Kazahana Koyuki didn't understand what could possibly make Kimimaro delay the pleasures of their wedding night. Still, she returned to her chambers first.
Truth be told, she also needed time to mentally prepare.
Although today's events had ended in success, everything had happened far too quickly. It wasn't until she saw Kimimaro display Ice Release—a kekkei genkai she thought was long lost—that she decided she couldn't let him go.
Originally, even if she had feelings for him, she intended to proceed cautiously. But plans rarely survive reality.
Kimimaro, meanwhile, had reverted to his pragmatic self.
"Fifty-three Snow Ninja dead, fifty-four captured," he reported dispassionately. "The captives are mostly Chūnin and Genin—too weak to yield much life energy."
"Soldiers: 1,344 dead, 2,036 captured. After verifying backgrounds and eliminating risks, around 1,000 may be retained. The rest will be used to replenish energy."
Ordinary civilians and soldiers cooled too quickly upon death—their biological essence dissipated too fast for effective extraction. Their value, in this regard, was negligible.
Even so, from the dead ninjas, Kimimaro had managed to harvest just over a thousand units of usable life energy. It wasn't much—most of them were low-level shinobi.
But the real value came from the captives. The energy they could be drained of—combined with that of Yukikawa Himi and a few elite supporters—amounted to over 280,000 units.
And if he purged the remaining high-ranking ministers loyal to Yukikawa Himi, he could collect at least 300,000 more.
Wartime gains came easily, it seemed.
He would need to absorb the energy in stages. Fortunately, his current body—empowered through a fusion of Shikotsumyaku and enhanced regeneration—had a much higher tolerance. Processing would be quicker. In the meantime, he could enjoy the company of the newly crowned Queen of the Land of Snow.
Kimimaro also took care to collect all of Yukikawa Himi's blood, storing it properly using preservation techniques he'd learned from Karin.
This blood could be used in several ways:
– Create Ice Release gene serums for compatible shinobi.
– Enhance ordinary soldiers, boosting their chakra reserves and resistance.
Since Yukikawa Himi's bloodline was more concentrated than Renga's, it would take only 15,000 units of life energy and a production period of 100 days to synthesize a full serum. Each additional 300 units of energy could shave one day off. If the energy used came directly from Yukikawa Himi herself, activation would cost just 3,000.
If used solely to strengthen ordinary troops, it could empower over a thousand men.
But that decision could wait. He didn't yet know if any future allies would request Ice Release.
However, the system had warned: the raw materials taken from a single person could only produce up to five bloodline serums—depending on volume and freshness. It wasn't possible to endlessly harvest a single source.
Besides the life energy, Kimimaro had also secured the bones of over 2,000 people. He carefully stored them—they would make useful raw materials for future artworks.
After a long night of grim work, Kimimaro finally arrived at the royal bedchamber.
"Koyuki-nee, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Call me Queen-sama!" Kazahana Koyuki tried to sit upright with poise, though there was a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"Oh?" Kimimaro raised an eyebrow. The Daimyo of the Land of Vegetables had turned out to be a masochist. Was this queen more of a sadist?
But as he kissed her deeply, her resolve melted. Still, she insisted with flushed cheeks, "I'm the elder sister. I should be on top."
"…For your first time, that might not be ideal," Kimimaro said evenly.
"Let's have a drink first," she offered quickly.
"My Queen-nee… are you nervous?"
"I have no experience, alright?! Just drink!"
She poured him a cup and then raised her own. "To our victory."
After a few more cups, the tension between them eased. Koyuki giggled as she wrapped herself around him, toasting once more.
"Queen-nee, want to try my wine?" Kimimaro teased.
"Yours?" She blinked.
"Mm. It's warm, rich… and drinkable. Want a taste?"
"You little rascal~"
The next morning, Koyuki lay tangled in silk sheets, her eyes lazily tracing the lines of Kimimaro's bare chest.
"I never asked you last night—how do you have Ice Release?"
Kimimaro turned his head to her, smirking faintly. "Ice Release? That's just one of many things I can use. If you want, I can get you Ice Release too."
"Me?"
"Of course, you're my woman now. There are some things you should know. I can help you awaken a Kekkei Genkai."
"A Kekkei Genkai? Does that mean I could become a ninja? Could I be as strong as you?"
Kimimaro shook his head calmly. "No. You have no foundational training. Even if you possessed a bloodline limit, it takes years of discipline and battle experience to master it. By the time you reached my current level, I'd already be far ahead."
"That's fine." Kazahana Koyuki sat up in bed, brushing her hair behind her ear. "As long as I can gain the power to protect myself and those I care about, I'm willing to work for it." She caught Kimimaro's gaze lingering. "Ugh, you're staring again."
"You act like I didn't see everything yesterday," Kimimaro said with a rare smirk. "I don't need you to put in effort—just your heart, and your body."
"Hmph, you're impossible," Koyuki muttered, tugging the blanket up. Then she grinned mischievously. "But this time, I'm on top."
Outside, the Land of Snow remained frigid despite its geothermal technology. But inside the royal bedchamber, the warmth rivaled that of spring.
It was already nearing noon when Kimimaro finally emerged from the room.
The experience lingered in his mind—this woman was mature, intelligent, and unlike the others he'd known. She wasn't just a figurehead queen; Kazahana Koyuki had strong principles and surprising adaptability.
Unlike Daimyō Haruna, who had hesitated due to the origins of the bloodline gene potion, Koyuki made her request directly: she wanted the Ice Release.
Kimimaro didn't hesitate. He had empty storage tubes prepared, and once Yukikawa Himi's life energy was fully refined, he could begin synthesis.
A day later, he activated the creation of a new Ice Release bloodline gene serum. This time, he didn't wait for the system's natural cycle. He spent 30,000 units of life energy to instantly accelerate the process.
She was worth the cost—she was his queen.
After all, in just a few days, he would return to the Land of Vegetables. He had to make sure Koyuki had at least the power to protect herself before then.
Initially, he believed that, as a civilian, Koyuki would struggle with the pain of bloodline fusion. He even kept Karin on standby to heal any severe damage.
But to his surprise, Koyuki clenched her teeth for only a few seconds before the fusion stabilized.
"That quickly?" he asked, surprised.
Koyuki exhaled slowly. "It feels like Ice Release resonates with me… perhaps our royal family carries the dormant gene. I must have inherited it without ever awakening it until now. Kimimaro, did I waste your potion?"
"It's not a waste," he replied. "It's an investment."
Curious, Kimimaro consulted the system.
[Scan complete. Subject Kazahana Koyuki possesses latent Ice Release genes, likely due to distant bloodline inheritance. Your potion catalyzed the awakening rather than causing a full transformation.]
Author's Note:
I don't usually refer to her as just "Koyuki" like I do with others. That name feels too soft, too delicate. Despite her graceful exterior, she's endured a great deal and stood firm. That resilience deserves the full dignity of her name: Kazahana Koyuki.
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