Chapter: The Buried Legacy

The ice stretched endlessly, swallowing the land beneath a thick layer that had not melted for years. The cold was like knives, slipping through their clothes and settling into their bones. With each step, the sound of ice cracking beneath their feet echoed, as if they were walking over a graveyard.

Hyojin walked ahead, his eyes scanning what remained of the village that had once been full of life. Beside him, Haku followed in silence, but he could no longer hold back his curiosity.

"Master, what exactly are we looking for here?"

Hyojin continued walking without looking at him, his gaze sweeping over the ruins as if trying to read a forgotten past. A moment of cold silence passed before he finally answered, his voice quiet yet firm:

"A ninjutsu scroll... and anything else of value."

Haku raised an eyebrow slightly but asked no further questions. It wasn't unusual for his master to seek powerful ninjutsu, but it was hard to believe that anything valuable remained in this village, which had been pillaged by the Mist ninjas and rebels years ago.

The Search Begins

They started at the food storage, where the ice clung to the walls as if trying to consume the place entirely. Hyojin brushed away the snow with his hands, releasing the stale scent of old decay from within. Torn sacks, broken wood, and remnants of food had turned into frozen husks. Nothing worth taking—just the echoes of ghosts from another time.

Next, they moved to the clan's meeting hall, where important decisions had once been made. The room was large but completely empty, nothing but cracked walls and a floor covered in dust and fallen snow. He searched every corner, overturned tables, and even checked the floorboards, but found nothing.

The entire day passed, and exhaustion was beginning to show on both of them. The village was exactly as Hyojin had expected—looted long ago, leaving nothing behind.

Just as he was about to give up, they arrived at the library. The books on the shelves were either torn or blank, as if someone had deliberately erased the ink from them. Frustration crept in, but then, suddenly, Haku's voice broke the silence.

"I think I found something strange here."

Haku stood in front of an old stone wall, his fingers tracing faint engravings that were barely visible. "This is odd..." he muttered.

Hyojin approached, his eyes narrowing. With one look, he realized these weren't ordinary markings—they were a clue to a hidden passage. He ran his fingers along the stone, searching for a weak spot, and then—with a faint, grating sound—the wall shifted, revealing a dark passage behind it.

His breath quickened as he cautiously pushed it open and stepped inside. For a brief moment, excitement flared in his chest, but it vanished just as quickly. The place had been completely ransacked.

He stood still for a moment, then exhaled slowly, accepting the truth—this place had already been robbed as well.

A Hidden Vault

As they left, Hyojin decided to return to the shore, but suddenly, Haku spoke hesitantly.

"Master… there's something strange."

Hyojin turned to him sharply. "What is it?"

Haku hesitated before answering, "We've searched everywhere, but we haven't found the weapons storage. Shouldn't there be one?"

Hyojin realized he was right. Even in times of war, clans kept secret weapon caches. A thought crossed his mind, and he returned to the elders' meeting hall, searching for any hidden passage. But after an hour, they found nothing.

He refused to give up. They returned to the food storage, this time searching more thoroughly. And finally—he found it. A hidden door leading underground.

Testing the entrance, he discovered the traps were still active, meaning the place had not been raided. He smirked confidently and called out to Haku, who approached cautiously.

"Wait outside," Hyojin instructed. "I'll go in first."

Using Shadow Clone Jutsu, he sent a clone ahead of him while he remained behind. Just as he expected, poisonous needles shot out from the walls, piercing the clone's neck before it disappeared instantly. Unfazed, he created another and continued forward carefully.

He navigated the dark corridor, dodging traps with precision, until he finally reached the secret vault. The shadows within concealed its secrets.

The Discovery

The vault was dim, but he could make out scattered kunai and shuriken. There weren't many—likely used during the war. He ignored the weapons and moved deeper until he found a shelf containing ninjutsu scrolls.

His heart raced. This was what he had been searching for.

He examined them one by one. Many contained Water Blade Ninjutsu, but he ignored those. He continued searching until he found it—the Blizzard Storm Ninjutsu.

For fifteen minutes, he sorted through all the scrolls. The inventory was as follows:

1 Fire Ninjutsu

2 Earth Ninjutsu

3 Wind Ninjutsu

5 Water Ninjutsu

4 Ice Ninjutsu

All ranked A and B.

Though he felt a twinge of disappointment at not finding any S-rank ninjutsu, he knew such powerful techniques wouldn't be stored in a place like this.

He quickly sealed the scrolls into a storage scroll, took a few weapons for himself and Haku, and left the rest for possible future use.

Then, he carefully exited, sealing the secret passage behind him.

The Journey Continues

When he emerged, he found Haku waiting.

"Master, did it work?" Haku asked curiously.

Hyojin nodded. "Yes. That's everything. Let's head back to the shore and hope the man hasn't left. It's been more than a day."

Haku nodded, offering no argument, and together they walked through the thick snow, leaving behind the buried legacy of the clan, prepared for the next step in their journey.

But as the cold wind howled around them, neither spoke a word.

Somewhere deep in his mind, Hyojin had a feeling—this wasn't over yet. The buried legacy had revealed itself, but its secrets were far from fully uncovered.