Yuki Clan - Ice Release Remains

Time kept moving forward...

The next day dawned.

As the sun climbed into the sky, a shadowy figure slipped away.

"Haa..."

Ringo Ameyuri sighed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

The effects of the Will of Fire were everywhere.

Her whole body throbbed with pain, making even the smallest movements difficult.

Outside, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.

It was a beautiful time of year, with the heather in full bloom.

But, with her body screaming in pain, she could only sigh, "What a... pain..."

As Ringo Ameyuri stared at the ceiling, something was changing on her body.

A faint marking began to appear on her lower stomach.

Slowly, it took the shape of Konoha's flame symbol.

It seemed to be a sign of a "Weapon of the Will of Fire."

Below the symbol, a name was carefully written: "Sarutobi Ryo."

The completed mark flickered for a moment, then disappeared.

"Lord, goodbye..."

The voice of the girl named Guren drifted in from the closed doorway.

He was gone, then.

He had tricked her, and then he... well, tricked her.

And the corpse she had planned to sell for some quick cash was gone too. Really... Sigh...

A moment later, Guren opened the door and walked in.

Seeing Ringo Ameyuri lying naked on the bed, she screamed and ran away.

"So grown-up, and not even embarrassed~!"

The innocent girl just assumed Ringo Ameyuri always slept without clothes.

----

On the way back, Sarutobi Ryo, having finished his business, unrolled a scroll and studied it carefully.

This scroll had belonged to Ringo Ameyuri.

After the leaders of Kirigakure learned about her illness, they had sent a skilled ninja to test her strength.

Ringo Ameyuri had managed to kill her attacker, but this only confirmed her terminal illness to Kirigakure, leading them to send Kurosuki Raiga and the others.

The corpse sealed inside the scroll was the Kirigakure ninja that Ringo Ameyuri had killed in self-defense.

A Jonin from the Yuki Clan who was part of the Anbu.

The Yuki Clan was the same clan as Haku, known for their special ability.

They possessed a Kekkei Genkai called "Ice Release."

Sarutobi Ryo had wondered how giving Ringo Ameyuri the Will of Fire could give him Ice Release.

Now, he had his answer.

Ringo Ameyuri, after killing the ninja, had planned to sell the body at the Underground Exchange.

Besides strange collectors, different countries were always looking for ninja corpses.

The ninja profession had been around for so long that there were well-established methods for analyzing the information in a corpse.

By studying the body, it was possible to learn about the ninja's life, special techniques, and even their Kekkei Genkai!

Therefore...

In the Underground Black Market, the corpses of ninja from Kekkei Genkai clans were extremely valuable.

"So, from this corpse, I can figure out how Ice Release works..."

Many people knew that Ice Release was a mix of "Water" and "Wind" nature transformations.

But the exact way they combined was a secret that even the Uchiha clan's Sharingan couldn't copy.

The secret of Ice Release wasn't in the hand signs or the technique itself, but... in the corpse and the bloodline!!

Sarutobi Ryo felt a surge of excitement; he couldn't wait to get home and start analyzing the body.

Nonou was away on a mission.

Which medical ninja did he know?

Sarutobi Ryo immediately thought of his mother, Sarutobi Biwako.

She was a first-generation Konoha Anbu ninja, a follower of Senju Tobirama.

She was also a skilled medical ninja.

Sarutobi Biwako had trained Taji as her student and took over the medical department when Tsunade left the village.

Later, Sarutobi Biwako and Taji would even help Uzumaki Kushina give birth.

"But..."

He knew his mother was selfless and would probably tell everyone about this.

"No..."

Sarutobi Ryo shook his head.

"Let me think..."

Also, after giving Ringo Ameyuri the Will of Fire, the system had gained a new feature.

It was called the "Will of Fire Weapon Imprint."

To be exact, it was a special formula.

The base for the formula was a "blank Cursed Seal."

This Cursed Seal only had a pattern shape that could be changed, but it didn't do anything specific yet.

Sarutobi Ryo had customized the pattern with his own name.

He had also scared Ringo Ameyuri, telling her that he could kill her instantly if she disobeyed him.

Sarutobi Ryo believed he could fool her for now.

As time went on, the Cursed Seal would gain more features, giving it more potential.

One day, it might even be able to control "her" life and death.

"Either way, the first Weapon of the Will of Fire... is mine!"

----

Two days later.

Sarutobi Ryo, Yamanaka Hui, and Hyuga Ruri arrived back in the village.

Yamanaka Hui, unaware that Sarutobi Ryo had obtained a Weapon of the Will of Fire, sighed with relief and looked happily at the busy entrance: "We're back..."

As soon as they entered, Sarutobi Ryo noticed something that caught his attention.

A man with a kappa-style haircut, a thick mustache, and bushy eyebrows.

He was wearing a skintight suit, making him look even more like a kappa.

Seeing him, Yamanaka Hui's face changed: "The Eternal Genin... Might Duy..."

Might Duy was known as the Eternal Genin, and people often made fun of him.

He couldn't use Ninjutsu, so he couldn't become a Chunin.

Some even said that allowing him to graduate as a Genin was already a kindness from the Hokage.

This situation went back to Senju Tobirama's rules about how ninja were evaluated.

Senju Tobirama had set the standards for the Ninja Academy, Genin, Chunin, Jonin, and even the Anbu.

However, he didn't realize that someone could become strong without using Ninjutsu.

This showed that something was unusual if a ninja couldn't become a Chunin for a long time.

"Guy, don't worry... Even though that boy Kakashi graduated early and became a Genin, you can still see him as a rival..."

"But..."

Might Duy's son, to most people, looked like a mini-kappa.

They were a strange pair, father and son.

Guy was surprised and shocked to hear that Kakashi had graduated early, but he also thought it made sense.

Kakashi was incredibly talented.

This made Guy feel even more inferior; he began to doubt if he was good enough to consider Kakashi a rival.

"No buts... Youth knows no regrets, you must bravely move forward, or you'll waste your efforts..."

Might Duy encouraged his son, repeating words of support.

Just then, they heard footsteps nearby.

"Young Master Ryo." Recognizing Sarutobi Ryo, Might Duy quickly stood up and greeted him.

Everyone in Konoha knew Sarutobi Ryo.

He was the Hokage's son, after all.

He's completely different from the son of an ordinary person. Guy stood beside his father, feeling even more insecure.

"Might Duy, it's been a while."

Sarutobi Ryo nodded and looked at Guy.

"You must be Might Duy's son, Guy."

Guy, who Naruto fans knew as Guy the Great, was still a young boy lacking confidence.

Life was full of surprises.

Overcoming challenges and obstacles would eventually... turn him into a confident powerhouse.

This was a reflection of many people's lives.

"Y-You know me~?!" Guy was surprised.

"Yes, I've heard about the kid who worked hard to pass the make-up exam..."

Sarutobi Ryo nodded.

Half a year ago, Guy had failed the entrance exam and had to pass a make-up exam later.

"Some people may start slow, but with hard work, they'll get faster and faster..."

Sarutobi Ryo's lips curled up, and his eyes gleamed with a light that Guy didn't understand.

"And some people who start off very fast, end up... getting stuck."

"..."

Guy blinked, confused.

Might Duy, on the other hand, seemed to understand.

"Short-term success isn't everything; life is a marathon, and mastery takes a lifetime."

After a moment, Guy, who was due at school, waved goodbye.

Watching him leave, Might Duy still felt unsure.

But after hearing Young Master Ryo's words, he felt... that it might be worth the effort after all.

"Might Duy, in a few days... I might need some help with a mission. Would you be willing to join me?"

Sarutobi Ryo turned around, and his formal invitation caught Might Duy off guard.

He stared, surprised.

Some people who had just returned also witnessed this.

"Okay, no problem."

After recovering, Might Duy nodded with a sincere expression.

He was a bit puzzled, though. What kind of mission would require a Genin and a Jonin to work together?

This was part of Sarutobi Ryo's plan to save Hatake Sakumo.

The Konoha leaders were making their plans, so he needed to make his own.

After Might Duy left, a child's voice called out: "Hmph... Some people start slow, some people start off fast, but later... get stuck. Are you talking about me, Young Master Ryo?"

The unlucky, tragic kid... Kakashi, had returned from a mission.

"Maybe. But you can overcome it." Sarutobi Ryo looked at him, using the harsh reality of life to teach the grumpy kid a lesson.

Have you heard the story of the tortoise and the hare?

Kakashi.