Chapter 90: Crystal (BONUS)

As the prince of the Land of Snow, Dōto held a status of nobility.

But ever since he was a child, he had harbored ambition—not to remain a prince, but to become the daimyō.

He concealed it well, rarely involving himself in governmental affairs, instead focusing on training ninjutsu within Snow Ninja Village.

Dōto understood clearly that only by attaining overwhelming power could he succeed in rebellion.

Years of training had made him even stronger than Nadare Rōga. With the Chakra Armor, Dōto believed he could stand on equal footing with the Kage of the five great nations.

He didn't believe Yami could take them both on alone.

"Ice Release: White Whale Covers the Sea!"

"Ice Release: Twin Dragon Storm Kill!"

The snowy mountains outside Kazahana City rumbled. Several giant ice whales roared forward as two black tornadoes took form instantly. Everything they passed—buildings, trees, even vehicles—was reduced to debris.

The Chakra Armor on both men glowed, clearly indicating that such large-scale ninjutsu was only possible due to the armor's enhancement.

Even Yugao and Izumi, watching from the sidelines, were shocked by the scene.

"What powerful ninjutsu..."

Yugao imagined herself in Yami's place. All she could do was avoid battle under such pressure.

Suddenly, she recalled Yami's earlier conversation with Sōsetsu and asked, somewhat tentatively, "These ninjutsu... are they enhanced by that Chakra Armor?"

"Yes," Sōsetsu sighed. "It's a weapon developed by Snow Ninja Village. It boosts chakra output and improves defense. But I already ordered research to be stopped and cut off all funding. I didn't expect them to continue in secret…"

Sōsetsu wasn't devoid of ambition, but he understood one thing clearly:

A man's possession of a treasured weapon invites calamity.

Even if powerful Chakra Armor was developed, it would only attract the covetous eyes of greater nations.

The Land of Snow would never surpass the five great nations with armor like this—it would only bring disaster.

Due to its remote location, the Land of Snow had avoided the ninja world wars. This armor, to them, was unnecessary. Not having it was more important than having it.

So when Yami brought it up earlier, Sōsetsu realized the technology had leaked. That's why he agreed to hand it over without resistance—because now he knew it was no longer a secret.

"Miss Yugao… Will Yami be okay?"

Staring at the approaching destructive storm, Sōsetsu asked worriedly.

"Don't worry."

Yugao calmly replied, "The counterattack is coming."

Just as she finished speaking, flames soared into the sky.

Yami's entire body glowed red, as if cloaked in molten magma.

"Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique!"

Magma erupted from the ground, burning several Snow Ninja who couldn't find footing in time.

The descending whales landed in lava, evaporating into massive clouds of steam.

"Two bloodline limits?" Nadare Rōga's face darkened. Two advanced releases, both heat-based—perfectly countering Ice Release.

"Let's see how you dodge this one!"

Dōto roared. The tornado transformed into a black dragon and charged toward Yami from the air, completely bypassing the magma on the ground.

"Why dodge?"

Yami's hands formed seals, and shattered buildings around him rose into the air, crystallizing into emerald-green shards that merged to form two massive dragons.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Dragon!"

Another bloodline limit?

Dōto felt like he was going insane. How could one person possess so many advanced releases? Were all shinobi from the five great nations this monstrous?

If Yami wanted to, he could still pull out Storm Release, Ice Release, and Lava Release.

His chakra control talent had reached the Ultimate rank.

Thanks to his "Professor of Ninjutsu" talent as revealed by the Third Hokage, his ability to develop and master bloodline limits was beyond belief.

Each advanced release came with multiple supportive techniques, greatly expanding his arsenal.

In the sky, the black dragon clashed with the crystal dragon. Within moments, the two black dragons disintegrated into snow and wind.

The crystal dragon pressed on, descending with force.

Kazahana Dōto and Nadare Rōga channeled all their chakra into defense, forming a massive barrier.

But Yami's next wave came instantly.

"Lava Release: Meteor Volcano!"

Chunks of molten rock burst into the air and rained down like blazing meteors, crashing down on the Snow Ninja ranks at blinding speed.

The entire enemy formation collapsed.

They had the numbers, but not the strength. Their chakra quality, nature transformation, and ninjutsu mastery were all inferior. Within minutes, casualties began piling up.

Dōto pushed his Chakra Armor to the limit, struggling to hold off the shrinking crystal dragon.

Then came a fireball.

Crack!

Another meteor.

Crack!

The barrier cracked again.

Several fire meteors struck simultaneously.

The chakra shield shattered like glass. The core of the armor also collapsed.

With his amplification gone, Dōto lost his edge. He could no longer resist the crystal dragon. His arms broke with a crunch, and the massive beast slammed him into the ground.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Pentagonal Prison."

The dragon's crystalline body morphed, encasing Dōto in an unbreakable crystalline prison. Nadare Rōga wasn't as lucky. Over ten fire meteors slammed into him, reducing him and his armor to ash.

"It's nearly over."

After eliminating the two ringleaders, Yami looked toward the scattered survivors.

He threw a special kunai.

Minutes later, even the special jōnin-level enemies like Mizore Fuyukuma and Fubuki Kakuyoku were all eliminated.

In total, seventy-six Snow Ninja who participated in the rebellion were slain.

The cost… was half of Kazahana City reduced to rubble.

Some of it was the enemy's fault, but most of it was Yami's.

His large-scale ninjutsu was too destructive for use within a city.

Fortunately, most civilians had already evacuated due to the chaos. There were no civilian casualties.

"Let's go," Yugao said to Sōsetsu.

Finally snapping out of his daze, Sōsetsu nodded. "Yes. Quickly."

Led by guards, the group returned to the battlefield.

Seeing the crater several meters deep, they truly grasped the scale of destruction.

"Sir Yami, thank you for saving the Land of Snow," Sōsetsu bowed solemnly.

"Thank you, Yami!" Koyuki followed suit.

Asama and the other ministers and guards bowed deeply as well.

Had Yami not stepped in, they would have been wiped out by the Snow Ninja. As the most loyal retainers under the daimyō, they knew exactly what Dōto would've done to them.

To them, Yami was a savior.

"No need. I did it for the money," Yami replied flatly.

Although they had all rewarded him with bond points, none of them were shinobi, so there was no real gain.

He pointed toward the sealed crystal and asked Sōsetsu, "Your brother's in there. What do you want to do with him?"

Since this was technically a mission, Yami had spared Dōto and left the decision to Sōsetsu.

"..."

Sōsetsu thought for a moment, then glanced at the lingering flames.

"Sir Yami, how long will your jutsu last?"

"Can you keep him sealed for now? Rescue efforts are more urgent."

"Alright. We'll talk tomorrow."

Yami kicked the crystal, sending it rolling toward the palace like a soccer ball.

There was nothing more for them to do. Sōsetsu arranged for the guards and ministers to begin rescue and cleanup operations. For safety, he also asked Yami to take Koyuki and stay close for the night.

The next morning, after the situation stabilized, Sōsetsu had Yami and his group summoned.

Dōto was removed from the crystal and bound tightly in iron chains.

"Dōto, it's too late..." Sōsetsu looked at his brother with a complicated expression.

"Hmph."

Dōto looked away. "I lost. I didn't expect you to stoop so low as to hire powerful Konoha shinobi."

"But I'm telling you, Sōsetsu. Only I can make the Land of Snow great again!"

Sōsetsu blinked. "When was the Land of Snow ever great?"

"You...!"

Dōto was furious. "Kill me if you want. I won't scream. If I beg, I'm not Kazahana Dōto!"

Sōsetsu sighed and walked off his throne. "You're still my brother... how could I bear to watch you die?"

Dōto's eyes lit up slightly but he quickly masked it.

He was certain. His brother was too soft. Even now, he couldn't bear to execute him.

Perfect.

He didn't believe Yami would stay in the Land of Snow forever. Once Yami left, he'd find a way to escape.

The throne would still be his.

As he fantasized about his return, Sōsetsu led Koyuki out of the hall by the hand.

"I can't bear to watch you die, so I'll go."

"Sir Yami, please do it quickly. Make it painless."

"No, big brother!"

Dōto froze in disbelief.

You can't bear to see me die, so you walk away? What kind of logic is that?

Yami and Yugao were both stunned.

They thought Sōsetsu was going soft, but he completely played Dōto.

Even they were fooled.

Yami said nothing more. His blade flashed.

Dōto's head flew through the air.

Izumi closed her eyes at the sight.

Yami gently coaxed her, "Izumi, we're shinobi. Sooner or later, you'll have to face this."

"Be strong. Open your eyes. The more you experience, the more you'll get used to it."

Her body trembled. Slowly, she opened her eyes and forced herself to look at Dōto's headless body.

"I understand, Yami..."

"Good girl. Our Izumi is the bravest."

Yami held her hand, giving her strength.

He made a decision. When they returned to Konoha, he'd take Izumi on a few missions to fight bandits and train her mental resilience.

A few more days passed. Sōsetsu finished restoring order and announced that he would not pursue the other Snow Ninja who hadn't joined the rebellion.

Rebuilding Kazahana City would take time.

Once everything settled, Sōsetsu revealed the secret of the crystal pendant he gave Koyuki.

Yami and the others were invited to witness it.

The group left the city and followed a trail into a valley.

"This place…"

"It's Koyuki's favorite spot when she was little," Sōsetsu smiled. "Remember?"

"Yeah."

Koyuki nodded. "But none of this was here before…"

Several massive ice walls surrounded a strange machine.

"Come, Koyuki. Insert the pendant. You can fulfill your dream."

Under Sōsetsu's guidance, Koyuki placed the crystal into the device.

The machine activated, and colorful lights shimmered from the surrounding walls.

Yami formed a Rasengan. The rainbow-colored light reflected in it, making the chakra swirl beautifully.

"So pretty…" Koyuki leaned closer, mesmerized.

"The best part is coming."

Feeling upstaged, Sōsetsu quickly chimed in.

This was a massive geothermal generator. Once activated, it converted energy into heat, raising the surrounding temperature.

The eternal snow began to melt, revealing blooming flowers and green fields beneath.

"Amazing…" Izumi covered her mouth in awe.

"Is this… spring in the Land of Snow?" Koyuki clapped joyfully. "Father, there's spring in the Land of Snow too!"

"Of course." Sōsetsu's eyes welled with tears. "Even though it only lasts a few days and takes five years to recharge… this is our spring."

"Koyuki, your dream has come true."

"Thank you, Father!" Father and daughter embraced with tears and smiles.

But then…

"So... you spent a fortune, cut Snow Ninja's funding, nearly destroyed the entire country, all to see a lawn for a few days every five years?"

Yami's voice broke the mood.

Sōsetsu, who had been basking in the joy, suddenly froze.

As Yami's words sank in, the scenery no longer looked beautiful.

The smile on Koyuki's face faded. Then she burst into tears.

"Waaah! It's all my fault! I don't want spring in the Land of Snow anymore!"

(To be continued.)