Chapter One - Queen Koyuki and Prince Yukirei

Our story begins with a young woman sitting alone in her bed, her name was Koyuki Kazahana, she looked out at the open curtains as morning's first light started to reveal the destruction of the previous night. Her room was an utter mess: knocked over tables, two sake cups, and a spilled over sake bottle on the carpet. Her clothes thrown all over and with her window open just a crack: she knew what it meant. It means he had left her for the last time . . .

She smiled a sad smile as she rubbed her eye refusing to let a single tear fall, "Looks like our fun is finally over and he's rushed off to finish the last of his business." She took a deep breath, she had work that needed doing, and as she felt morning sickness creep in the back of her throat. She rushed to the bathroom knowing that she would sire his child, but she would raise him to be the king her land needed. Not as a ninja, like his father before him.

Unless it was a girl, then everything she just thought, but with a girl connotation. Queen Koyuki wiped her mouth and tumbled into her tub disgracefully. "Ow. . ." She turned the water on with her foot.

~16 Years Later~

"It's so nice to see you three again after all this time," Princess Koyuki said to her three guests.

"Same to you, with everything that's been happening, it's been difficult. I'm sorry we couldn't have visited you more often." Naruto said scratching his cheek with a bright grin.

"You really turned your kingdom around from last time we saw it," Sasuke commented looking out the balcony to the prosperous capital city of Sosetsu, named after Koyuki's father.

"Don't worry about not visiting, with a kingdom to run, an acting career to pursue, and a child to raise on top of it all I've been so busy my head would spin sometimes from the work load." Koyuki said with a big great smile. It's been almost twenty years since Team Seven saved Princess Koyuki and in that time the Land of Snow changed drastically.

It maintained the name Land of Snow to honor their ancestors despite being well known for their eternally prosperous spring time climate. They were also the leading developer of all facets of the 'modern life,' such as: communication, transportation, and utilities.

Taking a utilitarian approach to life they were undoubtedly the most prosperous kingdom and often shared these utilities with the surrounding nations. There were plans to build a grand railroad between the five major countries, but the plans were still in development and they had to convince all the nations to agree . . . so there would be no such luxury for many generations to come.

Also the Land of Snow's Queen was becoming increasingly popular with each movie she starred in, she's starred in nearly eight movies thus far and helped produce a few others with new lead actors; including her child: Yukirei Kazahana.

"Speaking of children; how is Yukirei?" Sakura asked with a grin, "Any big movies coming up?"

"Oh, he's amazing. We're going to have a festival for his birthday in a few days, you should join us." Koyuki bit her lips looking nervous. "Also . . . he hasn't really shown much enthusiasm for acting as of late, ever since our trip to the Land of Iron four years ago he's been under the tutelage of Lord Mifune and completely enamored in training."

"Sorry Koyuki, we got a mission to do. It can take a while and did you say Old Man Mifune? Isn't he incredibly old?" Naruto asked looking concerned, "How can a guy as old as him teach Yukirei?"

"Want to see them? They're most likely out back in the training field." Koyuki said as she started to walk with Team Seven in tow; they came to see a massive walled off training field the size of the Hyuga estate. All around them were guards and soldiers training together, in the back there was a thick grove of trees, and to the side there was a lake. "There they are," Koyuki said pointing towards the lake where only two people were.

At the lake's edge was a young man in just black shorts, black shirt, and light leather padding for armor. He carried a katana as an ancient looking old man in a simple silver and grey robes with red waist tie barked orders: "Keep your stance strong! Give no hints at fatigue! When you swing envision your enemy, when you cut them, you cut them where it will do the most damage. Go for the critical areas, last thing you need is for them to suffer before death! You're gonna fight shinobi inevitably, never let your guard down!"

Yukirei was panting hard as he switched from stance to stance as he took practice swings at the air. His hair matted to his forehead, eyes stinging he yelled as he spun slashing at what he imagined to be person's neck. "Again!" Yukirei rolled to the side and thrust his sword at what he imagine to be someone's heart, "Again!" He rushed in front of him going for the eyes.

As the Queen and Team Seven approached Mifune ordered; "That's enough for now. Your mother and guests approach," Yukirei collapsed on his knees as he panted hard and fast. Mifune brought him a bamboo flask handing it you Yukirei; he drank from it greedily as some of the white liquid spilled over his neck and shirt.

"You're not giving my son alcohol are you Mifune?" Koyuki asked with a smirk.

"It is milk Milady," Mifune said with a slight bow. The old man looked like he belonged in the ground with the dinosaurs, he looked pretty sturdy for his age, but his eyes still held the strong iron will they always held. He regarded Team Seven with a nod, eyes lingering on Sasuke.

"Mifune," Sasuke greeted with return of a nod. "I take it Suigetsu still hasn't stopped bothering you requesting capable samurai to join the Mist?"

"Ever since I passed my role of general down I've had no such requests," Mifune said looking at Yukirei. "Normally I'd be retired, but after the first two months I couldn't bare to sit still a second longer so I took a new student."

"A prince no less," Sakura said as she walked over to Yukirei. "Hello Yukirei, working hard?"

"Harder than I'm used to," He said covering his mouth and muffling his words. "Sorry I've puked not too long ago," Sakura gave light hearted laughed and nodded walking back to rejoin her comrades.

"Well, at least the fishes are happy." Naruto chided, "So Yukirei. Are you planning on becoming a Samurai or Ninja? Or just getting in shape for a movie?"

"I need to be a strong King," He said as his breathing returned to normal. "I got big shoes to fill, but till then I want to become a sword master in order to journey out alone and find my father."

"Your mother isn't going anywhere for a long time Yukirei," Koyuki said with mock disapproval. But when Yukirei brought up his dad, she pursed her lips in silence.

There was a pause of awkward silence when Yukirei stood up, "It's not that I'm worried about Mom, I know you're gonna live forever." He said looking past her, "It's that." They turned to see a guard running to them, he had chocolate brown hair, tan skin, and deep purple eyes. He was dressed in the basic guard armor and carried a naginata on his back.

"Queen Koyuki, guests from the Land of Honey. That scheduled 'play date,'" He said quietly as from a balcony a big man with a pale blonde hair and a massive mustache waved to them.

"HELLO KAZAHANA FAMILY, WE COME BEARING GIFTS." He bellowed, Yukirei groaned.

Queen Koyuki smiled and waved before turning to her son and sighing, "I'm sorry Yuki. Please try to be polite, they were nice enough to come and bring gifts."

"They're trying to buy a sweet spot with us," He said bitterly. "Also his son is a complete jackass," He said folding his arms with a sour look on his face. He took after his mother with a matching skin tone and hair color, but his face shape. It wasn't soft and rounded like his mothers, but was much more sharp and defined, very handsome with a semi-long hair style.

"Yukirei, we shall resume our training tonight. Your duties call," Mifune said as he turned to walk away.

"We should get going also, we got some really important business in the Land of Earth." Sasuke said looking uncomfortable, his sharingan was active for some reason.

Naruto nodded, "It's been nice seeing you Koyuki, Yukirei." He said as he pulled out two papers, "You two are invited to watch the Chunnin Exams, in a month or so, it's after your birthday Yukirei."

"Thanks, I look forward to watching." Yukirei said as he handed his paper to his Mom. "I need to clean up and have a lunch date with an eight year old girl and a clown."

"I would watch a movie with that premise; a prince, eight years old girl, and a clown." Naruto said with a laugh.

"You're an actor, you got this." Sakura said encouragingly, "Sasuke's right. We need to head out now," Sasuke watched Yukirei go before he nodded to Koyuki and Team Seven vanished in a whirlwind of leaves.

After Yukirei was cleaned up he, instead of his usual deep blue robes found a yellow box with a red ribbon on it. Oh god, it was the Land of Honey's gift. A formal robe made from high quality silk, but it was an eye sore: honey yellow with white and red trim.

He put it on with short geta sandals and walked over onto the high rise balcony area where they normally had dinner with the rich and fat. He found a low to the ground table with cushions as the seat, sitting on a cushion was a young man his age with long bright blonde hair and baby blue eyes wearing a similar robe to him.

"If it isn't the Rainbow Princess Yuki," He said with a shit eating smirk. "Come sit, have some sweets, and we can talk about boys."

"If it isn't Dateless Dante." He said walking over and sitting down, "You would want to talk about boys since you can't even get a girl to speak to you for longer than a minute."

That wiped the smirk off his face, "Always got a comeback, huh?" He said and turned to look at his sister. "Kyu, come on, we can finally eat."

There were three cushions, the Land of Honey had a Prince and Princess. The younger Princess was looking out over the balcony on her tip toes. She turned to them and ran over jumping on her cushion happily. "Yuki!" She said excitedly as she saw him, "Father says I can now wander my castle alone! I found all these nifty things," She said taking out a bunch of fancy knick knacks and a few ninja tools.

"Hello Kyu, it's nice to see you. May I see these ones?" He asked, she nodded and he took three senbon, two kunai, and a shuriken from the table and set them far away from her. He gave Dante a look saying; you're a terrible brother.

The little girl was only eight, but her father was still trying to set her up with Yukirei who was almost double her age at this point. These kinds of things were what upset Yukirei the most . . .

"You always look at me like you're better than me," Dante said gritting his teeth

"That's because I am better than you. You always come looking for a fight, not that it would be fair." He said shrugging, as the maids came over and began to serve them foods from both countries mostly fruit, real dishes from the Snow, and sweets from the Honey.

"Yeah, I'd fill you with more holes than a bad fanfiction before you even got close." He said with a smirk as he rubbed a glowing blue jewel on his necklace. Yukirei knew its name: Yumi Magatama a sacred treasure of his land much like his very own Airisu no Tsurugi.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Yukirei asked, David just waved his question off. "Whatever, I would run in close and cut you before you could draw your first breathe, let alone an arrow." He said as he picked up a grape and went to eat it, but a shuriken flew between his fingers destroying the grape and it stuck into the wall behind him.

". . ." Dante was looking all innocent as he went to grab a plate. At the moment he picked it up Yukirei moved when he wasn't visible he took a kunai and sliced the plate clean in half. The bottom half of the plate clattered as it fell in his lap.

". . ." They gave each other a long ominous look as Kyu innocently reached over and began to munch on a rice cake.

"Are you two gonna fight again?"