"Lord Tōshirō..."
Hoshi Hana stepped forward and asked, "Are you alright?"
Tōshirō closed his eyes, considering how to deal with the after-effects, and replied briefly, "It's nothing, just a little disoriented from waking up..."
He then opened his eyes, looking at Fubuki Kakuyoku and the others. He chuckled softly. "Speaking of which, I seem to sense my chakra in you all. What's going on?"
Fubuki Kakuyoku's heart skipped a beat.
When Tōshirō was still an egg, these few people had absorbed a lot of chakra from him, awakening the true Ice Release kekkei genkai.
Hoshi Hana honestly explained everything, about absorbing chakra from Tōshirō and awakening the Ice Release kekkei genkai.
After understanding the situation, Tōshirō didn't ask further and dismissed the matter.
It wasn't impossible for the Snow Ninja, who had been practicing a pseudo-"Ice Release" for years, to be stimulated by Tōshirō's power and awaken the real Ice Release.
Fubuki Kakuyoku was surprised, thinking Tōshirō would want his chakra back.
Tōshirō saw his concern but offered no explanation.
Keeping subordinates in the dark is one way to manage people.
The effect was immediate. Fubuki Kakuyoku, unable to comprehend Tōshirō's intentions, became hesitant. This had never happened when he worked for Dotō Kazahana.
Of course, the premise was that the strength of the two was not on the same level.
In comparison, Hoshi Hana was not as reserved.
Fubuki Kakuyoku glanced at Hoshi Hana, thinking, Is this woman interested in Tōshirō? She's calling him 'Lord' so naturally. He completely forgot that he had been Dotō Kazahana's subordinate just moments ago.
To curry favor with Tōshirō, Hoshi Hana began to show off. "Lord Tōshirō, if you want to control this country better, it's best to find Koyuki Kazahana..."
This woman...
Hoshi Hana's presumptuous behavior caused a flash of displeasure in Fubuki Kakuyoku's eyes.
"Koyuki Kazahana..."
Tōshirō's voice held a hint of confusion.
Fubuki Kakuyoku immediately seized the right to speak, trying to assert his presence. If he didn't, he might be stepped on by a woman someday. "Let me answer that question..."
Hoshi Hana pouted unhappily. I was here first...
Tōshirō moved his gaze, raising his chin to signal for him to continue.
Fubuki Kakuyoku quickly organized his thoughts and gave a concise summary of what he knew.
Koyuki Kazahana was the daughter of the deceased Dotō Kazahana's brother. She possessed an item called the "Hexagonal Crystal," which could open the treasure collected by Sōsuke Kazahana over the years.
Tōshirō lowered his eyes, recalling the relevant plot. The item opened by the Hexagonal Crystal wasn't a treasure at all, but rather the key to activating the heat machine...
"Prepare a boat for me. I'm leaving here..."
"Leaving here?"
Tōshirō's gaze fell on the shattered ice that used to be Dotō Kazahana. He let out a contemptuous chuckle. "I don't need to teach you how to handle this dead guy, do I?"
"I understand..."
Fubuki Kakuyoku planned to use the Transformation Jutsu to impersonate Dotō Kazahana and maintain order on the surface.
"I'll leave it to you, then..."
Under everyone's gaze, Tōshirō increased his eye power. His eyes took on the hexagonal snowflake pattern, and with a sweep of his gaze, the people who met his eyes fell to the ground, leaving only a few standing.
Fubuki Kakuyoku's eyes widened in surprise. "This is..."
"Don't worry, I just erased their memories..."
Tōshirō said it nonchalantly.
Erasing memories was a side benefit; the real purpose was to intimidate them.
What incredible power... The remaining Snow Ninja, led by Fubuki Kakuyoku, had their mouths slightly agape, their faces filled with shock.
"In any case, you all should perform well. If you satisfy me, I can grant you even greater power..."
Tōshirō's gaze fell on the chakra armor worn by the Snow Ninja. "Something that can't be compared to what you're wearing."
These words had an immediate effect. The Snow Ninja, who were previously intimidated by Tōshirō's power, had their eyes light up, their hearts filled with longing.
"Greater power?"
For a ninja, nothing was more moving than power.
"That's right, greater power..."
Tōshirō curled his lips, a smile on his face.
Overwhelming power, combined with the lure of more power, could dominate most people.
As for what power he would give them, it wasn't on his mind yet.
Drawing a big picture costs nothing, after all.
"You're not playing a trick on us, are you?"
"I need some people to help me with my work."
The tempting whisper echoed in their ears. The Snow Ninja's breathing quickened, and the look in their eyes changed from fear to fanatical admiration.
Compared to the arrogant and ambitious Dotō Kazahana, this man with his overwhelming power was the one truly worthy of their loyalty.
Fubuki Kakuyoku cautiously observed Tōshirō, trying to guess his intentions.
But Tōshirō noticed him and smiled. "What is it? Do you have a problem with me?"
"No, nothing..."
As soon as Fubuki Kakuyoku spoke, he regretted it. Who would believe such a perfunctory answer?
Tōshirō didn't ask further and simply said, "Is that so..."
Did I get away with it?
Fubuki Kakuyoku was stunned for a moment before he realized.
The other party knew what he was thinking. Under the gaze of those crimson eyes, he felt a crushing weight, and every breath he took felt heavy.
Just as he was filled with regret for his behavior, a leisurely voice broke the silence. "I'm a little hungry. Is there anything to eat?"
"Yes, please follow me."
Hoshi Hana's voice was filled with intense joy as she quickly responded.
"Thank you..."
Tōshirō passed by them. A moment later, his companions reminded him, "He's gone..."
Fubuki Kakuyoku finally relaxed, his mind clearing as cold sweat soaked his clothes.
"Are you alright..."
The burly man who spoke to him was named Fuyuaki, one of the closest companions, like Hoshi Hana.
"That guy is very dangerous..."
"Yeah, when he looked at me with those eyes, I felt like my whole body was being seen through."
Recalling those blood-red eyes, Fuyuaki still felt a lingering fear. "But I'm confused. I remember the Uchiha clan's dojutsu has three tomoe, but his eyes looked like a snowflake."
Fubuki Kakuyoku's face was grim. "That's probably the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan..."
"Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"It's the Uchiha clan's highest dojutsu, possessing power far beyond the normal Sharingan. Rumor has it that the Mangekyō Sharingan awakens with different patterns and abilities for each person. I never thought I'd see one in my lifetime."
"What a terrifying person..."
Fubuki Kakuyoku lowered his head in thought.
Because Uchiha Tōshirō was the strongest Ice Release user in history, Fubuki Kakuyoku had specifically looked into Tōshirō. He had never heard of Tōshirō having such eyes, so the information might have been wrong.
Could it be related to Tōshirō turning into a dragon egg?
As he was thinking, Fuyuaki said with some worry, "Do you think he's lying about giving us power?"
Fubuki Kakuyoku said in a low voice, "I don't know, but one thing is certain: he's definitely planning something..."
"Planning?"
"Yes, don't forget he's a Leaf ninja. He disappeared for so many years and reappeared in this form, and now he's immediately starting to build his own faction. He can't just be doing it for fun..."
Fuyuaki found it reasonable and asked for further instructions. "Then what about us...?"
"I'm tired of always staying in this small place..."
Fubuki Kakuyoku's words were a roundabout way of admitting he planned to follow Tōshirō.
He feared Tōshirō, but he also had a strong admiration for his power. "The higher the risk, the greater the reward."
Fuyuaki nodded. "And Hoshi Hana...?"
Fubuki Kakuyoku snorted, a bit annoyed. "That woman is probably infatuated with him. We shouldn't get involved..."
In the room, Hoshi Hana brought a tray of delicious-looking food. "Please enjoy."
She had taken off her chakra armor, revealing her curvy figure.
Tōshirō gave her a cold glance. "You can go now."
"Huh?"
"Do I have to say it again?"
"No..."
Hoshi Hana sighed inwardly and left the room dejectedly.
Tōshirō could naturally sense her intentions. If this had happened right after he transmigrated, he might have been seduced.
"Tsunade..."
Tōshirō closed his eyes, muttering a name. He then opened his eyes, and a diamond-shaped ice crystal formed in his palm. He stared at the crystal.
He vaguely felt that if he wanted to, he could change the form of this crystal.
This change in form didn't just refer to its shape but to something much deeper.
This was an ability he had vaguely sensed after losing his Boil Release.
However, a more accurate word than "losing" should be "fusing."
Tōshirō speculated that after using Sage Art: Rebirth, the Boil Release and Ice Release within him had unintentionally fused, evolving in the direction of Kekkei Tōta...
If he wanted to, he could now evolve his Ice Release to a higher level.
But doing so would inevitably cause his body to develop in a "draconic" direction.
"What a troublesome side effect..."
The crystal reflected the image of the pale-haired, blue-eyed figure. Tōshirō's current state was more than just a simple change in appearance.
The energy now contained within his body had already reached the level of a Tailed Beast's chakra.
Of course, "Tailed Beast-level chakra" was just a metaphor, not the actual amount of a true Tailed Beast's chakra.
It was similar to the chakra levels of Kisame or the Third Raikage, still a certain distance from a real Tailed Beast.
"Heh... you old fools. When you find out I'm not dead, your expressions will be very interesting."
Tōshirō squeezed, crushing the crystal in his hand, and a mysterious smile appeared on his face.
After eating a few bites to fill his stomach, Tōshirō quickly performed hand seals, pressing his hand down on the ground. Mysterious black symbols spread out.
With a puff, a cloud of white smoke erupted from the ground.
A long-bodied, furry white fox appeared on the ground from the smoke.
(End of Chapter)
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