The moment Chiba spoke, both of them froze. Subtle shifts in their expressions-barely noticeable to the untrained eye-spoke volumes in the shinobi world.
"So it was you," Ringo Ameyuri said slowly, her eyes narrowing. There was no accusation in her tone, only certainty.
"Yes," Chiba replied calmly.
Mangetsu's gaze sharpened, slicing through the tension.
"How could you possibly know that? That matter was never officially confirmed."
Chiba's lips curved into a faint, almost amused smile.
"Judging by your reactions," he said lightly, "you've already discussed it yourselves, haven't you?"
Silence. Neither denied it.
"You both know," Chiba continued, his voice steady and deliberate, "that the rumors surrounding Yagura Karatachi aren't baseless. When the truth comes out-whether he regains consciousness or not-he will be forced to step down. And when Kirigakure is left leaderless, fractured, drowning in chaos…" His eyes glimmered with quiet conviction. "It will need a new Mizukage."
Mangetsu's eyes narrowed into sharp slits.
"And that person," he said slowly, deliberately, "is you?"
"Yes."
The answer left no room for doubt.
Mangetsu exhaled, a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
"You're confident."
Chiba's smile widened faintly.
"If you could casually kill two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen by yourself," he said lightly, "you'd feel the same."
The air thickened with tension. Mangetsu's expression darkened, but he could not argue.
"Then you admit it," Mangetsu said, his voice low. "You were the one who killed them?"
Chiba laughed softly-not loudly, but with absolute freedom.
"Why wouldn't I? They came to exterminate the Yuki Clan. I simply fought back. In this world of shinobi," his eyes gleamed, "is there any justice more absolute than that?"
Ringo Ameyuri let out a low, amused chuckle.
"True. Strength is the only truth that matters."
Her grip shifted subtly.
"So-"
Bang!
Without warning, a kunai shot from her hand like lightning, cutting through the air with a deadly hiss.
Bang!
It struck Chiba's chest directly.
Time seemed to stop.
Mangetsu's pupils contracted sharply. Even Ringo blinked, stunned. It had been far too easy.
"So much confidence," Ringo sneered. "Was that all you had?"
Then, with a calmness that sent a chill through them both, Chiba raised his hand. He grasped the kunai and pulled it free.
No blood.
The wound hardened instantly, his pierced body turning into solid ice before seamlessly reforming-whole, unblemished, untouched. Not a single drop stained the floor.
"What?!" Ringo staggered backward.
Mangetsu's breath caught.
"What kind of Ice Release technique is that? Complete damage negation?"
His fists clenched.
"It's similar to the Hōzuki Clan's Hydrification Technique… but he's replicating it with Ice Release."
Chiba's smile was faint but icy.
"Yes. There are similarities. But compared to my power… it is insignificant."
The temperature plummeted sharply.
Chiba lifted his hand.
"Ice Age."
Boom!!!!!
An overwhelming wave of freezing cold exploded outward. The air itself crystallized. The ground, walls, and surrounding structures were instantly encased in ice.
Mangetsu and Ringo tried to retreat.
They failed.
Chiba's Ice Fruit had reached Level Three-range, speed, and power far beyond comprehension. Within a heartbeat, their bodies were frozen solid, fused with the ice-bound earth itself.
Immobile.
Fear finally flickered in their eyes. Only now did they understand. This man was not merely strong. He was absolute.
Chiba gazed down at them through the translucent ice.
"Well?" he asked calmly. "Is this enough power to make me your Mizukage?"
Mangetsu thrashed violently, but it was futile.
"Your Hydrification Technique may nullify physical attacks," Chiba said evenly, his voice slicing through the cold. "But unfortunately for you… my freezing power is its perfect counter."
Mangetsu roared in frustration. Once water turned to ice, Hydrification became a death sentence-absolute elemental suppression.
Ringo could not even summon the strength to struggle.
Chiba's eyes turned cold, merciless.
"I don't have much patience. You have two choices."
"Submit to me."
"Or die."
"Decide-before the ice suffocates you, or before I shatter you into fragments."