Mikoto's Resolve

In the Shinobi World, apart from certain forbidden jutsu, secret techniques, and Kekkei Tōta, even Kekkei Genkai rarely possess the ability to achieve decisive results in such a short amount of time.

Therefore, upon seeing Satoru unleash a technique that seemed to be an Ice Release Kekkei Genkai and freeze him, the Sunagakure Jonin was still confident he could break free and counterattack.

Of course, reality not only slapped him in the face but also mercilessly took his life.

Ice Release, a Kekkei Genkai born from the fusion of Water Release and Wind Release, appears occasionally in the Shinobi World.

Legends say such ninjas exist in the Land of Water and the Land of Snow, though there are differences.

The Land of Water legends speak of a clan that could use their own Chakra to perform ice-based secret techniques; that was true Ice Release Kekkei Genkai.

Whereas the so-called "Ice Release" of the Land of Snow merely utilized the harsh, icy environment of the Land of Snow, aided by Wind Release, and was not an ability of a Kekkei Genkai.

And on the Gobi Desert of the Land of Wind, let alone ice, there wasn't even water.

"This... this is undoubtedly the true Ice Release Kekkei Genkai..."

"I... I must... the information..."

Gritting his teeth tightly, the burly Sunagakure Chunin, initially hit in the face by Satoru's Dragon's Breath and then a blunt force blow, found that the continuous burning effect prevented him from even passing out.

His severe injuries left him completely unable to move, forcing him to grit his teeth and remain silent, quietly recovering his strength.

The areas on his body severely burned by the Dragon's Breath technique had carbonized. The dual damage to his body and spirit required him to exert all his effort to avoid screaming out in agony.

In the burly Chunin's opinion, the Jonin should be able to handle these two strange Konoha Genin brats with ease.

Not to mention, this Jonin was an Anbu ninja specializing in assassination!

But he never imagined that not only did one Genin escape, but the Jonin couldn't stop him, and he himself, in such a short time...

Was utterly annihilated by this little fellow!

"Crack..."

"He... he must be a hidden genius of Konoha, must... huh?"

"..."

The burly Chunin's face contorted. He suddenly realized that his feet had lost all sensation!

And the cause of this phenomenon was the hard ice that had appeared on his feet at some unknown time!

"I've been discovered!"

The burly Chunin looked up sharply, seeing Satoru's glaring eyes in the distance.

"Still not dead? What a nuisance..."

Satoru shook his head regretfully. Under the surveillance of his Mage Eye, the burly Chunin's supposedly decent disguise hadn't escaped Satoru's notice.

Ice crystals shimmered, and a crystal-clear, icy spear rapidly formed in Satoru's right hand.

"The longer I delay, the more likely accidents are to happen, and it's not good to be discovered by others."

"So, please die in peace."

Before a certain mine at the border of the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain, Mr. Ito wiped his sweat excitedly, repeatedly:

"Ha... haha! We've finally arrived!"

"Those hateful bastards from the Land of Wind, let's see how you try to play your tricks now!"

The old butler, who had been mostly silent and spoke little, also showed a look of emotion. This mine was his boss's greatest asset.

Looking at the guards stationed far away at the mine entrance, Mikoto breathed a sigh of relief:

"This is the destination... so we just need to go straight in, right?"

"It's not that simple..."

Samurai Sanada, who had been suppressed by the ninjas' performance and couldn't raise his head, gripped the samurai sword at his waist:

"They've already noticed us, yet they haven't come forward to greet us. Is this how they treat their boss?"

Mikoto's heart skipped a beat, and she carefully observed the guards' state—

"Some of them have gone back, to call someone? Could it be..."

"Heh heh... it seems our mission isn't over yet," Orochimaru sneered, "Mr. Ito, are you sure those documents are really useful?"

"This..."

Mr. Ito's face turned grim. With the facts before him, he began to doubt the integrity of the Land of Wind's officials:

"I don't recognize these guards, but as long as my former subordinates from the mine are here, everything will be fine!"

Mr. Ito gritted his teeth fiercely. Having already arrived at the mine entrance, how could he be willing to turn back?

Moreover, things hadn't reached the worst stage. The mine had only changed to unfamiliar guards, and even the sign hadn't been replaced—

The sign above the gate still read "Ito Mining," not "Land of Wind XXX," which indicated that the Land of Wind's officials were merely trying to cover things up.

"They're coming!"

Samurai Sanada stepped in front of the boss and the butler. He had only intervened a few times on the way here and was already feeling restless, now he couldn't help but get excited.

"Leave this to me this time!"

"Mikoto, since the leader Satoru isn't here, how will you handle the current situation on your own?"

Orochimaru's voice softly sounded next to the tense Mikoto, quickly bringing her back to her senses.

"That's right... Right now, those two are desperately buying time, and only I am here..."

"Only by finishing things here as quickly as possible and completing the commission can I return to help those two!"

"If I ask Teacher Orochimaru to take the lead now, then everything they've done will be meaningless!"

Mikoto's dark eyes became resolute:

"Even if it's just me, our team mission hasn't failed yet!"

All along, Uchiha Mikoto had occupied a middle position within the three-person team.

Her junior, Mitokado Satoru, who was a year younger, was the undisputed leader of the team with his versatile ninjutsu, excellent taijutsu, meticulous thinking, and powerful control.

Although he was the youngest, both Mikoto and Nawaki naturally regarded him as the core of the team.

Not only in terms of personal ability but also in their interactions, Satoru felt like a reliable senior, giving them a sense of security.

As for Nawaki, who was a year older than Mikoto, he possessed the dual bloodlines of the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan. Although he himself said that this enhancement was not very obvious, he was already very strong compared to others.

His massive chakra reserves and solid fundamentals meant that while his battles weren't ostentatious, they rarely involved mistakes.

His passionate and sunny personality made his interactions with everyone full of joy.

And his firmness and decisiveness when necessary made Nawaki a very compatible partner with Satoru, and the second core of the team.

As for Uchiha Mikoto, despite having Uchiha Fugaku's guidance, as a girl, she mostly supported the two boys in combat during normal times.

Intentionally or unintentionally, the two boys always tried their best to protect her—Mikoto, a Uchiha clan member with such a gentle disposition, was truly too rare.

However, Mikoto was, after all, from the Uchiha clan.

Although she felt safe and happy being protected, when the situation called for her to step up, she would absolutely not back down!

"Teacher Orochimaru, please don't make a move yet... I want to see how big the gap is between me and those two!"

Orochimaru let out a low laugh, looking at Mikoto charging towards the enemy with a kunai in hand, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Your growth is truly astonishing..."

"Fight hard, can you become a true 'Uchiha' before the real battle arrives..."