AN: The Kaguya clan is retconned where most of them can use their kekkei genkai at a basic degree. Like how most Uchiha can use one or two tomoe sharingan. The ages of some characters have also been altered.
Inside a dusty, ramshackle shack, clothes, mysteriously colored bottles, scrolls, and kunai lay messily on the floor. Two boys occupied this single roomed travesty known as a "house."
"C'mon~ Retsu, big brother, how long are you going to look at that tube thing? Let's go beat up some Yuki clansman!" A small brat with two red dots, and long black hair whined.
"For the last time Michi, it's a microscope." Retsu let out a tired sigh.
"Retsu~" Michi pleaded.
"Go outside and bang your head on the tree, it'll make you stronger! Once you've done that a hundred, no, five hundred times, I'll come out and play with you!" Retsu turned away from the microscope, and gave Michi a big thumbs up.
"I'm going to be the strongest!" Michi happily ran outside.
"Sure you will." Retsu nodded along.
Shoulders slumping, Retsu's false energy fled him, and he turned back to work.
Resting on the slide underneath the microscope's light, was a sample of his blood. As a member of the Kaguya clan, Retsu had always been curious about his kekkei genkai. If possible, he wanted to evolve his kekkei genkei, into a kekkei mora. Kaguya's all killing ash bone was some OP bullshit, and Retsu wanted in.
Every day since he regained his memories of his past life at four, Retsu had been experimenting with his chakra. Unlike his clansmen who were interested only in close quarters combat, Retsu researched hand seals, and figured out how to mobilize his chakra throughout his body. He discovered the secrets to shaping his bones, and using them as a weapon. As a form of chakra control, he made bones of all shapes, and sizes. Retsu familiarized himself with the precise amount of chakra required to form each and every bone. Now that he had a microscope, one obtained using dubious methods, he could get a better understanding of how his body worked.
As a casual student of anatomy, Retsu was slightly familiar with osteogenesis. That is, the formation of bones. And the truth about bone growth, is that it all stems from blood!
On the slide in front of him, Retsu observed his blood.
For the next hour, Retsu plied a trickle of his chakra into his blood sample to see how it moved. At times, he would even form small chunks of bone from the sample.
Satisfied with today's research, Retsu blew out a nearby candle, and rubbed his eyes.
'That's strange, why is there no rhythmatic thumping of my idiot younger brother coming from outside?'
Retsu peaked his head outside the door to the house. It was a nice day with blue sky, and a few errant clouds lazily floated all about. Over by the old sturdy tree in his yard, Retsu beheld a scene of heavy grunting. Three other Kaguya members, all with their characteristic black bun haircut, red dots on the forehead, and wearing the standard clan white robes were mercilessly beating Michi while he lay prone on the ground.
"Your brother is the dumbest in the clan!"
"Bunless bastard!"
"Yeah, only an idiot reads books!"
"Grr, take my iron head!" Michi jumped up from the ground, and headbutted one of his tormentors. The other boy's neck jerked, and he fell to the ground unconcious.
"That's it, you asked for it!" Claws like Wolverine from X-men popped out of one of the boy's knuckles, and he went to ram them on Michi's skull.
Only, the knuckles scraped off Michi's hard head!
"Hah! My brother's smart!" Michi triumphantly gripped the knuckle boy by the arms, and repeatedly slammed his forehead on the other till he lost consciousness.
"Just another day in this forsaken clan." Retsu sighed to himself.
"Big brother!" Michi turned around in a hurry, only to trip on a scattered limb, and faceplant onto the damp soil.
"Gotcha!" The third bully snuck up on Retsu, and aimed a vicious bone enhanced elbow at Retsu's temple.
Ducking down just enough so that his attack went over his head, Retsu then gripped the arm of his assailant, and twisted his arm till he heard a snap.
"Only the dumbasses in our clan shout out their attacks." Retsu closed his eyes, and shook his head.
When he opened them, he saw the beaming face of his smiling little brother.
Retsu's stomach growled.
"Ramen!" Michi held up his hands in praise.
"Let's just get some fish and rice." Retsu wiped his hands on the shirt of his downed assailant.
"Ramen!" Michi gripped the hem of Retsu's white robe.
Retsu closed his eyes in annoyance. The nearby peasant villages supplied the Kaguya with clothes, fish, and grain. To get ramen, he'd have to travel to Kirigakure.
But then again…his little brother was kind of pathetic…
"Fine." Retsu said in monotone.
"Yaaay!" Michi cheered.
Reaching into the house, Retsu pulled out a white-red bone sword from under some loose sheets. Retsu cut his palm, and circulated blood and chakra into the blade, it glowed eerily red from the circulation of his chakra. The whiteness of the bone blade slightly turned more crimson, and the sword turned slightly less white in appearance.
Satisfied, Retsu wrapped the blade in a cloth, and mounted it to his back. As for his hand, Retsu completely ignored it. It would clot, and heal itself in a short while. The Kaguya were blessed with a rather powerful constitution after all.
Closing the door to the house, Retsu led the way.
Michi ran circles around Retsu as they trekked forward.
Everywhere Retsu looked were ramshackle houses that barely passed off as basic shacks. The Kaguya weren't necessarily builders, or a people with a strong aesthetic sense. As long as they could kill, torment, or battle, they were happy. In fact, the most "elaborate" building was constructed from the bones of their enemies. The Kaguya village was truly a bleak, morbid scene. They fit right in with the Third Mizukage, and his blood mist program.
Outside of these shacks were his "people." They fought, and sparred with one another to assert dominance, and because it was what passed for entertainment among the clan.
Along the way to get food, they ran into several more Kaguya clansmen. Making eye contact with anyone of a similar age caused a fight to immediately break out. Sometimes they fought older boys, and teens, beating all but one group. After half an hour of recuperating, they resumed their journey.
Finally, at the outskirts of the Kaguya enclave, they came across an adult. Wordlessly, Retsu and Michi produced a bone from their arm, their radius to be exact, and presented it to the adult. Nodding his head, the older man accepted their tribute, and placed their bones on a stack that was piled up next to him.
Retsu couldn't help but sigh. 'Stupid bone collecting obsessive idiots.'
"Hey, can't you form your bones way faster?! It took me like, five whole minutes to make my bone! I've seen you do it in less than-" Michi said in a loud voice, before he was interrupted by Retsu's hand covering his mouth.
The older Kaguya man paused slightly from his bored idleness, and peered over at the young duo.
"Shut. Up. Michi!" Retsu hissed.
Seeing that the older man didn't pursue the issue, Retsu tugged on Michi's arm, and pulled him passed the threshold of the village.
"What have I told you a million times?" Retsu crossed his arms, and directed a scathing look Michi's way.
Anger swelling up in his veins, Michi defiantly raised his head to smash down upon Retsu.
"Foolish younger brother, I'm already behind you!" Retsu's iron like grasp closed around Michi's neck, restricting the air to his head.
Kicking Michi's legs from under him, Retsu placed himself on top of Michi's back.
"Go on, what have I taught you." Retsu blew a strand of his long black hair out of his face in annoyance.
"Mnn mmn mn mn." Michi talked into the ground.
"Again." Retsu raised Michi's head from the floor.
"Didn't you say only dummies announce their attacks-mnnmmmnmm!"
Retsu shoved Michi's face back into the dirt, then lifted him up again. This time, Retsu remained silent, and simply glared at Michi.
Spitting out a clump of damp grass and mud, Michi barred his teeth at Retsu and growled.
"This stupid clan. Hah~ You want to be strong? You hide your power to be underestimated, Michi. That way, you can be strong when it really counts!" Retsu said a line he had uttered literally dozens of times.
"If you were strong, you wouldn't have lost to those teenagers! If you were strong, you would've beaten up that grownup!" Michi pouted, tears swelling at the corner of his eyes.
"Ah, but your big brother is strong! Those muscleheads only know how to use their fists! I poisoned the teens who beat us, and they'll have constipation for a week! Work smarter, not harder Michi. Why do you think I always have you train that big'ol head of yours?" Retsu grinned.
"Ah! You're right! Big brother is the smartest, and the strongest!" Michi shouted in childish jubilation.
"Yeah, just, you know, don't go shouting that out to the world Michi." Retsu had a sweat drop drip down from the back of his head.
"Okay big brother…can we go eat now?" Michi whispered in a conspiratorial voice.
"Hah~ Yes my stupid little brother, we shall go eat now!" Retsu lifted himself off Michi's back, and tossed the boy into the air.
Doing a flip, Michi landed on his feet, and smiled cheerily at Retsu.
Retsu couldn't help but sigh for the billionth time. He was going to have to fight this mood swinging troublesome little brother of his every day to prove his strength, wasn't he?
"Ra-mm-en! Ra-mm-en! Ra-mm-en!" Michi regained his former exuberance, and ran circles around Retsu.
"Ugh, let's just get on one of these boats, and get to Kiri already." Retsu placed a hand on his forehead, and walked toward the beach.
On the beach, there were dozens of boats of all sizes capsized, and laying about. There wasn't anything like a dock or a pier.
Retsu groaned to himself. 'Stupid barbarians.'
Lifting up a small rowboat that seemed to be in good condition, Retsu shook it up and down to dispel any sand that had fallen onto the interior. After rummaging around the sand in the beach for five minutes, he finally found a pair of acceptable oars.
A twenty minute boat ride later, and they were at the shores of Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist.
Along the way, hundreds of boats passed them by, either going to or coming from the vast maritime city.
Past the towering gates were thousands of buildings all jam packed next to one another, providing very little free space. The vast majority of buildings were eight story apartments to house the lower caste. Toward the center of the village, the buildings became less dense, and individual houses came into view for the middle caste. At the very center, there were a few estates that housed the upper caste, and those noble clans of Kiri.
When Retsu and Michi entered the village, they were under the immediate scrutiny of the gate guards. Ten shinobi cast their gazes on them with heightened vigilance. Some had already drawn a kunai or had twitchy fingers, ready to cast a jutsu at a moments notice.
What, it wasn't like Retsu was going to commit a massacre or anything! Probably.
"Ramen! Yes we're finally here!" Michi bounced up and down, completely breaking the tense atmosphere from a moment ago.
"Yes Michi. We are here for ramen." Retsu replied loudly so any eavesdroppers knew exactly what their purpose was.
Gripping Michi by the hand, Retsu dragged the smaller boy into the village, so he wouldn't hold up the flow of traffic, and draw even more attention upon them.
While leading Michi to the ramen stand, Retsu heard hawkers sell their wares, and ply their trade.
"Snow trout, get your snow trout, 500 Ryo for five fish!"
"Land of Snow blankets! Freshly knit blankets, 5,000 Ryo! Get them before winter sets in!"
Retsu noticed a tinge of blood on the blankets as he passed by, and shook his head. Unlike most other ninja villages, the Hidden Mist was different. Its isolation meant that taking on contracts from clients in other countries took a lot of time to sail to, and show up to. That meant they received far fewer contracts than even Suna! To supplement their currency, most Kiri shinobi turned to piracy. It was highly likely that the previous owner of those blankets was murdered for their goods.
"Gems from the Land of Earth's mines. Make your girl pretty, drive those NTR bastards to despair with your show of wealth! Only 10,000 Ryo per gem!" A man wearing a Kiri headband increased his voice with chakra to out shout the nearby hawkers.
"Big brother, why would anyone want to buy that junk?" Michi scowled in disgust.
"Sex sell, Michi." Retsu kept ahold of his younger brothers hand and dragged him forward.
"Sex?" Michi had question marks all over his head.
"We'll talk when you're older. It's something only the strong would understand." Retsu nodded as if he was dispensing sagely wisdom.
"But I want to know-"
"Look, ramen!"
"Where!?" Michi struggled to escape Retsu's grasp in search of the fabled noodle.
The ramen bar was small, and had six outdoor seats, covered by a tarp to keep out the wind and rain. Each seat was occupied by a hungry customer.
"Move." Retsu commanded a pair of teens eating at the ramen stand.
They took one look at Retsu and Michi, looked down forlornly at their meals, wolfed down as much as they could, then quickly vacated their seats.
Retsu felt bad for the people in the lower caste, but this is how society in Kirigakure operated. Those with power ruled. In a world of mystical super powered bullshit, dictatorships and feudalism were oh so much easier to enforce. Retsu was very much a "when in Rome" type of man. He might skirt the lines such as refusing to wear his head in a bun like the other Kaguya, but he wasn't afraid to break some bones or crack a few skulls to get his point across.
Plopping Michi down on one of the bar stools, Retsu took a seat besides him. At the same time, the other four occupants took a look at who had ordered, and were quick to leave of their own volition. The Kaguya reputation for insanity, and team killing was quite well known within the village.
"Two miso soups." Retsu ordered.
"C'mon Retsu, we had miso soup like, the last few times! I want a different flavor of ramen!" Michi whined.
Retsu scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. From all the years of anime watching, the only kind of ramen he knew about was miso soup. In fact, miso soup…had no ramen noodles in it at all! His little brother this entire time thought that miso soup was ramen! What a disgrace of an older brother Retsu had been!
"I thought I sensed your bloodlust. Boss, give them some pork ramen, on me." Lifting up the flap of the ramen stand, a handsome boy made his appearance.
Medium-long white hair, clear skin, and possessing a devilish smirk, it was none other than Mangetsu Hozuki. Strapped to his back were a pair of katanas. He was but a boy now, but he was destined to one day become a member of the legendary Seven Swordsman of the Mist.
A small stare down ensued between the two boys.