Chapter 37

"Kill him! Are you telling me all these Jonin can't take down one Ice Dragon?"

Ebizo's voice was cold, his eyes thick with bloodlust.

As soon as he spoke, the Ice Dragon opposite him stirred again.

Ice formed around the crystal-clear blue gem set in the center of its forehead, shielding Liuyun completely.

"Everyone, it's time to end this," Liuyun murmured, almost to himself.

The Ice Dragon on the ground shot forward like a streak of white light.

A freezing current surged in its wake, ice paving its path. It was like a god of winter descending upon them.

"So fast!" Some Sand Ninja were too slow to react. As the Ice Dragon hurtled past, they turned into ice sculptures in an instant.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!" Enormous wind blades, compressed to the limit, formed one after another.

They burst from Ebizo's mouth with razor-sharp force, aimed at stopping the Ice Dragon.

The Ice Dragon paid them no heed, as though the incoming blades were beneath its notice.

It charged straight at the Sand Ninja, whose nerve was already close to breaking.

Screech! Screech!

The wind blades struck the Ice Dragon's forehead, producing a grating series of cuts.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

With the Ice Dragon held up, two Sand Ninja immediately unleashed a combined wind-and-fire Ninjutsu!

They meant to melt the ice around them!

To their horror, the flames had barely risen when a wave of ice swept over them and snuffed them out.

Meanwhile, Ebizo's massive wind blades held against the Ice Dragon for only a moment before dissipating.

A long, straight gash appeared across the Ice Dragon's forehead.

Ebizo stared in shock, hardly able to believe his eyes.

The next instant, his face twisted.

The gash on the Ice Dragon's forehead was healing at astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, it was gone.

"Everyone, use the same Ninjutsu! Attack the ice crystal on the Ice Dragon's forehead!"

Ebizo shouted, his eyes gleaming. He had spotted the Ice Dragon's weakness.

Its defenses were formidable, but if so many Jonin struck the same spot—

Especially the forehead, where Liuyun was—once they broke through, Liuyun would be as good as dead.

(Please send some flowers! Sob! This humble author thanks you on bended knee!)

A Dreamlike World of Ice!

Unfortunately for Ebizo, his order would be hard to carry out.

The silver-white Ice Dragon opened its enormous jaws toward the sky. Dense Ice-Style Chakra gathered in its mouth.

Then it spat upward!

A silver-white Ice Ball shot from its mouth and drifted slowly into the air.

Ebizo's expression changed drastically. "Run!" he roared.

Without waiting for the bewildered Sand Ninja around him, he put every ounce of strength into fleeing.

He could sense a powerful, destructive force within that Ice Ball.

Crack!

The Ice Ball burst apart, releasing a dazzling white light. For an instant, it seemed the only color left in the sky.

Thud! Thud!

Diamond-shaped Ice Arrows, each about a meter long, shot indiscriminately in every direction.

The dense barrage was like a Gatling gun firing blue light.

Sand Ninja who failed to run in time were struck and instantly became ice sculptures.

Wherever an Ice Arrow landed—ground or tree—ice swallowed the spot in an instant.

One Sand Ninja enclosed himself in Earth Release!

All it did was add one more graceful structure to the scene.

The Ice Arrows carried not only devastating force but also an intense freezing current.

That cold spread silently through the air like mist.

Perhaps only Madara's Fire Release could withstand Liuyun's Ice Arrows.

The barrage in the sky lasted fifteen minutes. Then everything fell still.

But the surroundings had become a silver-white World of Ice.

Through Chakra sensing, Liuyun detected only Mikoto and the others nearby—and one person fleeing at breakneck speed.

"Ebizo. One of the Sand Ninja elders, and he does have a few tricks. He managed to escape even that."

Liuyun muttered with a trace of disdain.

With a thought, he reduced the Ice Dragon before him to Ice Shards that scattered across the ground.

"Thank you, Lady Katsuyu."

Liuyun walked up to Katsuyu and offered his thanks.

"No need, Lord Liuyun! You did it all yourself!"

Awe filled Katsuyu's clear voice.

As she spoke, Katsuyu's body rippled, pushing Mikoto and Nawaki out. Both were panting hard.

"Lord Liuyun, my work here is done. See you again!"

"Goodbye. Sorry for the trouble this time!"

Smoke rose around Katsuyu, and she returned to Shikkotsu Forest.

"Lord Liuyun, we'll be going too!"

Uchiha Jisu and Uchiha Yunda addressed Liuyun respectfully, their eyes full of awe.

They had watched the entire battle. Calling it a rout would be no exaggeration!

Lord Liuyun had cut down more than a dozen Jonin as easily as chopping vegetables, one with each move.

That final Ice Dragon, in particular, had almost rivaled the Susanoo of a Uchiha Clan member who had awakened the Mangekyo.

"Go on." Liuyun gave the two of them a friendly smile.

Whatever else could be said, they had helped him indirectly.

He showed enemies no mercy, but repaid those who helped him a thousandfold.

That was the rule he lived by. At that moment, Liuyun suddenly realized the Uchiha Clan was not so cold after all.

Why did they suddenly seem just a tiny bit adorable?

"Phew! I thought we were done for! What... what happened here?"

Panting, Senju Nawaki came to his senses and stared in horror at the World of Ice around them.

"Nothing much. Just a little Ninjutsu."

Liuyun shook his head. He could not be bothered explaining it to that simpleton. Instead, he went over to Mikoto and asked with concern,

"Mikoto, are you all right? Are you hurt?"

He held her by the shoulders and looked her over carefully.

"I'm fine! I have to thank you again, Liuyun!"

Mikoto patted her chest. Lingering fear crossed her face before she broke into a beautiful smile.

Smack!

A crisp sound rang out.

Liuyun withdrew his hand, savoring the startling softness he had just felt. Not bad. She's filled out more. Then he feigned anger.

"Do we really need to say things like that to each other? Don't let me hear those words again, understand?"

"Mm."

Mikoto gave a soft murmur. Her cheeks were bright red as she fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, head bowed in utter embarrassment.

Beside them, Senju Nawaki stared, dumbfounded, his mouth twitching. Could these two have a little decency?

We barely survived, and this is what you make me watch? As if I wanted a serving of this lovey-dovey nonsense!

"Hey! Now isn't the time for you two to flirt. What do we do?"

Senju Nawaki's resentful shout faded as he looked at the bodies beneath the surrounding ice. His eyes reddened at once.

"War is cruel. Either you die or I do."

Noticing the change in Senju Nawaki's expression, Liuyun spoke without emotion.

"I know! I know! It's just... Youzheng didn't make it. Waaaah!"

Senju Nawaki could no longer hold back his tears and began to sob.

In that moment, he was no young heir of the Senju Clan. He was only a shaken boy who had survived a disaster and was weeping for a comrade.

Liuyun fell silent, sensing the Mental Energy increasing in his mind.

A question occurred to him.

System, I don't think I asked who was behind these Sand Ninja, did I? Did you make a mistake?

Ding! This system does not make mistakes. The host already knows who masterminded this attack!

Liuyun chuckled inwardly. That counts? Danzo really is the gift that keeps on giving!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Figures raced through the forest.

They wore Jonin flak jackets and Konoha Forehead Protectors.

Tsunade and Jiraiya led the way.

Tsunade's face was pale, her teeth clenched, her beautiful eyes frantic with worry.

Jiraiya said nothing, but his eyes were grave.

Just moments earlier, they had been discussing defenses against the Beheading Squad's attack.

Then Katsuyu had suddenly appeared.

She had told Tsunade that her two students and her younger brother were under attack by Sand Ninja.

(The comments are so quiet. Should I send you all something spicy? Is anyone reading? Sob, I'm scared!)

Tsunade and Jiraiya's Shock!

The entire supply convoy had been wiped out. Only Liuyun and the other two were still struggling to hold on.

Tsunade stumbled, feeling as if the sky were falling.

She immediately thought of the elite squad the Sand Ninja had recently formed!

The Beheading Squad!

It was a special unit made up of several Elite Jonin and Jonin, with a handful of Elite Chunin.

Its captain was Ebizo, Chiyo's younger brother. He favored blitz tactics, using overwhelming force to eliminate enemies swiftly.

The squad had reportedly been formed at Chiyo's urging after White Fang's battle with the Third Kazekage.