All the students at the ninja school were packed into one classroom as a form of shelter.
HatakeSatoru gave them a few quick instructions, then instantly teleported to the Kaguya clan's territory.
The thick mist, filled with chakra, quickly blocked most of the view.
Even though Shisui had his Sharingan activated, it was still hard to make out anyone through the fog.
"Yo, you two are still hiding here?"
HatakeSatoru suddenly popped his head out from behind Shisui and Hozuki Mangetsu, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.
The two were hiding quietly in a tree, and neither of them expected someone to spot them in this thick fog.
"Ugh—!"
Hozuki Mangetsu had been focused on finding Karatachi Yagura in the mist and was so startled he almost shouted out loud.
HatakeSatoru quickly covered Mangetsu's mouth with his hand—after all, Karatachi Yagura was involved in this fight too.
If Mangetsu had screamed, it would've been a big problem if their location got exposed.
Right now, Karatachi Yagura was in a controlled state—nobody knew whether he was aggressive or just paranoid.
HatakeSatoru didn't want to jump into the fight this early.
Shisui had picked a good hiding spot—so far, no one had noticed them watching from above.
Of course, it might also be because the fog helped hide their presence even more.
Just a moment ago, Shisui had instinctively reached into his weapon pouch. But when he saw that messy silver hair and the face under the eyepatch, he stopped himself.
He forced his hand down and didn't pull out the kunai.
"You're amazing, Satoru-sensei! I didn't feel you come up behind me at all!"
"You must be really good at teleporting and stuff, huh!"
Hozuki Mangetsu looked surprised, while Shisui, sitting beside him, tilted his head slightly, feeling a little awkward.
That was a space-type jutsu. It worked totally differently from regular body flicker moves.
"Well, you can think of it that way~"
There'd be time to explain curses and techniques later. For now, it was easier to just go along with it.
HatakeSatoru squeezed in between the two of them with a casual grin and sat down.
"Once Genjii and the others arrive, the fog will probably start to clear."
He roughly sensed how the battle below was going. The Kaguya clan was fighting recklessly, like they had nothing to lose.
But the Anbu had the advantage in numbers and were better at fighting in misty conditions.
Against the Kaguya, they weren't doing too badly.
Mist was a normal tactic in Kirigakure Village, but this kind of thick fog couldn't be blown away by regular wind jutsu.
Only Karatachi Yagura himself could clear out a fog like this.
"Ah, it's about to happen."
"There should be a kid from the Kaguya clan around here… where is he~"
HatakeSatoru rested his chin on his hand and casually scanned the battle below without lifting his head.
Genjii and Ao were already very close to the group of traitor Anbu.
"How many kids are you planning to take with you?"
"These people aren't as easy to deal with as you think. Their whole clan exists for fighting. The moment they get up here, they'll want to fight you."
Shisui looked at Hatake Satoru and raised an eyebrow without meaning to.
Hatake Satoru had always had this thing for looking after kids, and that was fine on its own—but why even take in people from the Kaguya clan?
Whether you've seen them in person or just heard the stories, the Kaguya clan was basically made up of walking war machines.
What's the point of taking in kids from a clan like that?
Hatake Satoru pouted like a kid throwing a tantrum.
"Hey, don't judge people just because of where they come from—"
"I take in all kinds of kids, whether people like them or not~"
"The one following you isn't exactly famous for being a nice guy, either, is he?"
Shisui was about to argue, but just then, a faint red mist quietly spread over the blood fog below.
It was a hidden signal meant to look like blood mist so Yagura wouldn't notice.
Masked Anbu who were secretly traitors jumped into the fight right away—attacking their own side, without even needing to change clothes.
The whole point was to cause confusion and force Yagura to clear the fog himself.
Even though Yagura was being controlled, this was the only way to handle the situation.
Shisui shook his head and instantly leapt into the thick fog to join the battle.
Hatake Satoru was still wondering why things had gone quiet. When he turned his head, he spotted Shisui's figure dropping down, and froze for a second in surprise.
He was only half-serious when he told Shisui to help out earlier. Now the kid actually jumped in.
But knowing Shisui's strength, it probably wasn't a problem.
"Ah, well… whatever."
Hatake Satoru sighed, scratched his head, and grabbed Hozuki Mangetsu, who was about to jump down too.
"Don't follow him! They've got this under control. Come here—"
He pulled Mangetsu closer and whispered casually in his ear.
"I've got something else for you to do. When you see Yagura…"
Mangetsu listened, eyes slowly widening in disbelief.
He thought it over, pushed down his excitement, and gave Hatake Satoru a small nod.
...
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets."
Kimimaro suddenly stretched out his hand, and pale bones shot out from all five fingers.
In the blink of an eye, they flew straight at the Anbu in front of him.
*Thud!*
With a muffled sound, a small dent appeared on the Anbu's mask.
A part of the mask shattered, revealing a face beneath it—eyes wide open in shock.
Blood-covered finger bones rolled out from several Anbu skulls.
Most people let their guard down when they see a child.
Kimimaro used that to his advantage—walking right in, taking out one person with one bone.
He didn't really understand why he had to kill, but maybe that was what he was made for. Maybe that was his reason to exist.
Kimimaro was different from the rest of his clan—his bones could grow back. That meant he had an endless supply of them.
For the Kaguya clan, that basically meant he could use their power to its fullest.
So after discovering this, the clan leader and the others all agreed to seal him away.
He was perfect as a hidden weapon, a powerful card to play.
But he didn't fit in with the Kaguya's daily routine of constant fighting inside and outside the clan.
In the thick mist, Kimimaro wasn't much of a fighter. After all, he had spent the last few years underground, barely seeing any living people.
And now, the moment he was pushed out the door, he was greeted by near-total darkness and a heavy fog.
The moment Shisui and the late-arriving Anbu joined the battle, Yagura immediately sensed something was off.
Allies suddenly turned on each other, and the Anbu couldn't tell who was friend or foe.
What had started as an organized fight in the fog quickly turned into a mess.
The fog, which was meant to confuse the enemy, now had too many people in it.
To tell friend from foe quickly, the only choice now was to clear it out.
Karatachi Yagura quickly figured out the situation and frowned slightly.
Then he suddenly jumped up and made hand signs with blinding speed, muttering under his breath.
"Wind Style: Passing Typhoon!"
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