The cold ring of the blade sounded especially piercing over the empty sea.
Kenya stopped and tilted his head slightly.
His Observation Haki had already detected the killing intent hidden in the mist.
"Tch, and here I was hoping to have lunch in peace."
He muttered to himself, but did not act immediately.
Whoever it was was in the mist anyway. They weren't getting away.
The most important thing now was to check how his newly recruited "head chef" was recovering.
A few days later.
Nourished by Kenya's sea beast meat, which qualified as "dark cuisine" but was excessively nutritious, Haku recovered quickly.
His once-pale little face had regained some color, and his eyes were no longer as lifeless as when he had first been rescued.
He treasured his current life.
He no longer had to be hunted as a monster or go hungry.
All he had to do was cook a few meals every day for the "uncle" who had saved him.
Even his Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, which he feared exposing most of all.
In that man's eyes, it was merely a practical skill for flash-freezing seafood.
"These octopus tentacles need to be frozen with Ice Release first. That'll firm up the meat."
Recalling Kenya's instructions, Haku skillfully prepared the ingredients by the shore.
It had to be said that the boy truly had a talent for cooking.
In just a few days, the grilled meat and seafood soup he made already left Kenya's cooking in the dust.
"Uncle must be hungry. I'll go call him to eat."
Carrying a large basin of prepared ingredients, Haku headed toward the granite peak in the center of the island, whose summit had been leveled.
At the summit.
Kenya had already transformed this place into a huge "gravity training ground" with Black Iron Wood Release.
Dozens of thick black iron wooden pillars stood all around, hung with barbells made from sea beast bones and iron ore.
The moment Haku climbed to the summit, the sight before him stunned him.
Kenya was clenching a cast-iron chain thicker than a forearm between his teeth.
The other end of the chain was attached to a granite boulder weighing several tons.
Kenya himself was supporting his straight, inverted body on one hand against the hard ground.
"One... two... three..."
As he counted in a muffled voice.
He actually began doing one-handed handstand push-ups in that position!
With every rise and fall of his body, the cast-iron chain pulled taut, giving off a teeth-grating scrape.
The boulder weighing several tons was dragged along with his movements, gouging deep furrows in the ground.
Kenya's muscles bulged as though engorged with blood. Sweat slid down his sharply defined body and struck the rock, actually evaporating with a hiss.
"U-Uncle..."
Haku's hands trembled slightly as he held the basin.
He had seen plenty of powerful ninja, but he had never seen anyone train their body like this!
How was this training?
This was nothing short of self-torture!
One-handed handstand push-ups were one thing.
But he was also holding a stone weighing several tons with his teeth?
What on earth were those teeth made of?
Hearing Haku's voice, Kenya released the chain from his mouth.
The boulder crashed to the ground with a boom, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Kenya flipped nimbly over and landed steadily on the ground.
He shook out his aching arm and curled his lip in dissatisfaction.
"No good. Still too light."
"This lousy rock isn't dense enough. It doesn't do anything for my training."
He turned toward Haku, who stood holding the basin, dumbfounded.
His eyes suddenly lit up.
"Little Haku, perfect timing!"
Kenya strode over and patted Haku on the shoulder.
"Your Ice Release can make really heavy, really hard blocks of ice, right?"
Haku froze for a moment, then nodded instinctively.
Because of his Kekkei Genkai, the ice he made with Ice Release was far harder and denser than ordinary ice.
"Great!"
Kenya excitedly pointed at his own back.
"Quick, use your strongest Ice Release and make me an iceberg. Put it right on my back!"
"Huh?!"
Haku nearly threw the basin out of his hands in fright.
He shook his head desperately and backed away.
"No, Uncle! The icebergs I form with Ice Release are incredibly heavy. It'll crush you!"
He had personally seen an iceberg he made crush a house in an instant.
If it landed on a person, wouldn't they be turned straight into mush?
"Enough talk. Get on with it!"
Kenya urged him impatiently, even lying face down on the ground of his own accord.
"I told you to make it, so make it. I'll take responsibility if anything happens."
"I can handle that little bit of weight you've got."
Seeing the impatience on Kenya's face.
Although Haku was afraid, he also knew that this uncle was a man whose word was final.
He gritted his teeth and set down the basin.
His hands rapidly formed hand seals.
"Ice Release: Iceberg Jutsu!"
The temperature of the surrounding air plummeted, even forming white frost crystals.
A massive iceberg several meters tall, gleaming an eerie blue, rapidly took shape in midair.
Then, bearing terrifying weight, it slammed down onto Kenya as he lay on the ground.
Boom!
There was a tremendous crash.
Several deep cracks instantly appeared in the granite ground beneath the weight.
Haku hurriedly squeezed his eyes shut in fright, not daring to watch the gruesome scene that would follow.
It's over, it's over. Uncle must have been flattened...
Haku thought, blaming himself.
Yet the scream he had expected never came.
Instead, a low snort rang out.
"Hmph! That's all it weighs? Barely enough."
Haku's eyes flew open.
Kenya's broad back was firmly holding up the iceberg, which weighed dozens of tons.
His muscles bulged to their limit, and even a faint black metallic sheen appeared on the surface of his skin.
It was the natural reaction of his Armament Haki under extreme pressure.
Immediately afterward.
Under Haku's utterly horrified gaze.
Kenya actually rose slowly from the ground with that enormous iceberg on his back!
Not only did he stand up, he even tentatively moved his legs.
"Phew-"
Kenya exhaled a long stream of white vapor.
Feeling the heavy pressure on his back, he finally showed a faint, satisfied smile.
"Now this weight is somewhat interesting."
He turned his head toward Haku, who had completely turned to stone.
"Little Haku, your Ice Release is perfect for training weights!"
Having said that.
Kenya actually carried that iceberg weighing dozens of tons on his back.
And began doing frog jumps across the granite platform!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Every time he jumped and landed.
The entire peak shook violently, as though an earthquake had struck.
As Kenya performed those ridiculously exaggerated frog jumps, he even turned his head and casually asked Haku:
"Oh, right, what's for lunch today?"
"I'm burning through quite a bit of energy here. Better add two more roast pigs!"
Haku stood rooted to the spot.
He was still unconsciously holding the spatula he used to chop vegetables.
He stared at the man who could carry an iceberg on his back and discuss lunch as though nothing were happening.
Ten thousand alpacas thundered through his mind.
He swallowed and silently asked himself:
D-Did I really just join the camp of some unbelievable monster?