Who had he been before this? The question danced across his mind as the world formed before him. Colors and light flashed around his eyes, replacing what had previously been dull blobs of black and gray.
Memories jogged through his brain, simultaneously familiar and new at the same time. Two minds became one, causing the mass of pink to throb in his skull. He had been someone before this, just who escaped his grasps.
He didn't remember any death or afterlife. He wasn't even sure he had died in the first place. All he knew was that he was somewhere else, somewhere both foreign and familiar at the same time. Context from one of the minds flashed at him. The world he was currently in had been fictional at a point. That hadn't remained true, it seems.
His vision cleared even more and his head stopped its agonizing dance. His right hand shot to his hair, tightening the braid of gray. It was a habit of one of his minds, the one that originally inhabited this body.
The memories of the boy fought against that of the invaders, until their merge had finally finished. He glanced around him, the sleeping form of his mother and younger brother the only other figures in their tent.
Katsuo Kaguya. The name he'd worn proudly for the past nine years suddenly seemed much more sinister. Flashes of the future struck at him. His clan was to die, wiped from existence besides one Kimimaro Kaguya.
His gaze drifted towards his sleeping brother, the mop of white he'd constantly joke about carrying much more weight. His brother would be their clan's only survivor, before he too would meet his end.
The thought struck anger in the gray-haired boy, his fist clenching as he looked for something to beat. A glance outside his tent saw the bright stars above staring at him. Nobody would be awake to spar at this hour.
Before he could process it, he was pacing around his clans perimeters. The mass of tents and crudely built fences weren't much, but it was what he'd called home all his life.
Well, at least he thought he did.
The Kaguya clan had always been nomadic. Their current grounds in the Land of Water so distant from their ancestral ground in the Land of Earth spoke as such. His mother told him of the past, how they'd lived in the ruins of Uzushiogakure for a few years before moving on.
Thoughts of a life in a city struck at him, but he promptly ignored. The current camp of his clan sat near the coast, placed directly on the land between two connected rivers that joined the ocean a short ways after.
They were still located on the mainland, but that wouldn't be true forever. The clan head had grown bored of the traveling merchants and groups of genin protecting them, and now had his sights set on something greater. They were to make for sea before the year's end, stopping at an island or two for an unknown amount of time before initiating their plan.
Kirigakure was the target they set their sights for. They'd never faced off against the full force of a hidden village before, and what other way to showcase the power of the Kaguya clan than against one of the Great Five?
Just a day earlier, Katsuo would've been ecstatic at just the mention of their eventual battle. He'd been the strongest of the clan children for as long as he could remember, but hadn't seen real battle before. Now, however, he assumed a different attitude towards the sentiment.
His brother possessed the Shikotsumyaku, and it wouldn't be long before he awakened it and was thrown in a cell whenever they weren't in battle. If didn't know if he possessed the same ability, his foresight-like memories devoid of any mention of himself at all.
If he did have Shikotsumyaku, it meant he'd never been good enough with it to be worth mentioning. He'd end up like Hachiro, the last Shikotsumyaku user the clan saw who was so pitiful with the ability that they hadn't even taken precautions against him. The man had died decades ago, killed by a mere genin.
Such weakness sparked his extinguishing anger anew. Even with his personality seemingly altered, he still bore the ambitious attitude the Kaguya were known for.
His pacing stopped as he entered a clearing, one which he'd grown so accustomed to. His late night training had become a routine as of late. Despite the claims of his clan, men weren't born with strength.
Flashes of spiraling red and purple eyes crossed his mind, causing him to retract his statement. His fist shot forward, making contact with a nearby tree. As of his knowledge, he wouldn't even live to test his strength against that of the Sharingan and Rinnegan. Two more strikes hit the tree.
He'd have to change that.
The wood of the tree chipped and cracked at his assault, his mind entering a place of instinct as it usually did. Like most of his clan, he wasn't the best with chakra. Even without direct control over the Shikotsumyaku, his clan still bore a denser skeletal structure. They preferred to use their superior biology more so than their spiritual energy.
An open palm struck against the tree once more, this time slightly boosted with chakra. He didn't have much control, so the effect was barely more than it would be without the added boost. The tree groaned in agony as it had his previous strikes, but stood tall all the same.
Katsuo struck at the tree faster and harder, his fist laced with a small trace of chakra. If he wanted to survive his clan's extermination, he'd have to familiarize himself with the mythical energy.
When he'd snapped out of his training frenzy, the moon was nearing the end of its shift in the sky, its burning partner rising along the horizon. Despite striking at it for the entirety of the night, the tree still stood, causing Katsuo to anger even more.
He conjured as much chakra as he could to his left fist, the mythical energy soothing the ache underneath it slightly. In a roar of rage and determination, his fist struck the tree, causing the plant to groan as it had before.
The worst pain he'd ever experienced stuck to his fist, and a ripping sound accompanied that of the tree's groaning. The tree wailed before beginning its descent to the ground, crashing into the clearing he trained in.
Katsuo brought his fist to his face, clenching his teeth so as to not yell in pain. The cause of his agony hadn't been the splintering bark he'd grown accustomed to. No, the cause of his agony was also the same thing that brought the biggest smile of his life onto his face.
They were small, but there was no doubt about it. Protruding out of his knuckles laid small spikes of white. With an extortion of effort the spikes grew slightly before retreating back beneath his skin– which promptly covered their exitway as if they'd never left to begin with.
His brother wasn't the only one blessed with their clan's Kekkei Genkai it seemed. Katsuo activated Shikotsumyaku a few more times to accustom himself with the sensation before turning back towards their camp.
The Katsuo Kaguya of his memories wouldn't come to be, if he even existed. Unnamed fodder never suited him, anyways. The convergence with whoever had caused his change in attitude had only strengthened the resolve he'd had since before he could even walk.
Katsuo Kaguya would be the strongest to ever live.
/6/
"Get up. I won't have any brother of mine seen as weak," the gray haired boy barked at the panting figure before him. Kimimaro was finally old enough to join the other children in their training session, in which Ketsuo led.
He'd been training the clan children harder as of late, with his younger brother getting the worst of the older boy's ire. It was a stark contrast to the selfish attitude the boy was known for, but the adults paid little attention to it because it made their ranks stronger.
The white haired boy rose to his feet, bent over so that he could still catch his breath. The two had woken up at the break of dawn, and were to run outside of the clan grounds until late. Ketsuo had started to adventure further away from the clan grounds every day.
The two boys found themselves well away from any other Kaguya– or people in general. Small streaks painted a maze of blue before joining one of the bigger twin rivers. A small trail had formed from Ketsuo's own ventures, painting towards a small clearing blocked off by a downed tree.
The brother walked to the tree. With a quick grunt, the older Kaguya lifted the log, allowing for his younger brother to pass underneath. The crash from the Kaguya dropping it alerted the nearby birds, but was too far out to draw the eye of anything beyond that.
Kimimaro's gaze stretched across the clearing, which now sported a few standing logs that had clearly been slashed and stabbed at. "Do you come here often?" The younger boy asked, a hint of astonishment in his voice.
Katsuo didn't answer, instead swinging a quick hook at the younger boy, who ducked under it at the last second. In a burst of speed, Katsuo was upon his white haired kin, a flurry of strikes and jabs pressing into the boy.
Kimimaro dodged what he could and blocked what he couldn't, but Katsuo had gained his reputation as 'strongest child' for a reason. His dodges weren't nearly quick enough, getting clipped a numerous amount of times. When he raised his arms up to block, the force from which the older boy struck made him regret such actions.
With a spin on his heels, Katsuo kicked Kimimaro in the stomach. The younger boy reeled in pain, and was sent crashing into one of the makeshift wooden dummies.
"Stop holding back!" The gray haired boy barked, white spikes erupting from his knuckles. "I know you can use Shikotsumyaku!" Kimimaro's eyes shot open in surprise and he rolled to the side, dodging the attempted overhead slam from his brother.
A swift kick had the younger boy reeling once again. Katsuo growled in anger seeing his brother fly into a nearby tree. He hadn't let up, reaching the boy in seconds and grabbing him by the hair.
His spiked fist rose threateningly to his side, a harsh frown painted across his face. "Do it or I'll kill you!" The lack of response only seemed to make him angrier. He pulled his spiked fist back, boosting it with a hint of chakra. The mass of white struck at the younger boy, hitting him square in the chest.
The older boy's fist stopped in its tracks as it made contact with a hard surface. His angered frown changed to a satisfied grin and he pulled his fist away from the mass of bones protecting the younger boy's chest.
He let go of his hair, allowing Kimimaro to slump against the tree he'd been pressed against. The younger boy paused to catch his barings, but rose to his feet shortly after, the chestplate of bones retreating behind his pale skin. A single word escaped his lips.
"Why?" Memories of another version of his brother hit Katsuo, causing his grin to fade. He stepped away from the boy, adopting his fighting stance once more.
"This world has little care for the weak. You either rise as the strongest, or suffer a pathetic death," the spikes on his fist grew in size as Kimimaro adorned his own fighting stance. "The others have already doomed themselves in their weakness, but we are different. We will rise and paint a picture worthy of our clan name."
To most, the Kaguya were seen as a descendant of a powerful shinobi centuries ago. Katsuo knew the true nature of their clan's founder, however. The closest thing to a god he could think of. It's only right that they hold such a name with regards to its originator.
The two brothers paced around each other before rushing in. Their bone-enhanced fists clashed, sending an unusual sensation to the both of them. Two spikes shot out from Kimimaro's forearm, intending to skewer the older boy.
Katsuo quickly hopped back, one of the spikes clipping him on his left arm. A trail of blood slid onto his chest, but the older boy paid it little mind. Rushing in again, he feigned a left hook using the momentum from the feint to spin on his heels, kicking his white haired brother in the side.
Instead of sending the younger boy flying like before, his leg made contact with a flurry of spikes that'd formed from Kimimaro's left rib. Katsuo fell to the ground, preferring the moment of disadvantage rather than skewering his own leg.
He didn't know how long his white haired counterpart had access to their Kekkei Genkai, but it was clear he'd either been more accustomed to it or just naturally better than Katsuo. He'd already shown complete control over the bones in both his arms and ribs. His older counterpart could only use his bones as deadlier brass knuckles.
If it weren't for his age and skill gap, he wouldn't be able to beat the younger boy. The thought struck at his pride, but he just had to deal with it. Kimimaro was supposed to be his clan's final survivor, after all. Such a situation only proved his potential, in nothing else at all.
Katsuo quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the spear of bone extending from his younger brother's palm. He kicked out at Kimimaro's leg, which was a little to the left of him. The younger boy faltered slightly, allowing Katsuo to both rise to his feet and deliver another kick to the back of his knee.
A mass of bone erupted from his brother's exposed back, further tearing the shirt he'd been wearing and halting any attack Katsuo was preparing. Kimimaro's fighting style was a stark contrast to that of his older brother. Where Katsuo was aggressive; constantly trying to forge openings in his opponents guard or brute force his way through it, Kimimaro was the opposite; using feigned openings to draw his opponent in.
They'd be at a stalemate for a while. Kimimaro wasn't skilled enough to contend with the older boy, but his usage of Shikotsumyaku made him near untouchable. Katsuo thought about how he could break this stalemate.
Now, it made much more sense why even the battle-blooded Kaguya feared the users of their Kekkei Genkai. Their arsenal— which consisted entirely of taijutsu and kenjutsu, were made practically useless against the bone users. It was a remedy Katsuo would have to fix if he wanted to live his clan's near complete genocide.
His gaze locked on to that of his brother, who'd now risen from his knee and was eying the older boy down. Green eyes met each other as both boys used the opportunity to recover a little. Katsuo didn't know how long he had, so he'd have to work extra hard to fix his problems.
/6/
Kyo Kaguya was a man who'd seen many things. Villages both big and small, landscapes both beautiful and barren. If he'd had been from any other clan— or even clanless, he might have been an explorer.
Alas, Kaguya blood burned fiercely, and he was the fiercest. The morning sun rising from its resting behind the horizon always brought memories back to him. Today was the anniversary of his father's death decades prior. He was a great man, which was why he'd been chosen as the patriarch of the clan.
But great doesn't get you far. The man was weak, and so he died. Kyo found himself back at the scene. The shouts and cheers from his fellow clan members, the weight of his sword in his hand. It was summer, and they'd been in the Land of Hot Springs at the time. The harsh sun beat down upon him, causing beads of sweat to mix with the blood on his person.
His father's lifeless body lay just a step before him, slayed by his own son in a challenge for his position. Kyo's chest heaved rapidly, the results of his harsh battle evident. Even then, his eyes hadn't left those of his father. The two red dots in the middle of his forehead now covered by a line of crimson.
He raised his sword high, causing the cheers of his onlookers to raise in volume. It wasn't in a show of victory, however. He half stepped towards his deceased father and brought the weight of the steel downward. Even as one became two, and the previous patriarch lost his head, the cheers from his clanmates raged on.
A smile formed across his lips as he reminisced. Even twenty-three years later, Kyo hadn't faced a foe as strong as his father. The dozens of bandit kings and the few shinobi he'd fought paled in comparison. It was times like these that he wished he were younger, just so that he'd be challenged again.
His lust for strong opponents only seemed to grow in age. The Kaguya clan were no longer simple nomads, attacking a caravan or group of bandits here and there for gain. No, under Kyo they'd become something greater. A moving force of war and death, their bloodlust sated little by the lives they claimed.
The groups of shinobi they hunted weren't enough. Usually Genin with a Chunin sprinkled in from time to time. They'd fight hard, even taking the life of the previous Shikotsumyaku user, but it wasn't enough. They died like all the others before him.
Kyo wanted something greater. Even after the countless amount of men he'd killed, it seemed the higher ups of the shinobi world didn't fear him. No Jonin were ever dispatched to kill him, and the few bounty hunters he'd encountered were just a low Chunin at best.
Such disrespect irked him greatly, so he'd change that. His greatest quest yet was nearing its launching phase. He'd secured the ships he needed for his trip by kidnapping a civilian noble.
Soon, he and his Kaguya brethren would sail east until they made land for one of Kirigakure's southern islands. Then, the slaughter would commence. Such great amounts of death would force the village's hands. They'd have no choice but to acknowledge him.
Maybe the Mizukage would show himself then. Anything less would only end in his certain victory. The thoughts of it made his blood pressure rise. After killing the Mizukage, maybe then he'd take Kirigakure for himself. After that, he'd wage war on the other Great Villages, proving that he truly was the strongest man alive like he believed.
He turned away from where he'd been looking at the horizon. His tent was situated on a small hill, meaning he overlooked the rest of his clan's members. Both men and women trained in the fields. The children were running laps around the camp, led by a boy named Katsuo he believed. A few small groups of teenagers trailed the twin rivers, trying their hand at the water walking exercise. They didn't have much success.
He spotted a figure approaching his peak on the hill, two black-haired Kaguya flanking them from the side. Kyo's hand reached for the sword posted on his back, but his grip loosened when he recognized the familiar face of Momoka.
It took a minute or so for them to reach him, their hands shielding their faces from the steaming sun as they climbed the hill. The sounds of metal jiggling reverberated from them when they'd grown close enough to hear, causing Kyo to grin.
The bags of coins were all thrown at him at once. Kyo easily picked them out of the air, inspecting the four bags that now lay within his hands. He bounced the bags within his palm, feeling the weight of them and letting the inside metal jingle.
"From a group of bandits that tried to attack us on our way back," Momoka spoke, her harsh voice perfectly paired with her scar-filled appearance. Like himself, Momoka had rightfully earned her spot as the strongest woman amongst the Kaguya, which was why he'd married her. She still fought hard and valiantly, even despite the growing bulge in her stomach.
"The boats are to dock within the next two nights. We should start making our way to the village tomorrow." Momoka finished, her gaze settling on the horizon similarly to Kyo's. The clan patriarch tossed the coins back to his wife, who caught it effortlessly.
"Go out early and restock our weapons. Hopefully we'll be able to use them soon." Kyo's grip tightened along his sword once more, his fingers interlocking between the gaps in the bone-sword he'd stolen before Hachiro died. Even after two decades of constant use, the thick weapon of bone still had its pure white color.
"And signal for another tournament for tonight. It feels as if I haven't seen a battle in ages." Tournaments amongst Kaguya were commonplace under Kyo. Before him, they'd only served as a bit of entertainment to rouse the population whenever a patriarch had been challenged. An appetizer for an event that could shape the clan's direction for the next few years.
Kyo had made sure to change that. Tournaments were called after every major battle they faced, and were used to determine standings within the clan. Every man, woman, and child over the age of five was forced to participate. The further you went, the more prestige and influence you had over clan decisions. At the end, the final five contestants were thrown into an all out brawl, with the victor taking the title of patriarch.
Kyo had won all of them, of course.
It didn't take long for the word to reach even those that traveled far in their training. A little over a hundred Kaguya clan members stood grouped up in the stretch of land that separated the twin rivers. The sun had started to set, and torch-lights had been posted to form the outline of a stage.
Everyone had long ago grown accustomed to the situation, so there was no need for Kyo to make any speeches. Despite that, he stood in the center of the field, looking over the entirety of his clan.
"Men, women, children! Soon will mark a time in history that will change the world as we know it. No longer will the Kaguya be known as simple nomads! Our name will have the fear and reputation it deserves," the crowd erupted in cheers and clapping.
"But that is for the future, as near as it may be. Before we claim our rightful standing in this world, we must figure our standings amongst ourselves. War will soon be upon us, where only the strong will survive. Prove to me you are the strongest, only then will you stand proud as a Kaguya!"
The cheer only grew in size, until it triumphed over even the rushing rivers nearby. It was quickly silenced as Makoto stepped to his side, a scroll within her grasps. His clan members suddenly grew silent, eyeing and inspecting those nearby them. The sight brought a smile to Kyo's face.
In just a moment, Makoto would read out the names for the first matchup, and the era of the Kaguya would begin.