"What a huge ice sphere! If it accidentally rolled down, Kazahana City would be smashed into ruins," Obito said, rubbing his chin.
The moment Obito said this, the scene instantly fell silent. Some people looked speechlessly at Obito, while others glanced at the massive ice sphere with cold sweat forming on their foreheads. If that ice sphere rolled even a little, it would indeed cause massive destruction.
"Haha, I was just joking to lighten the mood. It's Teacher Mokgetsu, so there won't be any problem," Obito said with a cheeky smile.
He believed Teacher Mokgetsu wouldn't make such a mistake.
"Really, making such jokes at a time like this is not good," Nohara Rin gently rubbed her forehead, having given up on expecting Obito to read the atmosphere.
The battle had just ended, and everyone was happy, yet here Obito was with such a remark.
"How about it? Am I amazing or what? You should properly thank me. I've decided to be the bigger person and forget about the past," Obito said smugly after seeing Kazahana Koyuki looking around as if searching for someone.
"Do you think I've forgotten what you said before? You rude Obito, saying I'm not like a princess and that I'm not likable. Slandering a princess is illegal!" Kazahana Koyuki puffed her cheeks in response to Obito's words.
Although Obito's subsequent words indeed touched her a bit, she hadn't forgotten how he had belittled her before.
Even Kazahana Sosetsu and Mokgetsu admitted she was cute, yet this Obito said she wasn't likable.
"What slander? I'm just stating facts. You should learn a thing or two from those princesses in novels!" Obito did not think there was anything wrong with his words.
Kazahana Koyuki: ...
Her fist hardened, and Kazahana Koyuki wished she could punch Obito right now.
Of course, as a qualified princess, Kazahana Koyuki only thought about it but did not act on it because, indeed, Obito was her benefactor.
"But still, thank you," Kazahana Koyuki whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz to thank Obito.
Though Obito had many shortcomings, like being impolite and having poor taste, his fiery punch earlier was quite impressive.
"Hahaha!" Although Kazahana Koyuki's voice was very soft, Obito, being a keen ninja, heard it and laughed out loud with pride.
Feeling embarrassed, Kazahana Koyuki promptly ran to Kazahana Sosetsu's side.
Then everyone walked to the battlefield, and when standing beneath that giant ice sphere, they felt even more insignificant and realized Mokgetsu's immense power.
"Mokgetsu, you saved the Snow Country," Kazahana Sosetsu said solemnly, bowing to thank Mokgetsu.
At this moment, he finally understood why Obito and the others trusted Mokgetsu so much; Mokgetsu was indeed someone you could always rely on.
When Mokgetsu gave him information about Kazahana Doto's coup, he chose not to believe it, missing the best chance to capture him, which led to Kazahana Doto bringing the Snow Village to attack Kazahana City.
When Mokgetsu said he could handle the Snow Village, he didn't believe it either and wanted Mokgetsu to take Kazahana Koyuki away. Kazahana Sosetsu was glad Mokgetsu didn't leave right away, or else he would never see his daughter again.
The guards also bowed in gratitude; if it wasn't for Mokgetsu's timely support, they all would've been killed by the Snow Ninjas.
Seeing this, Obito felt a sense of shared glory; after all, he was part of the Mokgetsu Squad.
"So, does this count as mission accomplished?" Mokgetsu said with a faint smile.
Even though Kazahana Sosetsu, the Daimyo of the Snow Country, led the bow of thanks, Mokgetsu's heart didn't waver much.
Because, in his heart, he felt this wasn't truly saving the Snow Country; he merely saved Kazahana Koyuki's family and the people of Kazahana City.
After all, he hadn't solved some disaster that would destroy the Snow Country. Even if Kazahana Doto's coup succeeded, he wouldn't slaughter the populace.
"It is accomplished, and accomplished perfectly," Kazahana Sosetsu nodded in agreement.
This incident left a deep impression of Mokgetsu on him. If, in the future, there was a need for ninjas from other villages, he would definitely choose Konoha and Mokgetsu.
"Brother Mokgetsu, how did you create such a huge ice sphere? It's amazing," Kazahana Koyuki stretched out her arms, drawing the biggest circle she could to express her inner amazement.
"First, you make a water sphere, then freeze it," Mokgetsu answered succinctly.
Kazahana Koyuki scratched her head, feeling as if she had heard him but also as if she hadn't.
Seeing Kazahana Koyuki's bewildered look, Obito couldn't help but laugh, then others joined in, gradually turning the atmosphere jovial.
Kazahana Doto was dead, and the Snow Ninjas were defeated by Mokgetsu, making this defense of Kazahana City a great victory.
Of course, despite the victory, there were still many loose ends to handle.
Major plots like coups couldn't possibly be orchestrated by Kazahana Doto alone; this incident also involved some other officials of the Snow Country.
Then it was time to assess and repair the damage to Kazahana City caused by the battle. The awkward thing was that Mokgetsu turned out to be the one who caused the most destruction to Kazahana City, bar none.
Because during the battle, Mokgetsu was constantly using large-scale Ninjutsu, and the power of the Ninjutsu was strong, so destruction was unavoidable.
Of course, everyone, including Kazahana Sosetsu, ignored this issue, as Mokgetsu was also fighting to defeat the Snow Ninja, so the destruction was their fault, not Mokgetsu's.
There was also the matter of the rewards for Mokgetsu and the others. According to the discussions among the high-level officials of the Snow Country, it was finally decided to award Mokgetsu the title of "Ice Hero," while Obito and the other two were awarded the title of "Ice Warrior."
Although Obito and the others also made significant contributions by defeating Kazahana Doto, it was Mokgetsu who played the decisive role.
If Mokgetsu hadn't held off all the Snow Ninja single-handedly on the battlefield, Kazahana Doto wouldn't have had to make a detour to launch a sneak attack on Kazahana Sosetsu, so Obito and the others' titles were one level lower.
The title brought many benefits. As an Ice Hero, one could enjoy the treatment of a grand noble in the Snow Country, along with various miscellaneous rewards, both monetary and material.
Since the original mission was to protect Kazahana Koyuki until the end of the Snow God Festival, Kazahana Sosetsu simply set the time for the award ceremony on the day of the Snow God Festival, as a gesture of gratitude and importance towards Mokgetsu and the others.
Having solved the problems in the Snow Country at once, Mokgetsu took his apprentices to train continuously while waiting for the arrival of the Snow God Festival.
The environment of the Snow Country might be a bit unfriendly for ordinary people, but for Ninja, it was considered a good place for training.
Due to being by the sea and the frequent snowfall, it was particularly convenient to train Water Release here. However, because of the low temperatures, Fire Release was more challenging, so it was also effective for training Fire Release, and the harsh weather could train the apprentices' bodies.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, isn't a kekkei genkai quite rare? Why do all the Ninja in the Snow Country use Ice Release?" Obito asked in confusion during a break.
This was considered common knowledge among Ninja, so Obito also knew.
"Because it's not a kekkei genkai at all." Mokgetsu answered directly without beating around the bush.
The so-called Ice Release that the Snow Ninja used was false Ice Release; it could be said to be Water Release or a Snow Secret Technique. Essentially, it's Water Attribute Chakra Nature Changes, and it might not even be usable outside the Snow Country.
"Huh? Isn't there ice? Also, I seem to have heard someone mention Ice Release." Obito didn't quite understand.
He hadn't expected that a kekkei genkai could also be fake.
"No one can stop you from naming your Ninjutsu. You can shout Water Release and then use Fire Release if you want." Mokgetsu said tactfully.
It was clear that the Small Ninja Village didn't have much knowledge, so they just called it Ice Release because it looked like it.
"Wouldn't that catch the opponent off guard in battle?" Obito's eyes lit up. He generally didn't have the habit of shouting out Ninjutsu names, but he thought he could change that.
If he shouted Water Dragon Bomb and then unleashed a Mighty Dragon Fire, it might yield unexpected results.
"So, Teacher Mokgetsu, is your Ninjutsu Ice Release?" Obito thought of that massive ice sphere that hadn't disappeared even today.
Hearing this, Kakashi, who was training, also looked over.
Mokgetsu nodded affirmatively, "That's right, what I used is indeed Ice Release, but since I only recently mastered it, it's not very strong yet."
Although his Ice Release wasn't very strong, with only half the proficiency of a skilled level, putting Ice Release on display could further highlight his genius, and it boosted his strength on the surface.
As for why he suddenly mastered Ice Release, it was simple to say he learned the real thing after observing the Snow Ninja's false Ice Release Ninjutsu, after all, Mokgetsu himself had excellent Water and Wind Nature Changes.
And others could only believe Mokgetsu, because Ice Release, unlike the Sharingan, isn't something you can just plug in after defeating a Uchiha. You're either born with it or you train yourself to acquire it.
"This is 'not very strong,' huh." Obito recalled the awe-inspiring scene from that day and quipped.
However, Mokgetsu said he had only recently mastered it, which led Obito to imagine many scenarios, thinking Mokgetsu might have learned Ice Release after observing the Snow Ninja's Snow Ninjutsu.
Although it sounded a bit far-fetched, Obito felt it was very much like Sage Mokgetsu.
"It's probably due to the environment here, and in defeating the enemy, it was the Water Release that was strong, not the Ice Release." Kakashi thought for a moment and said.
Though the massive ice sphere was impressive, in Kakashi's eyes, it was the Super Bursting Water Wave that did the most work, with the Ice Beam just adding the finishing touch.
Mokgetsu nodded approvingly at Kakashi's analysis. The Snow Ninja's false Ice Release could benefit from the Snow Country's boost, so it was needless to say how well Mokgetsu's true Ice Release fared; he was in his element.
"It's all the same. Anyway, Mokgetsu's Ice Release will eventually become as strong as his other Ninjutsu." Obito waved his hand, indicating that minor details weren't important.
"I really look forward to it. Tomorrow is the Snow God Festival, and it's my first time participating in another country's festival, especially as a hero." Obito thought about the activities for tomorrow and grinned.
Although the princess wasn't the kind of princess he imagined, and the task wasn't the task he wanted to do, the result was what he desired.
Saving the princess, saving the country, and becoming a hero, the only regret for Obito was that he could only get the title of Ice Warrior and not Ice Hero, but he was quite convinced that only Mokgetsu deserved it.