"That's a huge ice ball! If it rolls over accidentally, Kazahana Castle will be turned to rubble," Obito said, stroking his chin.
As soon as Obito said this, the scene fell into silence. Some people looked at Obito with disbelief, while others stared at the gigantic ice ball, beads of cold sweat forming on their foreheads. If that ice ball rolled, it could indeed cause significant damage.
"Haha, I'm just joking to lighten the mood. That's Yumi-sensei; there won't be any issues," Obito said with a smirk.
He believed that Yumi-sensei wouldn't make such a mistake.
"Honestly, it's not a good time to make jokes like that," Rin said, rubbing her forehead and no longer having any expectations for Obito's ability to read the atmosphere.
The great battle had just ended, and everyone was in high spirits when Obito said this.
"How about that? Am I impressive or what? You should thank me properly. I'll let the previous matters slide," Obito said proudly as he noticed Koyuki looking around as if searching for someone.
"Do you think I've forgotten what you said before? You rude Obito, saying I'm not like a princess and that I'm unlikable—slandering a princess is against the law!" Koyuki retorted, puffing out her cheeks.
Although Obito's later words did touch her a bit, she hadn't forgotten how he had belittled her earlier. Even Sosetsu and Mutsuki acknowledged her cuteness, yet Obito still claimed she was unlikable.
"What slander? I'm speaking the truth! You should learn from the princesses in novels!" Obito felt his words were justified.
Koyuki: …
She was furious, her fists clenched, wishing she could punch Obito right then and there.
Of course, as a qualified princess, Koyuki would only think about it and not take action, because Obito was indeed her benefactor.
"Well, thank you," Koyuki said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's.
Although Obito had many flaws, like being rude and having poor taste, he was quite impressive when he unleashed that Fire Fist.
"Hahaha!" Although Koyuki's voice was very small, Obito, being a sharp-eared ninja, heard it and laughed loudly with pride.
Feeling embarrassed, Koyuki promptly ran over to Sosetsu.
Then everyone moved onto the battlefield, and standing beneath that gigantic ice ball, they felt their own insignificance and Mutsuki's strength even more.
"Mutsuki, you saved the Land of Snow," Sosetsu said seriously as he bowed to Mutsuki in gratitude.
In that moment, he finally understood why Obito and the others trusted Mutsuki so much; Mutsuki was truly someone you could believe in forever.
When Mutsuki provided him with information about the coup, he chose not to believe it, resulting in him missing the best opportunity to capture Doto, which directly led to Doto attacking Kazahana Castle with the Snow Ninja Village.
When Mutsuki claimed he could handle the Snow Ninja Village, Sosetsu didn't believe him either and wanted Mutsuki to take Koyuki away. He was relieved that Mutsuki didn't leave immediately; otherwise, he would never see his daughter again.
The guards all bowed in gratitude, knowing that without Mutsuki's timely support, they would have been killed by the Snow Ninja.
Seeing this, Obito felt a sense of pride, as he was also a member of Mutsuki's team.
"Well, I guess the mission is complete," Mutsuki said with a faint smile.
Although Sosetsu, the Land of Snow's Daimyo, led the bowing in thanks, Mutsuki felt little emotion inside. He believed he hadn't truly saved the Land of Snow; he had only saved Koyuki's family and the people of Kazahana Castle.
After all, he hadn't really resolved a disaster that could destroy the Land of Snow; even if Doto had successfully staged a coup, he wouldn't have massacred the people.
"It's done, and it's done perfectly," Sosetsu nodded in acknowledgment.
Mutsuki made a deep impression on him during this incident. If there was ever a need for ninjas from outside villages in the future, he would definitely choose Konoha and Mutsuki.
"Mutsuki-oniichan, how did you make such a huge ice ball? It's so amazing!" Koyuki exclaimed, spreading her arms wide to express her astonishment.
"Just create a Water Balloon and then freeze it," Mutsuki replied simply.
Koyuki scratched her head, feeling like she understood, but also as if she hadn't understood at all.
Her confused expression made Obito laugh out loud, which prompted others to join in, and the atmosphere gradually became cheerful.
With Doto dead and the Snow Ninjas defeated by Mutsuki, the defense of Kazahana Castle could be considered a resounding victory.
Of course, even though they won, there were still quite a few matters to handle.
A coup like this couldn't possibly be orchestrated solely by Doto; it also involved some other officials from the Land of Snow.
Next, they needed to assess the damage caused to Kazahana Castle during the battle and make repairs. Ironically, Mutsuki was actually the one who caused the most destruction to Kazahana Castle—without exception. This was because he had been using large-scale Ninjutsu throughout the fight, which inevitably led to significant damage.
Naturally, everyone, including Sosetsu, overlooked this fact, as Mutsuki's actions were aimed at defeating the Snow Ninjas; thus, the destruction was blamed on them, not on Mutsuki.
Additionally, there was the matter of rewards for Mutsuki and the others. After discussions among the Elders of the Land of Snow, it was ultimately decided to grant Mutsuki the title of Snow Hero, while Obito and the others received the title of Snow Warriors.
Although Obito and his team also contributed to defeating Doto, it was Mutsuki who played the decisive role.
If it weren't for Mutsuki holding off all the Snow Ninjas on the battlefield single-handedly, Doto wouldn't have needed to go out of his way to lead the Snow Ninjas in a flanking attack on Sosetsu. This meant that Obito and the others' titles were of a lower rank.
The benefits of these titles were numerous. As a Snow Hero, Mutsuki could enjoy the privileges of a high-ranking noble in the Land of Snow, along with various rewards, both monetary and material.
Since the original mission was to protect Koyuki until the Snow Festival ended, Sosetsu decided to hold the award ceremony on the day of the festival, as a way to express gratitude and importance to Mutsuki and the others.
With the issues of the Land of Snow resolved in one fell swoop, Mutsuki continued training with his disciples while waiting for the Snow Festival to arrive.
The environment of the Land of Snow was somewhat unfriendly to ordinary people, but it served as a good training ground for ninjas. Due to its coastal location and frequent snowfall, practicing Water Release was particularly convenient. However, because of the cold temperatures, practicing Fire Release was more challenging, which also proved beneficial for honing their abilities. The harsh weather could help toughen the bodies of his disciples as well.
"Yumi-sensei, isn't Kekkei Genkai rare? Why do all the ninjas in the Land of Snow have Ice Release?" Obito asked curiously during a break.
This was common knowledge among ninjas, so Obito was aware of it.
"Because it's not actually a Kekkei Genkai," Mutsuki answered directly without beating around the bush.
The so-called Ice Release of the Snow Ninjas was a pseudo-Ice Release; it could be considered Water Release or a snow-related Secret Jutsu. Essentially, it was a transformation of water-based Chakra Nature, and outside the Land of Snow, it might not even be usable.
"Huh? But there's ice, and I think I've heard someone mention Ice Release," Obito said, a bit confused.
He hadn't realized that Kekkei Genkai could be fake.
"No one can stop you from naming your Ninjutsu whatever you want. You can shout Water Release and then use Fire Release if you want," Mutsuki said diplomatically.
It was clear that this small ninja village lacked experience and simply called it Ice Release because it looked like Ice Release.
"Doesn't that mean you can catch the opponent off guard in battle?" Obito's eyes lit up. He typically didn't have the habit of shouting out the names of his Ninjutsu, but he felt he could change that. If he shouted Water Dragon Bullet and then unleashed a Great Dragon Fire, it might lead to unexpected results.
"Then, Yumi-sensei, is that Ninjutsu of yours Ice Release?" Obito recalled the giant ice ball that still hadn't melted.
Kakashi, who was training nearby, also looked over at this remark.
Mutsuki nodded in affirmation. "That's right; what I used was indeed Ice Release, but since I only recently mastered it, it's still not very strong."
Although his Ice Release wasn't very powerful—only at half Proficient level—showcasing it could further demonstrate his talent and enhance his visible strength.
As for how he suddenly learned Ice Release, it was simple: he observed the Snow Ninjas' pseudo-Ice Release Ninjutsu and realized the true version, especially since Mutsuki already had a solid grasp of Water and Wind Nature Transformation.
Moreover, others had no choice but to believe Mutsuki, because Ice Release was different from Sharingan; you couldn't just kill an Uchiha and plug it in to use it. You either had to be born with it or practice it yourself.
"That's not very strong," Obito joked, recalling the shocking scene from that day.
However, Mutsuki mentioning that he had only recently learned it led Obito to fill in a lot of gaps in his understanding. He thought Mutsuki might have observed the Snow Ninjas' snow Ninjutsu and then figured out Ice Release on his own.
While it sounded a bit absurd, Obito felt it was very Mutsuki-like.
"It should be due to the environment here, and when dealing with enemies, it's not Ice Release that's strong, but Water Release," Kakashi said after a moment of thought.
Although the giant ice ball was impressive, from Kakashi's perspective, it was the Super Exploding Water Colliding Wave that did the heavy lifting, while Freeze Ray was just a finishing blow.
Mutsuki nodded, affirming Kakashi's analysis. The Snow Ninjas' pseudo-Ice Release could benefit from the Land of Snow's advantages, so you could imagine how much more effective Mutsuki's true Ice Release would be; he was truly in his element.
"It's all the same; sooner or later, Yumi-sensei's Ice Release will be as strong as any other Ninjutsu," Obito waved his hand, indicating that some details weren't important.
"I'm really looking forward to it. Tomorrow is the Snow Festival, and it's my first time attending a festival in another country, especially as a hero," Obito said with a smirk as he thought about the activities planned for the next day.
Even though the princess wasn't the type he had imagined, and the mission wasn't what he had wanted, the outcome was what he desired: saving the princess, saving the country, and becoming a hero. Obito's only regret was that he could only receive the title of Snow Warrior instead of Snow Hero, but he was still very convinced by Mutsuki's achievement.
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