Since losing Haku, Anya may have seemed indifferent on the outside, but deep within her heart was a wound that never healed—as if a part of her very being had been taken away. Now, in this moment, that emptiness felt complete again.
Anya took a deep breath, calming herself from the overwhelming joy of having found Haku again, and began carefully observing Haku's current condition.
This was Absolute Zero—the Ice Release technique Anya had helped Haku develop long ago. It turned out Haku hadn't sunk to the ocean floor after all—she'd been swept away by the waves, eventually drifting into the path of a ship from the Land of Snow. Rescued and brought aboard, her pure ice chakra and ethereal beauty led the king to mistake her for the Ice Queen herself, preserving her like a treasure ever since.
Thanks also to that ancient king, who gathered the kingdom's most precious relics to construct this altar, keeping Haku's life essence intact.
Even so, sealed in ice for over a decade, her life force had grown incredibly weak, her entire body ravaged by frost. The moment she broke free from the ice, her whole being would shatter along with it.
I finally found Haku again… I absolutely cannot let her leave me once more. Never again…
A fierce determination burned within Anya's heart as she desperately raced through possible ways to save her.
First came the [Spirit Transformation Jutsu]—if the body was beyond repair, at least preserving the soul would allow Anya to resurrect Haku later.
But this time, even the reliable Spirit Transformation hit a roadblock. As soul energy entered the ice, it stalled completely, unable to reach Haku's body.
Refusing to give up, Anya poured more soul energy into it. Endless dark energy nearly solidified as it slammed against the crystal. Under her control, the soul energy split into countless tiny blades inching toward Haku's form.
Yet just as they neared her body, the energy still couldn't penetrate.
It's the Absolute Zero—its coldness can freeze even the soul. That meant not only her body, but Haku's very spirit was frozen, cut off from the outside world. Dammit, why did I help create such a powerful Ice Release? This is self-inflicted suffering.
What am I supposed to do?!
Anya fell into a panic like never before. These emotions—fear, anxiety, desperation—were ones she hardly ever felt, yet now they overwhelmed her completely. She couldn't accept the cruel reality of losing Haku again.
There has to be a way. If my body could be restored, then so could hers.
Use Sage Art.
Resolute, Anya's eyes sharpened. Hands pressed firmly onto the ice crystal, her body radiated a greenish glow. Powerful Sage Chakra from Ryuchi Cave surged through her as she silently shouted in her mind: [Sage Art—Inorganic Rebirth]!
The ice surrounding Haku's body expanded rapidly, its immense freezing power engulfing Anya as well. Before she could even sense the transformation taking place, a bone-deep chill rose from within her soul. An unstoppable cold—one that froze from every direction, like the abyss of eternal frost. It's hard to imagine that Haku endured such harsh conditions for so long—how much pain must she have suffered?
As soon as he thought about it, Anya canceled the protective light barrier around his body. In an instant, his body felt as if it were on the verge of freezing. The glow of the Sharingan in his pupils dimmed, and his thoughts came to a standstill.
Now in an unconscious state, Anya's powerful physical vitality began to take effect. His unwilling cells automatically fought back against the frost. The two miraculous Sage Arts from Shikkotsu Forest and Mount Myoboku instinctively activated, while stored chakra within his body transformed into Sage Chakra and gathered together, resisting the external cold.
Which is harder to grasp: something tangible or intangible?
Something tangible had always offered a clear target—you knew which direction you should head toward. But with something intangible, you'd feel lost and clueless about how to proceed.
Anya suppressed his entire presence, turning himself into nothingness and merging with the ice crystals—to reach the same state as Haku. Transforming the tangible into the intangible; only through shared experience could he find the best solution.
When Anya's body was completely overtaken by the icy chill and even his previously active cells began to lose their resistance, his previously lifeless eyes turned faintly crimson—the Three Tomoe spinning rapidly until they evolved into Mangekyō.
Time reversed.
The moment a deep aura of death surged toward him, Anya used his Dojutsu to return to the previous moment.
Though this reconstructed body wasn't at its peak yet, his vitality had already pushed the limits of human endurance. Among all ninja, none could rival his extraordinary life force—he might not be able to fight at full strength, but he definitely possessed the means for self-defense.
After enduring Haku's Absolute Zero temperature, Anya now had a strategy for treatment. This time, the Ryuchi Cave Sage Art was deployed again. As the ice crystals gradually expanded outward, the two figures wrapped in the icy prison slowly approached each other.
Under the power of the Sage Art, the coverage of Haku's Absolute Zero weakened—when the ice crystals spread wider, their density decreased accordingly.
Pushing past layer after layer of freezing resistance, the two hands finally touched.
The moment he grasped her delicate hand, it felt as if Anya had seized the entire world. Two streams of prepared Sage Chakra surged out from his body—Mount Myoboku Sage Art enhanced Haku's physical durability while the Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art strengthened her bodily vitality.
"Clang..."
A sharp metallic ring echoed as the Supreme Blade was unsheathed within the ice crystal. A powerful blade aura sliced through Anya's arm, and fresh blood, brimming with vitality, poured into Haku's mouth.
Under the combined influence of these three life forces, Haku's eyelashes quivered slightly. Her previously snow-white face regained a slight tint of color.
In Anya's delighted gaze, Haku slowly opened her eyes.
At first glance, their eyes met—and neither could look away ever again.
There was a time when I thought I'd lost you forever… But this time, I swear I'll never let you go—never again.
Understanding the meaning behind Anya's eyes, Haku smiled—a gentle bloom that lit up her face like spring returning after winter.
"Crack... crack..."
The ice crystals surrounding the pair shattered. Regaining her freedom of movement, Anya silently tightened her grip and forcefully pulled Haku into her arms. The grounding warmth of physical contact steadied her drifting soul, as if the whole world had finally become real.
"How dare you defile a god like this!" Nutao, still lying on the icy plain, overcame his inner fear and couldn't help but roar furiously at Anya.
Haku cast a puzzled glance, not understanding the meaning behind his words.
Anya chuckled lightly and said, "Is just an embrace considered a desecration? Then how about this?"
Before the stunned gazes of the four onlookers, Anya pressed her lips firmly against Haku's, then provocatively slid her tongue in—making sure they got a clear view.
Meanwhile, several others who had successfully completed their rescue mission rushed over just in time to witness this scene.
Sakura pointed forward hesitantly and said, "Uh… I remember someone claiming not too long ago that her heart was as still as water."
Naruto scratched his head and replied, "Maybe she doesn't have a home to go back to?"
Unconsciously, everyone shifted their gaze toward Hakuto.
Hakuto, with a blank expression, stated, "Auntie Tsunade was right. My ladies'-man father."
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