Escaping the Mist Ninja starts with backstabbing your teacher.

Chapter 97 Hiashi's Decisive Move: Heading to the Land of Snow!

Momona, standing next to her, couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.

Hiji ignored the joke.

He gave Neji a deep look, then looked away and turned to Izumi.

That one look contained so much: reluctance, guilt, resolve, and a kind of entrustment that only a father could understand.

"Taketori Izumi," he said calmly, "Neji is in your hands now."

He raised his palm, pointing it at his chest.

As for me

A palm fell.

The dull thud was particularly clear in the night, and Hijiri's body jolted violently.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, and as if all his strength had been drained, he swayed and knelt on the ground.

Under the moonlight, a piece of his shirt was shattered by the force of the palm strike, revealing purplish-blue bruises, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth down his chin.

Neji stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape, but no sound came out.

He doesn't understand.

He didn't understand why his father didn't want him anymore, why his father hurt him, or what was going on.

A three-year-old child cannot understand what "protection" means, what "sacrifice" means, or what "exchanging one person's injury for another person's freedom" means.

He only saw his father kneeling in the moonlight, blood at the corner of his mouth, looking at him.

"—You don't need to worry about that."

Risa's voice was a little weak, but still steady, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

Momona stopped chuckling, gently covering her mouth. In the moonlight, she looked at Hizashi kneeling on the ground, a hint of dazedness flashing in her eyes.

It was as if she was recalling something from a long time ago. Did her parents feel the same way when they told her to leave first?

Izumi's expression also became serious.

He looked at the man in front of him who was willing to harm himself for his son, nodded, and said solemnly.

"Leave it to me."

Risa nodded slightly, as if he had finally let go of something.

His gaze passed over Izumi and landed on Neji. His lips twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he simply closed his eyes gently.

Under the moonlight, the rustling of the trees continued.

Neji was held in Izumi's arms, his small body trembling slightly, tears silently streaming down his cheeks.

He watched his father's figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the depths of the night.

What he didn't know was that the person kneeling under the moonlight was giving him a different life in the cruelest yet gentlest way he could imagine.

Momona gently tugged at Izumikawa's sleeve and whispered, "Master, will he be alright?"

Izumikawa didn't answer, but only glanced one last time in Hizashi's direction before turning around and carrying Neji into the night.

Meanwhile, Konoha became lively once again, with the entire Hyuga clan taking action.

This time, the other party actually dared to infiltrate Konoha and steal the Byakugan. They could not tolerate it and were furious!

Unfortunately, it was all in vain, as Izumi had already taken Neji and left from the sky.

The sky over the Land of Snow is gloomy all year round.

A skeletal dragon travels beneath the clouds, its white skeleton contrasting sharply with the pristine white snow on the ground.

The skeletal dragon soared beneath the clouds, its winged wings swept by a chilling wind carrying tiny ice crystals.

The cold wind hummed low, but it could not shake this creation meticulously constructed from the Corpse Bone Vein.

The bone dragon's chest cavity had long since been transformed into a small mobile dwelling.

The surrounding walls were constructed using the power of the Corpse Bone Vein, effectively keeping the wind and snow out.

In the corner sat a blazing brazier, its orange-red flames casting a warm glow on the white bone walls.

Several heavy winter coats were neatly hung nearby, ready for use at any time. Outside the window, the wind and snow howled, but inside, there was only the occasional soft crackling sound of the heater.

The three from Izumi River had already put on sunglasses to prevent snow blindness.

Momona hugged Neji, her whole body almost pressed against the window, her nose nearly touching the transparent sealing barrier.

Her eyes were wide open, and she would gasp every time she saw something new and exciting passing by.

"Wow, those snow-capped mountains are so high!"

"Neji, look! That icicle over there is huge!"

"Oh my god, everything below is white, I can't see anything!"

With her constant exclamations and expressions of wonder, she alone could carry an entire performance.

Izumi leaned back in his chair, holding a cup of hot tea, watching Momona perform with all her might, and secretly found it amusing.

This girl really put her heart into it, using her enthusiasm to ease Neji's silence.

Since being brought back, the child has been as silent as a stone.

The little kid, only three years old, seemed surprisingly mature.

Children in the ninja world are precocious and have extraordinary physical abilities, especially those from ninja families.

At just three or four years old, he could easily kill ordinary people, and even some vicious bandits were no match for him.

Izumi blew on the steam from the cup; the tea was still very hot. He simply put the cup down, and the veins around his right eye bulged slightly as he opened his white eye.

Through the barrier of the bone dragon and through layers of wind and snow, the outline of a majestic city came into view on the distant mountain ridge.

The Daimyo's residence in the Land of Snow is built on the highest mountain peak, and from a distance it looks as if it is embedded in the snow mountain.

Yekura had already gone through the information she reported and the plot she remembered countless times in her mind.

The current daimyo of the Land of Snow, Kazahana Hayayuki, is a true research talent.

The environmental transformation system and the heavy industry system were able to take root and flourish in the harsh land of the Snow Country entirely thanks to his own efforts.

Unfortunately, this daimyo seemed to be politically insensitive and was unaware of his younger brother's ambitions.

The wind, flowers, and raging waves.

Izumi took a sip of tea and silently repeated the name in his mind.

It was only a matter of time before this person usurped the throne, simply because he had heard that the Land of Snow possessed a secret treasure.

Little did they know that the so-called treasure was actually just an instrument to change the environment of the Snow Country.

It was created by a father for his child, a "treasure" that allows one to see spring.

Unaware of the truth, he secretly hired a group of ninjas, preparing to seize everything.

The ninjas were led by the Wolf Fang Avalanche trio, whose strength was quite good, at least in a small place like the Land of Snow, they could be considered top combatants.

According to the original plan, when they made their move, they ran into Kakashi, who was on a mission, and the two sides would have a minor clash.

Kakashi will run away with Kazahana Koyuki, and then they will be caught in a long chase.

But Izumikawa doesn't intend to let things go according to the original script.

He put down his teacup, his gaze piercing through the wind and snow, landing on the distant, solitary city.

The Land of Snow is located in a remote corner of the world, and it doesn't even have a prominent mark on the map of the ninja world, but its technology and industrial base are indeed quite good.

That's all. He was indeed interested, but what he wanted more was manpower here.

He has capable people who can carry out orders and help him with tasks.

The most basic purpose of controlling the Snow Country is to acquire a group of capable people, as well as funds and resources, so that he can focus on his research.

As for Kakashi—

Izumikawa's lips curled up slightly.

He waited for this moment precisely to kill two birds with one stone, and it was also the best time to intervene.

Seizing the Sharingan and taking control of the Land of Snow can be done together, saving time and effort.

"My lord!" Momona's voice pulled him back from his thoughts, "Are we almost there?"

Izumi glanced at the city outside the window and nodded.

"Soon."

He stood up, walked to the window, and placed his hand on Neji's small shoulder. The boy stiffened slightly but did not pull away.

"Neji," Izumi's voice was low, "From today onwards, you will live in a new place. There are laboratories, books, and training grounds there. You can learn whatever you want."

Neji remained silent, not uttering a word. His white eyes gazed out the window at the approaching city, lost in thought.

Momona glanced furtively at Izumi, then at Neji, opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately kept it closed.

She simply pulled Neji closer to her, warming the child who was even younger than her with her own body heat.

The bone dragon began to descend, its massive bone wings slightly folded, and it glided towards the direction of the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Snow.

The wind and snow continued, and in the vast white world, it was difficult to see this bony figure, let alone that it came from the sky.

The firelight flickered in the stove, casting warm shadows on the faces of the group.

In the distance, the solitary city grew closer and closer, its outline gradually becoming clearer.

Izumi picked up the cup of tea, which had cooled down a bit, and drank it all in one gulp.

It's time to get down to business.

Inside the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Snow, the lights were on full display.

In the deepest part of the laboratory, Kazayuki Kazahana stood alone in front of a huge instrument, her tools carefully moving among the precision parts.

This machine occupied half the room; its metal casing gleamed coldly under the lights, and a dense array of pipes extended from its body, connecting to the power source on the wall.

His movements were very gentle, as if he were handling a fragile treasure.

In fact, that is indeed the case.

This environmental transformation device represents the culmination of most of his life's work.

From the initial theoretical concept to the blueprint design, from repeated failed models to this prototype that is about to be completed.

Every step was difficult, but we persevered through gritted teeth.

Now, we are finally close to success.

-

Feng Hua Zaoxue stopped what she was doing, took a step back, and carefully examined the instrument in front of her.

A slight smile appeared on his lips and a rare hint of amusement in his eyes.

It's not just for Xiaoxue.

It is also for the future of the Snow Country.

With this instrument, the Snow Country can change its year-round winter snowy weather.

Lands that have been covered by ice and snow for thousands of years can be revitalized.

People can now farm and no longer worry about food or the possibility of freezing to death in their sleep.

He remembered Xiaoxue holding his hand yesterday and asking, "Father, what is spring?"

He smiled and patted his daughter's head, saying, "It'll be soon, you'll see."

He just wanted to give his daughter a surprise.

I just wanted to bring a real spring to this country that is covered in ice and snow all year round.

He never imagined that the "secret treasure" he casually mentioned to his daughter would be taken as a real treasure by some people.

A father's tender promise to his child is about to sow the seeds of disaster in this snowy land.

The indicator lights on the instrument flickered on and off, reflecting Feng Huazaoxue's focused yet tired face.

Outside the window, the wind and snow continued.

Unbeknownst to him, everything he was protecting was being watched.