Creak.
The heavy gates were pushed open, letting out a tooth-aching sound of friction.
Suigetsu Hozuki walked in, carrying the massive Kubikiribocho on his shoulder.
He was covered in blood—all of it belonging to others, of course.
"How boring..."
Suigetsu slammed the giant blade into the ground, complaining with a look of dissatisfaction.
"Those small fry outside were way too weak."
"Not a single one could even make me swing a second time."
"They all went down before I even finished warming up."
He looked around, curled his lip in disdain, and shrunk his neck slightly.
"Tch, this hall is built big enough, but it's freezing cold."
"As expected of a backwater place, they can't even afford decent floor heating."
Haku followed closely behind him.
In contrast to Suigetsu's sloppiness, Haku remained efficient.
Holding a newly compiled report, he spoke in a calm tone.
"Lord Naruto, the military forces of the Land of Snow have been completely paralyzed."
"We have three minor injuries and zero fatalities."
"Kimimaro is leading a team to take over the city's defenses; total control of the city is expected within half an hour."
"Mm, well done."
Naruto opened his eyes, his expression indifferent.
The crushing outcome of this blitzkrieg was well within his expectations.
Compared to the battle results, he was currently more concerned with the direction pointed out by the compass he had just received as a system reward.
Just then, a series of hurried and somewhat panicked footsteps echoed from outside the hall.
"My Lord!!"
Yakushi Kabuto strode quickly into the hall.
Usually the picture of calm with a fake smile perpetually plastered on his face, his expression was now extremely strange.
It was a complex mix of shock, ecstasy, absurdity, and the look of someone who had seen something utterly incomprehensible.
Behind him, two Hidden Sound ninjas entered carrying two bound, shivering old men.
Judging by their clothes, they appeared to be experts from the research institute.
"What is it?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised to see Yakushi Kabuto lose his composure.
"If it's about the Chakra Armor, there's no need to rush."
"We can take it one step at a time."
"No—My Lord."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses and took a deep breath, seemingly trying to digest a massive shock.
Even his voice was slightly strained.
"Compared to what we've discovered, that so-called Chakra Armor is... completely insignificant."
"It's practically garbage."
"I think... we've found something incredible."
"Oh?"
Naruto sat up straight, a hint of interest appearing in his eyes.
"Tell me about it."
Kabuto turned around, staring at the two scientists while holding up a black metal sample—a piece of scrap iron just stripped from the tracks outside.
"Repeat what you told me on the way here to Lord Naruto, word for word."
Kabuto's voice was stern and urgent.
"Yes, yes—"
One of the old scientists shrunk back, looking at this group of ferocious invaders with a mix of bewilderment and terror.
His voice trembled as he spoke.
"This gentleman just asked... why our railways don't freeze..."
"I explained that because the permafrost in the Land of Snow is too hard, ordinary steel becomes brittle and snaps easily in the extreme cold."
"Furthermore, to prevent snow accumulation from blocking traffic, we need to use chakra to melt the snow..."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.
He had noticed this earlier.
Such efficient long-distance chakra conduction was definitely not something ordinary materials could achieve.
At that moment, an unrealistic and bold conjecture formed in Naruto's mind.
Could it be—?
The old scientist swallowed hard and continued.
"Therefore, when smelting the rails, we mixed in thirty percent special ore to ensure chakra flow efficiency."
"Special ore?"
Naruto repeated the term; this was likely the specific name given to the ore by the Land of Snow.
"Yes, it's a type of metal that is very sensitive to chakra."
The old scientist answered honestly, as if speaking of something perfectly common.
"Although refining this ore is a bit troublesome, it's everywhere within the mineral veins..."
"Whether it's for making Chakra Armor, heat pipes, or paving roads, using this metal is essential."
"It's just that this metal is too soft and not very suitable for weapons, so we generally only use it as an auxiliary material..."
"Stop!"
Yakushi Kabuto abruptly cut him off.
He turned and looked sharply at Naruto, completely losing his usual composure, his entire face flushed with excitement.
"Lord Naruto, did you hear that?!"
He held up the black piece of railway metal, his eyes bloodshot.
"This so-called special ore is the very thing that is hard to find for any price in the outside world, sold even by the gram..."
He took a deep breath and spoke one word at a time.
"Chakra. Metal!"
"In the ninja world, even an elite jonin can barely obtain a weapon infused with a small amount of this metal."
"This strategic resource—"
Kabuto's expression twisted, his voice nearly a roar.
"And in this country—these idiots are actually using it to pave roads!!"
"They even used a concentration as high as thirty percent!"
"Just to... melt snow for a train?"
As Kabuto's words fell, a deathly silence descended upon the hall.
Clang.
A crisp sound of metal hitting the floor broke the silence.
Suigetsu Hozuki, who usually had no interest in money and only cared about killing and collecting ninja blades, now had his jaw nearly hitting the floor.
The Kubikiribocho slipped from his hand and slammed heavily onto his toes, but he didn't even feel the pain.
"How... how much?"
"Thirty percent?"
"Railway tracks?"
Suigetsu stammered, his eyes wide as saucers as he stared fixedly at the piece of scrap iron in Kabuto's hand.
"You're saying... we were just running on trillions of ryo worth of gold... the whole way here?!"
As the successor to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he understood the value of this metal all too well.
If even ten percent chakra metal were infused into the Kubikiribocho, its strength and chakra conductivity would jump a level, turning it into a true divine weapon.
It would become far more than just a heavy blade relying on weight and self-healing abilities.
And in the Land of Snow—
This metal, worth far more than gold, was actually used to pave hundreds of kilometers of railway?!
Every inch of track was cast from the most expensive metal in the ninja world?
"Insane... simply insane..."
"Everyone in this country is insane..."
Suigetsu muttered to himself, clutching his head, feeling his worldview begin to collapse.
He actually thought this place was a backwater just a moment ago?
This wasn't a backwater; this country was practically paved with gold!!
To the side, the usual gentle smile on Haku's face vanished, replaced by a deep sense of bewilderment.
His brain momentarily couldn't process the magnitude of wealth represented by the concept of paving hundreds of kilometers with chakra metal.
Even the habitually cold Kimimaro, who had just stepped into the hall, paused in his tracks.
He wasn't sensitive to monetary value, but he instantly understood the military significance behind this.
If these metals could be used to forge armor and weapons—
Kimimaro stood silently to the side, but a fanatical fire ignited in the depths of his eyes.