Even though it had been buried by heavy snow and scattered by the mist, once he got close, Gekko Chizan could still clearly smell the scent of blood.
This was the sense of smell of a shinobi who had galloped across battlefields for years.
"Quit being curious and hurry up!"
Tagitsuhime urged Gekko Chizan to move forward, as if some rare treasure awaited ahead.
Even without her saying so, Gekko Chizan had already begun walking toward the small town. However, outside the town, many crystal fragments lay scattered across the ground, each engraved with the Flying Thunder God formula.
Now Gekko Chizan was even more cautious than before. There was no helping it—once someone developed the instinct to follow their heart and avoid danger, it only grew stronger, never weaker.
As he stepped into the town, his brows gradually knitted together.
Even beneath the snow's cover, he could still see several corpses. From observation, it was clear they had all died from being pierced through by sharp weapons.
Fatal wounds. Killed in a single strike.
Judging by their clothing—they weren't shinobi?
At that moment, a flash of realization sparked in his mind. He understood. What had happened here perfectly matched a scene from his memories.
A surge of motivation suddenly rose from the soles of his feet. If it truly was as he thought, then he would be gaining another formidable general.
With a target in mind, Gekko Chizan unconsciously quickened his pace.
The entire town was not large—one could even say it was very small. Just an ordinary settlement for civilians.
Reaching the center of the town, the first thing that came into view was countless corpses. The same as before.
And beside a house along the street, a small, frail figure entered Gekko Chizan's line of sight.
"As expected..."
The child looked to be three or four years old, sitting there blankly. If one looked closely, the little body was trembling all over—whether from the cold or something else, it was hard to say.
"Chizan, that little kid's heart is filled with fear. It feels like he's experienced something different."
Chōmei's emotional perception clearly sensed the child's feelings.
That trace of fear made Chōmei a little curious.
Because fear at this level was rarely seen in such a young child.
"Sigh, just as I thought..."
Gekko Chizan stepped forward toward the child.
As his view became clearer, an exceptionally handsome little boy appeared before his eyes.
Looking at that tender and beautiful face, Gekko Chizan couldn't help but sigh. This trip to the Land of Water was truly an excellent start.
"Kid, did you do all of this?"
Hearing his voice, the child trembled even more violently.
As if recalling something utterly terrifying.
Seeing that the child was shaking too badly to speak, Gekko Chizan understood what he must have gone through.
"Let's go. This place isn't fit for people to live in anymore. I'll take you away."
Without caring whether the child agreed or not, Gekko Chizan directly hoisted him onto his shoulder.
The instant he made contact with the child, the surrounding air froze. Not figuratively—but literally.
In the next second, countless shards of ice appeared, stabbing toward Gekko Chizan.
"Heh, a bloodline limit. Not bad."
But Gekko Chizan would not be harmed by such an attack. A fierce and scorching aura suddenly erupted from his body, instantly crushing and evaporating all the ice.
The child, already terrified to the extreme, fainted directly under that overwhelming pressure.
Seeing the child had lost consciousness, Gekko Chizan smiled. Sometimes fainting wasn't such a bad thing.
"Idiot, Chizan! Is my chakra for you to use like that?"
"That's this great lord's Tailed Beast chakra! And you used it just to generate heat? That's too much!"
Gekko Chizan adjusted the child on his shoulder while listening to Chōmei's complaints in his mind.
"Come on. Who told your chakra to be so scorching?"
"I only borrowed it for a moment. Don't be so petty. Be good, Chōmei."
"I'll get you some insects later, alright?"
After being with Chōmei for so long, how could Gekko Chizan not understand his little thoughts?
Having achieved his goal, Chōmei immediately let out a sly laugh.
"Hehehe, you're the one offering me insects on your own. I didn't ask for them."
"Chizan, from now on, use as much chakra as you like. This great me may not have much, but I've got plenty of chakra."
Gekko Chizan shook his head helplessly. This Chōmei was getting more and more unreliable.
But he didn't mind. After all, Chōmei was his comrade. If he didn't spoil him, who would?
Carrying the child, Gekko Chizan did not go far. He simply left the town and, under Tagitsuhime's guidance, found a cave to use as a resting place.
"Crystal Release!"
As someone who enjoyed comfort, Gekko Chizan couldn't tolerate simply staying inside a raw cave.
With a clap of his hands, he gave the cave a complete renovation.
If one asked what Crystal Release was best at, it was definitely creating all kinds of furniture.
First, he sealed the cave entrance. Then crystal beds, crystal tables, and chairs appeared within the cave.
"Ah… forgot to leave a ventilation opening. Wouldn't want to suffocate…"
Looking at the completely sealed entrance, Gekko Chizan nearly cursed his own stupidity just as he was about to start a fire. If he lit one like this, he might give himself carbon monoxide poisoning.
Thinking of that, he quickly changed his approach. He constructed a proper fire pit and added a flue that led directly outside the cave.
Looking at his masterpiece, Gekko Chizan felt thoroughly pleased.
"Tsk tsk, Chizan. Forget everything else—just with these construction skills, even if you weren't a shinobi, you'd never starve."
"That's an exaggeration."
Tagitsuhime, in the form of a small red snake, slithered down from Gekko Chizan and onto the crystal table.
Watching everything he had done, her worldview felt refreshed once again.
They had only come to rest in a cave—yet he had turned it into a home?
"Hmph, Tagitsuhime, you just don't get it."
"Life is only a few decades long. You've got to learn to enjoy it!"
Gekko Chizan would never mistreat himself. One scroll after another came out from his arms—supplies he had prepared.
He knew very well that this trip to the Land of Water wouldn't be a matter of a day or two, so he had brought plenty of things.
First, he placed the little kid he had picked up onto the bed and casually covered him with a blanket.
Then, humming a tune, Gekko Chizan took out some meat and went over to the fire pit to roast it. What a pleasant thing that was.
After a while, as he was grilling, Gekko Chizan sensed movement behind him. Without turning his head, he said:
"What's wrong? Awake?"
"Rest a bit. The food will be ready soon."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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