“Everyone, stop!”
When that calm voice echoed across the area, everyone froze.
The townspeople, who had been ready to fight to the death, felt a surge of hope. Could someone be here to save them at this critical moment?
All eyes turned towards the source of the voice, and they saw a boy standing on the fallen ice pillar, arms crossed, wearing a windbreaker with a relaxed expression.
Many of the thugs sneered. They had thought a formidable opponent had arrived, but it was just the same idiot ninja who was covered in blood and beaten earlier. Did he think changing into clean clothes would make them forget? How laughable!
Even the townspeople’s faces turned grim. He was just a child. He was probably on par with the two other children, no matter how skilled. Were they really doomed today?
Only Inari was excited. He climbed up the barricade, waving his hands joyfully, “Big brother, are you here to save us? I’ve been waiting for you!”
His words startled the townspeople and even the thugs, who responded with a chorus of vulgar insults.
“Stupid kid, trying to be a hero. You’ll get yourself killed!”
“Yeah, do you think that stupid headband will scare us? Don’t be naive. Look at your two dead companions!”
“He dares to show up here? Let’s kill him!”
“Kill him!”
“Kill him!”
…
Naruto looked at Yukigetsu, who was silently showing off atop the ice pillar, and grumbled, “Why does he always hog the spotlight?”
Sasuke smirked, sitting down to rest, “Since he’s here, the situation will be resolved soon.”
“Can he handle so many people alone?” Naruto squinted, annoyed, “I don’t believe he’s that much stronger than us!”
Sasuke shook his head with a smile, “He’s different from us. He doesn’t hesitate to kill.”
Naruto: “…”
Yukigetsu wasn’t silent on purpose. He was busy chatting with Haku.
“Yueyue…”
Yukigetsu was exasperated, “Don’t call me Yueyue!”
Haku chuckled, finding it amusing, “Then… Yukigetsu, why did you bring this huge ice crystal?”
The boy crossed his arms, smiling, “I thought that to deal with so many people, your Explosive Ice Crystals would be handy. I don’t know any large-scale jutsu yet. Using brute force would be exhausting, even if it’s fun.”
“You mastered Explosive Ice Crystals so quickly?!” Haku seemed surprised. Yukigetsu could almost see her covering her cherry lips in astonishment.
The boy shrugged on the ice pillar, “Of course not! I plan to do a manual explosion.”
“How will you do that?”
“You’ll see soon.”
At that moment, the thugs, baring their teeth and brandishing their weapons, charged forward. Everyone’s expressions, whether fearful or arrogant, froze in an instant as the boy, silent since his initial command, suddenly stepped on the ice and leaped into the air.
The next moment, he punched downwards, his windbreaker fluttering gracefully.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted from the ice pillar, and countless shattered ice spikes shot out like arrows in all directions!
“Ahhhhh!”
The thugs in the inner circle had no time to react. The countless ice spikes had pierced their bodies, turning them into human sieves!
Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. What kind of attack was that? It was too unconventional!
Yukigetsu didn’t care about their thoughts. Without a word, he leaped into the air again.
Boom, boom, boom…
The violent explosions, the flying ice spikes, the thugs’ wails, and the townspeople’s stunned silence…
At that moment, everyone was speechless. The world seemed to focus solely on the boy’s figure, leaping and striking repeatedly… until the screams gradually ceased…
Bodies lay strewn everywhere, blood flowing like rivers.
“They died so quickly? How boring!”
Yukigetsu stood in the middle of the carnage, calmly tidying his slightly disheveled clothes.
“Urgh… urgh…”
The townspeople, recovering from their shock, began to vomit. They had never seen such a brutal scene nor smelled such a pungent, bloody odor. Even Naruto and Sasuke weren’t exceptions.
“It looks like I really scared them…” Yukigetsu thought, feeling somewhat helpless.
“You scared me too!” Haku’s angry voice echoed in his ear, “I’m going to rest and ignore you!”
Yukigetsu shook his head helplessly. It seemed that such bloodshed should be less exposed to the public. No matter how much he did, it would only instill fear. He needed to establish a heroic and positive image to gain widespread acceptance.
However, the mission in the Land of Waves was almost complete. They just needed to wait for Tazuna to finish the bridge. He couldn’t afford to relax during this time, having recently awakened Ice Release. Soon, it would be time to return to Konoha and earn the villagers’ recognition. That was his foundation for the future.
The Chunin Exams, here I come.
…
Two weeks passed unnoticed.
During this time, the Land of Waves had calmed down. With everyone joining the bridge construction effort, progress was swift. In just over ten days, they were nearing completion.
Additionally, the townspeople were deeply impressed by the boy standing on the ice pillar that day. Their memories were filled with gratitude and fear. Grateful for his salvation, fearful of his merciless killing of hundreds. The nightmares persisted for days.
However, the fact that he appeared at the most critical moment ensured he would be remembered forever. The people of this country were simple. They wouldn’t forget their savior because of his brutal methods. Their gratitude would bring Yukigetsu many benefits, especially in his ongoing wealth accumulation plan…
But the townspeople’s thoughts were unknown to the reclusive Yukigetsu. After taking a few days to fully recover, he often disappeared from Kakashi and the others’ sight. No one knew what he was up to…
That day, the sky was clear.
In the depths of the forest, a few people stood quietly before two relatively new graves.
A gentle breeze blew, scattering leaves and hair, and casting dappled shadows in the sunlight.
Sakura lowered her head, clearly downcast, “Kakashi-sensei, is the meaning of a ninja really, as they said?”
“Ninjas can’t pursue their own reasons for existence. They’re just important tools for their country…” Kakashi, his eyes drooping, said softly, “We’re no exception…”
Naruto looked dejected, “Is that what a real ninja is? I don’t want that! I don’t want that—”
Sasuke frowned, looking at Kakashi, “Do you think so too?”
“Yes… Actually, ninjas unknowingly live with this confusion… Just like Zabuza and Haku…” Kakashi sighed.
“Alright, I’ve decided! I’ll follow my own ninja path.” Naruto pouted.
Sakura turned to the boy standing behind them, “Yukigetsu, what do you think?”
“Huh?”
Yukigetsu scratched his head. He had been discussing with Haku what it felt like to see your own grave being built and hadn’t paid attention to their conversation…
Sakura put her hands on her hips, annoyed, “I asked what you think about ninjas being tools.”
“Oh, that…” Yukigetsu touched his nose, nodding in realization. After some thought, he said, “If you think of the village as a military town, then ninjas are the army of this country. Since they are the army, they naturally take orders as their duty. So, calling them tools isn’t wrong.”
Everyone was stunned and then lowered their heads in thought. His words had some truth to them, but they were still hard to accept.
Yukigetsu glanced at them, then heard Haku’s gentle voice, “Do you really want to be such a tool?”
The boy smiled, “I will become the one who controls the tools.”
“Is that so? You have grand ambitions, Yuyu!”
“Don’t call me Yuyu!”
“Heehee…”
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