"Mm? What guest?"
Haku didn't understand what Chizan meant at all, but he quickly did.
Because at some point, three people had appeared outside their house, their expressions vicious and grim.
"Kirigakure shinobi?"
"Hmph, as expected—heretics. Creations born of a kekkei genkai."
Facing their killing intent, Chizan instead wore a faint, smiling expression.
Under Haku's horrified gaze, the three drew their weapons without hesitation, surrounding the house as they prepared to strike.
"Haku, do you see?"
"These are the shinobi of Kirigakure in the Land of Water. To them, people like us who possess kekkei genkai are demons."
"Hmph. Ignorant people. An ignorant country. An ignorant village."
Chizan's words were merciless, spat out without restraint. Hearing this, the fear on Haku's face slowly turned into anger.
He couldn't understand—why should simply possessing such a miraculous power mean being slaughtered?
His mother had been killed for that very reason.
Over the past few days with Chizan, he had learned that outside the Land of Water, there were also shinobi with kekkei genkai—and every single one of them was a prodigy blessed by the heavens.
Then why was it that in the Land of Water, he was treated as an outcast by the shinobi of his own nation?
"Hmph. A heretic is a heretic."
"Anyone with a kekkei genkai is a heretic."
"Since we've found you, we must kill you."
"Move!"
With an angry roar, several explosive tags were slapped onto the crystal house.
But the Kirigakure shinobi, eager to attack, failed to notice the disdain curling at the corner of Chizan's lips.
"Sensei!"
"Boom!"
Haku's anxious cry was instantly drowned out by the explosion.
The power of the explosive tags was considerable. The blast triggered thick smoke that completely enveloped the house.
"Hmph. Heretics all deserve to die!"
"Don't stop! Finish them in one go!"
The Kirigakure captain let out another cold snort and began forming hand seals.
The other two followed his movements. Their ninjutsu came immediately after the explosion.
"Water Release! Water Hail Technique!"
"Lightning Release! Lightning Surge Technique!"
"Water Release! Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Two Water Release techniques and one Lightning Release—through the smoke, Chizan raised his brows slightly in surprise.
But only slightly.
This level of ninjutsu wasn't enough to impress him.
What surprised him was the Kirigakure captain who used Water Dragon Bullet Technique. He hadn't expected that among three random shinobi, one could actually perform such a technique.
"Boom!"
"Crash!"
As torrents surged, a water dragon and dozens of water bullets, wrapped in crackling lightning, charged toward the center of the explosion.
The sound of impact and crackling electricity overlapped, completely obscuring the house once more.
Of course, that was only from the Kirigakure shinobi's perspective.
Inside the house, Haku was stunned. He stared blankly at the earlier explosion, the rushing water, the lightning—yet all of it had been blocked outside by the house.
"This..."
"Heh, Haku, calm down. This level of ninjutsu can't do anything to your sensei's kekkei genkai."
Chizan chuckled softly, then looked at Haku and continued the lesson.
"Haku, focus. This is the perfect time for a question."
"Tell me—what did those three throw at the beginning?"
Haku was still dazed at first. Only after Chizan gave him a light tap did he snap back to his senses.
"Explosive tags."
"Mm, that's right. Explosive tags. And how are they used?"
"They're activated with chakra, which triggers the explosion."
"Very good. It seems you've remembered what I taught you these past few days."
Chizan nodded in satisfaction. After all, Haku was still a blank sheet of paper. Everything he knew had been taught by Chizan.
And that was good. Blank paper was the easiest to color.
"Sensei, is your crystal really that hard?"
"Even explosive tags can't damage it?"
Watching the water continue crashing outside, Haku couldn't help stepping forward to touch the crystal that blocked everything. His face was filled with awe.
Then he asked a question that pleased Chizan even more.
"Can my ice become like this too, Sensei?"
"You told me that ice can also be very hard. If I become stronger, can I reach this level?"
Look at that—his curiosity had been stirred.
Curiosity might kill the cat, but once awakened, it was impossible to resist.
"Hehehe, of course. When ice reaches a certain degree of hardness, it's no weaker than steel."
"However, that requires long-term training."
"Haku, have you decided?"
Haku nodded heavily.
At that moment, the curiosity and drive carved deep within his bones were fully ignited.
That was exactly what Chizan wanted. Only this way could Haku step out of his sorrow and enter a new world.
A new world completely under Chizan's control.
"Good. Then let me show you your sensei's strength."
"Mere Kirigakure shinobi… hehehe."
The explosions, water, and lightning gradually dissipated.
The three Kirigakure shinobi widened their eyes in disbelief when they realized their attacks had achieved nothing.
"How is this possible?!"
"What kind of kekkei genkai is this?"
"Wait—that person..."
The Kirigakure captain was still confused, but as the smoke cleared and Chizan stood behind the crystal wall, he finally saw his face clearly.
In that instant, boundless fear surged into his heart.
"Damn it! Run!"
"Run, now!"
Having recognized Chizan's identity, he could no longer muster even a trace of fighting spirit.
The man before them was a shinobi who stood at the very peak of the ninja world.
"Oh? You recognized me?"
"Then I definitely can't let you leave."
"Crystal… shatter."
Chizan smiled faintly and softly uttered the word.
The crystal wall before him shattered instantly, countless shards shooting toward the three Kirigakure shinobi.
"Damn it!"
"Defend! Then retreat!"
"Water Release—no time!"
Defend?
They were truly underestimating Chizan.
Every crystal shard was an incomparably sharp blade. As they shot forward, the three shinobi had no chance to resist.
In an instant, a mist of blood filled the air.
The three Kirigakure shinobi collapsed just like that.
"My God..."
"Sensei… you killed them?"
Haku stared at the shinobi who had been attacking moments ago, now lying lifeless on the ground, and was once again utterly shocked.