"Protect Chino!" Shunji roared, his large frame standing like a rock in front of Chino. His hands flew through hand seals: "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Boom!
A thick earthen wall erupted from the ground, blocking the Yukigakure's Ninjas' path.
However, the Yukigakure's Ninjas' speed far exceeded his expectations!
The lead Yukigakure's Ninja, the moment the wall rose, kicked off the ground fiercely. His Chakra Armor flashed, and his body leaped into the air with unbelievable agility, easily clearing the wall!
While still airborne, his hands finished a series of hand seals: "Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome!"
Three thick, sharp ice spikes materialized mid-air, shooting towards Shunji with a piercing shriek, like icy spears!
Shunji's pupils contracted. He roared, swinging his kunai to meet the incoming ice spikes!
Though his Earth Release defense and Taijutsu were solid, he was far inferior in speed and agility to the Yukigakure's Ninja enhanced by Chakra Armor!
Clang! Clang!
The first ice spike was shattered by his kunai, the second was deflected, but the third spike shot past, scraping viciously along the outside of his left arm!
The icy blade easily tore through his flak jacket and flesh, sending a spray of blood into the air!
"Shunji!" Hazuki cried out in alarm. She immediately began throwing kunai and shuriken like a storm towards the leaping Yukigakure's Ninja, trying to disrupt his landing.
Several shuriken instantly multiplied into dozens of cold glints, sealing off the Yukigakure's Ninja's landing point.
The Yukigakure's Ninja twisted his body agilely in the air. His Chakra Armor glowed faintly again, allowing him to perform an unnatural horizontal shift mid-air, avoiding most of the shuriken. Only a single kunai grazed his shoulder plate, sparking off it.
He landed steadily, his eyes cold, and began forming hand seals again. Meanwhile, the other two Yukigakure's Ninjas had flanked the Earth-Style Wall from the left and right, closing in!
One held a short blade coated in ice, thrusting directly towards Hazuki's ribs!
The other pressed his hands against the ground: "Ice Release: Ice Prison Technique!"
Frigid Chakra instantly spread, attempting to freeze the immobile Chino right where she stood!
"Get away!" Bearing the intense pain in his left arm, Shunji's eyes turned crimson.
Like an enraged rhinoceros, he charged recklessly at the Yukigakure's Ninja attacking Hazuki!
He abandoned all defense, fighting purely to trade injury for injury!
His heavy shoulder slammed hard into the other's knife-wielding arm, knocking it askew and causing the icy blade to miss Hazuki.
But the opponent reacted extremely quickly, countering with a sharp elbow strike to Shunji's side!
The force augmented by the Chakra Armor made the blow incredibly heavy.
Shunji grunted, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he staggered back.
Hazuki barely dodged the ice blade but was grazed by the chilling air at the edge of the other Yukigakure's Ninja's Ice Prison Technique. Her movements instantly stiffened, her feet slipped, and she fell to the ground.
The Yukigakure's Ninja attempting to freeze Chino pressed his hands to the ground. The icy coldness, like a venomous snake, coiled around Chino's feet!
Chino watched in terror as the frost rapidly crept up her legs. The bone-chilling cold made her injured left leg almost lose all sensation!
"Chino!" Natsuhi caught sight of the children's peril from the corner of her eye, her heart clenching with anxiety!
The purple Chakra Dragon she controlled let out a furious roar. Forcing its way through the grinding ice storm, it suddenly swung its massive tail, sweeping it fiercely towards Fubuki in an attempt to force her back so she could rescue the children.
"Hmph! You can't even protect yourself!" Fubuki sneered. Her hand seals changed, and the ice crystal storm abruptly contracted, coalescing into a massive, thick, rotating ice shield in front of her!
Boom!
The dragon's tail smashed hard into the ice shield. The shield shattered, and the dragon's form dimmed significantly, ultimately failing to break through.
It was at this critical moment of life and death!
The deep fear and despair in Chino's eyes, invaded by the cold, her body stiff, watching the frost climb towards her knees, were like dry tinder thrown onto a spark. They ignited explosively, instantly transforming into the most primal, desperate rage!
"Aaaahhh-!!!"
A shrill scream, mixed with sobs and ultimate fury, erupted from her throat!
Those eyes, which had just recently lost their crimson hue, were once again swallowed by a viscous, blood-like scarlet!
[Ketsuryugan!]
This time, deep within the black pupils enveloped by the scarlet, the [ - ] shape flickered with an even more violent light!
Blood streamed from her eyes. An Ocular Power far colder, more savage, and filled with the aura of death than before surged out like an uncontrollable flood.
The Yukigakure's Ninja nearest to her, the one performing the Ice Prison Technique, bore the brunt of it!
He felt an irresistible mental force, filled with chaotic and destructive intent, instantly overwhelm his mental defenses!
His thoughts felt like they were plunging into a sea of blood, drowned and suffocated by the viscous fluid!
His movements completely froze, his hands pausing mid-seal in the air. His eyes instantly became vacant and dull, like a marionette whose strings had been cut!
"Dojutsu: Exploding Human Technique!" Chino's childish voice now dripped with a chilling, murderous intent!
Under the control of her Blood Dragon Eye's power, the mentally dominated Yukigakure's Ninja's body turned around with an extremely stiff and grotesque motion, like a string puppet!
The blood and remaining Chakra within his body were forcibly extracted, ignited, and compressed by the power of the Ketsuryugan!
He became like a lit fuse on a powder keg. Under the horrified gazes of the other two Yukigakure's Ninjas, he lunged towards them!
"What?!" The other two Yukigakure's Ninjas panicked, trying to retreat or block.
But it was too late!
Boom—!!!
A deafening, terrifying explosion erupted within the snowy forest!
The controlled Yukigakure's Ninja's body was instantly torn apart by his own violent Chakra, transforming into a massive, blood-red fireball mixed with flesh, bone fragments, and violent energy!
Scorching heat waves and a terrifying shockwave spread outwards crazily like a tsunami!
Thud! Thud!
The two nearest Yukigakure's Ninjas were hit as if by a sledgehammer. They screamed as they were violently thrown back!
One's Chakra Armor emitted a piercing shriek, the chest plate denting inward significantly. Blood gushed from beneath his mask… he was knocked unconscious mid-air!
The other, though his armor blocked most of the impact, still had his internal organs shaken violently. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth as he landed heavily in the snow over ten meters away, struggling to get up!
This sudden, extremely bloody and cruel turn of events plunged the entire battlefield into a brief, dead silence!
Even Natsuhi and Fubuki, who are locked in their fierce battle, were shaken by the fierce explosion's shockwave. Their movements faltered, and they separated momentarily, each retreating several steps to steady themselves.
Fubuki watched the slowly dissipating crimson mist, then looked at her two subordinates lying motionless in the snow in the distance.
Finally, her proud, astonished gaze locked onto the small figure at the center of the clearing.
The girl's pupils were blood-red, her entire body emanating a soul-chilling, sinister aura, like a young demon crawling out of a hellish pool of blood!
What made her pupils contract even more was that as Chino's Ketsuryugan erupted at full power, the warm, still-unfrozen blood spilling from the bandit corpses scattered across the battlefield and the recently exploded Yukigakure's Ninja seemed to answer the call of some evil ritual!
As if possessing life, defying gravity, it oozed out from the snow and the broken wounds of the corpses, transforming into viscous, scarlet streams that gathered and coalesced rapidly in the air!
In the blink of an eye, a ferocious blood dragon, nearly three meters thick and seven to eight meters long, took shape above Chino's head!
It was entirely composed of viscous blood, reeking of a thick, metallic scent. Its form was even more wild, more evil than the Purple Chakra Dragon Natsuhi had summoned!
"Roar-!" The blood dragon roared, its terrifying pressure making the very air tremble. Its empty, blood-colored eye sockets locked firmly onto Fubuki in the distance!
A roar as if from the abyss exploded in Fubuki's mind!
The massive blood dragon, coalesced from the blood of countless dead, carrying a nauseating bloody wind and a boundless aura of death, shot towards her like a giant blood-colored arrow released from its string!
Where it passed, the air itself seemed to be stained a dark red!
Fubuki's face changed dramatically!
She could feel the terrifying power contained within this blood dragon… it wasn't just a physical impact, but also carried an evil ocular power that eroded the spirit and soul!
The Chakra Armor on her body instantly erupted with a dazzling indigo light. Her hands flew through hand seals: "Ice Release: Multiple Ice Walls!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Layer upon layer of gigantic, crystal-clear ice walls, half a meter thick, instantly crystallized in front of her! This was her strongest defensive Ninjutsu!
However-
Boom! Crash! Boom! Crash!
The blood dragon slammed into the first ice wall like a battering ram, with a force that crushed everything in its path!
The hard ice wall shattered like fragile glass!
Followed by the second, the third... it smashed through them as if they were nothing!
The viscous blood contained terrifying impact force and corrosive properties. The shattered ice walls were quickly stained red and began to melt!
By the time the blood dragon shattered the fifth ice wall, though its size had reduced by nearly half and its speed had slowed, its imposing momentum was still frightening!
A trace of alarm finally flashed in Fubuki's eyes!
She made a decisive decision, no longer trying to block it head-on. Her Chakra Armor flashed brightly, and her body, light as a feather, drifted backward rapidly!
At the same time, her hands formed seals again: "Ice Release: Ice Clone Technique!"
Two ice clones identical to her instantly appeared to her left and right, actively rushing towards the blood dragon whose force was not yet spent!
Squelch! Squelch!
The two ice clones were instantly swallowed, shattered, and melted by the blood dragon! But they successfully bought Fubuki the precious time to escape!
The blood dragon finally crashed fiercely into the large snow rock where Fubuki had been standing, emitting a dull, thunderous sound!
The hard rock was corroded into a huge concave pit. Viscous blood cascaded down like a waterfall, dyeing the rock a shocking scarlet!
Fubuki landed on another rock dozens of meters away, her breathing slightly ragged, the light of her Chakra Armor noticeably dimmer.
She looked at the terrifying marks left by the blood dragon's corrosion, then glanced at the little girl in the clearing who was swaying unsteadily, the light in her blood-red eyes flickering uncertainly… clearly at her limit.
And then at the powerful Jonin from Land of Stars beside her, whose gaze was locked onto her, and the two Genin who, though injured, were still standing stubbornly... She gritted her teeth, her face filled with unwillingness and a trace of apprehension.
One Jonin whose strength was not inferior to her own, one child with such a bizarre and terrifying Kekkei Genkai, plus two Genin fighting desperately.
On her side, one was instantly lost, another was unconscious, and the last one was struggling to get up, clearly having lost most of his fighting capacity.
Continuing to fight would be unfavorable for her… she might even fall here!
"Retreat!" Fubuki squeezed out the cold word through clenched teeth.
She turned without hesitation. Her Chakra Armor lit up again, and her figure transformed into a streak of indigo light, racing headlong towards the snowy mountains without a backward glance!
The Yukigakure's Ninja who could still move felt as if he'd received a great pardon.
Bearing his injuries, he hoisted his unconscious comrade onto his shoulder and followed Fubuki, disappearing quickly into the vast wind and snow.
Only when the three figures representing the Yukigakure's Ninja completely vanished from sight did the tightly drawn string suddenly loosen.
Thud!
The blood-red color in Chino's eyes receded like a tide. Her body went limp, and she collapsed onto the cold snow, completely unconscious.
Forcing the Ketsuryugan to erupt twice, especially the final control of that massive blood dragon, had long exceeded her body's limits.
"Chino!" Natsuhi immediately rushed over and picked her up.
Shunji, clutching his bleeding left arm and painfully sore side, leaned against a tree trunk, breathing heavily.
He looked at the unconscious Chino, his expression extremely complex… there was relief at surviving the disaster, shock at the terrifying power, but more than that, a shattered perception and a heartfelt recognition.
"This little brat-" He muttered to himself, finally letting out a bitter laugh.
Hazuki struggled to her feet. Ignoring her own scrapes, she quickly ran to Shunji's side, pulling bandages and medicine from her ninja tool pouch: "Shunji! Quick, let me bandage you!"
Natsuhi quickly checked Chino's condition, confirming it was only a dual exhaustion of Chakra and mental energy causing the coma, with no immediate life-threatening danger, and felt slightly relieved.
She carefully handed Chino to Hazuki for temporary care, then walked to Shunji to help treat the deep, bone-grazing ice spike wound on his arm.
"Na-Natsuhi-sensei," Shunji asked, enduring the sting of the disinfectant powder, his voice hoarse: "Who were those people just now? That armor was so powerful."
Natsuhi bandaged with practiced skill while explaining in a low, grave voice: "Those were Ninja from the Land of Snow. The leader was Jonin, Kakuyoku Fubuki. After the Land of Demons merged into our Land of Stars, our northern border directly adjoins the Land of Snow."
"The Land of Snow is located in extreme cold. They don't have many Ninja, but their individual strength shouldn't be underestimated. They excel in Ice Release Ninjutsu and rely heavily on that specially made Chakra Armor, which greatly amplifies their Ninjutsu's power and their physical attributes... It seems our new neighbor is not very friendly towards us."
Shunji and Hazuki exchanged a glance, seeing the same complexity and heaviness in each other's eyes.
They had just finished dealing with bandits, and now they'd provoked even more troublesome Yukigakure's Ninjas.
The difficulty of this B-rank mission was seriously exceeding standards.
Natsuhi efficiently finished bandaging Shunji's wound, and checked Hazuki's condition. After confirming it was only superficial injuries, she then stood up, looking at the chaotic battlefield.
She took a deep breath and said: "Clean up the battlefield thoroughly. All corpses, including the remains of that Yukigakure's Ninja, must be sealed into storage scrolls and taken away. We cannot leave any traces here. Move quickly! This is not a place to linger!"
The three of them endured their pain and exhaustion, forcing themselves to stay alert and act quickly.
Natsuhi personally handled the bloodiest parts, sealing the remains and important items… like the shattered fragments of the Yukigakure's Ninja's Chakra Armor, the maps from the bandits, the money pouch, and the small scroll… into different storage scrolls, carefully categorized.
Shunji and Hazuki were responsible for clearing the obvious traces of battle.
After completing this, Natsuhi carried the unconscious Chino on her back and led the two injured Genin, retreating with difficulty but determination towards the direction of Star City.
…
Deep within the military district of Star City, inside Menma's personal office.
The air was faintly scented with sandalwood.
Menma, still clad in his signature black robe with the white three-eyed fox mask covering his face, sat quietly behind the large desk, his back to the window ledge. The desk was piled with some files and maps.
From here, the entire Star City could be seen spread out below.
Natsuhi stood opposite him, respectfully reporting the complete details of the mission in the Awa Snow Forest.
Her voice was steady and clear, detailing everything from eliminating the bandit remnants, to Chino's danger and awakening of the Ketsuryugan to kill the enemy, to encountering the Land of Snow's Jonin, Kakuyoku Fubuki, the conflict between the two sides, and Chino's second eruption controlling the blood dragon to repel the powerful foe.
Every detail was thorough and unembellished.
"It can be judged that the Land of Snow's action this time, while nominally pursuing bandits, was actually testing our Land of Stars' northern border defenses, and may even have carried intentions of provocation and creating friction. Kakuyoku Fubuki's attitude was arrogant. Her Chakra Armor significantly enhanced her Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, and her Ice Release Ninjutsu was powerful and pure. Had Chino not erupted with the power of Ketsuryugan at the critical moment, the consequences would have been unthinkable." Natsuhi concluded.
Menma listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the smooth surface of the desk.
The mask hid his expression, only his deep eyes faintly gleaming behind the mask's eye holes.
"Chakra Armor..." Menma's low voice sounded in the room, carrying a trace of amusement and inquiry, "To amplify an average Jonin's Ice Release to that extent... The Land of Snow's technology is somewhat interesting."
An idea quietly stirred within him.
"I have handled the battlefield. All corpses and possible intelligence items have been sealed and brought back." Natsuhi added.
Menma nodded slightly, "You've worked hard. How are Chino and the other two children?"
"Chino is severely depleted in Chakra and mental energy. She is receiving treatment in the medical department. She is is fine, but needs rest. Shunji and Hazuki suffered some external injuries, which have been treated. They are currently resting. Although this mission was dangerous, it greatly trained the team, especially Chino… her Kekkei Genkai's potential is astonishing."
"Potential needs guidance and control, not unrestrained overdrafting." Menma's voice betrayed neither joy nor anger: "This mission process was perilous. I will have the military re-evaluate the rank. The results will be out within a week."
"Yes! Thank you, sir!" Natsuhi felt somewhat pleased. Engaging in combat with Ninja from another country, no matter how you looked at it, warranted an upgrade to an A-Rank Mission.
Furthermore, the opposing side was a team led by a Jonin, and they had killed one of them. Considering the sudden change in nature of the mission, it should be rated as medium grade, and a reward of 500,000 ryo was assured.
"Dismissed. Let them rest well. The encounter with the Yukigakure's Ninjas is classified." Menma said, propping his cheek with a fist.
"Yes!" Natsuhi bowed and then withdrew.
Just as Natsuhi left the office and Menma was pondering the Land of Snow's plot and characters from the movie, the office door was gently knocked.
"Enter." Menma snapped back to attention, looking towards the door.
The door opened, and Kanon walked in.
She first bowed respectfully to Menma behind the desk. "Menma-sama."
"Kanon, what is it?" Menma asked.
Kanon stepped forward, presenting an extremely ancient-looking leather scroll, its edges somewhat worn and damaged.
The scroll's material was neither paper nor cloth, exuding an aura of sedimented time.
"Sir, the ruined site of the [Uzumaki Clan's Mask Hall] you previously ordered us to investigate has been found."
She gently unrolled the scroll, pointing to a map drawn in an ancient style, slightly blurry, alongside a few lines of dense Uzumaki Clan's cipher text.
"Based on several damaged texts we found in the core sealed area of the Uzushiogakure's ruins, we have finally confirmed that the old site of the Mask Hall is located within the Land of Fire, deep in the forest along the lower reaches of the Naka River, on the outskirts of Konoha Village!" Her slender finger accurately pointed to a marked spot on the map in the Naka River's forest.
"Naka River's forest..." The brow beneath the white three-eyed fox mask raised slightly.
'The soul of that cheap father, Namikaze Minato, is still sealed inside the Shinigami's stomach, right?'
'Speaking of which, the Shinigami should be a local deity of this planet. Besides the Shinigami, there's the Jashin... and which other gods were there?'
A deep, dark light flashed in his eyes. Curiosity and a thirst for knowledge about these so-called local deities welled up within him.