In an instant, the fortress of ice mirrors collapsed like glass, and a wave of chill swept out, dropping the temperature across the field.
As the shards settled, everyone stood stunned by the sight before them.
They had just watched Haku's death from start to finish. The exam had been clear from the start: kill your opponent and you're disqualified. So most genin had held back, even when they had the upper hand.
Especially against Haku, whose technique— Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals —had trapped four of the Land of Gods' Twelve: Neji, Kiba, Shino, and Lee. All four were strong, and all four still carried kind hearts.
Haku was strong—stronger than Kaede remembered—and Neji, Kiba, Shino, and Lee were all formidable genin. If someone could pin them inside ice so long, it spoke volumes about Haku's skill.
And yet, just moments ago, in front of everyone, he hurled himself toward the kunai in Neji's hand and ended his own life.
The blade struck true—straight into Haku's heart. Even Neji himself was shocked by how suddenly it happened.
Then, insult flooded in. An opponent he could have defeated had simply dashed forward to die on his blade. What was that supposed to mean?
Neji glared at Haku. "Why?"
Haku smiled faintly. "This is the curse of our bloodline limit. You can't escape yours either."
"What do you mean?" Neji didn't pull out the kunai. Instead, he shouted to the medics outside the ring, "Hurry! Save him!"
Neji's eyes were cold. "I won't let you die that easily."
Haku no longer had the strength. His eyes slowly closed.
Besides Neji, Kaede also heard Haku's final words—through the Divine Tree.
Anyone who entered the Land of Gods was, in a sense, under an all-seeing net. If Kaede wished, he could know everyone's movements.
Of course, only Kaede knew about this monstrous function.
And Haku's words gnawed at him.
In the shinobi world, as Kaede understood it, there were six major kekkei genkai. First among them—the strongest and most dangerous—was the Sharingan.
Most in the clan only ever awakened up to three tomoe. Even that was already broken—offering countless angles to exploit and formidable power in battle.
Some who walked through life and death, and who personally witnessed the death of someone important, awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
In the Land of Gods, there was another path: with the Shinju's blessing, daily cultivation could also grant a chance to awaken the Mangekyō.
The most terrifying thing about the Sharingan was the variability of the Mangekyō. No one knew what abilities a Mangekyō might manifest. Even if its powers echoed a user's preferred arts, every person's Mangekyō was different.
One Mangekyō was enough to make people wary. An entire clan of Mangekyō—how fearsome would that be?
Wasn't the clan's near-annihilation before all because Danzo and the Third Hokage feared the eye? And Danzo had his own greed as well.
To kill and claim—this was the choice of everyone who coveted the eye.
The second kekkei genkai was Sage Arts, the Sage Mode that Sasuke had already mastered. In this world, Ryuchi Cave was the most mysterious of the Three Great Training Grounds for senjutsu—also the hardest to find.
(End of Chapter)
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