Mastermind of the Akatsuki

Seeing this scene, both the remaining Yukigakure (Snow Ninja) shinobi and Koyuki, Konan, and the others were deeply shocked, taking a long moment to process what had just happened.

Doto's strength was widely recognized by Yukigakure's ninja. They believed that while his power might not rival the Five Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it was not far behind. Yet, before Byakuya, their leader Doto couldn't resist at all.

Koyuki and Sandayū were also stunned by Byakuya's strength. They had thought he was only boasting about his power. When Byakuya faced off with Doto, they expected a prolonged battle. To their amazement, the fight ended in an instant, with the man they considered a lifelong enemy, Doto, defeated effortlessly.

Konan also looked on with mixed emotions. She was confident she could defeat Doto, but not this quickly.

After dealing with Doto, Byakuya dragged him by the collar to Koyuki and Sandayū and sighed, "The mission to defeat Doto is complete. Now, it's time to fulfill our agreement."

Koyuki, still in a daze, looked at Doto, then at Byakuya, before nodded, saying, "Lord Byakuya, Koyuki Kazehana will honor her agreement with the Akatsuki. Whatever you need, please tell me…"

At this point, Koyuki no longer brave enough to address Byakuya casually and used a more respectful title.

Doto, still conscious, glared at Byakuya and Koyuki. If his guess was correct, the jutsu Byakuya had used was Wood Release, a technique of the First Hokage of Konohagakure. Once again, Konoha had interfered.

Koyuki, this traitor, would rather make a deal with outsiders than give the treasure of Yukigakure to him.

Fuming, Doto shouted, "Koyuki! The treasure of the Land of Snow belongs to the Land of Snow! By trading it to foreigners, you betray our country!"

Hearing this, Koyuki's face darkened. "The real traitor is you! If not for you, my father would still be alive, and the people of Yukigakure wouldn't be suffering more and more."

Doto sneered, "Koyuki, I underestimated you. But now that I'm the loser, as a final request, you should at least show me your father's treasure. The ninja with you must be here for the Land of Snow's treasure, right?"

Koyuki hesitated briefly before taking out a necklace. She looked at Byakuya and said, "My father once told me that the treasure of the Land of Snow is nearby. Let's go together and take a look. If it's of use to you, I'll give it to you."

"Then let's go have a look."

With that, Byakuya cast a glance at Doto before shaking his head.

After a few dozen minutes, Byakuya's group reached a nearby glacier. A massive glacier towered over the tundra, sparkling like a giant jewel.

Standing before a cliff, Koyuki's hand glowed blue, and, before their eyes, the glacier melted at a visible speed, revealing a wide passage through the ice. They followed it deeper into the glacier.

Finally, they reached the heart of the glacier, where the long-sought treasure of the Land of Snow lay. Koyuki and Doto both felt anxious, uncertain about what Sōsetsu Kazahana had hidden here.

Illuminated by distant wall lights, the treasure appeared. The Land of Snow's treasure wasn't a powerful weapon, nor an unimaginable hoard of gold or silver. It was simply a few giant heaters, melting the surrounding ice and snow at an impressive speed. In the center of these heaters lay a quiet journal with Sōsetsu's name written on it.

Koyuki picked up the journal, glanced at it, and, with tears in her eyes, threw it at Doto's face.

Doto picked up the journal and read it, his expression darkening as he began to question everything. The journal was about Koyuki and also mentioned the giant heating devices in the glacier.

It turned out that the "treasure" Kazahana Sōsetsu had spent so much time and money to create was just these heating devices, which served no purpose other than melting the permafrost.

He had killed his beloved brother for these worthless things. The betrayal felt unbearable.

Emotionally shattered, Doto laughed hysterically, "Ha! Sōsetsu deceived me, deceived the entire Land of Snow! What good are these devices?"

Koyuki's face remained cold. "This is why you were unfit to be a true Daimyō. To my father, the treasure wasn't these heaters but the fertile land that would emerge once the ice was melted, and the hard-working people. With these devices, the Land of Snow can gain more arable land."

...

On the other side, Byakuya and Konan stood with their arms crossed, observing the confrontation between uncle and niece.

To Konan, both the true nature of the Land of Snow's treasure and the dispute between the two were intriguing. She especially appreciated Koyuki's final words, considering the people as the treasure of the Land of Snow.

Looking at Byakuya, she sensed something and said with a hint of surprise, "Byakuya, did you already know the treasure of the Land of Snow was just a set of heaters? No wonder you chose Koyuki over Doto."

"Koyuki cares for the people and, as Daimyō, would be willing to share the chakra armor technology with us. Doto, on the other hand, never would. As for the treasure, I did know what the Land of Snow's treasure was…"

Byakuya looked intently at the heaters. "But, in truth, the real treasure of the Land of Snow is these heaters, not the chakra armor technology."

Konan was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. "Byakuya, you're absolutely right. These heaters are indeed the true treasure. The chakra armor technology pales in comparison."

Byakuya shook his head slightly, as Konan hadn't fully understood his thoughts. He genuinely believed these heaters were valuable.

The heaters used chakra as their power source. A device capable of generating heat from chakra was indeed a treasure. If this technology could be harnessed, Amegakure would never need to worry about energy resources again.

For this alone, the former Daimyō of the Land of Snow truly had great foresight.