Treasure

"Hmph! I'll remember how much you owe! I'll dig a base right here, and you can just wait for me to come and collect the debt every year!" Sakura said irritably, baring her teeth and making a face at her.

She did indeed set her sights on a base location in the Land of Snow: the Snow Ninja's castle.

This building, which became desolate after the Snow Ninja fell apart, has enough rooms, living supplies, and suitable training grounds, making it truly suitable for a ninja to live, train, and conduct research here.

I'm afraid that when she reaches a certain level in the future, she really will come to the Land of Snow to establish a base.

Thinking of this, Sakura said seriously, "I really want to keep that castle for me!"

"Wow! To settle a debt? To settle a debt?" Xue's eyes lit up.

Sakura flicked her smooth forehead in annoyance. "All you know is how to pay off debts! Why not just pay with your body? Special price, one S-rank mission... cough cough." She saw Sandayu enter and quickly swallowed her teasing words.

"Uh, well... if the Land of Snow is short of money," Asama Sandayu had just walked in from outside, said as if suddenly remembering something, "Snow, I seem to remember, back when your father was still alive, he left behind a treasure in the Land of Snow..."

"Treasure?" Sakura was a little surprised.

When it comes to treasure, the first thing that comes to her mind is One Piece. Obviously, the previous daimyo wasn't the kind of man who became the Pirate King, so where would a poor place like the Land of Snow find treasure? She was skeptical.

On the other hand, if Kazahana Sōsetsu really had such a large fortune, why would she hide it instead of using it for the Land of Snow? Judging from Asama Sandayu's account, Kazahana Sōsetsu isn't such a foolish miserly name!

Furthermore, the Kazahana Dōtō have been scouring the Land of Snow for over a decade; what treasure could possibly remain hidden for so long without being found by Kazahana Dōtō?

It seems that Asama Sandayu also thought this matter was unreliable, which is why he hadn't mentioned it. However, given how impoverished the Land of Snow is now, even if it's just a rumor, they might as well give it a try, even if it's a desperate measure!

Sakura, however, scoffed at this desperate, ill-conceived approach: This cliché of needing money and then suddenly having a treasure clue appear is so clichéd that even third-rate writers can't write decent fiction anymore. Relying on rumors will only lead to greater disappointment!

The girl shook her head, firmly denying it. "There's no way the Land of Snow could still be preserving a treasure! It's probably just a rumor."

"No..." Kazahana Koyuki interrupted Ying with a frown. She pondered for a moment, trying to search her mind for past memories.

"The treasure is real."

Kazahana Koyuki's words were resolute.

"My father did mention the treasure to me back then, right when he sent me out of the Land of Snow..."

She took out the crystal necklace she always wore from her bosom, pointed to the hexagonal crystal on it, and said, "If I remember correctly, this is the key to the treasure!"

"So, where is the treasure? After all these years, Kazahana Dōtō hasn't found it!" Sakura asked.

Asama Sandayu thought for a moment, "I think it should be this place..."

Mirror Square.

The largest man-made structure in the Land of Snow, the Rainbow Ice Wall, tens of meters high, stands like six unfolding petals on the edge of the circular plaza, truly a magnificent sight.

"These six Rainbow Ice Wall were built during the reign of the former Kazahana Sōsetsu. After Kazahana Dōtō usurped power, he spent some time searching for the so-called treasure left behind by the former daimyo, including this place, but only found a bunch of machines of unknown purpose," the leading official explained. "As everyone knows, the former Kazahana Sōsetsu Hayate, was obsessed with machinery and spent a lot of time researching it. Later, these machines were placed everywhere."

Hmph... Sakura was speechless upon hearing this. Yet another ruler who neglected his duties. But then again, there wasn't much to do in ruling a country like the Land of Snow. Being a daimyo for too long was incredibly boring. The fact that he spent his free time tinkering with machines instead of tormenting the people was already a great merit.

"So, is the treasure hidden inside these machines?" Sasuke asked. He and Naruto had followed along, quite interested in the prospect of unlocking the treasure.

"No, no, no, Kazahana Dōtō sent people to check, and those machines are indeed just machines; there's no treasure hidden inside," the official leading the way said, shaking his head.

Another official continued, "However, these machines do indeed have a master switch. Kazahana Dōtō also discovered that the hexagonal key to the switch was in Your Highness Kazahana Koyuki's possession. Therefore, he later concluded that the so-called treasure was actually Your Kazahana Sōsetsu's beloved machines, and thus stopped the search for the treasure." After he finished speaking, he bowed to Kazahana Koyuki and looked at the hexagonal key in her hand with a rather expectant gaze.

Sakura circled the machines, but couldn't find any trace of treasure.

Clearly, these are just pure machines, though the workmanship is quite exquisite. Sakura couldn't immediately tell what they were for, and they certainly had nothing to do with gold or silver. It seemed Kazahana Dōtō was right; the so-called treasure was merely what Kazahana Sōsetsu herself perceived as treasure... a pile of scrap metal, not worth mentioning.

"Whether it is or not, we just need to try," Sakura said, sending her Ice Clone to take the key from Kazahana Koyuki, inserting it into the keyhole on the switch, and waving her hand. "Everyone, step back."

The group retreated ten meters away and watched as the machine in the square started up as the key was inserted. After a roar, the Rainbow Ice Wall also began to light up.

After waiting for a long time, apart from feeling the heat emanating from the machine, there were no other unusual movements.

The Ice Clone carefully surveyed its surroundings, finding no other changes, then shrugged and said to the others, "It seems that, at least on this issue Kazahana Dōtō was right."

She impatiently fanned her face with her hand. "I hate this heat!"

Everyone also discovered that the so-called treasure did not exist. All that existed were a pile of machines of unknown purpose left behind by Kazahana Sōsetsu.

"As expected," Sakura said, pouting.

Kazahana Koyuki couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes as she said, "Sigh, I knew from the beginning that it would be like this. The Land of Snow couldn't possibly have the treasures we imagined. Oh well, the Land of Snow won't collapse without treasures. At least, this square is much warmer now, and everyone can come here to play more often."

Yes, the heat emanating from the Rainbow Ice Wall continued gently and steadily, and the temperature in the plaza had already crossed the zero line, reaching over ten degrees Celsius. The group had unknowingly taken off all their thick clothing.

The snow began to melt, turning into babbling streams that flowed outwards, wetting the cotton shoes on Kazahana Koyuki's feet.

Seeing this, Sakura seemed moved.

"No... I think, perhaps this is the real treasure?" She gazed thoughtfully at a pipe stretching into the distance, its surface faintly glowing, and the snow on the ground continuously melting.

"This is a geothermal generator! Can you see it? Mine, it's so hot! I'm Ice Clone! I'm practically melting!" the Ice Clone said, pouting. Her thinking ability was slightly inferior to the original, but she quickly realized, "It extracts underground heat energy and transports it far away through pipes!"

"You just said you have these machines all over the country?" Sakura asked the official who had led the way. "These machines generate heat, keeping villages and towns throughout the Land of Snow warm as spring. It seems that the treasure left behind by Kazahana Sōsetsu is a massive heating system that spans the entire Land of Snow!"

"I see..." Kazahana Koyuki stepped forward and approached the Rainbow Ice Wall. Her moist eyes were clearly reflected on the mirror-like, crystal-clear surface.

Feeling the warmth emanating from the machine, she softly said, "This is the treasure my father left for the Land of Snow... a treasure more precious than any gold or silver!"

The snow melted into babbling brooks, and the warm breeze felt like a gentle spring breeze. It seemed that the people of the Land of Snow were about to welcome spring.

Two days later, Sakura completed the investigation report on the geothermal generator using her Ice Clone.

While taking a break from her busy schedule to enjoy afternoon tea with Sakura, Kazahana Koyuki picked up the report and began reading it with anticipation. But as she read, her old face drooped.

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(I can't find the old cover. Special thanks to Explosive Starry Night for making the new cover for me, you should be able to see it today.)