Chương 93: The Snow Clan

From the air, Jieluo looked down on this magnificent town. There were few traces of modernization, not even electric lights. Under the cover of ice and snow, the atmosphere was ancient, peaceful and serene.

The Snow Clan truly lives a peaceful life, secluded from the world.

But in this ninja world, no one can truly remain uninvolved.

On the ancient, towering city walls, thick with ice and snow, one after another, tense-looking Snow Clan ninjas arrived, confronting the Hidden Mist ninjas who stood tall in the forests of the snowy valley.

As the town's alarm bells rang, a chilling atmosphere descended upon the city, and panicked civilians scrambled to their homes, locking their doors and windows tightly.

Jielu observed the city with great interest, having broadened his horizons along the way. The fact that icebergs and even terrain could move was something that could only be clearly seen from the air; ninjas on the ground would hardly notice it while moving.

Jielu did not allow the Mist Village to attack, and the prisoners captured along the way who tried to block the advance of the Mist Village's main force were not killed on the spot.

Unlike the stubbornness of the bamboo-harvesting clan, the guy opposite him seems to be a smart one.

Yura waited quietly in mid-air. Ahead, Lucy pulled the cart, occasionally flapping her wings. Below, thousands of Mist Village troops remained silent.

Suddenly suspended in mid-air, in such a conspicuous position, Yuki could pinpoint the leader's location with just a glance. From a great distance, holding a telescope, her gaze was fixed on the blonde Lucy with the silly look on her face.

This blonde...

is her?

A hint of doubt flashed in her eyes. With her left hand forming a hand seal, a rectangular ice crystal mirror appeared in front of Yuki. Yuki then stepped into the ice mirror, traversing a large distance. Another ice mirror appeared out of thin air a dozen meters in front of Lucy. Yuki then leaned half her body out and hung on the ice mirror, scrutinizing Lucy.

This guy looks a bit dangerous, but he doesn't seem very strong.

I'm quite puzzled.

Jieluo sized up Yukihime and raised an eyebrow.

The Ice Release technique is interesting; it can also be used for spatial teleportation, like opening a spatial portal.

According to the intelligence gathered by Jieluo, it would be difficult for Yukihime to hit Gengetsu, who was under the cover of a mirage illusion, and it would also be difficult for Gengetsu to hit Yukihime, who was teleporting in this icy and snowy place. Both of them could appear in any unexpected location.

According to some eyewitness accounts of ninjas, it looked like two blind men were groping and fighting; the scene was quite lively, but they just couldn't hit each other.

Leaving this icy, snowy home ground, Yukihime's combat power will drop by at least five levels.

and...

"You are..." Yukihime stared at Lucy, asking in confusion, "The new general of Kirigakure?"

Lucy remained expressionless. She was used to this situation. As long as Jieluo didn't make a sound, she would also keep silent. If she couldn't see Jieluo, there was a very high chance that she would be cut down by Jieluo's blade. The distance of about ten meters seemed safe, but in reality, it was extremely dangerous. Her opponent already had one foot in the grave.

"Here..." Jie Luo said with a slight smile.

Once this guy is killed, the Yuki clan will immediately fight to the death, and Kirigakure will gain nothing. What Byakuren needs are people, a large number of people, to expand Kirigakure's strength and make full preparations for the First Shinobi World War.

Upon hearing this, Yukihime was startled and abruptly turned her gaze, fixing it on Yukihime, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

Her slender body was covered in layers of cold sweat, which crawled all over Yuki's chest and back.

This guy, how come he's just like that kid Huan Yue, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, using illusion magic?

"You are... —" Yukihime said, "That Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Onihime?"

"Your intelligence on Kirigakure is quite good," Yura said with a slight smile.

"My name is Yura."

Yuki nodded indifferently, and without making a sound, shrank her upper body back a little.

"You can call me Yu," Yukihime said.

"Yu?" Jieluo smiled faintly, "It doesn't sound like a girl's name."

Upon hearing this, Yukihime's eyelids twitched, but she said nothing.

"Why is your chest and back the same flat?" Jie Luo continued to ask.

Yukihime's eyelids twitched again, but she still didn't say anything.

"You must be a man, right?" Jieluo laughed.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lucy, Akane, Terumiko, and Tsukihime all opened their mouths wide in shock, staring at Yukihime, who was like a peerless ice and snow goddess. She had a pure and ethereal quality, as clear and transparent as ice and snow. But you're telling me she's a man?

Xue Ji was a bit stunned. Although that brat Huan Yue kept calling her "woman," which was annoying, this guy in front of her...

Yuki gave a forced smile and said coldly, "I am a woman."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yaogai and the others breathed a sigh of relief. They believed it; how could someone who looked like that not be a woman?

Upon hearing this, Jieluo's eyes revealed a look of understanding, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of her lips.

"It seems to be a secret. Just pretend I saw it wrong, Yukihime."

Is it some strange tradition of the Yuki clan, such as only women can inherit the title of Yukihime?

The current ninja world is still too conservative. It lacks effective common sense to distinguish between men dressed as women, especially for someone like Yukihime whose gender is difficult to discern. Is it really that easy to fool her?

"Enough with the nonsense!" With a hint of exasperation and gritted teeth, Yukihime glared fiercely at Yura, abruptly steer the conversation to the point, saying, "I will not agree to Kirigakure's conditions!"

First, for the Yuki clan to join Kirigakure, they would have to abandon Yukikaze Island and move the entire clan into Kirigakure. For the Yuki clan, this would be tantamount to giving up their right to survival, almost like waiting to die. They would never leave Yukikaze Island.

This one point alone makes it practically pointless to discuss anything further.

The stalemate was due to Yuki's desire to gain more benefits.

"Don't be too impatient, Yukihime. You don't want your secret to be known by everyone, do you..." Jieluo said with a smile.

Yuki opened her mouth, then closed it.

If this were to be exposed, in the current traditional ninja world, it would be more painful than killing her. A flash of pain and despair crossed her eyes, and Yukihime resolutely said, "Don't try to blackmail me with this. Before the fate of my clan, I will not waver!"

Tsukihime and Terumiko looked at Yukihime strangely.

"How could that be..." Jieluo smiled faintly, "I came to negotiate with goodwill, Yukihime."

Negotiate?

Yukihime looked down at the dense mass of Kirigakure ninjas in the mountains and forests below Yukihime.

Negotiations require strength. Yukihime's original plan was to repel the repeated probing attempts by Kirigakure, thereby forcing the old man of the White Lotus to compromise and negotiate.

"Has Byakuren changed the conditions?" Yukihime asked.

"No..." Yura shook her head and said, "Unless the conditions remain the same, your Yuki clan will not receive any special treatment in Kirigakure."

Even the tough old man, Hōzuki, couldn't get anything from him, let alone the Yuki clan. This old guy was all alone, and all he cared about was the entire Kirigakure.

Yukihime's eyes hardened as she looked at Yuki and asked, "Then what do you mean?"

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