The next second
"You know, I still don't really like you slave traders. How should I put it... I guess it's the mindset of an old friend." Uchiha Chiba snapped his fingers.
Boom!!!!
The middle-aged man came to his senses at once.
Then
He looked at the ring on Uchiha Chiba's finger.
"What? A genjutsu? Guest, that's not a very funny joke..." The expression on the middle-aged man's face stiffened.
Thwack!!!!!
The Blood Scythe sliced through his neck.
"Be quiet. I'm thinking." Uchiha Chiba smiled. He swung the scythe again and cut through the chains. Minazuki Kokona looked at Chiba, dropped her chains, and came to his side.
"Why did you save me?" Minazuki Kokona still wore the same indifferent expression.
"Hmm, if I had to say... you're cute." Uchiha Chiba answered casually. He looked into the distance, where a Kage Level chakra signature was on its way.
Right there
Minazuki Kokona lowered her head.
Ignoring Minazuki Kokona
Uchiha Chiba swung his scythe and freed all the slaves in the slave quarters. Some hurriedly ran off, some stood there in a daze, and others seemed so broken that they didn't want to leave.
Of course, he respected their choices...
Thwack!
A slave who had just rushed toward the exit was pierced by a short sword. His body was carelessly tossed aside.
"Who are you, and where are you from? Why are you here to ruin my business? If you're an enemy, I'll pay double to have you killed." A masked man spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Nothing. I just don't like the look of this place." Uchiha Chiba swung his scythe casually. Blood rose from the slave who had just died, then sank into the scythe.
The man narrowed his eyes.
"Well, then, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you for wrecking my place. You're only a kid with Kage Level strength... Men! No matter how strong you are, you're going to die." The man waved his hand, and more than a dozen Jonin filed in behind him.
An ordinary Kage Level fighter wouldn't dare take on a Kage Level opponent and more than a dozen Jonin. But Uchiha Chiba wasn't an ordinary Kage Level fighter.
He grinned.
Chiba: Bring it on.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song"
The flames Chiba spewed from his mouth took the shape of dragons, clawing and snapping as they charged at the enemy. The fire burned so hot that it ignited the surrounding air in an instant, forming a sea of flames. The heat made it hard to keep their eyes open. The dozen or so Jonin struggled in the inferno, crying out in pain, but couldn't escape the flames' terrible devouring force.
Behind Chiba
Minazuki Kokona quietly watched Chiba's profile.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Flame"
The Kage Level fighter shot out of the flames, lightning covering both his hands. He hadn't expected the kid who looked to be in his teens to wipe out most of his men with a single move. Rage surged through him. Purple light flared from the wild lightning in his hands, and the next second—
Vmmmm!!!!
The lightning-charged fist flashed before Chiba's eyes.
"Too slow. I may not be as experienced as other Kage Level fighters, but I can still kill a half-baked one like you without breaking a sweat." Uchiha Chiba's eyes shifted. His Three Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly as he formed Hand Seals.
"Water Style: Water Shockwave"
The jutsu Hanzo the Salamander had used, which Chiba had copied with his Sharingan, was now perfectly replicated. A deep blue torrent surged upward, enveloping the man before him in its terrifying force. The next second—
Kaboom!!!!!!
The water pressure blasted a huge hole through the ceiling.
Fragments of flesh drifted down like snowflakes.
"Disperse, disperse... I don't know why, but it feels so satisfying to free a slave trader's hideout... Could it be! Am I some kind of bloodthirsty person? No, wait. Could I be under the influence of the Blood Pact?" Uchiha Chiba stretched and muttered to himself.
Maybe the Blood Pact really did have some influence...
Blood Pact: I want to call my lawyer! I want to call my lawyer!!!
The enormous commotion naturally drew the attention of the entire slave market. A few sharp-witted bosses immediately shut their doors and hid.
It seemed that after seeing their enslavers die, the slaves behind Uchiha Chiba went wild and ran out of the underground area. They scattered in every direction.
After a long while
The street was empty.
"Should I stop by the Land of Birds? No, forget it. I'll head back to the Land of Wind soon." Uchiha Chiba casually swung his hand, and the slave shops along the street were hacked to pieces. When nobody came running out, Chiba increased the force of his attack again. A terrifying blast of blood shattered the ground, bringing the darkness hidden beneath it into the open.
"Remove the restrictions on the slaves, then let them all go." Uchiha Chiba put away the Blood Scythe. He'd already used up a fifth of his blood reserves. After all, there was no war going on yet, so he had no way to replenish his blood.
Before long
Scattered groups of slaves emerged.
"That should do it." Uchiha Chiba set off toward the end of the street, planning to leave.
Suddenly
A hand tugged at Uchiha Chiba's clothes.
"I'm coming with you." The voice was indifferent. It was Minazuki Kokona.
Chiba turned around. "You didn't leave?"
"I can't. If I get a certain distance away from you, my body starts to hurt." Minazuki Kokona looked at Chiba's Sharingan. She seemed to like those crimson eyes.
"Oh, I forgot about that. Well, then, come with me." Uchiha Chiba rubbed his chin. It didn't matter much to him whether he had one more person with him or not.
But
In reality, the slave mark only caused pain when activated. Under normal circumstances, it didn't hurt the marked slave at all.
At that moment, Chiba had no idea just how much the cold, unsmiling girl's personality would change later on...
Leaving the Land of Rivers
On the road
"Does everyone in the Yuki Clan know Ice Release?" Uchiha Chiba was a little curious. After all, the only member of the Yuki Clan who had appeared in the original story was Haku, early on.
"My mother said most of the men in the Yuki Clan can use Ice Release, but very few women can. I can use it too," Minazuki Kokona answered calmly.
"Ice Release: Frozen Snow"
Minazuki Kokona formed Hand Seals, then waved her hand and sent out a small snow tornado. Her strength was probably only around Chunin level, but the attack still turned a tree into ice crystals.
"Looks pretty good. Oh, right, I'm actually from the Rain—Konoha. We're at war with the Land of Wind. When I go out on missions, just stay in the camp." Uchiha Chiba spoke as he continued walking at the same pace.
"But if I get a certain distance away from you, I'll die," Minazuki Kokona said calmly. This girl really was a natural liar.
"Tch... I forgot about that. But I still can't take you along on missions. Hmm... how about this? I'll leave one of my clones behind. That should solve the problem, right?" Uchiha Chiba quickly came up with a solution.
"Okay." Minazuki Kokona didn't move at all. She simply answered in a calm voice.
Before you continue