"Boom!"
A chain of explosions ripped through the forest, shaking the ground and hammering the Amamiya ninjas' ears. The earth wall shielding their line cracked under the detonations, coughing up dirt and fire. When the smoke finally cleared, the wall still stood—shattered, but holding.
"Keep the pressure on!"
The Kaguya commander's voice sliced through the chaos. In an instant, over fifty Kaguya ninjas vaulted out of their trenches, charging straight into the forest shadows.
Raizen's eyes narrowed. "So, they finally bite." His voice dropped, low but sharp. "All Amamiya units, follow the plan. Move!"
"Yes, Raizen-sama!"
The formation split like clockwork: one team front and center, bracing the Kaguya head-on; two smaller squads fanned out through the flanks, while the rearguard moved to cover the retreat. Steel met steel. The forest screamed.
The first collision hit like thunder—kunai clashed, sparks flared, and blood sprayed the dark undergrowth. The Warring States had many names for war, but Raizen thought only one fit right now: hell with a body count.
"The Kaguya clan—kill them all!"
Their commander bellowed as a tide of white-haired warriors surged from the trenches, howling. The weight of their numbers crashed against the Amamiya lines, pressing hard. On the flanks, Hatake Gintama's units tried to circle around—but before they could, new squads of Kaguya appeared from the forest edges, cutting off the maneuver.
"Tch. Figures." Gintama's jaw tightened. "We're boxed in. Deal with them head-on!"
Steel rang, screams echoed. The forest became a furnace.
Farther north, along the slopes near Kasebi Ridge, the second Amamiya front tore into another Kaguya defense line. The defenders there—fewer in number, but vicious—saw the Amamiya banners rise through the smoke and shouted, "Enemy attack!" Their counterattack came fast, detonations splitting the ground. Three hundred Amamiya shinobi met three hundred Kaguya in brutal stalemate.
At the same time, upriver, Raizen's allies among the three minor clans received their orders: attack the Kaguya line now.
The message spread like wildfire, and soon the sound of water clashing against steel echoed through the river valley. Five hundred allied shinobi surged downstream, meeting fierce resistance—but the Kaguya could no longer hold all fronts.
Across three battlefields, the Kaguya clan bled. Their total numbers had dropped below a thousand. Three hundred fought at Kasebi Ridge, three hundred along the river, and barely three hundred remained holding the Changbai Forest. The rest were either wounded, dead, or too young to stand. The clan's desperation reached the point where even five-year-olds were being thrown into battle.
The great Kaguya name was rotting on its own battlefield.
Meanwhile, deep within their territory—a once-lively village hidden in the woods—the Kaguya stronghold stood silent. The silence broke when a low, commanding voice called for a clan meeting. Every remaining warrior, medic, and elder gathered in the central hall. The one who called them stood at the front: Kaguya Kuma, the clan's most powerful surviving ninja.
The old warrior's face was grim. His eyes swept across the hall, pausing on the younger faces—faces that had already seen too much blood.
"This meeting," he began slowly, "concerns the survival of our clan."
The murmuring started immediately, a hundred voices rising in confusion and fear.
"Do you even understand what's happening out there?" Kuma's voice cut through the noise. "The Amamiya have declared open war on us. They've already broken through two lines of defense. At the slopes, at the river, in the forest—our people are dying everywhere. If we stay, we'll face total annihilation!"
Shock spread across the crowd. Many had been told that the battles were under control. Now the truth hit like a kunai to the chest.
"So I've decided," Kuma continued, his tone hardening, "we're preparing to evacuate the clan lands. We'll move the civilians and what remains of our fighting force before the Amamiya reach us."
Cries of outrage filled the hall. "Evacuate?! That's cowardice!"
"The Kaguya don't run!"
"Our ancestors—!"
Kuma slammed his fist on the table. "And what? You'd rather die for pride? Let your children die beside you? You think the Amamiya care about our 'honor'? They'll burn this place to ash and laugh while they do it!"
An elder stood, trembling. "Even if we fall, the Kaguya don't flee!"
Kuma's gaze turned cold. "Then stay, and die with Takemoto. I'll give you three days. Those who want to live—pack what you can and come with me."
The hall fell silent. Pride or survival—that was the choice.
Kuma turned away before anyone could answer. He already knew not everyone would follow him. The clan's spirit had been forged for war, but war was exactly what had killed it.
The Kaguya were out of miracles. And this time, no amount of bone or blood would save them.