Oyabun: Affair in the Land of Snow

by leonardo1123581321

A side story about the events in the Land of Snow while Haku and Team 7 were away from the Leaf Village. Merry Christmas!

Disclaimer: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as an animated series by Viz Media. The Art of War is a widely published text originally written by Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicate, the Kaki Alliance, the Shirotsuki Clan, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Ryouke Kuroihi, Yamato Kuroihi, Kasen Eiji and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

Author's Note: To the readers of Oyabun, who've followed Naruto's growth from an outsider to the head of the Kitsune Clan - and await the conclusion to this tale - this story is for you. From your friend, Leonardo1123581321. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Oyabun

(An Older Brother)

Affair in the Land of Snow

Haku sat in the automobile as it rolled through the snow covered mountains of the Land of Snow. It was a strange machine, fitted with an oil-based engine enabling autonomous motorized movement. The wheels had been fitted with treads and a plow was nailed to the front so the machine could push its way through the thick snow. It ran along a pair of metal tracks used years ago for something called a train. The vehicle was only one of a long convoy of these vehicles traveling along the mountain ridge.

Haku passed the time by reading through an early draft of the script for the movie being filmed. Of course, this script had many sections scratched out with notes added throughout with removals, revisions, and additions. The script was for the next film in a popular franchise titled: The Unlucky Princess. The production company planned on shooting the movie in the Land of Snow, a poor country overrun with rampant crime and corruption despite its powerful military. For this reason, the company wanted added security and turned to the Hidden Leaf's shinobi for the task. Even so, the production company went the extra mile and personally requested Chairman Uzumaki Naruto to provide extra security.

Naruto quickly agreed to provide security, not for the money the company would pay, but because he was given a personalized autograph from the lead actress: Fujikaze Yukie. Haku recalled how Naruto stifled his joy until the company representatives left, at which point Naruto burst out into a fit of hysterical jubilations. Once he calmed down, Naruto began making arrangements for some men to accompany the production crew. After some deliberation, Naruto chose Haku and two of his own associates, along with Scorpio and two others from Gan's Private Security Contracting Company.

Of course, being hired was only half the reason Haku was selected to go. The other reason involved the shinobi team selected to accompany the production crew on their dangerous mission: Team 7. The internationally famous copy-cat ninja Hatake Kakashi, local prodigy Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and heiress Hyuuga Hinata. To be specific, Haku was asked personally by Naruto to watch over his girlfriend Hinata. Secretly though, Haku was certain he wouldn't have to. Hinata had proven herself a skilled kunoichi in the past and the assignment was C-rank at best.

Secure the filming locations, protect the cast and crew, and fight off any bandits who interfered with production. Simple, right?

Haku's reading was interrupted by the vehicle coming to an abrupt stop as it rounded the side of the mountain, right before the entrance of a tunnel. Scorpio and his two comrades, who were busy playing cards, dropped what they were doing and climbed out of the vehicle in a flash. Haku followed them as they walked towards the lead car to find three men in military clothing armed with spears pestering the driver for money.

"You're not passing through here without paying the toll."

"I don't have any money, I'm just a boom operator."

"That's great! You know what else is great? You paying me to use this road!"

"What's going on here?" Scorpio asked, putting a hand on one of his katana. The soldiers looked Scorpio over and laughed, "A mercenary? Do you really think this joke can protect you?"

"It shouldn't be a problem to protect them from trash like you," Scorpio answered. One of the soldiers snapped and pointed his spear at Scorpio. He charged forward only for Scorpio to grab his spear and use it as leverage to raise the man into the air, throw him down, and pin him to the ground. The other two soldiers readied their spears and Scorpio's friends drew their katana. They aimed their weapons at each other angrily, ready for someone to make the first move. Not wanting to start an international incident, Haku stepped in with his checkbook in hand, "How much is the toll?"

One of the other soldiers snapped, "We're way passed that point now. You just attacked a soldier of the army of the Land of Snow. As far as the law goes, that's a crime against the state!"

"For the record, only one of us attacked a soldier and he did so in self-defense. As for a crime against the state, you're welcome to arrest him if you can. I don't think he's the type to go quietly, though," Haku looked over at Scorpio who was busy cracking his neck, "And if you do manage to detain him, you'll have an international scandal on your hands. Scorpio is a citizen of the Land of Fire and the most you'll legally be allowed to do is deport him to the Land of Fire to face charges there. If you bring him to court here, the Land of Snow will have to answer to the international community and at the core of it will you three who bring him in. Who do you think your superiors will blame for causing them grief?"

Haku watched the soldier as the gears turned inside his head. After a minute, the soldier came to a conclusion, "How about I just kill him instead!"

The soldier was about to attack when a flurry of kunai divided the two groups. Haku looked over his shoulder to see Kakashi standing atop one of the vehicles. With an indifferent voice, he joked, "Kids, don't make me come down there."

"Crap, a ninja! What should we do captain?" the soldier asked the one behind him. The captain looked from Kakashi to Scorpio to Haku and relented, "We're outmatched and outnumbered. Let them pay and pass."

"Captain, are you serious?"

"Do it!"

"Yes sir," the soldier lowered his spear, "The toll is 50 ryou per person."

Haku wrote down the first number to come to mind and gave the soldier to the check, "This should cover it."

The guard looked the check over and frowned, "Hey...this name! Are you really the chairman of the Kitsune Clan?"

"Sorry," Haku smiled back at them, "I just work for him."

Haku returned to his vehicle so he could continue reading his copy of the script. As he turned away from the soldiers he overheard one of them whisper, "Leaf ninja and the Kitsune clan?"

...

A little later in that day, the convoy came to a stop alongside a steep incline that led to a pass at the peak of the ascent. Haku's men, Scorpio and his soldiers, as well as Team 7 set up a perimeter around the film location while the crew began set up for special effects. Haku went ahead and scouted the side of the pass, looking for any sign of bandits before setting up an alarm system made of string and exploding tags. The string would serve as a trip wire and set off the exploding tag if anyone got too close to the filming site. He heard the sound of snow crunching under boots. The sound was light, too light for an adult to be sneaking around. It was from someone smaller or younger, "Hello, Miss Hyuuga."

"Um...hi."

"What brings you here?" Haku set the wire down and turned to face her. She was dressed in a thick snow coat with a fur hood that ran down to just below her waist over her usual attire, as well as a yellow cloak that wrapped around her neck like a scarf. Her face was bright red, although whether it was from the cold or a result of her timidity was anyone's guess, "I just wanted to talk."

"About what?"

"Naruto said you were hired to protect the film crew. That's the only reason you're here, right?"

"I'm not sure if there would be another reason," Haku said, "Is that all? Because I have about thirty seconds before the exploding tags go off."

"Oh, sorry," Hinata answered shyly, "I'll go back and check the equipment again."

"Bye, Miss Hyuuga," Haku said as he went back to work on the exploding tags.

...

"Okay people! We only have a few minutes of daylight left! Let's at least get this shot right!" the director yelled out, "Is everyone in place? Then start!"

"Right! The Unlucky Princess! Act 1, Scene 37, Take 27! Action!" his assistant said as he slapped the clapperboard in front of the camera. Haku watched as the cameras started rolling, the microphones began recording, and the actors started playing their roles. The actor playing the villain pointed a staff at Yukie and the other actors playing heroes, "Now Princess Fuun! The time has come to-"

KRA-KOOM!

"What was that?"

"Cut! Who set off the pyrotechnics?"

Haku noted that an unusual amount of smoke flowed out of the area where the pyrotechnics had gone off. More smoke than could be accounted for by the pyrotechnics set up by the effects crew. And the explosion was nowhere near where he set up the trip wire. The explosion was no accident, it was intentional. In this area where the snow was loose, Haku could come to only one conclusion, "Avalanche!"

Haku was quick to rush forward between the oncoming wave of snow and the film crew. He performed a set of hand signs and used his Kekkei Genkai to focus his chakra into the snow around him. He willed it to condense into ice and forced it to rise up into a protective wall that was angled to divert the flow of the snow. Sasuke and Kakashi jumped atop the wall saying in unison, "Katon: Gyokaku no Jutsu!"

A flash of fire shot out of their mouths and melted the snow into water so that it would flow with the ice wall more easily. There was a loud crash and the ice wall shook momentarily once the wave of snow and water smashed into it. For a moment, it seemed the wall would give in to the sheer force of the avalanche - but only for a moment. Haku breathed with relief once it was certain the wall would not give in. His relief was short lived when he heard Sakura shriek behind him. He turned around to see the film crew running back to the convoy for cover, Sakura unconscious, one of Scorpio's men dead, and the rest of the security team locked in combat with three ninja dressed in the oddest armor. They wore light blue-gray spandex underneath metallic armor that was wired to crystals embedded into the center of their chest plates.

"Why won't you die!" Scorpio shouted as he swung his sword wildly, to little effect on the lead shinobi who is stepped each of his attacks, "The same reason you can't hit me!"

"Get his punk ass!" Haku heard one of his subordinates shout as he charged the largest of the three attackers. With one swing of his fist, the large shinobi punched a hole through Haku's subordinate before breaking his knee with a kick and throwing him to the side, "You should know better than to underestimates ninja of the Land of Snow!"

On the other side of the battle, Hinata brawled with the female shinobi using her clan's gentle fist style. Hinata was obviously outmatched but her Byakugan gave her enough of an edge to stay just ahead of her opponent. Haku wrapped one hand around Zabuza's sword and made a set of hand signs with the other, "Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Two water clones of Haku appeared beside him and the trio charged into the battle with Sasuke and Kakashi in tow. Haku had very little practice with his former master's sword, Kubikiribocho. He was also far from the master that Zabuza was with the weapon. All the same, he knew enough about it to know its greatest secret: it fed off blood and used that blood to repair itself. Haku had been lucky enough to never really need to use that up to this point - other than the conflict with the Sannin. This time looked like another exception, one of these shinobi was single-handedly overwhelming Scorpio - the most competent fighter there.

Haku leapt into the air while his two clones circled around on the kunoichi. Haku's knew how important Hinata was to Naruto. Her survival came ahead of everything else. Haku's raised Kubikiribocho above his head with one hand and retrieved senbon needles with the other. He threw them between Hinata and her opponent to separate the two before Haku descended upon her with Kubikiribocho. Hinata's opponent wasn't able to detect Haku in time to protect herself with any jutsu; she did the only thing she could, and that was leap out of the way. But it wasn't soon enough as her ankle was still caught in the sharp blade's path. The weight of the sword combined with the speed of Haku's descent was enough to slice through her foot clean off. She shrieked out in pain, her foot rolling away and sinking into the snow.

"Fubuki!" the lead shinobi called out to his injured comrade, stopping long enough for Scorpio to get a stab in with his katana. The lead shinobi was unfazed by the attack and clapped his palms together into Scorpio's temples. Scorpio released his sword and stepped away from the lead shinobi with his head wrapped in his hands. The lead shinobi pulled the sword out of himself and broke the sword half with his hands. He turned his attention to Kakashi and the two became locked in a fierce duel of fire and ice jutsu.

Haku focused his attention on Fubuki, who was already hobbling away on her good leg. Haku gave chase but was cut off by the larger shinobi who punched him square in the chest, "Piss off!"

The hit alone knocked the wind out of Haku and sent him rolling away. Haku felt pain run through his joints as he forced himself back up to rejoin the fight, only to find that it had already ended. The three attacking shinobi were fleeing away from the battle, Fubuki in the arms of the larger shinobi, while the lead shinobi shouted back, "We'll be back! Lady Koyuki!"

"Koyuki?" Haku muttered back to himself, taking a moment to let his body recover from the hit he took. He looked around to check that everyone was alright. Aside from Scorpio's dead squad member and Haku's own deceased subordinate, there were no other fatalities. Hinata and Sasuke were already taking care of Sakura, while Kakashi and Scorpio met with each other to discuss what just happened. Behind the convoy was the film crew, who were busy with their equipment and muttering about the battle they just filmed.

...

The bodies of the two deceased were handled by Haku and Scorpio's squad mate. Kakashi was busy distracting his genin team by having them treat the other two so that they wouldn't have to see the horribly mangled bodies. The bodies were returned to the convoy so they could be properly buried at the next town they came across. While the convoy continued rolling, Haku, Scorprio, Team 7, the director, Yukie and her agent met in one of the trailers as it rolled along the road. Kakashi, who stood by the door, was the first to speak, "When the shinobi fled, they mentioned Princess Koyuki. She hasn't been heard from in ten years since the military coup. So, mister director and mister Sandayuu...is there something you'd like to tell us?"

"I don't know any more than you do," the director said defensively, crossing his legs and taking out pipe which he filled with tobacco, "Although coming here was Sandayuu's idea. I never bothered asking why because it seemed like a good idea."

"Well, then Sandayuu - it seems you're aware of more than you want to let on," Kakashi pointed out callously. Sandayuu, Koyuki's aged assistant adorned with a small set of round glasses, hung his head quietly and frowned, "I really hoped this wouldn't get out. The truth of the matter is the actress Fujikaze Yukie is really the princess Kazahana Koyuki of the Land of Snow. Ten years ago, Kazahana Doto led a military coup against her father and seized the throne for himself. For the longest time, I believed Koyuki was killed in the battle. When I saw her on stage a few years later, I was so overwhelmed with joy. I contacted the resistance as soon as I learned this fact and together plans were drawn up to bring Koyuki back to the country to reclaim her throne. We decided the best way to do this would be to become her agent and have her one day film a movie here."

"Were you ever going to tell me about this, Sandayuu?" Yukie asked coldly. Sandayuu nodded, "Yes, when the time was right. We thought it best if you didn't know just yet because we worried you would refuse."

"That's a shame, because I'm refusing anyway," Yukie said, "I would have preferred if I had died that day."

"Princess, please don't say that," Sandayuu pleaded, kneeling before the princess and pleading, "You are the beacon that gives the resistance hope for the future. So please, don't say that! Be our leader in the war against Doto!"

"No, that's none of my business," Yukie said, "If you want to lead this resistance to their deaths, I'm not going to stop you. But I don't want anything to do with it."

"Speaking honestly, you don't have much of a choice anymore," Kakashi said to Yukie, "The fact that those ninjas attacked and stated they were after you means Doto is already aware you're here. He'll go after you again, and next time with more than just three shinobi."

"This changes nothing," Scorpio chimed in, "The mission is still to protect the film crew during production of their film."

"Maybe, but that will be impossible if we're against the entire military force of a nation. Especially with so few of us," Haku chimed in, "Working with support from the local resistance may not be such a bad idea."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let my students become involved in a war," Kakashi said, "At best, this mission has already gone up from B-rank to S-rank."

"Regardless of your concerns, you were still hired to protect the film crew," Scorpio retorted, "If you have any sense of honor, you will fulfill that duty no matter what the cost. If you can't do that, you may as well be trash."

"Those who fail their missions may be trash, but those who abandon their comrades are less than trash," Kakashi answered back. A silent tension grew between Kakashi and Scorpio, broken only by the director who explained to them, "One of the core values of a good director is completing a film before its premiere, no matter what happens. Filming will continue, even with the continued risk as long as Yukie, er...I mean princess Koyuki understands that her presence is the reason for the lives of the crew being in danger."

"My name is Yukie, not Koyuki. And guilt tripping me won't work," Yukie explained, "I want nothing to do with this. I'm an actress and nothing more."

Yukie jumped out of the trailer at that, and the convoy came to a stop so that Team 7 could chase after her. Once they were able to bring her back safely, they continued on to a nearby village along the coast surrounded by trees where the crew stopped for the night to rest and get fresh supplies. The village was in a poor state though, many of the buildings appeared rundown and the few stores that were open had very little stock - it was far too reminiscent of the Land of Waves for his liking. As Haku stepped out of his vehicle, he overhear Sandayuu mention to one of the crew members, "It's terrible, isn't it? The whole country has been like this ever since Doto seized control of the nation for himself."

Overhearing this gave Haku an idea, but he still had work to do before he could get started on it. Haku and the rest of the security team went about setting up another perimeter - this time more carefully. He set up the same trap of a trip wire and exploding tags, supplementing it with several summoning scrolls set to activate and summon a water clone if anything larger than a small rabbit came creeping by. After that, he went to work constructing several traps with logs - using trip wires to set them so that they would come crashing down on anybody unfortunate enough to be wandering around.

Once he finished, he returned to his vehicle and went to work writing a letter back to Naruto. He would want to know about the situation in the Land of Snow being very similar to the Land of Waves. If things worked out, then this routine protection mission could also turn into a political revolution that the Kitsune would benefit from. Haku made sure to request at least five more men from Gan's company as well as several crates of military supplies and food. A campaign of this scale would require the support of the people to be successful. Once Haku was finished he went to the local courier shinobi outpost and paid to have the message delivered as soon as possible to Konohagakure. Haku guessed it would be about two weeks before he got any kind of reply from Naruto but he was sure Naruto would send the things he needed.

...

Two weeks went by without incident, filming continued as before and everyone went about their business as if the attack didn't happen. They passed through several more towns in that time, each a different location for the Princess Fuun's journey to defeat the villain, or so the plot of the film went. Haku noted that each town was no different from the first; buildings were in various states of disrepair and many of the citizens could be seen tearing down the more dilapidated buildings for fire wood. When they went to stores to stock up on supplies, they found very little food available on the shelves when there was any at all.

Sakura had recovered from her injuries and was back on security detail, however Kakashi suggested she spend more of her free time sparring with either Hinata or Sasuke because her combat ability was sorely out of practice. On top of that, a few members of the local resistance appeared on horseback to protect and serve their princess despite Yukie regularly dismissing them. Even Sandayuu took to wearing full body armor and kept two katana on his person at all times, although he still acted as Yukie's manager and assistant. It made Haku think of a particular idiom about knights in shining armor and the cavalry arriving but couldn't recall how it went.

More importantly, Naruto sent the requested supplies of food and weapons as requested, as well as the requested additional support from Gan's security company. With it was a letter instructing Haku to go ahead with the deal but to be tactful about it. While the crew went about filming the next scene - some battle between two of the lead actors and several stuntmen playing evil minions - Haku took his chance to meet with Sandayuu and two of the resistance members behind one of the trailers to discuss his proposal to the resistance. He made sure Scorpio and his men brought out the supplies for the resistance members to see while they talked, "Sandayuu, I don't have the same charismatic ability as my Oyabun so I'll get straight to the point: the Kitsune Clan is interested in supporting the resistance's cause against Doto. As such we are prepared to offer you a supply of weapons and food as needed in support of your cause. On top of that, we will use our political connections to make the transition of power after you defeat Doto go more smoothly."

"No, never!" Sandayuu answered strictly, "Our cause is noble. We don't need to dirty that by associating with yakuza."

"I expected as much," Haku replied quietly, "However, a war cannot be fought on empty stomachs and soldiers without weapons cannot really be called soldiers."

"As long as they have the heart and the will to fight, they will be welcomed with open arms by the resistance."

Haku admired his idealism. At the same time, Haku had to wonder how Naruto always made bargaining with people seem easy. However, Haku refused to relent and pressed the matter, "I haven't forgotten the last several villages we stopped at. They barely had enough food to themselves, let alone us. The Kitsune wish to tip the scales in your favor. All we're asking in return is that you remember we were the ones who provided you with the supplies you needed."

"Maybe we should take the deal, Sandayuu," one of the resistance fighters said, "That's a lot of food they've been bringing out and we do have families to feed."

"A deal with the devil is still a deal with the devil," Sandayuu pointed out, "No matter how good it is, in the end you'll end up paying dearly for something that was never worth it."

"As I said, the only thing we want is for you to remember that the Kitsune Clan did you a favor by providing these supplies," Haku said, "A day may come when the Kitsune asks you to return that favor, but consider these supplies a show of good will until that time. That is all."

"I'll need to talk it over with the rest of the resistance," Sandayuu answered, "We'll talk again tomorrow."

Haku bowed and turned to the squad provided with the supplies, "Watch the cargo and make sure no one tries to run off with it."

"Sir," they bowed to Haku. Haku returned to the crew to watch them film the battle scene, which was stopped every few minutes so that the choreographers could go over the moves with the actors before they filmed it again. Sitting in her chair drinking a cup of warm tea was Yukie, going over a draft of the script while the makeup artists worked on her face. Once they we done, the crew began filming the next scene where Princess Fuun came to the aid of her two comrades. As Haku watched Yukie play her part in the move, he couldn't help but wonder why she refused to act the same way towards the people who looked to her in their time of need.

The following day, Sandayuu and Haku met in the same area behind one of the trailers. Sandayuu seemed uneasy and quickly said, "I spoke with the resistance. They'll agree to the Kitsune's aid. Just remember that this is our fight, not yours - stay out of our way."

"Of course," Haku nodded, "We'll stay out of the resistance's way while you fight your war against the head of Snow Country."

Several of the resistance members were already busying transferring the supplies onto an ox-cart. Haku quietly reveled in an accomplished feeling, knowing he had sealed a beneficial arrangement for the Kitsune Clan - one that would edict its power as an organization. It would have been a joyful moment were it not for the sound of explosions and screaming that followed it. Haku looked around the side of the trailer and saw a large metal blimp hanging in the air. The female shinobi he injured several days earlier was flying through the air with a pair of metal wings attached to her armor, throwing kunai that exploded into spikes of ice. Her leg was banadaged where her foot had been cut off. The large male shinobi was fighting off Team 7 while the lead shinobi was holding an unconscious Yukie in one arm and a long rope running up to the blimp in the other. The rope retracted and pulled him skyward towards the blimp.

"We said we'd come back for you!"

"Yukie!"

"Princess Koyuki!"

In a matter of seconds, the lead shinobi was aboard the blimp and disappeared inside with Yukie. A second rope came down for the larger shinobi to make his escape while the flying kunoichi covered for him. Scorpio tried to cut the large shinobi off when the kunoichi came in low and shouted, "Mizore! Jump!"

On cue, Mizore leapt into the air with hand outstretched to grab the kunoichi's hand. They only flew a few feet before a flurry of kunai with strings attached filled the air. One managed to jab itself into Mizure's chest and another onto his arm. Haku followed the strings back to Sasuke who held the strings with one arm while using another to spit a blast of fire. Before the flame could travel up the strings, Mizure used a knife to cut the strings and stop the flames in their tracks. Out of reach for anyone to stop them, the two of them soared straight towards the blimp which was already zooming away from the battlefield.

"No! They've captured the princess!" a resistance member wailed, "They'll kill her!"

"It's over," another groaned.

"Not yet!" Sandayuu shouted, "If they wanted to kill her they wouldn't have taken her alive! That means there's a chance we can save her!"

"But we don't even know where she's going!" another resistance member said quietly. Sandayuu shook his head and said, "No, we know exactly where they're going! Where else would they bring someone as important as the princess? Doto will want her brought to the palace! That's where she'll be!"

"Sandayuu," Haku tried to get Sandayuu's attention.

"Doto has forced our hand! So get the word out to all the members of the resistance! Anyone who can take up a sword and fight is to assemble at the usual place by tonight!" Sandayuu commanded the resistance members. The resistance members saluted Sandayuu and some returned to transferring the cargo while others rode off on their horses to deliver the message. Sandayuu had a determined look on his face, which Haku couldn't argue with but he still had to reason with it, "Sandayuu!"

"Hm?"

"Your speech was quite rousing, but do you have a plan to rescue the princess? Storming a castle is only going to result in needless bloodshed if you go in without a plan," Haku stated clearly. Sandayuu nodded, "Not yet. But as a former member of 50th Brigade, no one else in the resistance has better knowledge of the palace than I do."

"If you'll be attacking directly, then we'll be coming along as support," Scorpio said, appearing behind Haku, "You'll need every hand available if you plan on attacking so openly."

"No! Our deal is you would stay out of our way in our war!" Sandayuu warned, "I'll cut you down myself if you even think of getting involved."

"What deal?" Scorpio asked. Haku waved him off and said, "I'll explain later. However, Scorpio is right. He will need to become directly involved if you expect to take the castle with few casualties. It may not be according to our deal, but I assure you that our services will come at no extra cost than the original deal."

"This is why I don't like your kind," Sandayuu pointed accusingly at Haku, "You invalid yakuza go back on your word just as soon as you make it."

"We're not going back on our word," Haku lied, "You're deal was with the Kitsune. Scorpio and his men represent a private security firm that operates independent of and occasionally with the Kitsune. On top of that, they were hired to protect the film crew during production and right now one of their clients has been captured by a hostile dictator planning who knows what. Do you really think anything is going to stop them from rescuing the client and completing the mission."

Sandayuu mulled it over quietly for a minute and said, "Okay, they can help but we don't want you anywhere near our operation."

"It will be an honor to work with you," Scorpio bowed.

"It's a pleasure to have you with us," Sandayuu replied.

"We'll be coming too, of course," Kakashi appeared beside Sandayuu, "Doto has the entire shinobi force of the Land of Snow at his beck and call. If those three are any indication of their skill, you'll need our help."

"Thank you, Master Kakashi," Sandayuu smiled, "With your help, we can't lose."

Haku nodded and turned to leave. He wouldn't be anywhere near the castle - at least as far as they would be allowed to know. They were aware that Haku was a shinobi, just not how skilled of a shinobi he was. With his abilities, getting in and out of the facility without being noticed would be child's play - even during the middle of a full scale assault. As he left he whispered to Scorpio, "Let me know the attack plan before you leave."

...

Yukie, or Koyuki, sat in a chair across a table from her uncle who stared down at her nonchalantly with a smile. This man was the monster known as Kazahana Doto who took over the Land of Snow ten years ago when he killed her father, his brother. Ten years really hadn't aged him well since he had become fat and looked to be balding. He was dressed in the formal robes of the country's king- robes that originally belonged to her father. With a voice like a sickened old man he spoke to her, "Koyuki! My precious niece. It's been too long since we last spoke. You've grown up into a beautiful woman since I last saw you. How have you been my dear?"

"Cut the crap, I'm not in a mood to talk to you, not after what you've done," Yukie spat back staring out the window indifferently, "So get me your best booze or piss off."

"You've got quite the mouth on you," her uncle muttered disapprovingly, "A face as pretty as yours shouldn't be speaking dirty words like that."

"Not getting to the point," Yukie pointed out, now drumming her fingers against the table rhythmically. Her uncle's frown grew larger, "The hexagonal crystal, where is it?"

"How the hell would I know?" Yukie said, "Father was the only one who knew. If you wanted it so bad, you probably shouldn't have killed him."

"Your father told me plenty and he squealed like a little girl when he did - begging me to spare him," Doto laughed, noting Yukie's expression turned sour, "He said the true heir of this country holds the key to its future. It took me a long time to figure it out. This country's future lies in a secret technology your father funded which would make the Land of Snow more powerful than the five shinobi nations. However, this technology can only be activated by a key - and that key is the hexagonal crystal. And who else could you father mean by the true heir of this nation? He meant you! Now where is the crystal?"

"The last thing I own that father gave me is this stupid necklace. If you want it, have it," Yukie said, unlatching the necklace and sliding it across the table, "Are we done here?"

Doto took the necklace excitedly and carefully examined the crystal that hung on the end for a few minutes. He turned it this way and that, inspecting it carefully from every angle as if he were looking for something. Suddenly, he crushed it with his hands and blew its shards away as they turned into leaves, "This is a fake, where is the real crystal?"

"I don't understand, that should be...unless," Yukie muttered to herself, "It was probably one of those ninja."

"it wouldn't be too hard for Copycat Kakashi to take it," the lead shinobi said, "He was among the ninja team hired to protect the film crew."

"Tch! Now we have to go back there to get it," the large shinobi frowned.

"Why bother?" Yukie frowned, reclining in her chair and looking out the window, "They'll probably do something stupid like try to rescue me."

...

Haku quietly followed the resistance members as they made their way from the production crew towards the rendezvous point. With his skill, he could be walking right alongside them without any of them knowing. As far as they knew, he never even left the camp though. Haku made sure to leave behind his subordinate, a water clone, and several traps to protect the perimeter of the production crew's camp so that they would be well protected if any trouble arose. The water clone was mostly an added measure, so that they would think he'd been there the whole night.

Scorpio secretly handed Haku a slip of paper before leaving with the others that provided an outline of the attack plan. The resistance members working undercover inside would make sure to slip the guards some drugs to knock them out, which would allow Team 7 to secretly set up several timed explosives around the castle walls. Their contacts inside would then move to parts of the castle the resistance would pass over. At roughly 2300 hours, the resistance and Scorpio's group would move into position at various points around the castle and signal Team 7. Team 7 would detonate their explosives at random to throw the castle guards into confusion and disable their defenses, allowing the resistance to move in and engage the castle guard. With the castle guard occupied, Scorpio's group would escort Sandayuu's unit down to the dungeon to rescue Yukie. Team 7 would fight their way to Doto's throne room and capture him. Team 7 would force Doto to surrender and order his troops to stand down.

The plan seemed simple enough and Haku was confident that they were capable of as much. All the same, part of the reason he was selected to assist with this assignment was to protect Hinata. Haku would see to it that Hinata came back alive. He checked his gear one more time to make sure he had everything he needed: Kubikiribocho, senbon needles, kunai, and his fox mask. He had everything he would need to use, but he would need to use it sparingly. The resistance could not be allowed to make any connections back to Haku's presence.

The resistance members led Haku straight to their camp where many of the fighters were already prepping their armor. Some were sharpening their weapons while others practice in the corner to make sure they were still in as fit of shape as they were in the past. Haku could tell just by looking at their armor that they were formerly members of the national military who defected after Doto's rise to power. Haku leapt up into the trees and hug close to the trees to avoid being detected, scanning the camp for any sign of Scorpio. He didn't see him but could see a castle in the distance looming ominously over the camp.

At that moment, Sandayuu called for everyone's attention, "Everyone! Fighting alongside you these past ten years has been the greatest honor of my life. We've come so far, thanks to Princess Koyuki, our very hope for the future. Now that she's been taken away by Doto and her life is in our hands! In the name of Lord Sosetsu, let's not fail her! Let's win this night and take back our land!"

There were cheers from every soldier in the camp, a point which Haku thought would be too much since they were so close to the castle. If they were heard, Doto would send someone to investigate and the plan would fail. At that instant, Team 7 appeared from the trees and Kakashi reported to Sandayuu, "We've set the charges."

"Were the guards drugged as planned?"

"There were a few guards and most of them were there were passed out. Everything's ready to go on your signal."

"Good," Sandayuu said confidently, "Everyone! Go to your positions and wait for the second explosion! That's when we'll attack!"

"Show time," Haku said to himself, donning the fox mask and disappearing into the woods.

...

Haku managed to sneak his way inside of the castle and stood atop one of the towers along the wall. As Kakashi had reported earlier, there were a few guards and most of them were asleep. From the layout, it looked like every path into the castle grounds led to the courtyard before going into the keep. Haku also noticed several emplacements along the wall that looked to be pointed up at the sky around the castle - but Haku couldn't make out why. He guessed they were cannons, but the way they were angled would send the projectiles too far into the distance to be of any threat.

KRATHOOM!

That was the first explosion and it forced a section of the far wall on the opposite side of the castle to cave in on itself. The noise was enough to stir some of the guards. Some immediately ran to the area of the first explosion to see what was going on while others started working the emplacements. That was when Haku realized that these cannons weren't aimed away from the castle, but towards the center of the courtyard where the resistance's path would lead them before they could enter the keep.

He didn't have much time to act before the second explosion ripped the facility apart, so Haku went to work. He couldn't leave behind any evidence of his presence - which was all too simple because of his training with Zabuza and the battle that was about to ensue. Using his honed speed, Haku ran to the closest emplacement and focused his chakra into the surrounding air to condense it into tiny needles of ice, "Hyakusatsu Suitso!"

The ice needles quietly impaled the soldiers around the first emplacement, giving Haku enough time to use a second technique, "Hissatsu Hyoso!"

A spike of ice shot out from the cannon, disabling it silently so that nobody would no he was ever here. He raced to the second emplacement which was further down the wall just as the second explosion destroyed the tower he was on earlier. In that same moment, a loud roar could be heard in the distance as thousands of burning arrows filled the air. Haku ignored the projectiles use the same trick of ice needles to eliminate the soldiers guarding the second emplacement and a spike of ice to disable the cannon. By that point, the resistance fighters had already entered the courtyard and were fired upon by the cannons. The cannons fired a wall of kunai knives that easily cut down the guards. By some miracle, an explosion ripped that cannon apart and killed the guards working it. Haku looked in its direction to see Sasuke and Sakura fighting on the opposite side of the wall, taking care of the cannons there. Running the opposite direction from them were Hinata and Kakashi who took care of the cannons in their way. Haku decided it was time to disappear and allowed the ice he used earlier to melt into water before slipping into the shadows. He concealed himself behind some rubble and watched Kakashi come running up to the cannon that was destroyed, "Hm? This cannon's been destroyed already."

"Who do you think did it, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked. Kakashi scanned his surroundings briefly and noted, "We'll worry about it later. Let's rendezvous with Sasuke and Sakura. We still have to get to Doto."

"Yes sir," Hinata agreed. The two leapt down into the courtyard. Haku waited a minute before coming out and looking over the courtyard. From what he saw, it looked like the fight could really go either way. The resistance members who survived the ambush from the cannons fought the castle guard below. Scorpio was the closest to the keep's front door where he sliced open a masked shinobi, followed by stabbing a castle guard next to him. The castle guard still had superior numbers compared to the resistance though. Haku made a few brief hand signs and focused some chakra into making more ice needles. He took care to aim each one and fired, "Sensatsu Suitso!"

The needles struck their mark and killed a good number of the castle guards, but only enough so that the resistance wouldn't notice. With that done, he allowed the ice to melt so no evidence remained of his presence and followed after Team 7 inside the castle keep. The interior was as large as the exterior, though not as well kept. The halls were dark and empty, not just of people but of any decoration entirely. Doto clearly did not seize the country for the wealth, but then what did he take it for? But if he wasn't using the money for himself or to help his people, then where was all the money going?

The main hall led to a flight of stairs that spiraled upwards into a great expanse above. Wanting to save time, Haku took a short cut and leapt his way to the top floor which consisted exclusively of a large throne room with the main throne atop a high pedestal towering over the rest of the room. Haku stayed just outside the room and listened intently on the conversations inside.

"-told you that I am an actress!"

It sounded like Yukie's voice. But what was she doing here in the throne room? Shouldn't she have been in the dungeon below?

"Yukie! Don't!"

"Gragh!"

"Lord Doto!"

Haku peered around the corner to see Team 7 and the Snow shinobi from before staring up at the throne, where Yukie had driven a knife into Doto's chest. Blood ran from the wound, staining Doto's robes a blood red. Doto looked down at Yukie in disbelief, but not in a manner that was surprised. It was more of a disapproving face, the fact that he had a knife going though his chest didn't seem to bother him slightly. He wrapped a hand around Yukie's neck and started to choke the life out of her, "You good for nothing brat!"

"You...killed...father," Yukie managed, "I'd...never...help you!"

"Die!" Doto roared, throwing Yukie off the high pedestal. Kakashi reacted immediately to this, leaping from where he was to catch Yukie. He met her halfway down, wrapping his arms tightly around her unconscious body and landed softly on the ground. By this point, the other genin were already around Kakashi and checking on the princess. After checking quickly for a pulse, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief, "She's alive."

Doto barked at his shinobi, "I have what I need, let's go!"

"What should we do about the leaf ninja?" Mizore asked, thumbing at the genin.

"Let the castle guard deal with them, they're disposable anyway."

"What about our comrades still fighting in the courtyard, sir?" Fubuki asked, with Doto. Doto looked unbothered by this fact and was already walking down the steps from his throne, "Fuck'em."

"Yes...sir," the lead shinobi spat out. He looked at his two comrades and they looked back, their expressions just as sour as his. Haku suspected there was some derision in this group for their master, but their loyalty probably outweighed any resentment they held. Haku detected them coming towards the door and slid into the shadows, expecting them to come through the doors at any moment.

"That reminds me, one of these genin is an Uchiha. We can use him for our experiments. Take him alive," Doto's voice said aloud. Haku had no choice but to act now, not for Sasuke's sake but Hinata. She would definitely fight these shinobi to protect her teammate, and her safety was Haku's priority. As he had expected, the genin were fighting with the three shinobi inside the throne room. Kakashi was keeping back the fighting back to protect Yukie while Doto passively watched with his back to Haku.

This was Haku's chance. If he could aim an ice spike at one of Doto's pressure points, he could end the fighting here and keep Hinata safe. He had enough chakra to spare so he focused chakra into just one small ice spike no larger than a senbon needle. He took it in his hands and aimed for a pressure point just below the jugular. With a careful hit, he could minimize the blood flow to the brain and render him unconscious. He only needed to act.

SLICKT!

Haku felt weak. A sharp stabbing pain spread from his stomach throughout his body, making him uneasy. He glanced down and saw a knife in Doto's hand jutting into his chest. He looked back up to see Doto looking over his shoulder, "Don't think I didn't notice you too. Now go away!"

Doto used his free hand to pick Haku up and throw him towards the genin. He bounced off the ground and slid to a stop just before the three genin. At that same time, he heard the lead shinobi say, "I have the boy! Let's go!"

"Yes sir, Nadare!" Fubuki said. Haku looked up in time to see the three shinobi follow after Doto as he leapt out a window, with Mizore holding an unconscious Sasuke under one arm. They followed him out the window and Haku saw a sight he didn't believe. The four spread wings and took off into the night. Haku sat himself up and cursed his luck, leaning his back against a wall to support himself. He was one of the best trained shinobi in the world, and he was defeated by a third rate feudal lord.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed running to the window and looking out as the four fled. Kakashi laid the unconscious Yukie beside him and kneeled beside Haku, "What exactly are you doing here? I thought you agreed not to get involved."

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you," Haku muttered, "That's all I can say."

He checked the knife in his chest and made sure that the injury wasn't too serious. He took a breath and found no difficulty breathing, but plenty of pain. That meant it missed his lungs. It was on the right side of his chest which meant it missed his heart. Perhaps Haku had some luck after all because it looked like the knife just pierced his bones. He grit his teeth together and pulled the knife out. Ribs were as important to breathing as the lungs, which meant the next couple of hours were going to be hell.

"Naruto's involved isn't he?" Hinata asked. Haku didn't answer, straightening his mask so he could see better. Haku used what little strength he had to force himself up while keeping pressure on the wound, "Like I said, I can't say. I'd like it if you didn't mention this to Sandayuu."

"What about your wound?" Hinata asked. Haku tightened his grip on the injury and solaced the Hyuuga, "I'm a medic, I'll be fine. You should worry more about your teammate, he's been captured by Doto."

"Princess! Princess!" Sandayuu's voice echoed from beyond the doors in the hallway. This diverted Kakashi and Hinata's attention long enough for Haku to leap out the nearest window and onto a ledge just below it. He pressed against the wall tightly and listened to the sound of the throne room door's being thrown wide open, "Princess!"

"Sandayuu?"

"Princess! She's alright! I've found her! Everyone, this way!"

The sound of thundering footsteps could be heard, probably the resistance members who survived the battle.

"Sandayuu, what's the situation report?"

"The castle guard are still putting up resistance around the castle, but the main force has already surrendered. We freed most of the prisoners, but couldn't find Princess Koyuki downstairs. Thank goodness she's here. Where's Doto and the boy?"

"He captured Sasuke and escaped with his shinobi. They headed out that window and flew that way. Is there anything that way?"

"Nothing, just a lake."

"Anything special about that lake?"

"Not really. Just a bunch of rock formations that surround the lake at six points."

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Why would he be heading there?"

"Hexagonal...crystal..."

"Princess Koyuki!"

"Yukie."

"The Kazahana treasure...country's future...key..."

"Princess, what are you saying?"

"Uncle Doto. He wants to...use the hexagonal crystal like...a key for something father worked on."

"I think I get the gist of it. We should move now if we plan on getting there before Doto can use the key and rescue Sasuke."

Haku heard enough. Team 7 would undoubtedly be going to the lake to rescue Sasuke. If that's where they went, Haku would have to follow to make sure Hinata stayed out of harm's way. First, he had to treat his wound though. Without any bandages, Haku made do by tearing of a length of his sleeve and tearing it into one long cloth. He covered his wound as best as he could and reminded himself to treat it more thoroughly once this ordeal was over. Now, he just had to reach the lake.

...

Voices were all Sasuke could make out. The rest was cold, black oblivion.

"Do you think he'll live?"

"I only punched him, he'll be fine."

"I don't know. You tend to overdo it sometimes."

"Are you doubting me?"

"Enough. Put the chakra inhibitor on him!"

"He's unconscious, he's not going anywhere. Even if he was awake, he's tied up!"

"He's a shinobi of the Leaf village and a member of the famed Uchiha clan. Put the inhibitor on him."

"Yes sir!"

The next thing Sasuke felt was a sharp stabbing pain in his stomach followed the feeling of fatigue. Whatever they put on him, this inhibitor as they called it, was draining away his energy and chakra. It didn't take long for his mind to sink back into darkness.

...

Team 7, Yukie, Sandayuu and the mercenaries raced through the woods on a vehicle borrowed from the production crew. To their surprise, the director and some members of the crew followed along with the resistance members quietly so they could get some battle footage to be used in the movie. Sandayuu was upset with their decision to make entertainment out of the suffering of others, but the director consoled him by explaining that the resistance fighters who died would be credited in the film and any profits would be split evenly between the families of the deceased. The director went on to offer them a lift to where they were going, an offer Sakura accepted instantly if it meant they could get to Sasuke faster. A detachment of resistance members was left at the palace to take care of the wounded and watch the prisoners.

"Yukie, I've been meaning to ask; why were you helping Doto earlier?" Kakashi asked the princess, who hadn't taken her gaze away from the window since they hopped inside. Yukie's eyes narrowed and her voice became serious, "I wasn't helping him. I was earning his trust so I could get close enough to kill him."

"Princess Koyuki, does this mean you'll take the throne?" Sandayuu asked hopefully, a small smile breaking on his face. Without looking at him, Yukie frowned, "I don't really care about taking back the country or the war, I just won't stand by while some father's memory is insulted!"

"You know what they say about revenge; be prepared to dig two graves," Kakashi noted aloud. Yukie remained unimpressed, "I don't care about what happens to me, as long as Doto dies for what he's done."

"Princess, please don't talk like that," Sandayuu pleaded, "Your life is the most valuable treasure to your people! That's why we've gone so far to save you! Please don't make their sacrifices go to waste by throwing your life away!"

"Don't tell me what to do," Yukie barked, "I'm doing this to avenge father and nothing more. I'm going back to acting once that's done."

Sandayuu's face sank and his gaze shifted downward. At that point, Hinata chimed in with her own thoughts, "Throwing away what your father gave you is probably a greater insult to his memory than any word."

Yukie looked from Hinata to Kakashi and pouted, "Are all you leaf ninja trained in proverbs? You two sound like philosophers!"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken like that. It's just...well," Hinata's voice shied away into nothing. This time, it was Sakura's turn to speak, "I think what Hinata means is your father raised and cared for his country just as much as he did for you. Your plan is to kill the country's daimyo for revenge because he insulted your father, and then abandon it when it needs a new leader. It's kind of cruel, don't you think?"

"Life is cruel," Yukie answered sharply, "It's nothing but prolonged pain, suffering, and misery. The only good thing to come out of it is knowing that one day you'll die."

"That's not true!" Hinata snapped loudly, catching the attention of everyone in the vehicle. Sakura and Kakashi were especially surprised as they never knew her to burst out like that. Her expression sat somewhere between serious and frustrated, a face she almost always had up until a few months ago when she became more relaxed and optimistic. Seeing this expression was enough to know something set her off.

"You talk like you have it so damn hard! I apologize if life isn't always what you want it to be. Sometimes, it's frustrating and miserable, but that doesn't mean you should just give up! You're talking about how you wished you died ten years ago and how you don't care about your life, but I don't see you trying to kill yourself like you say you will!" Hinata fumed.

Yukie stared at Hinata, unimpressed with Hinata calling her out, "Don't talk to me like you understand-"

"No, I don't understand because all I hear is 'oh, poor me'. I'm sick of it! You act like you don't care about anyone and nobody cares about you, but that's a lie and you know it! Sandayuu and so many others risked their lives to save you! He spent the last several years protecting you from Doto and doing every little thing you asked. We went out of our way to rescue you from Doto and it got one of our teammates captured! People care about you and it's about time you stopped acting like don't give a damn!"

"Hinata, maybe you should calm down," Kakashi said, patting her on the head. At this point, Hinata seemed to realize what she had done and who she yelled at. Her face appeared to invent a new shade of red as she sank into her seat and fumbled out an apology, "Sorry...I shouldn't...have...talked like that."

"No, you're right," Yukie frowned, "I've been selfish. I'm sorry Sandayuu."

"You don't have to apologize princess."

"No, I should apologize," Yukie hammered out, "I've been selfish and I'm tired of moping about the past. I'm ready to move on - to take back my country!"

"Princess!"

"Sounds like this story will have a happy ending," the director said from the front seat. The rest of the ride was carried on in silence, as the vehicle made its way through the dense woods towards the lake.

...

Haku stumbled out of the woods to the sight of the lake in the distance. As Sandayuu described, there were six large rock formations that surrounded the lake in a hexagonal pattern. In the center was an island with a pedestal at the middle surrounded by Doto and his three shinobi. Sasuke was with them, unconscious and tied up on the ground with a strange contraption hugging his abdomen.

Haku couldn't engage them in open combat, they had superior numbers going for them. Haku still had the element of surprise and they were standing in the middle of a field of ice. He carefully considered a way to use that against them without leaving behind any evidence of his presence in the battlefield. He could always use a large ice spike to kill them all in one shot, but he only had enough chakra to do it once and if he missed then it would be game over. He still had his full stock of weapons, and was already planning a way to get close without being detected.

At that moment, Haku felt a powerful surge of chakra rush through the lake along with a welcome blast of warm air. The rock formations around the lake began to glow a dazzling white light, reflecting some kind of strange pattern on the ground that resembled a snow flake. Haku took this to mean that Doto used the crystal for whatever its purpose was. He wasn't sure what that was but he wasn't going to let Doto go any further than this. With a few handsigns, Haku quietly whispered, "Kirigakure no Jutsu!"

The snow dissolved into a thick mist that slowly enveloped the whole lake. The thick mist would definitely alert them so he would have to act quickly. He drew a handful of senbon needles from his pouch and rushed the center of the lake. Just from the chakra signatures, he sensed Doto and his ninja were alert but had no idea where to look.

Haku would need to separate them so he started running circles around the central island, making noise at various points to scare them. It was a scare tactic Zabuza taught him to scatter a group of enemies. Eventually, one of them would lose enough nerve to run away from the rest of the group - that would be when Haku attacked.

"Where's that noise coming from?"

"How many are there?"

"Relax, it's a trick! You're doing whatever they want you to do!"

"Come out!

"I can't take it anymore! Where are you! Fight me dammit!" Haku heard Mizore scream. That was his cue, turning on his heels and following the source of the voice. It led him straight to Mizore who stood alone in the mist. With precision and force, Haku jabbed two senbon needles deep into his throat. One went through both arteries feeding the brain, the other opened a hole into his windpipe. This would starve his brain of blood while the other would leak the air he breathed in - Haku left the needles there and ran back into the mist, watching over his shoulder as Mizore dug his fingers into his own neck to try to pull out the needles. Haku circled around so he could attack Mizore from behind and this time used Kunai. Running past the target, Haku stabbed at Mizore's knees to stop his movements. Haku heard Mizore gurgle and decided to finish the job. He turned around one last time and this time drew Kubikiribocho. He used both hands to counteract the massive weight of the sword and charged Mizore - beheading him in one swift motion. Haku continued running through the mist, hearing what sounded like Fubuki scream and Nadare curse aloud.

"Damn it! What is this Doto? You said this technology was supposed to make us powerful! You said this technology would let us rival the five great shinobi nations!"

"I don't understand," Doto said, "What kind of weapon is this? It generates heat and mist? The hexagonal crystal is supposed to be a key...a key to what?"

"That's it! I'm done taking orders from you Doto! You promised us power, but I sure as hell don't see that. All I see is Mizore dead and my comrades at the castle being left to die!" Nadare growled.

"So what, you expect me to just let you walk away?"

"No! Just die! Hyoton: Haryu Moko!" Nadare cried.

"Hyoton: Kokuryu Bofusetsu!" Doto shouted back. Haku heard a crash, followed by an agonized scream and a horrified shriek. Whatever allegiances Doto's ninja had for him was gone now. Haku knew this was his chance to get away and started heading for the edge of the lake. Fubuki's voice echoed somewhere behind him, "Nadare! No! Hyoton: Tsuba-"

SPLACKT!

Fubuki was cut short by a loud bone-shattering crunch. Haku ducked behind a nearby tree on the edge of the forest and undid the mist technique. He counted to ten and looked back to see Doto standing at the center of the frozen lake with his three shinobi dead at his feet. There was also a vehicle belonging to the production company driving straight towards Doto. Five figures leapt off it and the vehicle changed course towards the forest: Kakashi, Hinata, Sakura, Scorpio, and Sandayuu.

"Sandayuu! We're here for Sasuke!" Sakura announced aloud, "Give him back!"

"I've already had two disappointments today," Doto hissed, "The first is this great technology for the future of the Land of Snow. I don't know what it does, but there is no great future with this thing. The second are those damned ninja who turned on me."

"You killed your own subordinates?"

"Something like that. Victory cannot be achieved without sacrifice. To make this nation greater, blood must be spilled."

"You're insane!"

"I'm an idealist, the same as you. The difference is I have what it takes to get there!"

"Enough of this, give Sasuke back!"

"What in the hell makes you think I'm going to give him back!" Doto rushed his five opponents, grabbing Hinata and holding her as a human shield. Haku hesitated for a moment, knowing he had to keep her safe but unable to openly break his contract with Sandayuu. Sakura leapt backwards from Hinata and said, "Now!"

BOOM!

Hinata turned into a sickle of ice and exploded, surprising Haku. He didn't think the two girls would be capable of combining the substitution technique and exploding tags, mostly because previous interactions with them told him they were largely incompetent. Their attack only managed to burn off Doto's royal robes, revealing armor underneath. The armor was styled similarly to the one's worn by his shinobi. The look on Doto's face told Haku he was angry. Doto grabbed Hinata and Sakura by their necks and held them up, tightening his grip. Suddenly, Sandayuu charged in without hesitation, holding his sword high above his head, "You bastard!"

Doto saw Sandayuu and threw the two girls aside. Sandayuu brought the sword down on Doto, who caught it in his hand. He put his free hand on Sandayuu and shouted, "Hyoton: Kokuryu Bofusetsu!"

A black dragon made of ice blasted out of Sandayuu's back, going straight for Scorpio. Scorpio brought up both of his swords to block the attack only to be sent flying into the sky. Sandayuu used what little strength he had to start punching Doto in the face. A twisted smile grew on his face with each hit he took. Hinata and Sakura attacked the distracted Doto from both sides, kunai in both their hands. They threw their kunai at Doto's feet, pinning him to the ground.

Doto remained unimpressed with the effort and pointed his free arm at them, firing a barrage of shuriken at the two kunoichi who fled in opposite direction to avoid the stream of shuriken. At this point Haku wrapped a hand around Kabukiribocho, looking for an opening to assist in secret. To his amazement though, Hinata turned around and opened a barrage of punches on Doto. Haku recognized it as the Hyuuga brand 'Juken', an attack that closed chakra points systematically. Once she finished, she leapt away and the sound of birds chirping filled the air. Haku looked to Kakashi who held a ball of lightning in his hand. Kakashi charged Doto and shouted, "Raikiri!"

"What?" Doto realized too late what was happening. With no way to move his feet and with his chakra points blocked, he had no way to get out of Kakashi's path. A hawk shrieked when Kakashi's hand pierced Doto's chest. Doto turned his head in Kakashi's direction, a scowl on his face, "Damn you!"

Doto released Sandayuu and wrapped his hands around Kakashi's arm, grappling with the jonin's grip as if to pull his hand out of his chest. Kakashi obliged him and pulled his arm back, revealing a hole in Doto's chest. Although Haku couldn't see Kakashi's face, he could tell there was no pity in his eyes for Doto. The nation's leader sank to his knees and fell backwards dead on the ice. Kakashi looked over Doto for a moment to ensure he was dead before continuing to check on Sandayuu. Sakura and Hinata were busy freeing Sasuke from his bondage while Scorpio joined Kakashi in inspecting Sandayuu. There was one other person with him.

It was Yukie running up to Sandayuu, kneeling beside his body, "Sandayuu! Sandayuu! Are you okay?"

"Princess, I'm so happy that I got to see this day. The day you could become our queen," Haku heard Sandayuu say, "I'm just sorry I won't be able to live to see your reign."

"Sandayuu! Stop it! I order you to live!"

"Forgive me princess. I don't think this is request I can follow.

"Don't talk like that!you can't tell me not to die only to die yourself! Please don't leave me!" Yukie whispered back. Haku didn't want to linger for this part. The circumstances were a little too familiar and he didn't want to revisit old memories. He wasn't sure what happened between Sandayuu and Yukie since the castle but that was irrelevant. He did he had to and there was no reason to think that Hinata wouldn't be able to take care of herself from here. He still had to head back to the rest of the production crew, otherwise they would get back and find out about what he did.

...

Sasuke was rescued and the strange device placed on him was removed with little effort. He seemed embittered over the idea of being captured and needing to be rescued - which Haku was sure was related to the Uchiha clan's prestige in Konoha. He came to understand that Sasuke was the best student in the academy so to need help must've been quite embarrassing.

Haku quickly pieced together what happened and came up with an alibi to explain his actions without compromising his arrangement with the resistance or revealing his secret assignment to watch over Hinata. Some members of the film crew had gone to the castle; some to help the resistance and others to film a good scene.

Production of the film was delayed for a week so that memorial service could be held for the resistance members killed in the battle as well as Yukie's inauguration as Queen Koyuki. She made it clear that she would finish the film and end her acting career there for the time being so that she could focus on her duties as queen. Thanks to some ongoing research with the device at the lake, as well as discovering some of the notes froKoyuki's father, they determined that the technology was actually a generated fueled by a combination of solar and water energy to produce heat. The heat was enough to change the climate of the country, allowing it produce a better crop yield.

Haku made sure to write a letter to Naruto informing him of this delay - he suspected Naruto would worry if Hinata didn't come back when she said she would. He also guessed that Naruto wouldn't be happy to see his favorite actress resigning from acting for a while.

Haku had his place in the crowd, watching from the back as the citizens of the Land of Snow cheered for their new queen. Yukie, or Koyuki, or whatever name she chose to go by, was dressed in her new royal vestments. She stood atop a balcony overseeing a courtyard where many citizens gathered, announcing her intentions to stay in the country and help rebuild the country to what it should've been. Haku could see the production crew amongst the crowd, quietly filming this historical moment - perhaps the only video record of this event.

"Excuse me, Haku," Hinata appeared alongside Haku, a serious expression on her face, "I want to talk about that night at the castle. What were you doing there?"

Haku smiled, already knowing his cover story, "I was there to protect the film crew. Sandayuu didn't want the people to think the resistance was associating with the Ninkyo Dantai, so he insisted that I don't get involved. However, as soon as the film crew decided to go along, I had little choice and had to assist from the shadows. I hope you won't think less of me for it."

"And what about Doto? He sensed you in throne room, so what were you doing there?"

"Yukie is still one of the client's I was hired to protect. It was my mission to see she was safe."

"So, Naruto didn't ask you to keep an eye on me?"

"No," Haku lied, "Why?"

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know."

"Naruto trusts you, Miss Hyuuga. If anything is certain, it's that you can take care of yourself," Haku said, trying to speak as loosely as possible, "And even if he did, would it be so bad? It would only mean that he worries about you."

"No, I guess not," Hinata answered sheepishly, "I'm sorry for suspecting you."

"Don't be," Haku smiled, "Just know that Naruto really does care about you."

Haku pushed the right buttons because Hinata's face instantly turned another shade of red. He looked back up at the balcony to see the newly crowned queen waving to her people. These were uncertain times for the Land of Snow. Queen Koyuki still had to prove her ability to lead the people, rogue splinter cells still loyal to Doto still remained, and the Land of Snow still faced a famine. Still, there was hope for the future. The Kitsune Clan was now allied with the Land of Snow and the generator would bring a new era of prosperity to the nation.

"LONG LIVE QUEEN KOYUKI!" the people cheered at the princess. Long live Queen Koyuki indeed.

...

Post Author's Notes: If you've read this far, then I'm glad you did and I hope you enjoyed this story about Haku's affairs in the Land of Snow. This if just my little Christmas gift to you guys. It's my way of saying thank you to all the readers of Oyabun, who've come this far with me since the beginning. For those who are wondering, this is a side story to Oyabun - it happens around the same time as the next couple of chapters, but doesn't directly impact the main story. I especially want to thank my friend Kells who has proof read and beta'd for me for the longest of times. Really Kells, I couldn't have come this far without you. I apologize if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes in the story. It was quite difficult to push this out in time for Christmas. To everyone still waiting for updates from Takato's Light 2 and Oyabun, those updates will still happen as scheduled on Friday. Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! :)