Mist faction, were engaged in a final battle with the Kaguya clan.
Watching the bone warriors charging relentlessly into battle, even a seasoned shinobi like Fuguki Suikazan, who had seen countless bloody battlefields, couldn't help but feel a chill.
"Are these guys really not afraid of death?" he muttered through gritted teeth, his expression grim.
Although Fuguki Suikazan had heard about the Kaguya clan's fearless fighting style before the battle, it wasn't until he faced them directly that he truly understood the weight of the term "battle clan."
These people were natural-born warriors.
They cared nothing for their own lives, as if their sole purpose was to fight and kill.
For example, right now, the Kaguya clansmen were charging forward like madmen.
Using their innate Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku, they rapidly grew bones from their bodies. These bones served as both weapons and armor, providing formidable offensive and defensive capabilities.
Even ninjutsu struggled to shatter them. On top of that, the Kaguya clansmen were highly skilled in taijutsu, each possessing the speed of a cheetah.
In the blink of an eye, they could penetrate enemy lines and unleash a frenzied slaughter on the Blood Mist shinobi.
This was something they had never encountered when facing the Ice Style users of the Yuki clan.
Seeing the situation, Biwa Juzo finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"If we don't act now, the frontlines will collapse," he said, hoisting his Executioner's Blade onto his shoulder and leaping into the battlefield.
Immediately, powerful water-style ninjutsu erupted from Juzo's hands.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!!"
"Water Style: Water Wave!"
"Water Style:..."
These powerful water techniques instantly stabilized the situation, severely hampering the Kaguya warriors' advance.
Seeing this, Fuguki Suikazan could no longer afford to hold back.
He stepped forward and said, "I'll leave the battlefield support to you, Kisame," addressing a young shinobi with a fish-like appearance standing beside him.
The young shinobi, named Kisame, nodded immediately. "Don't worry, Lord Fuguki. I'll make sure to complete the mission."
With that, Fuguki Suikazan nodded and swiftly joined the battle, wielding his restless Samehada as he began the massacre of the Kaguya clan.