[Loot detected.]
[Analyzing loot.]
[Loot: Ice Crystal Creation Technique (Modified by Blood Demon Art)]
[Loot: Killing Intent Perception (Modified by Blood Demon Art)]
As Uchiha Shinji pondered, 'Lamp' reported the collected loot one by one.
"Ice Crystal Creation and Killing Intent Perception?" He mused.
The Ice Crystal Creation Technique was undoubtedly the loot left behind by Upper Moon Five Doma. The value of this loot had already been revealed in the previous battle.
In the shinobi world, there were not many jutsu capable of standing against Susanoo head-on.
Before his chakra ran out, Doma's Ice Crystal Statue was almost equal to Karin's Susanoo, which was saying something. Against any other Mangekyō Sharingan user, Doma's chakra might have outlasted their ocular power.
So, if Shinji could fully master this Ice Crystal Creation Technique and had enough chakra, he might be able to recreate the spectacle of Doma's towering twenty-meter Ice Statue.
As for the Killing Intent Perception, that clearly came from Upper Moon Six, Akaza.
In Shinji's memory, Akaza indeed possessed an ability to sense what he called "fighting spirit."
Throughout his long life as a demon, Akaza had fought countless battles and gradually honed his skills to predict opponents' movements and sense their killing intent, making it an intrinsic part of his battle instincts.
Killing Intent Perception was perhaps Akaza's greatest legacy as a being obsessed with becoming stronger.
Shinji quickly decided how to distribute the loot.
In terms of compatibility, the Ice Crystal Creation Technique was almost tailor-made for Haku, who possessed Ice Release, so there was no question there.
And Killing Intent Perception was crucial for Shinji, not only to enhance his combat skills but also to increase his survival ability, preventing sneak attacks from the shadows.
He absorbed the orb of Killing Intent Perception and then pointed at the orb of Ice Crystal Creation Technique and said to Haku, "This one is for you!"
Neither Haku nor Karin ever questioned Shinji's decisions, so Haku stepped forward without hesitation to claim the Ice Crystal Creation Technique.
[Reward settlement in progress.]
[Rating: C]
[You have received a gift from the shinobi world: Chakra (Small Amount), Natural Energy Affinity (Trace Amount).]
[Please select one.]
Shinji clicked his tongue in mild annoyance.
He had expected a 'C' rating.
The truth was, this invasion was on the enemy's terms in terms of both timing and location. For Shinji, the shinobi world's Lampbearer, it had been entirely a defensive battle.
From the moment the fight broke out in a crowded night market, there was no way the rating could have been high.
The battle had caused too much commotion, with numerous witnesses. Many had already fled, so he had no chance to use genjutsu to erase their memories and reduce the contamination.
Even though he had quickly ended the battle and eliminated the two Upper Moon demons who had lost the protection of the lantern's shadow, it was impossible to get an A rating.
"It seems the scoring system is based on the amount of contamination caused, the degree of impact on the shinobi world, and the duration of the invaders' presence," Shinji speculated. "To get an A rating, I'd have to end the invasion swiftly while minimizing the contamination."
Among the factors that affected the rating, the time the invaders spent in the shinobi world (after losing the lantern's shadow and entering the contaminated state) and the level of contamination were easy to understand.
But how the "impact on the shinobi world" was determined, Shinji still couldn't figure out.
However, he knew it existed as a factor; otherwise, it wouldn't explain why his first invasion defense, where only Shion had witnessed the battle and had her memory sealed with genjutsu, had resulted in an E rating. Even though he hadn't immediately defeated the Hand Demon, letting it massacre the guards in Shion's palace, the rating shouldn't have been that low.
Turning back to the reward, Shinji weighed his options and said internally, "I choose Natural Energy Affinity."
Immediately, a strange sensation welled up within him.
He couldn't quite describe it, but he knew this was the effect of the Natural Energy Affinity. He committed the sensation to memory, figuring it might be useful someday.
Next, he instructed the lantern, "Settle my merit points."
[Total merit points being calculated.]
[Total merit points: 79.]
"Only 3 more points this time… It seems upgrading the Lampbearer rank requires an A rating," Shinji thought, shaking his head.
He glanced at Haku and Karin beside him.
Both had expended a great deal of chakra during the fight, so they were still breathing heavily, their chests rising and falling with the effort.
Knowing that the Hidden Leaf shinobi and Akatsuki members could burst in at any moment from outside the fog, Shinji didn't hesitate. He called out, "Let's go!"
Whoosh.
In an instant, the three of them disappeared.
Outside the mist.
Kurenai Yuhi suddenly furrowed her brows. "Everyone listen carefully, it seems the sounds from inside have stopped!"
Asuma and the others listened closely.
Indeed, the screams, the booming sounds, and the cracking of ice mirrors had all gone silent since moments ago.
Yamashiro Aoba asked, "Has the battle ended?"
Asuma nodded, "Most likely."
With the silence settling over the area, it was clear the fight within the mist had come to a close.
"Who won?" Kurenai asked the question that everyone had on their minds but no one could answer.
Among the group, only Kakashi remained silent, staring intently at the fog.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, a Hidden Leaf signal flare shot up into the night sky not far away.
Accompanied by the sound of rushing wind, several figures landed beside Kakashi and his team.
These were Hidden Leaf shinobi who had come as reinforcements from nearby, a total of three squads comprising twelve shinobis.
Seeing the reinforcements arrive, the morale of the Leaf shinobis lifted.
Meanwhile, after a brief wait, the fog on the street began to dissipate. Those with sharper eyesight could faintly make out the battlefield.
At that moment, Kakashi's face darkened, and suspicion flashed in his eyes.
In a blink, he darted into the mist-covered battlefield.
Looking around, he saw only scattered ice fragments, burn marks, and the corpses of townspeople caught in the crossfire.
As for the Akatsuki members who had been fighting moments ago, they were nowhere to be found—not even a single body remained.