"Clan Head, it's true that we haven't seen any ANBU surveillance around the estate, but these traces... they are definitely new. Not more than two days old."
The clansman reporting spoke with suppressed anger. "It's Ice Release! Those bastards from the Yuki clan are still spying on us from the shadows!"
Naoto Kaguya remained silent, though fury churned within him. He looked at the piece of tree bark presented to him. The chilling cold had faded, but the frostbite scars on the wood were undeniable.
In reality, Night felt rather helpless about this. The Kaguya clan's observational skills were appallingly dull.
He had started leaving these Ice Release traces four or five days ago, expecting them to notice after just a few marks. Who knew their nerves were so thick? He had been forced to increase the frequency of his "drops" until they finally caught on.
"Ice Release... Yuki clan!" Naoto muttered, a cold glint in his eyes.
He summoned the clan elders and displayed the evidence.
"The Mizukage withdrew the surveillance on the surface, but secretly sent those Yuki scumbags to spy on us. What a humiliation."
The elders were incensed, clamoring to go to the Mizukage building again to demand an explanation.
"Protest? What good does a toothless gesture like that do, other than highlighting our incompetence?"
Naoto suppressed their impulses. He looked around at the clansmen present, his voice rising with indignation.
"Since the village treats us this way, any further diplomacy is just the whining of a defeated dog."
He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking audibly. "If the Mizukage wants to guard against us, then we must make him lower his guard and wait for an opportunity."
Naoto made a decision: on the surface, he sent an elder to the Mizukage building to lodge a mild, painless protest. It even carried a tone of appeasement, a stark contrast to their usual aggressive stance.
This created an illusion that the Kaguya clan had finally bowed to the village, offering only symbolic resistance even in the face of such insult.
In the shadows, however, the entire clan coiled up like a wounded beast, licking its wounds and sharpening its claws. It was the calm before the storm, waiting for the moment to erupt.
Unbeknownst to them, the Mizukage was completely baffled. He had withdrawn most of the specific surveillance, leaving only routine patrols.
To him, the Kaguya clan's protest was just them pushing their luck after his previous compromise.
Assigning the Yuki clan to spy on the Kaguya, another noble bloodline clan? That would be tantamount to stomping on their face.
He had no intention of provoking a civil conflict and would never do such a thing. He viewed the protest as just another excuse for the Kaguya clan to cause trouble.
An internal check confirmed that no Yuki Ice Release ninjas had been on missions recently, reinforcing his impression that the Kaguya were just making things up.
Night, observing all this from the dark, actually gained a newfound respect for Naoto's patience.
Right now, the Kaguya clan was like compressed gunpowder. All it needed was a fuse.
Just as Night was pondering whether to play another card to accelerate the explosion, a turning point appeared on its own.
---
Several days later, a seemingly peaceful morning.
The Kaguya clan's spies within the Mizukage building keenly noticed a massive mobilization of elite ninjas, including many ANBU members.
Although the orders were strictly confidential, the thinning of the guard presence around the village—especially around the Mizukage building—was visible to the naked eye.
"Clan Head! The village's elites are all out. Based on intel from our deep cover, the guard at the Mizukage building is less than half its usual strength."
An elder spoke excitedly, the flames of ambition burning bright in his eyes.
Naoto Kaguya stood up abruptly, his long-suppressed emotions finally exploding.
"A god-given opportunity! The Third Mizukage tried to exclude us from the core of power, but in doing so, he accidentally left our strongest forces intact. He is seeking his own death."
He hesitated no longer. "Gather every clansman capable of fighting. Target: The Mizukage Building! Today, the Kaguya clan will ascend to the seat of the Kage!"
"OOOHHH!!!"
The Kaguya clansmen, repressed for too long, let out a roar that shook the heavens.
Like demons crawling out of hell, bone spikes piercing their skin and faces twisted in ferocity, a massive horde of Kaguya warriors charged out of their estate under the leadership of Naoto and the elders. They made no attempt to hide, rushing straight for the center of the village.
Civilians along the way fled in terror from the horrifying sight. Stray ninjas rushed to the Mizukage building to raise the alarm.
But the Kaguya clan ignored them all. Their eyes were fixed solely on the building that symbolized the supreme power of the Mist.
Night hid on a high vantage point, calmly watching the rebellion he had engineered.
The Kaguya clan, firing on all cylinders, moved with incredible speed, smashing through resistance until they reached the plaza in front of the Mizukage building.
It was too smooth. A flicker of unease crossed Naoto's mind as he led the charge.
But the desire for power had already clouded his judgment. Looking at the building right in front of him, a savage grin spread across his face. The seat of the Mizukage felt within his grasp.
Hummmm—
A massive barrier glowing with blue light rose instantly from the four corners of the plaza, like a giant inverted bowl.
The colossal barrier trapped every single Kaguya clansman assaulting the building.
"It's a trap!" an elder screamed, his face draining of color.
At the same time, the figure of the Third Mizukage slowly appeared on the roof of the building. He looked down at the trapped Kaguya forces with indifferent eyes, radiating a bone-chilling killing intent.
"Naoto Kaguya... I gave your clan a chance. It seems today I have no choice but to scrape the poison from the bone and completely remove you cancers from the village."
As his words fell, the Mist elites who had supposedly been "redeployed" emerged like ghosts from all directions outside the barrier. They were packed densely, clearly having been lying in wait.
Leading them were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and a large contingent of ANBU.
Even more shocking was the presence of several Yuki clan members standing in the crowd, their bodies wreathed in cold mist.
Looking closer, there were also secret technique masters from the Hozuki clan, whose Hydrification Technique was a perfect counter to the Kaguya's Dead Bone Pulse.
Only now did Naoto fully understand. The so-called traces of Yuki spies, the convenient emptiness of the village defenses—it was all the Mizukage's design.
The bait was meant to force them into an active rebellion so he would have a legitimate excuse to wipe them out.
Having "figured out" the whole plot, Naoto's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Denser bone spikes erupted from his body as he roared:
"Third! You set me up!"
But it was too late. There was no way back.
With the madness of a man condemned to die, Naoto charged at the Third Mizukage on the roof with incredible speed. But before he could make it halfway, he was intercepted by the Mist elites.
In an instant, the plaza became a slaughterhouse.
The clash of bone and steel, the collision of Ice Release and Dead Bone Pulse. Roars, wails, and explosions filled the air. Blood dyed the ground red in seconds.
Night watched the tragic battle below quietly. His eyes showed no emotion.
This... was still far from the end of his plan.