Power Stone Goals from now on: I always post a minimum of 5 chapters. Henceforth the following are the goals:
Every 150 powerstones, I upload an extra chapter.
If we hit top 30 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we hit top 10 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we are top 5...well lets get to that first. Happy readings!
(We hit 200+ last week, so today there will be extra uploads)
Chapter 66: Land Of Iron
I stood in the aftermath of chaos, the faint smell of scorched wood, blood, and chakra lingering in the shattered air.
I took one last look at the battlefield—the broken earth, the corpses, the gouged-out hillside with the Godpiercer Thorn still protruding like the remnant fang of a colossal beast. Every sign of my presence needed to vanish.
With practiced efficiency, I wove several small, specialized hand seals. Tendrils of wood crawled over key parts of the terrain, collapsing what remained of distinctive structures. Blood was drawn into the earth, churned by subtle chakra. I buried enemy bodies beneath layers of hardened roots, making the clearing seem like the result of a natural disaster, not an orchestrated slaughter.
I closed my eyes, feeling the last threads of my chakra reserves thin and brittle. I could push my body further, but that risked collapse before I reached safety. No—I needed to move smart.
The Land of Iron.
That was my next destination.
And the reason for that was actually fairly simple... Sora-Sensei showing "Weapon-Style."
Clearly, there was a lot about this world I didn't know. What better place to start ?
I let my fingers flicker through one more set of seals, conjuring a thin Wood Style mask to cover my face. No chakra signature to it—just crafted wood and thin leather bindings to alter my silhouette and presence.
I wrapped a travel cloak around myself, pulling the hood low.
I then broke my anbu mask in half and threw it onto a corpse that was unrecognisable but looked similar in size to me.
Before leaving, I took extra time over the Root elite Jonin's fallen body. I carefully began inscribing a massive seal formation across the corpse, my fingers moving with expert precision as I layered intricate Fuinjutsu symbols along the limbs, chest, and forehead. Once the array was complete, I placed a prepared scroll at the center and activated the seal, pulling the faint remnants of the ninja's 'soul'—their lingering chakra imprint and life essence—into the scroll, locking it tightly for later study and protection.
Yoru was gone, riding with the wood clone, heading toward the Mist as planned.
"Off to the Mist," I murmured softly to myself, a small wry smile tugging at my mouth. "And off to the Iron."
I launched into motion, chakra-enhanced strides taking me through the deep forest before my reserves fully waned. Each step was calculated, light, my senses open and scanning in all directions. Any wrong move could spell disaster now.
The hours stretched long.
Night turned into morning, and morning bled into afternoon. I weaved through hidden trails, staying off major roads, passing through minor border regions with careful stealth.
As the border of the Land of Fire fell behind me, the terrain shifted.
The trees grew sparser. Hills became steeper, rockier. The winds picked up, sharper and colder. Snow patches began to appear, thin at first, then gathering in thicker blankets. The unmistakable sign that I was nearing the frigid, mountainous expanse of the Land of Iron.
I allowed myself a moment to exhale, releasing a tightness in my chest that had been building for days.
I was almost free.
For now.
But freedom, I knew, was temporary.
As I crested the final ridge and gazed down at the distant, snow-capped peaks that marked the territory of the Samurai, I felt the weight of everything pressing inward.
I had made enemies.
Danzo, almost certainly, would be rallying resources, trying to sniff out my trail.
The Hokage might still be in the dark—but for how long?
The Hidden Mist's scouts were now on alert, thanks to the wood clone and Yoru's diversion.
And then there was the wider world.
My power had crossed a threshold. No longer a rogue Genin playing in shadows. No longer a hidden Anbu with a false identity. Now, I was something else.
I was definitely going to be in the Bingo-books...which was a little exciting.
And dangerous things attracted attention.
I pulled the cloak tighter, feeling the cold creeping in despite my chakra-warmed body.
I made my way down the ridge, boots crunching softly in the snow.
…
The Land of Iron welcomed no shinobi.
It was a hard border.
Guards stationed at every checkpoint, each one clad in polished armor, katana sheathed but hands never straying far from the hilt. The Samurai were not fooled by disguises, nor intimidated by chakra levels.
But I had prepared.
Weeks ago, during my Anbu missions, I had quietly gathered a set of forged papers, obscure but valid, indicating I was a wandering monk-in-training from a northern fire-country temple. A chakra user, yes, but no village affiliation, and no intent to stir conflict.
I had obtained these papers through a careful network of black-market contacts I cultivated during my Anbu missions, leveraging quiet favors, untraceable payments, and one particularly skilled document forger I spared during a past mission; each paper bore meticulously crafted seals, aged ink, and subtle chakra impressions matching the monks they referenced.
And a simple Genjutsu with some Fuinjutsu to disguise my hair...or now my bald head.
I presented the documents calmly at the border, bowing my head, keeping my voice low and respectful.
The Samurai guards scrutinized me with eyes like polished steel. They took their time. Asked measured questions. Examining everything...
They definitely had sensors, so I used Fuinjutsu to suppress my chakra amount to barely be Chunin Level.
At last, after what felt like an hour, they waved me through.
"Do not cause trouble, monk," one of them said, his voice gravelly. "This is a land of peace."
I nodded once, deeply. "I understand. I seek only quiet."
And then I was through.
Yea right I seek quiet...
…
The cold deepened as I journeyed inward.
Snow blanketed everything, muffling sound, turning the world into a hushed expanse of white. I traveled carefully, pacing my movements to conserve energy. Without substantial chakra reserves, I relied on pure physical conditioning to carry me forward.
Since I was inside the land, I needed to be careful. I kept the Suppression seal on me, and only intended to take it off if absolutely needed.
The towns were sparse, mostly clustered around temples, inns, and merchant stations. Shinobi were rare here, and the few chakra signatures I sensed were faint—small civilian uses, no threat.
I found temporary lodging in a small mountain village, renting a corner space in a communal lodging house. The other residents were a mix of travelers, merchants, and wandering pilgrims, none of whom paid me much mind.
I used the time to rest, to let my body mend from the recent exertions, and to plan...not that I needed much rest with my broken Bloodline.
The Land of Iron was no place to stay long-term. But it was a perfect stopover point. However I only intended to leave after knowing everything possible about Weapon Style.
From here, I could move east, toward the Land of Lightning, where the chaos of the Hidden Cloud's constant aggression might offer cover.
Or south, weaving through the lesser-known nations that dotted the fringes of the Elemental Nations' power map.
I needed time.
Time to learn.
Time to master the next phase of my abilities.
Matatabi's chakra pulsed softly inside me, a low-burning flame. I hadn't drawn on it much in recent weeks, focusing instead on Wood Release and taijutsu mastery. But I knew that was going to change soon.
Fire.
It was time to shift elements...and it seems like my talent in Fire-Related elemental abilities had also substantially increased.
Not to the level of my Water or Earth style, but still, Fire was definitely much easier to control for me.
If I wanted to stay ahead of the world hunting me, I needed to become unpredictable.
I spent hours in quiet meditation, seated cross-legged on the snowy veranda outside the inn, eyes closed, focusing inward. Feeling the chakra network within, mapping out how my Wood Style balanced against the simmering Fire within. How I could balance all my elements.
Matatabi's voice occasionally rumbled softly in the back of my mind, offering guidance, amusement, or cryptic taunts.
She definitely opened up to me...well, she was forced to. After what she knew about the outside world now.
The days stretched onward.
Snow continued to fall, blanketing the world in fresh silence.
By the end of the week, I stood at the edge of a frozen cliffside, gazing out over the sprawling landscape below. My cloak billowed slightly in the wind, and faint, faint wisps of blue chakra-fire curled around my fingertips.
I was ready to move again.
…
The journey toward the heart of the Land of Iron was long and cold, but each step carried me closer to the next piece of my plan.
If Danzo wanted to hunt me?
Let him try.
If the Hokage wanted answers?
Let him wait.
If the world wanted to label me a threat?
So be it.
Because I was no longer simply a rogue shinobi or a forgotten Anbu.
I was a storm gathering strength.
And soon, the world would feel the fire rising.
...
Authors note:
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator