Land of Snow

The Land of Land of Snow has undergone a complete transformation in the last two years.

As someone who was born and raised in the Land of Snow and has lived there for over twenty years, Akyo has a deep understanding of this.

He was walking down a bustling street in the capital, feeling the few bills in his pocket, wondering what to buy today; he didn't have much money and couldn't buy too much, so he had to be careful with his spending. Akyo was still a very poor man. However, in the past year, he had gradually been able to eat his fill, and Akyo was already quite content with that.

He held a flag in his hand, which his wife, Akei, had specially given him. Today was the day that Kazahana Koyuki was returning to the country, and everyone was spontaneously making preparations to welcome her. Akyo had eaten a big breakfast, put on his best clothes, washed himself clean, and arrived here early, as if attending a grand event.

No one asked him to; it was just a natural thought for everyone else that Akyo should do it. He finally had the strength to shout out the name of the new Kazahana Koyuki!

Akyo patted his full belly and the dry rations in his pocket, a happy smile spreading across his face. In his memory, he used to be always very hungry and never had enough to eat; back then, the daimyo of the Land of Snow was still Lord Kazahana Dōtō... ugh, he should be the usurper Kazahana Dōtō!

Back then, it was impossible to store food at home: the climate of the Land of Snow was inherently difficult to cultivate crops, resulting in low harvests. Even without taxes, the harvest wouldn't be enough to feed the whole family. When the traitor Kazahana Dōtō ruled the country, they often demanded 50% or 70% of the harvest as taxes. The tax collectors sent by the Daimyo Prefecture were ruthless and would scrape the land clean to collect the grain; anyone who dared to resist would be Snow Ninja the next day to "deal with the tough nuts."

Akyo remembered a year when the harvest was terrible. One family in the village couldn't pay their grain tax and was caught by the Snow Ninja. They were hung from a tree at the village entrance and beaten for a whole day. When they came to collect their bodies, they were barely recognizable as human. That year, his father desperately protected the last bit of grain the family had, trying to stop them from taking it. He cried out that it used to be a tenth of the tax, but the tax collectors kicked him away, saying, "That's ancient history, that useless name of Kazahana Sōsetsu! Take it all away! If you dare to stop me again, I'll hang your whole family up there too!" That year, he was the only one left in the family of his brothers and sisters who had died.

While the people suffered from hunger, the daimyo and his men were all well-fed and clothed; the number of Snow Ninja they trained was increasing, and their equipment was getting better and better.

Some people thought of rebelling, but they were too hungry to hold weapons and were no match for the ninjas. A single Snow Ninja could suppress an entire city. People who were on the verge of starvation rose up in rebellion and were then massacred.

In a world where extraordinary powers exist, the power ratio between ninjas and ordinary people is unbalanced. No matter how many ordinary people there are, without mastering the use of Chakra, their power is insignificant and they cannot withstand a few Ninjutsu attacks from a ninja.

Akyo was unaware of the saying, "In the era of breech-loading guns, there was no G." Regardless of whether this statement is true or not, in this world, "In the world of Chakra, there is no QY" is an absolute truth.

The uprising failed, and from then on, the light in Akyo's eyes disappeared; he was still alive, but that was all.

The story changed a little over a year ago.

Akyo had no idea what had happened. He only noticed everyone suddenly whispering mysteriously, and his eyes seemed to light up. Their Kazahana Dōtō was dead, and a new daimyo ruled the country. Akyo didn't believe it. How could Kazahana Dōtō, with so many Snow Ninja under his command, die? They really loved to dream. But even if it was a dream... it was a very sweet one.

However, after a few days, Akyo was genuinely surprised when the Kazahana Dōtō lackey who used to come to the village from time to time to plunder and bully others never showed up again. He had been arrested, publicly tried, and sentenced to death—he was hanging from the rack, never to return.

Then, the dream truly came true step by step; a young girl arrived, claiming to be a ninja commissioned by the new daimyo. She brought a new official and arrested the villains who had previously bullied them, putting them on trial in front of the entire village. The man who had kicked his father and stolen their life-saving food was sentenced to death. Akyo mustered his courage and rushed forward to kick the man hard. That night, tears streamed uncontrollably down his already numb eyes all night long.

Akyo felt he would never forget that scene for the rest of his life.

And then there was that ninja girl. He had always thought ninjas were evil and aided the wicked, but at that moment he suddenly understood. A ninja is like a knife; in the hands of an evil person, it's a murder weapon, but conversely, it can be a tool for eliminating evil and promoting good. A girl as delicate and beautiful as that couldn't possibly be a bad person!

This is how most ordinary people in the Land of Snow view ninjas.

Later, things really did get better. The new daimyo restored the true one-tenth tax, abolished the exorbitant taxes imposed by Kazahana Dōtō, and even provided them with emergency rations. Although the amount of grain that could be harvested from the fields was still the same, at least they were able to eat their fill.

The underfloor heating system has also made the village warmer. Most of the people in the Land of Snow had developed various ailments from long-term exposure to the cold, but now they can finally enjoy warmer days.

This kind of life is something people in the past could never have imagined. Smiles have returned to the children's faces, and life has become something to look forward to.

Six months later, the ninja girl came to investigate again. The newly assigned official almost got dismissed and imprisoned because she found some problems with him. Later, everyone pleaded for him. Although he was a bit greedy, he had still done a lot of practical things for everyone.

Akyo truly felt the change. He knew that all of this was brought about by the new Daming; she had brought hope and a new life to everyone. So, after Kazahana Koyuki returned to the country, he suddenly thought of coming to the capital to see her in person.

After waiting for a while, the crowd gradually became noisy. Akyo found a high place with a great view and saw that a path had been cleared through the crowd in the distance. He knew that the new daimyo had returned.

Hearing that she was a great beauty and a world-famous star, Akyo felt a faint sense of anticipation as he watched Kazahana Koyuki walk towards him under the protection of her entourage.

And so, he saw the new daimyo, Lord Kazahana Koyuki Yuki.

She was even more beautiful than he had imagined... His limited vocabulary couldn't find the right words to describe the feeling. Even the legendary fairies couldn't compare. However, she was more dignified than a fairy. Her gorgeous clothes made the new daimyo appear so elegant and noble. Her majestic aura was almost too much for people to look at directly. It was indeed someone like her who could save the Land of Snow!

Not daring to be impolite, Akyo kept staring at the daimyo. Then he shifted his gaze to the side, where a girl in a down jacket, with a long white fur collar covering the lower half of her face, had a particularly noticeable purple mark on her forehead... She looked so familiar! Akyo blinked, just about to try to remember, when the girl had already disappeared.

"Huh? What was I thinking about just now?" Akyo shook his head, feeling as if his memory had suddenly gone blank for a few seconds. He chuckled, patted his head, and didn't dwell on it, joining everyone in shouting and cheering wildly, quickly forgetting about it.

"What's wrong?" Kazahana Koyuki was smiling and waving to the cheering crowd when she suddenly noticed the girl next to her making a hand seal in front of her.

"It's nothing," Sakura Haruno said gently, lowering her hand. Chakra fluctuation flashed across her body, instantly amplifying the Genjutsu's deceptive effect. Some people who have experienced hardship and still manage to recover have incredibly strong and formidable spirits. If you treat them like ordinary people, your Genjutsu will almost be exposed without you even realizing it.

After walking along this stretch of road, where there were fewer people, Kazahana Koyuki covered her mouth and whispered, "Sakura, why did you use Genjutsu? Wouldn't it have been better to appear in front of everyone with me? Actually, you're the one who has done the most for this country."

"It's just a little bit of fame, I don't care. Besides, this is your country after all..." Sakura Haruno laughed nonchalantly, "And it wouldn't be good if word got out that I was in the Land of Snow!"

"Yeah..."

Kazahana Koyuki gazed deeply at the girl beside her.

She actually felt a little guilty. Sakura Haruno was the one who contributed the most to the changes in the Land of Snow. Yuki herself, as the daimyo, was just issuing orders. If Sakura hadn't been able to create hundreds of clones to convey her will, the Land of Snow would probably have just changed daimyo, and things would have remained the same without much change.

However, in the publicity, all the credit was given to himself, who did nothing but talk, while Sakura's contributions were glossed over, even though it was Sakura herself who proposed the plan.

"Isn't that deceiving them?"

"It's just a publicity strategy; the truth doesn't matter." That's what Sakura thought back then. "If the credit is attributed to someone else, your aura and prestige will be greatly diminished, and you won't be able to leave the daimyo's prefecture to film outside with peace of mind."

"Moreover, the Snow Ninja have caused too much harm to this country. If we tell them now that there are good people among the ninjas, they will become confused, which will not help to restore the country's operation as soon as possible. Moreover, as a ninja, these empty titles are of no use to me."

Are all ninjas so indifferent to fame and fortune?

Perhaps the cheers of ordinary people meant nothing to them. Ninjas and ordinary people who didn't understand Chakra, though living on the same planet, were like people from two different worlds...

As an ordinary person, Kazahana Koyuki, despite being friends with Sakura Haruno, still couldn't understand Sakura Haruno's thoughts; things that seemed important to her were actually insignificant to Sakura. At least in this world, Chakra was the most important thing to her...

Kazahana Koyuki observed the serene and quietly smiling girl beside her, her mind a jumble of thoughts, wanting to understand her thoughts more deeply; but the words that came out of her mouth were. "When did you start wearing winter clothes? Aren't ninjas supposed to be immune to the cold?"

"If I use Chakra to maintain my body temperature, I can definitely wear a swimsuit even in the dead of winter. But... wearing thick clothes makes me look like an ordinary person, otherwise I'll be too conspicuous! I can't use Genjutsu all night long, it's tiring!" Sakura smiled, her eyes narrowed. "It's also a good opportunity to experience the life of an ordinary person, and these clothes are quite warm!"

As she breathed, hot steam rose from her mouth, obscuring her expression and eyes in the white mist.

It makes it difficult to see clearly.

Ordinary people...

Xue blinked. "I always feel like you ninjas are a different species from ordinary people. I really don't understand your thoughts. Are all ninjas so precocious?"

"It's true that some ninjas mature earlier, either physically or psychologically... because of the stimulation of Chakra, which is not unusual among ninjas. It's quite normal for a twelve-year-old to look like an eighteen-year-old, or for someone to start thinking about profound philosophical questions very early on..." Sakura Haruno explained.

"So you're considered a case of precocious psychology? You're already thinking about these kinds of things!"

"Mmm." Sakura Haruno mumbled a reply. Her precociousness was because she was a transmigrator, which she couldn't tell Yuki... Outsiders also thought she was precocious, but there were even more exaggerated examples of precociousness in Konoha, and with her appropriately concealing her talents, she didn't stand out much.

She skipped over that topic and continued, "Of course, sometimes Chakra can slow down physical development. According to the Fourth Mizukage, because he practiced some kind of Secret Technique, he remained a child his entire life, and his height was only 1.5 meters."

"So you're the type who's physically late-blooming but mentally precocious, Sakura! All the nutrients are going into your brain. Ninjas are truly amazing."

Sakura was speechless.

Unfortunately, she couldn't refute it; the Ice Release did indeed adjust her development time.

The two of them had already entered the mansion of the lord.

The moment Kazahana Koyuki closed the door, her true colors were revealed.

She tossed her elegant clothes onto the hanger, revealing her short top underneath, and slumped onto the sofa, completely lacking any regal composure, humming twice, "This kind of show is exhausting!"

If outsiders saw this, they would definitely be shocked and wouldn't believe it!

Yuki muttered something, then waved her hand at Sakura Haruno and asked, "Hey! What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into by sneaking into my country?!"

"I'm here to train in Ninjutsu. You wouldn't understand the specifics... Basically, it's Ninjutsu that speeds up energy accumulation and reaction time," Sakura Haruno said, sitting opposite her.

(Second update, two updates today!)

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(The National Day holiday update rush is over. I need to take a break today and tomorrow to look up some information and organize the outline! I'll continue updating later, at least 10K words each time!)