The Land of Snow lay beneath ice and snow all year round. When Lin Ye stepped ashore, a bitter wind lashed his face with ice crystals. Even with chakra shielding his body, he felt a bone-deep chill-not merely a matter of temperature, but a freezing sensation at the chakra level, as though the entire country's natural energy carried the power to freeze.
The Mind's Eye System's perception was somewhat restricted in the snow, but it could still map out the general terrain. This was a peninsula, surrounded by sea on three sides, with the mountains to the north providing its only land passage. A massive castle stood at its center-the Land of Snow Royal Castle. Thirty li southeast of the castle lay a small fishing village, where the second Uzumaki survivor lived.
"According to Lady Mito's sensing, that person is in the fishing village." Lin Ye tightened his cloak and trudged through the wind and snow. Black cloth covered his blind eyes, but his mind's eye let him "see" several chakra signatures lurking in the snow-the Snow Ninja, this country's specialized shinobi, skilled in Ice Release and the use of Chakra Armor.
He wanted no unnecessary trouble, so he used the Body Flicker Technique to slip past the patrol. An hour later, the fishing village entered his perception. A dozen or so wooden houses stood scattered along the bay, fishing boats lay frozen into the ice, and cooking smoke rose from chimneys. Inside the easternmost house was a warm, red source of chakra-the Uzumaki bloodline.
Lin Ye walked up to the house and knocked.
A red-haired girl of about fifteen or sixteen opened the door. She wore thick furs, and both her cheeks were red from the cold. Seeing the cloth wrapped around Lin Ye's eyes, she paused. "Who are you looking for?"
"A survivor of the Uzumaki Clan," Lin Ye said. "I'm Uchiha Ye. I came from Uzushio Village at Lady Mito's request."
The girl's pupils contracted, and she instinctively tried to shut the door, but Lin Ye had already wrapped Chakra Chains-a simplified version of Adamantine Sealing Chains-around the doorframe.
"Don't be afraid. I'm not an enemy." He unwound the black cloth, revealing eyes that, though blind, could still "see." "I can prove it."
He extended his right hand, and the Uzumaki Clan's crest appeared in his palm-the mark Mito had left when passing on her legacy. At the sight of it, the girl's breathing quickened. "You really are... Lady Mito's successor?"
"Yes. Can we talk inside? It's cold out here."
The house was sparse but warm. Wood burned in the stove, fishing nets hung on the walls, and a half-finished bowl of fish soup sat on the table. The girl poured Lin Ye a cup of hot water and sat opposite him.
"My name is Kazahana Koyuki," she said. "But I'm not a full-blooded Uzumaki. My mother was an Uzumaki, and my father was a nobleman of the Land of Snow. Before Mother died, she told me not to reveal my red hair or use Sealing Jutsu, or I would bring disaster upon myself."
"But you're still using it." Lin Ye "saw" the faint Sealing Jutsu chakra inside her. "You're protecting this village, aren't you? You've used a barrier to block outside perception. That's why the Snow Ninja haven't found you."
Koyuki bit her lip. "How did you know?"
"I can sense chakra. There's a very faint sealing barrier around this village. It's crude, but unmistakably Uzumaki work," Lin Ye said. "Koyuki, I need your help. More precisely, I need the Counter-Kāma fragment inside you."
"Counter-Kāma?"
Lin Ye briefly explained Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, the opposing nature of Kāma and Counter-Kāma, and the one-year countdown on the Kāma inside Sasuke. Koyuki's face paled as she listened.
"So... the massacre of the Uchiha and Indra's curse were all that Otsutsuki's doing?"
"Yes. And your Uzumaki Clan descends from Asura. You're born with fragments inside you that can counter Kāma," Lin Ye said. "Once all the fragments are gathered, we can create a complete Counter-Kāma and eliminate Kāma entirely."
Koyuki fell silent for a long time, gazing at the fire. "What do you need me to do?"
"Let me extract the fragment inside you. Lady Mito taught me how. It won't hurt you, though you may feel weak for a short while afterward."
"And then? Can I leave this place?" Koyuki asked. "Ever since Father died, my uncle has been searching for me. He wants to kill me because I have a claim to the throne. I can't stay in this fishing village much longer."
"Come back to Konoha with me. You're an Uzumaki survivor. Konoha will protect you. And Karin is there too-she's another Uzumaki survivor, though she's asleep."
Hearing that another member of her clan was alive, Koyuki's eyes lit up. "Really? Then I'll go. When will you extract the fragment?"
"Now. But before that, we have some guests to deal with." Lin Ye turned to "look" out the window. "It seems your uncle has found you."
Through his mind's eye, he sensed twenty Snow Ninja wearing Chakra Armor surrounding the house. Leading them was a middle-aged man wearing a crown-Kazahana Dōtō, the current king of the Land of Snow and Koyuki's uncle.
"My dear niece Koyuki, after hiding for so many years, isn't it time you came out to see your uncle?" Dōtō's voice carried through the wind and snow. "And our guest inside-you must be quite capable to have slipped past the outer patrols."
Lin Ye rose and told Koyuki, "Stay inside. Don't come out. I'll extract the fragment once I've dealt with them."
"But there are twenty of them, and they have Chakra Armor-"
"It's fine."
Lin Ye pushed open the door and stepped outside. Amid the wind and snow, Dōtō and his Snow Ninja forces surrounded him in a fan formation. Dōtō wore specially made Chakra Armor, with a blue crystal set into its chest-the Land of Snow's secret treasure, the Ice Crystal Stone, which could greatly amplify the power of Ice Release.
"An Uchiha brat?" Dōtō narrowed his eyes at Lin Ye's eyes. "The Sharingan? No, you look blind. You think you can protect Koyuki?"
"Try me and find out." Lin Ye formed hand seals, not to attack, but to defend. "Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Eight red chakra chains extended from his back and writhed through the air. The Snow Ninja froze, clearly unfamiliar with the technique. Dōtō sneered. "All flash and no substance. Ice Release: Wolf Fang Avalanche!"
The ground shook. Giant wolves formed from ice and snow surged out of the snowfield and lunged at Lin Ye. But the chains were faster. All eight pierced the snow wolves like darting serpents, then swept toward Dōtō.
"A petty trick!" Dōtō's Chakra Armor lit up, forming an ice-crystal shield. The chains struck it, shattering the ice crystals, but the shield held them back. Dōtō seized the opportunity to form hand seals. "Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard Attack!"
A massive tornado of ice took shape, ready to tear Lin Ye apart. Yet he neither dodged nor retreated. Blood ran from his left eye-though he was blind, his Mangekyo's eye power remained.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames ignited inside the ice tornado. Ice and fire clashed, but Amaterasu was an undying flame, and the tornado rapidly evaporated. Dōtō's expression changed drastically. He tried to retreat, but the Adamantine Sealing Chains had already wrapped around his limbs.
"It's over." Lin Ye formed a seal with one hand. "Sealing Jutsu: Four Symbols Seal!"
Sealing formulas spread along the chains and instantly covered Dōtō's entire body. His Chakra Armor was sealed, and the Ice Crystal Stone dimmed. Dōtō screamed as the chains bundled him up tight.
"Your Majesty!" The Snow Ninja tried to rescue him, but a single look from Lin Ye stopped them-even blind, the pressure of his Mangekyo left them unable to move.
"Go back and tell your people that I'm taking Koyuki to Konoha. If you come after her again, this is what will happen to you." Lin Ye pointed at the sealed Dōtō.
The Snow Ninja exchanged looks, then carried Dōtō away. They were no fools. This blind boy had instantly sealed their king despite his Chakra Armor. He was far beyond anything they could fight.
Lin Ye returned to the house. Koyuki had been watching through the window, her eyes filled with shock.
"That's settled. Now we can extract the fragment."
Extracting the Counter-Kāma fragment went more smoothly than expected. The method Mito had taught him was gentle, using Sealing Jutsu simply to guide the fragment out of the body. An hour later, a red crystal emerged from Koyuki's chest and fell into Lin Ye's hand.
[Obtained Counter-Kāma fragment ×1] [Current progress: 1/3] [Reward: Rinnegan Fragment ×20] [Current Rinnegan Fragments: 370/1000]
"Done." Lin Ye put the crystal away and used Medical Ninjutsu to treat Koyuki's weakness. "Rest tonight. We'll leave for Konoha tomorrow."
That evening, Koyuki asked Lin Ye many questions about the outside world. When she heard that the Fourth Shinobi World War might break out, and learned of the threat posed by the Akatsuki and the Otsutsuki, she fell silent.
"So much has happened out there while I've been hiding here all these years," Koyuki said. "Ye, you said Konoha would protect me, but what can I do? I don't want to just be protected."
"You can learn the complete Sealing Jutsu teachings, help us find other Uzumaki survivors, and become a force against the Otsutsuki," Lin Ye said. "But first, you have to grow stronger."
"I understand. I'll work hard."
Late that night, while Lin Ye stood watch, the system's alert suddenly sounded:
[Warning: Spatial fluctuation detected. Target: Mount Myōboku] [Warning: Sasuke Uchiha is under attack. Attacker identity: Unknown puppet] [Warning: Attacker carries a Kāma Resonance Device, which may accelerate the awakening of the Kāma inside Sasuke]
"What?!" Lin Ye sprang to his feet. Orochimaru's new toy had made its move!
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