The Kaguya Clan... they seemed to have never heard that name before.
"There doesn't seem to be a Kaguya Clan among the families of the various villages, right?" Boruto spoke up.
He continued. While he was mischievous and prone to pranks, much like Naruto had been, Boruto actually did well in his studies—certainly much better than Naruto back in the day. He had definitely paid attention during lessons about the shinobi world's clans.
The Kaguya Clan! He hadn't encountered it. If such a clan existed in the shinobi world, it must be just a minor one, hardly worth paying much attention to.
Sarada, however, frowned slightly as she looked at Kimimaro before them. Even if he belonged to a minor clan, Kimimaro's aura clearly marked him as anything but weak. He was obviously a powerful shinobi. A clan's status wasn't directly tied to an individual's strength, after all.
"The Kaguya Clan... they were once quite famous!" Mitsuki suddenly interjected.
Kimimaro glanced at Mitsuki. "As a kid from the new era, you know of the Kaguya Clan?"
Mitsuki offered a small smile. "My parent told me some things."
Seeing Mitsuki's demeanor, and recalling what Lord Orochimaru had previously told him about the boy's circumstances, Kimimaro allowed a smile to touch his lips as well.
"Mitsuki, were the Kaguya really famous?" Boruto suddenly asked.
Mitsuki nodded.
"Then why don't I know about them?" If they were truly such a renowned clan, Boruto felt certain he would have known. At the very least, he wouldn't be hearing the name for the first time.
Just as Boruto was about to argue this point, Mitsuki spoke again.
"Because the Kaguya Clan wasn't famous in our era, but in the previous one!"
"Back then, the Kaguya were considered one of the Hidden Mist Village's most powerful Kekkei Genkai clans."
"Similar to the Yuki Clan—the clan of the current Sixth Mizukage, Lord Haku—they possessed an incredibly unique Kekkei Genkai."
"A special constitution-based Kekkei Genkai: Shikotsumyaku!" As he said this, Mitsuki looked towards Kimimaro.
It was as if he were asking Kimimaro if his information was correct. Kimimaro simply chuckled lightly.
"You know quite a bit!"
Boruto stared at Kimimaro. Kaguya Clan, Shikotsumyaku! What was that? The realization struck him—he had genuinely never heard of it before!
Just as Boruto was about to ask what Shikotsumyaku was, Sarada turned her gaze towards the large building nearby.
"So, what's the relationship between Master Sasuke and the Sixth Mizukage?" she asked. "They seem very familiar with each other!"
Hearing this question, Kimimaro's expression drifted into reminiscence. He recalled his time under Lord Orochimaru, alongside Sasuke, witnessing step-by-step how Sasuke's monstrous talent and terrifying determination won him over.
"That's right," Kimimaro confirmed.
"Once, the Sixth Mizukage, Haku, was also one of Lord Sasuke's followers!"
Huh??? They had expected Kimimaro to say they were close friends, but he used the word "follower." This was the esteemed Sixth Mizukage they were talking about! A genuine Kage-level powerhouse possessing the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, feared by countless shinobi. How could he have been Sasuke's follower?
Before Boruto could voice his disbelief, Kimimaro continued, ignoring their astonished expressions.
"Haku and Lord Sasuke likely met during a mission!"
"Lord Sasuke, as a Genin, undertook his first A-rank mission. The supervising Jōnin leading the team was Kakashi Hatake!"
"Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, as the shinobi of Team 7, carried out that A-rank mission under Kakashi's command!"
"During it, Lord Sasuke defeated the elite Jōnin from the Mist, Zabuza Momochi, who had been treating Haku merely as a tool."
"Because of that, Haku initially started following Sasuke with the intent to assassinate him!" Kimimaro chuckled at this point.
Boruto and the others were stunned. An A-rank mission right after becoming Genin...? Now they understood why Naruto valued Sasuke so much—they were old teammates. No wonder Kakashi held such high prestige in the village; he had personally trained two monsters. No! Make that three monsters. How could someone like that not be highly respected? One became the strongest Hokage in history, another an almost invincible presence in the shinobi world, and while the third might seem slightly less imposing, she successfully inherited Tsunade's techniques, becoming a highly skilled medical ninja with explosive combat power.
"But if the goal was assassination, why did he end up becoming a follower?" Sarada voiced her confusion. If Haku had wanted to kill Sasuke, why the complete one-eighty?
"It was because of Lord Sasuke's power, naturally!"
"Haku's assassination attempts failed; instead, Lord Sasuke easily thwarted him time and again!!"
Boruto was surprised. "He really tried to assassinate Master Sasuke?"
"Absolutely!"
"He just never succeeded!"
"Later, after becoming Lord Sasuke's follower, Haku lamented that his own strength was insufficient to be of any real help to Lord Sasuke! He decided to return to the Hidden Mist to seek greater power. During that time, he was discovered by the Fifth Mizukage, who helped nurture Haku's abilities. In return, Haku chose to stay and help the Hidden Mist Village rise again!"
As he spoke, Kimimaro glanced towards the building. It was a bitter irony that now, Haku had been betrayed by the very Hidden Mist Village he had dedicated decades to serving.
Meanwhile, inside the building, Sasuke stood by the window, looking out at the distant Hidden Mist Village before turning his gaze to Haku lying on the sickbed. Sasuke pushed the door open.
Haku turned his head sharply.
"Lord... Sasuke..." His voice held surprise, perhaps even astonishment.
Sasuke assessed Haku's condition. His life force wasn't overly weak, but...! Damn it, there was a sealing jutsu on Haku's body, completely blocking his chakra flow.
Raising his hand, Sasuke channeled his power, effortlessly erasing the seal on Haku.
Sasuke moved to Haku's bedside. He immediately activated a healing ninjutsu, channeling it into Haku to speed up his recovery.
As he worked, Sasuke looked up at Haku.
"Do you regret it?"
Haku paused, taken aback for a moment, but quickly understood Sasuke's question. He was likely asking if Haku regretted choosing to stay in the Hidden Mist Village back then.
Haku offered a faint smile. "Not really regret, no. This way is fine too. I suppose I've finally repaid my debt to the Fifth Mizukage."
Hearing this, Sasuke smiled faintly as well. "Then come with me."
Leave? Haku froze for a second. If he really were to leave the Hidden Mist, he suddenly felt a pang of reluctance, something he couldn't quite let go of. But given the current situation, the Hidden Mist clearly had no place for him as the Sixth Mizukage anymore. The village's shinobi ignored his orders, instead obeying former Mizukage. It chilled Haku to the core. He was the current Mizukage.
Just then, through the window, a large contingent of Mist shinobi could be seen rapidly approaching their location.
Haku stiffened, a flicker of worry for Sasuke crossing his features. But Sasuke simply patted Haku's shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry," Sasuke said calmly. "Kimimaro is downstairs."
Hearing Kimimaro's name, however, only made Haku feel more helpless, perhaps even more worried. Kimimaro being present was the real cause for concern. After all, Kimimaro had once declared that the Hidden Mist meant nothing to him anymore, but if he ever returned for other reasons... even if it was just to redeem the Kaguya Clan's name, he would make the people of the Mist understand the profound weight of the sins they had committed in the past...
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