Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow!

by darkkunoichi727

A mission takes Team Seven to the icy north, to the mysterious Snow Country, guarding the famous actress Yukie Fujikaze. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But when you add in ninja, a deranged uncle, and three Genin ninja, it's a bit more then easy.

Summery:

A mission takes Team Seven to the icy north, to the mysterious snow country, guarding the famous actress Yukie Fujikaze. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But when you add in ninja, a deranged uncle, and three Genin ninja, it's a bit more then easy. The members of Team Seven are Naruto Uzumaki, Ayami Hyuga, and Airo Hyuga. Please Note that Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha are on a separate mission.

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Around lay devastation. It may have once been a beautiful landscape, full of beautiful, vibrant trees, long green grass, sparkling blue water... now it was a shadow of its once former majesty. The wind howled amidst leafless, naked black trees, along ground that was dry and cold and lifeless. Worse still were the signs of conflict, the broken weapons and armor, the ground torn and chewed by booted feet and horse shoes, kunai were imbedded into the trees and rocks, their wraps half undone and flying free in the wind, many stained with blood. Armored bodies lay strewn about as well, broken, battered, and very dead. For this was a battlefield... or it had been one recently.

As the wind blew, a rain began to pick up, and the echo of thunder was heard on the horizon. A terrible storm was coming. A light drizzle began to fall on those four who still remained alive in the field of death.

"We won't be able to make it," said Tsukuyaku, leaning on his sword. "There just isn't a way."

Lying on his back, the will to fight drained; his comrade Shishimaru nodded weakly "This journey… was hopeless… from the start."

"We can go no father," added Brit, the drizzle making his war-paint begin to run down the sides of his face as he leaned his back against a tree for support. "Let's just give up," he said, turning to the fourth member of their party… Their leader.

Her long black tresses being caught up by the wind and left to float like a cloud, Princess Gale grimly pushed herself to her feet, her strength tested but with plenty left in reserve, fueled by hope. "There is a way. We must believe in it... and we will find it."

"But... Princess..." started Tsukuyaku.

She whirled, the wind making her black hair snap like angry snakes as her beautiful features became visible. "Do not give up hope," she stated, almost angry her men... her friends... would suggest such a thing. And that simple statement was enough to inspire a man in even the darkest, deepest depression. They saw no fear in her eyes. Only hope, courage, and love.

However, just beyond her, they saw her nemesis, and black despair started to creep over the men again.

Wicked laughter filled the air, a dark, mirthless chuckle. It promised death and worse than death. On the hilltop, past a ruined building, stood their enemy, the sorcerer Mao, his white beard fluttering in the breeze as it began to pick up in intensity. His form was instantly recognizable, the dark robes, the ceremonial staff, the long white hair and twisted expression of anger and evil. So was his laughter. How often had it haunted them on this journey? Tormented them? Suddenly the innocent drizzle and the light breeze became a full force storm, and they realized it was not nature's doing, but Mao's.

"This is as far as you will go!" he crowed, waving his staff in the air and slamming the butt end down for emphasis.

Strength lost to despair was now fueled by anger, and as one, Tsukuyaku, Shishimaru and Brit grabbed their weapons and made their way quickly to defend Princess Gale. But Mao and the storm were not their only enemies. With a wave of his hand, the sorcerer brought to bear his dark powers, and decided to level the playing field a little. And of course to a dark sorcerer like Mao, level meant completely stacked in his favor.

An armored body, previously unnoticed, and why would one notice it, it was simply lying on the ground as corpses tended to do, suddenly rose, the sockets of its helmets filled with a crimson glow as it raised its blade to attack.

"Watch out Princess Gale!" Ayami and Naruto shouted, watching intently from the distance.

With the grace of a dancer, the Princess spun out of the way as the blade whisked past, grabbing up her own ancient blade, unstained by the blood of her enemies, due to a magic inherent in the ore. Focusing her power, she thrust out the blade, and a wave of chakra shot out, shattering the armor of her enemy and blasting them to useless pieces.

But victory was not so easily obtained. As they watched, more armored warriors appeared, rising up from the ground, wielding weapons of death and incapable of feeling fear, or mercy, or pain. Mao's army surrounded them, and the dark sorcerer gave another wicked laugh. "You should give up, you cannot win," he stated, pointing his staff at the Princess. "Beg for forgiveness, Princess Gale. Beg!"

"I will never give up."

Mao's expression twisted from arrogance to surprise, even shock. Could she not see the odds she faced? The power she was up against? HIS power?!

"As long as I live, I will turn everything I have into strength," she replied, speaking as much to her comrades as to her enemy. "And I will show you I can cut a way open!"

An aura burned around Princess Gale. Amidst the dark and gloomy wasteland and storm, it was light and fire and hope. It burned the seven colors of the rainbow.

"Princess Gale is..."

"The Seven Color Chakra is burning!"

"Quickly, we must add our strength to hers!"

Princess Gale's aura grew more intense, strengthened by her teammate's word, and she grimly positioned herself, two fingers running along the length of her ancient blade. The metal channeled chakra, but she wasn't entirely sure if it was up to this... no, she decided. It would be up to the task. They could do this. Shishimaru and Tsukuyaku took up position to either side of her, with Brit in front, weapons upraised, and they too began to burn their chakra. A rainbow of colors coalesced into being around them, and it seemed the dark storm was losing its intensity.

Meanwhile, Mao simply laughed. Pretty colors and worthless words were their weapons? He laughed, and swung up his staff, whirling it about over his head. As he did, the storm obeyed, and drew in close and tight, the power condensed into a dark hurricane, and with a swing of his weapon sent it hurtling down amongst Gale and her pitiful defenders.

The dark energy hit and exploded, shattering, sending waves of black wind amongst the armored soldiers of Mao, who were cut down mercilessly. But where it struck the Seven Color Chakra, it broke, meeting an impenetrable barrier as sturdy as any shield. The power of Princess Gale and her friends. They had come far together. They had been through the Abyss and back together. They had fought Mao before and always before they had defeated him. Today would be no different. With a mighty cry, Princess Gale focused all of her energy to the tip of her blade, and thrust it forward, unleashing it. It washed over Mao like a tidal wave, and the dark sorcerer was caught wholly unprepared, blasted clean off his feet by the sheer power of it, and sent hurtling off into the distance.

Still the chakra did not die, it burned and grew and glowed like a thousand suns, a ray of light that pierced the darkness and split the storm. And as Mao was defeated, his storm lost its power, and it faded away, even the clouds dispersing. A seven color rainbow greeted them on the horizon, marking the way their journey would continue.

They had found a way.

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"YEAH!!!! ALRIGHT!!!! TRUTH AND JUSTICE PREVAIL AGAIN AT THE HANDS OF PRINCESS GALE!!!!!" Ayami and Naruto shouted, jumping up from the… um… ceiling.

"Shut up Ayami! Same to you Naruto!" Airo hissed. The two kept jumping and cheering for Princess Gale. "SHADDUP YOU TWO!!!!" a patron shouted, chucking a box of popcorn at the two. They screamed, and landed flat on their faces.

The manager came rushing up. "Hey you three!!! Sneaking into the movie without tickets?!" he shouted angrily. "W-wait just a second!!!" Ayami shouted, sitting upward immediately. "We were just trying to get in a little training while we watched the movie!!!" Naruto shouted.

"Training?!" the manager asked, pointing his flashlight at the two of them. The metal from their headbands reflected the beam. "Huh? Oh you're ninja from the Hidden Leaf!!" He realized. Airo jumped down. "We have tickets." He said, holding up all three of their tickets. Ayami and Naruto jumped up. "Yeah!" Ayami shouted, pointing to her headband. "I'm Ayami Hyuga, heiress to the prestigious Hyuga Clan and the future FEMALE Hokage... or chief advisor to the Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

Naruto jumped onto Ayami's back, knocking her down. He stood on her back, adding about two inches to his height. "And I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village!" he said, before getting hit in the head with soda. An instant uproar happened, and soda and other items came raining down upon the three Genin.

Over the noise, Princess Gale was heard. "Quick! Our path lies beyond the rainbow!"

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Ayami lay on the grass, her arms folded behind her head, her legs crossed like she hadn't a care in the world. Naruto was gaping at the poster for the movie The Adventures of Princess Gale. Airo leaned against the piling, his arms crossed against his chest, his head directed toward the sky. "Looks like Kakashi's a no-show… again." he muttered. Ayami sighed "Who cares…" Naruto sighed. "Wow… I wish there was someone out there like her…" he sighed again. "To fight for someone like Princess Gale… that'd put me on cloud nine…"

Airo chuckled. "You talkin' about Yukie Fujikaze?" he asked curiously. "She's the number one actress in the Land of Fire… they say that even the people in the Sand Village come to see her."

Ayami was thinking about fighting too. Kakashi-sensei told us to come see this movie before he gave us our mission… but why? Her thoughts were interrupted by the steady clip-clop of horses. Horses were coming, it sounded just like one. But it was coming straight for them all. Ayami sat upright and directed her attention to the fence where the billboard was hanging. Naruto followed her attention.

Then a horse jumped straight over the fence,right into the lot they'd been gathered in. It was a white charger, but the horse itself instantly lost attention as the three of them focused completely on the rider.

Long, dark black hair, delicate features, lightly covered in tasteful makeup. A green silk robe was wrapped around the woman's slender body, and underneath was a pair of comfortable silk pants of a shade closer to blue. She wore small shoes and had pushed the sleeves of her robes up so she could reach the reins, and barely paid the three gathered shinobi a second glance as she and her mount galloped past them.

It was shocking enough to see a horse go galloping by in the streets of the small village. It was even more shocking to see a horse go galloping by ridden by Princess Gale!

Suddenly, Airo jumped back, and the gates swung open, smacking Ayami and Naruto straight in the face, causing them to tumble like tumbleweed. Another horse went by, ridden by a bearded, bespeckled man. And behind him, yet more black horses, ridden by a series of warriors in very distinct black armor. It was the animated suits from the movie, the ones who'd been controlled by sorcerer Mao!

"What?!" Airo questioned. Had they somehow stumbled into the movie?!

Ayami and Naruto rolled to their feet, and jumped after the pack of horses without a second thought. Airo sighed. "Those morons…" he mumbled, before taking off as well.

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Shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves were trained from a young age to travel at high speeds. So the three of them, barely out of the academy and two in the hands of Sannin, could still move much faster then the pack of horses, leaping to and from the signs like it was playing hop-scotch. Ayami was well trained in this most of all, taking all of the poles and outcroppings as advantages.

Princess Gale, or whoever she is, was definitely the one being perused, and not keen on letting herself being caught as she plowed through the market district, and throwing away a rug that had caught on the charger by accident. Her pursuers, however, were relentless, and several broke from another alley and attempted to box her in with a net and sheer numbers.

The net was intercepted by a flurry of shuriken, courtesy of Ayami and Naruto, and was ripped to shreds just before it reached the princess. The armored riders looked up, and just in time to see an orange clad blonde kid and a black clad dark violet haired kid jump down, and their hands snap into a seal.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!!!!"

It was raining dark violet haired girls in black and blonde boys in orange. If the armored riders had their advantage in numbers before, it was long lost now. Instead, two grinning Leaf ninja came bearing down on them, pinning them and their horses down, and providing an exit for the Princess, who gratefully took it and bolted down an alleyway.

"Don't worry Princess Gale!" Ayami and Naruto shouted gallantly. "We'll protect you!"

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It took them a good twenty minutes to catch up with the Princess, and it took over twenty guards to do it, and only by slipping up her horse. Right now they were bearing down to keep her from running as their commander, the bearded, bespeckled man, rode up to join his men and his new captive.

"Finally caught you, eh Princess?" he remarked casually, leaning forward in the saddle.

She frowned up at him faintly, though without a trace of anger or frustration, which didn't seem much like her at all. And Sandayu knew the little Princess better than anyone. So that was why, when she suddenly slid arms and hands out into a fighting stance, and then began to slip in and out of her enemies, throwing light handed taps and sharp jabs, or so it seemed to him, that sent full-grown, armored men crashing to the ground, he was shocked, but not surprised.

"An imposter!"

"You got it!" whispered a voice in his ear, before the boy's hand connected with his neck, knocking him unconscious.

The guards had already pinned down the Princess, who was punching fiercely at the armored guards. A puff of smoke appeared and surrounded the princess, revealing a young girl in a black hooded vest, black shorts, dark violet hair, and pale lavender eyes. She punched one shoulder in the head.

Airo looked the soldiers in the eye, and they ran in the other direction. Ayami stood there, arms crossed, and eyes closed. Her eyes finally snapped open, and she screamed in rage.

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Ayami and Airo had their feet planted firmly on the armored guard's backs, and the man who commanded them, tightening the ropes that bound the people. "What are you doing?" a voice sounded. Airo and Ayami looked up, Ayami shocked to see their sensei, and Airo just stared coolly at him. "Killing time," Airo said casually. Kakashi disappeared in a flash, and reappeared in front of the bespeckled man. All of the ropes fell off, without anyone touching them.

"I'm so sorry," Kakashi apologized, helping the man up. Ayami started sputtering. "W-what?! Why'd you do that?! He was after Princess Gale!" she screamed. "Cool your jets Ayami," Kakashi drawled. "This man… is our client."

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After some confusion, and many, many apologies later, the entirety of Team Seven were reunited on the studio set of Ninja Pictures Inc., the company which made and distributed the Adventures of Princess Gale, properly meeting with their client, who was the manager for the actress Yukie Fujikaze, who played Princess Gale in the movies. This explained some of the obvious confusion that had erupted when she'd tried to escape in full costume. Perhaps she'd even been counting on it, for she seemed to have thoroughly given them all the slip, vanishing into the woodwork of the small village as silently as a Leaf ninja herself.

Beyond that, confident they'd be able to locate Yukie later, Sandayu and the Director were quite pleased by Team Seven's performance, as they'd thoroughly taken down or incapacitated all the other stunt actors turned bodyguards that had been hired in a matter of minutes.

"Clearly you have trained your team well, Kakashi," the Director said. Ayami and Naruto grinned from ear to ear; even Airo smirked at the praise.

"So we need to protect Princess Gale?!" Ayami and Naruto shouted excitedly.

"Yukie Fujikaze," corrected Airo, sitting to the side. He loved the film industry, a secret interest even his family knew little about, but he was very practical when it came to a mission, and he was very specific about how he thought about people. Minimum of nicknames, no titles, just who they were. Yukie Fujikaze, the actress, was the one they needed to keep safe for the mission.

"Protect is a strong word," said Sandayu lightly, adjusting his glasses. "Might be better to say it's more... escorting her."

"This is the first time the Unlucky Princess will be filmed overseas," stated the assistant director, a carrot-topped man with bushy eyebrows that made both Ayami and Naruto curious if he was a relative of the infamous Village Hidden in the Leaves Handsome Devil. But they decided politely not to ask. "Yukie Fujikaze plays the most critical role ... we simply can't do it without her."

"It's a long way to the Snow Country," remarked Airo, arms folded across his chest. "Why does the film need to be made there?"

"We're going to make use of some of the natural landscape as part of it," explained the assistant director, who tapped one of the pictures on a nearby wall. Amongst them were a number of images of costumes and sets, actresses and actors, former movies and the like. But the one he indicated was a breath-taking view of some cliffs that seemed arranged like a series of standing stones.

"They're called the Rainbow Glaciers. Sandayu was the one who suggested we use them for the final scene in the movie. It's said during the spring the glaciers light up with the seven colors of the rainbow."

"No… that's just a myth," Kakashi said quietly. "There isn't any spring in the Land of Snow." Ayami cocked her head curiously. "Never?" she asked.

"Kakashi wasn't it?" the director asked cockily. "From what I hear, this isn't your first time in the Land of Snow." Kakashi looked away at that comment. "That… was a long time ago…" he said in a voice just above a whisper.

"I am just glad to be of help," Sandayu replied with a short bow, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Clever," remarked Airo. "Film that and you save having to edit it in later with special effects."

The director chuckled at that. "Good work, boy... you obviously do your homework"

Kakashi's expression didn't change, his body didn't quiver, but he felt a chill run down his spine. Something was wrong here. He could sense it. An elite Jonin learned not only to trust their five senses, but also when not to trust their five senses, and rely on a sixth sense. On instinct. And right now, his instincts told him something was up. He'd be keeping a wary eye on Sandayu, which was certain.

There was something else bugging him as well. He'd been to the Snow Country before. And it didn't hold pleasant memories for him. Grimly, he pushed them aside, and did his best to focus on what was being said for the mission. To his relief, he saw Naruto, Airo, and Ayami were doing the same as they listened to the directors and fellow actors describe the person they'd be guarding for the next few days. The spoiled, unmotivated Yukie, who was a surprising contrast to the selfless, never-back-down Princess Gale she portrayed.

Then again, she wouldn't be much of an actress if she couldn't pretend to be someone else, Kakashi mused. He could relate.

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Since the mission had technically started, even though Yukie was no where to be found, Team Seven had been given the task of finding the spoiled actress. They had to bring her all the way down to the docks, where the film crew was loading the boat en route to the Land of Snow. They had been granted permission, if necessary, to drag her there.

Ayami and Naruto took the liberty of going their selves, leaving Kakashi and Airo to help load the ship. They swept through the east and west districts of town, purging all the stores with Ayami's Byakugan thoroughly before leaving each residence. Finally, Ayami spotted Yukie coming out of a clothing store, her costume gone, in place of a long beige trench coat, grey pants, black boots, and a pair of sunglasses to cover her eyes. Ayami and Naruto hid behind some crates, but the Princess, accustomed to being pursued, opened up a compact mirror, revealing the tops to Ayami and Naruto's heads. Naturally, she began to run. They might've caught the actress right on the spot and dragged her back to the docks, but with Ayami measuring up at a mere 4"9' 1/2 and Naruto being 4"9', the Princess had the edge on the situation.

She gave them the runaround for over twenty minutes. Finally, after some maneuvering and expert ninja 'cheating' if you may call it, the two ninja cornered the actress in an alley, and she finally collapsed, unable to run anymore. Or perhaps, she took into consideration that Ayami could see through walls and predict her every move, and that Naruto wasn't one to give up so easily, she couldn't hide without them finding her within five minutes.

"Fine, fine… you caught me… I'll come with you two…" she muttered in a dejected tone.

Ayami and Naruto high-fived each other. "Alright! No one can outwit the Number One Loudest, Short Tempered, Unpredictable, Hyperactive Knucklehead Kunoichi!" Ayami shouted gallantly. "And you can't outwit the Number One Loudest, Unpredictable, Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja!" Naruto shouted also, equally as gallant, before holding out a movie poster and a pen to the actress. "Alright, I'll give you my autograph too …" she muttered, taking the pen and poster from Ayami first. "To the 'Number One Loudest, Short Tempered, Unpredictable, Hyperactive Knucklehead Kunoichi'" she said to herself, taking Naruto's next. "And to 'Number One Loudest, Unpredictable, Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja'" she said.

Suddenly, she slid a hand behind her ear, brushing her hair back and grasping her earring, which had been specially designed. Deftly, she pressed on a button and sprayed a blast of mace directly into Naruto and Ayami's face. Both of them stumbled backward, and into a piling, causing brick and wood to shower onto the two ninja.

"My autograph is worthless," she spat, tearing up the poster Ayami and Naruto had handed her and letting the pieces fall to the ground. "All its going to do is just sit away and collect dust somewhere. It's stupid."

By the time the two of them had sufficiently recovered, Yukie had slipped away… again.

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Once again, Ayami and Naruto found the Princess in a pub. Not Moritake's, it seemed, one of the seedier locations on the edge of the village. Only one other client, a dark-haired, bearded man in the corner, content to sip his sake. Ayami and Naruto came to a skidding stop right in front of her

"Finally found you, Princess Gale!" shouted Naruto angrily.

"I've already told you… I'm not the Princess," she slurred, already pouring herself another cup.

"I know that!" Ayami shouted, slamming her hand down hard on the counter. "How dare you shatter two kids' dreams?! I don't care how high and mighty, or how great of an actress you are, I will never forgive you for that!"

Yukie seemed more amused than insulted by the verbal attack. "Actress? High and Mighty? Ha!... an actress is the worst job ever... you're never yourself. You have to lie and pretend you're someone else. It's a job for the worst people..." she trailed off, a hand against her lips, and swayed a moment before continuing. "... go away and leave me alone," she said.

Suddenly, Airo, Kakashi, and Sandayu came sliding in the back entrance. "We can't do that, Yukie," said Sandayu. "The ship leaves in..." he checked his watch. "... less than thirty minutes. We have to go. Now."

"It's okaaaay," she slurred, smiling as if everything was alright. "I'm not going. You can go without me. I'm bowing out as the Princess."

"That isn't acceptable!" he replied. "The part of Princess Gale can only be played by you!"

"It's okaaaay," she said, turning around on her stool, waving her cup. "Lead actresses often change from sequel to sequel. I mean directors change every—"

"You are coming with us Yukie!" Sandayu shouted.

Finally Kakashi had enough. "I didn't want to do this…" he said, sliding up his headband. His sharingan eye was revealed, and the tomohoe within it began to spin hypnotically. Without further ado, the Princess passed out.

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The ship departed with little trouble, and already by the time Ayami and Naruto were up and about on the first day, they could see the film people were busy working. Apparently the ship itself was part of some scene in the new movie, so they were filming en route. Not a bad idea, really. Saved them a bit of time. But it did force the two infamously clumsy ninja to be careful where they stepped. Ayami tripped over a cable on her way to breakfast and nearly broke her nose, to say nothing of ticking off the crew that had to set it back into place.

Ayami and Naruto sat far, far away from the set, eating instant ramen that Ayami had dubiously heated up, with the help of a minor Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, and miraculously not burning the ship to a cinder.

Inevitably, Ayami and Naruto found themselves bored on the ship, with no room to spar without being in the way and very little danger that could befall them so far out at sea. So they found themselves watching the production unfold. And inevitably, they spotted Yukie, who was the center of attention whether she liked it or not. As it was, she didn't seem to care. She looked almost half asleep as she was getting her make-up applied.

Memories of yesterday's forceful rejection of autographs made Naruto and Ayami clench their free hands into a fist, though they were very careful to keep the red and black chakra under control. No one did something like to that to his teammates, Ayami thought. Aloud, she said "I don't like that lady," and then stuffed the remainder of the ramen into her mouth and swallowed before she could add to it anything more colorful.

"Nor do I," remarked Airo, who seemed to be paying less attention, his gaze on one of the lighting sets ups. "Regardless, it is our duty to protect her."

"It's our mission. It's a big mission too," added Kakashi as an after-thought, hoping perhaps the importance might make them take it more seriously. "A-rank."

"A?" asked Airo. "Isn't that a bit much for protecting a single actress?"

"Actors and actresses are well-known people," Kakashi replied smoothly. "They attract a lot of attention. And we don't know who the enemies are, so you should stay sharp,"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," they chorused, though not quite in unison, and very seriously. They were taking this job as professional shinobi should… whether they liked it or not.

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By the end of the second day, Naruto was restless. He couldn't sleep well in a bed that swayed from side to side, so after hours he climbed up atop of the deck to admire the open ocean in the dark of the night. The film people, including Yukie and her manager, were all asleep, and a skeleton crew kept the ship from crashing during the night. Other than that, it was virtually empty. The moon was out though, a half-crescent high up in the sky, and it bathed the whole region below it, including the tiny boat and Naruto himself, in an eerie blue-purple glow. It also illuminated, standing by the bow...

Ayami wore a soft lavender shirt that the elastic was so stretched in the neck that one of her shoulders were exposed. The black Hyuga seal decorated the shoulders and the back. Under the shirt was a pair of black pants with the purple Hyuga seal decorating the left thigh and the right hip.

"Ayami…" he whispered loudly. People were, somehow, miraculously sleeping.

Ayami's head whipped around, several pieces of hair flying around her face. Her headband had usually taken care of that problem, but she wasn't obsessed with wearing it 24/7.

She smiled and waved at him. "Can't sleep either with all this constant rocking?" she smirked. On closer inspecting, she looked a bit pale and livid.

"You alright, Ayami?" he asked, cocking his head. "Ya look a bit... pale." Ayami laughed quietly. "Just a bit seasick, but I'm fine." she said, sitting on the bow. Naruto jumped up and sat next to her.

Ayami sneezed lightly. "It's getting cold out…" she muttered, pulling the shirt closer to her body. I knew I should've bought up a sweatshirt ...she thought bitterly. She started to shiver lightly. Naruto noticed her shivering and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Ayami looked up at him, a blush creeping across her face in the unnatural across the nose blush. "Uh... I... um..." she stuttered out. "It's alright," Naruto said quietly. "You're cold, right?" he muttered, turning toward her. Ayami gulped and nodded weakly. She noticed that their faces were only centimeters apart. Both started to lean in when ...

"YO AYAMI!!!!!!!"

Ayami's head whipped around, and there was a gaping Airo staring at her and Naruto. "Uh Airo!" she said, embarrassed. "I-i't isn't what it looks like!" Airo shook his head. "Suuuure..." he muttered, turning around. "I'm going back..." he smirked at her. "Have fun!" Ayami was so mortified, she jumped the security rail. "Uh... I'll see you tomorrow!!!!!" she shouted behind her before running back to her cabin.

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Ayami and Naruto weren't the only one's having a sleepless night, however. In another part of the ship, down by the guest quarters, another figure was up and moving, and was neither a member of the crew nor one of the film producers. This shadow slipped effortlessly into other rooms as if the doors had been left unlocked and unbolted, and the floorboards, never the most sturdy on even the newest of ships, didn't so much as squeak.

The shadow's first destination was Sandayu's room, and what was found their only confirmed initial suspicions. A simple manager rarely found themselves in need of a full suit of battle armor. And obviously not a prop either, it was the real deal, set with the image of the Snow Country's Daimyo personal guard. To say nothing of a fully functional katana beside Yukie's eye drops bottle. No, Sandayu was far more than the simple manager he pretended to be.

The next stop was Yukie's room.

One of the most opulent, if not downright tasteless rooms in the whole ship, which had been rented specifically with her voyage in mind, it reminded one of how truly unfair life was to different classes. Still, some would rather scrape by for the shinobi pay from missions rather than live as this, surrounded by empty wealth and ... things. It was an empty life. And maybe Yukie knew that, based on her ramblings the other night. In her own way, she was as completely miserable being the center of attention as both Ayami and Naruto had been as children, when their presence had been shunned and ignored.

The difference was that Naruto and Ayami worked hard, not just to gain the respect and attention of their peers, but to make sure that they were the only ones who suffered because of it. Yukie didn't seem to care whom she upset or irritated, focused wholly on her own pain.

The shadow paused for a moment, giving Yukie a good look as she slumbered in her bed. Her face was contorted, she looked in pain. A nightmare, no doubt. Something horrible, judging from the way she moaned. Beyond that, seeing her face again, being able to study it, allowed them to confirm their initial suspicion. Yukie was not who she appeared to be either. And if the face wasn't enough to stir up memories, the crystal shard resting on the windowsill was. Idly, he stretched out a hand, taking it up between fingers to study. It was only a short piece of amethyst, barely two inches long about a quarter of an inch thick. It was shaped like three stones had been pieced together unevenly. A strange phenomenon took place within the small crystal, however. What looked like snow was endlessly dropping from the top to the bottom, endlessly recycling itself. Kakashi set the crystal back down, sensing that this wasn't an ordinary necklace.

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Very early on the fourth day, Ayami was rudely awakened by Airo, who was fully dressed in a black high collared shirt with a dark grey shirt underneath it and black pants. Sluggishly, she pulled on a jacket and made her way up to the boat deck, a pillow under one arm. Once she reached the deck, it was a scene of chaos. Today, it seemed something with just a touch more impact on their day.

They found a huge iceberg in their way. Just floating their, mocking them, blocking the channel the ship would've normally used to get past to the Snow Country. It would take some very careful navigation to get them around it, and Ayami readied herself for orders. No doubt as non-crew she'd get something simple like securing cargo but she was always glad to help.

Fate, it seemed, had something else in store for her today.

"This... is... brilliant!" the director shouted. "Grab the equipment! This is the scene for our big climactic ending!"

The assistant director ran up to him. "Are you kidding?!" The director clenched his fist and held it equal height to his face. "Don't you see it?!" he asked. "The movie gods are smiling down upon us! Think of the buzz!" The assistant director's face lit up. "You're right! Where looking at a surefire blockbuster! Even the making of will be a hit!"

It wasn't what Ayami was imagining, but it still worked for her. She ran down to the small room she used and threw on her clothes and cloak and pulled on a pair of black gloves. She ran back up, and sat next to Naruto and Airo, watching the countless amounts of equipment being moved onto the new set.

Time to begin the oh so high and mighty job of babysitting a pampered actress…

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"Hahahaha! So you have come all the way here, Princess Gale?!"

"Mao!" cried out Yukie, wooden sword upraised.

"Your highness, please stay back," commanded Michi, the actor who portrayed Tsukuyaku, hand on his still sheathed weapon. Beside him, the man who was Brit, freshly covered in make-up, raised his own weapon. Naruto wasn't positive, and neither was Ayami, they hadn't been following the filming on the ship closely, but they, or at least Ayami did, thought Shishimaru might've been killed off a scene or two ago, which was why the actor was lounging with a fresh cup of coffee nearby.

"Whatever your numbers, you are no match for me!" cried the fake Mao, who looked considerably less threatening without special effects. "Prepare to di-!"

An explosion went off, and the two were impressed. It looked incredibly realistic ...

Kakashi wasn't standing beside them. It almost look like he'd appeared out of nowhere before the trio of actors.

"Everyone get back!" their sensei cried, already palming a kunai.

Ayami blinked, and then did a double-take. He'd been standing right there, and then ... no time to think. Act. Move. Their bodies were trained to spring into action, and that's exactly what she did. Ayami was grateful to see that Airo had done the same. As one, Ayami and Airo drew out a demon wind shuriken and snapped it open, and Naruto palmed kunai, the ninja's weapon of choice, as they made their way forward to protect Yukie from whatever their teacher had spotted.

"I don't know what's goin on here," Ayami smirked cockily. "But I've always wanted to be in the movies!"

Meanwhile, he studied the source of the explosion. The smoke was making it hard to see, but it was clearing rapidly. As it did, a pale-haired man stood, dressed in white garments and wearing some sort of strange armor. His cap bore a Hidden Village symbol... four dots, like falling snow. He discarded a white cloak he'd been hiding under as he stood up, standing their arrogantly.

"Welcome to the Snow Country," he stated, grinning like a wolf eyeing its prey.

Whoever they were, Kakashi seemed to recognize them. Then his head snapped to the left, and they spotted a second ninja, a slight girl with pink hair not unlike Sakura's, as well as green eyes. Unlike the girl in the Leaf, however, this one had a maniacal grin on her face and was wearing the same outfit as her counterpart, as well as similar armor.

"I welcome you, Princess Koyuki. Did you bring the Hex Crystal?"

"Princess … Koyuki?" asked Kakashi. And by now he wasn't the only person confused, half of the crew seemed to have no idea what was going on, and Ayami and Naruto would've scratched their heads if they hadn't been holding weapons. In fact, the only people who didn't seem to be completely shocked was Sandayu.

Ayami drew out a kunai and poised it in her other hand, and activated her bloodline limit Byakugan. Airo did the same, sweeping the field. At once, their vision was wider and more encompassing, and they spotted ...!

"Kakashi-sensei! To your right!"

The third member of the Snow team was a huge giant of a man, with an ugly face and short, dark black hair. He too wore the same armor and outfit as they did, and had some sort of wide bar secured to his back, its purpose they could not determine. He'd been trying to sneak up on them under the snow, as the first two had, but not many could hide themselves for long against the legendary white eyes of the two Hyuga children.

If it was a fight they wanted, Ayami was more than happy to oblige, and her foot had already dug into the snow when Kakashi's voice carried back. "Naruto, Ayami, Airo! Protect Yukie. That is your mission!" and flung his kunai up at the lead Snow ninja, who blocked with his armored right arm, the kunai clanging harmlessly against his gauntlet. "Everyone else back to the ship! NOW!"

When Kakashi spoke like that, people tended to listen. As one, the actors began to run. All save Yukie, who was still frozen still in shock.

"Fubuki, Mizori ... get the Princess," snapped the head Snow ninja, even as he dropped down lightly at the base of the hillside, giving Kakashi a feral grin. "I remember you," he hissed.

His one eye narrowed in anger and disgust. "Nadare Roga."

"You remember, I'm flattered."

He wasted no more words, hurling another pair of shuriken and snapping his hands together in a quick series of seals. As Nadare watched, he blurred and vanished from view. His grin didn't diminish; it only grew wider, emphasizing his sharp canine teeth. The hunt was half the fun, after all. And he could afford to take his time with the cool, sharingan eyed shinobi. Fubuki and Mizori would tear apart his three man team in no time then they could all make their way back to the castle and see their master, complete with both the Princess and the crystal.

Battle was joined.

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Kakashi and Nadare met with the force of a small explosion, as they traded punches and kicks in mid air, leaping their way further up the hillside, being mindful that the slightest slip would not only leave them open to attack, it might also well send them tumbling down the jagged ice. Not a desirable position to find oneself. The pale-haired Nadare launched two punches but he slapped aside his open palms, grateful for the lessons she'd taken from Kowari-sensei in elementary taijutsu. He wasn't an expert in the style like Gai by any means but no shinobi from the Leaf passed the Academy without at least some understanding of the basics of kicks and punches.

Meanwhile, below, his team had their own problems.

Mizori had unveiled the purpose of the slab on his back, unfolding it to create some sort of rough board he tossed to the ground and stood atop of, his boots locked into place. This board he used to slid across the snow at great speeds, propelled by a mixture of his own chakra and some propulsion devices hidden in the back of his armor. Ayami had moved in quickly to intercept him, but he came whizzing forward with the speed and power of a cannon, forcing the spirited kunoichi to roll clear out of the way. The next time Mizori came around, she was ready, and her hands snapped up into a familiar seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

However, more clones didn't seem to help much, Mizori slammed into them headfirst and they barely slowed him down, puffing out of existence as he barreled past. One of them tried a flurry of shuriken but these were equally useless, breaking harmlessly against the big lug's armor. He was practically unstoppable once he'd been set into motion. And it didn't help matters much when the pink-haired Fubuki came dancing down to join him and help finish Ayami off. She drew back her hand and thrust it out as she released her own jutsu.

"Ice Style: Tsubame Blizzard Jutsu!"

Materializing out of thing air, a flurry of birds made of ice came hurtling through the air, sharp and deadly as any kunai, and Ayami was forced yet again to roll out of the way, though this time she did so much more gracefully and slid to her feet with much less effort. However, the birds changed course in mid-flight and came around for a second pass before slamming her full in the chest, catching her off guard and knocking her back against a nearby outcropping with a multitude of cuts and bruises all over her body from where the flock had impacted.

Naruto gasped in shock, but there was nothing he could do to help Ayami, not right now. Instead, he turned back to the other actors, who were still regarding the clashing shinobi in shock. "Everyone, back to the ship! Go!" he shouted, kunai in hand as he tried to help his teammates by giving them fewer things to worry about. And there was something about that armor he was trying to puzzle out. So far, everyone had fled ... except ... Yukie ... Koyuki ... Gale ... whoever she was. She just stood there. Dazed.

"Go!" shouted Naruto. He may as well have been talking to an ice sculpture for all the impact it made.

"Your highness!" came Sandayu's voice as he rushed back across the snow to save her. His voice caught her attention, succeeding where Naruto's had failed. Now there was an impact. But it was equal parts shock and anger.

"Sandayu ... you ..."

Content Mizori could finish off the spirited brat, if she was even still alive; Fubuki landed and almost danced her way forward along the snow towards the Princess, but was stopped as a form materialized in front of her, appearing out of nowhere. A form that glared angrily as he poised a demon wind shuriken. "I will be your opponent," stated Airo, snapping the shuriken open and extending its blades.

Fubuki only grinned at that, it was fine by her if the white eyed kid wanted to be next to die. Instead of charging, she elected to keep her distance, and brought two fingers up as if to blow a kiss, then dropped to a knee and slammed them into the ground.

"Ice Style: Ice Prison Jutsu!"

Airo pulled himself back, launching into a handstand and then into a full back flip as the ice in front of him suddenly sprang up like a bear trap, trying to ensnare him once, then twice, and a full third time. He slid out his leg and dug a kunai into the ground to catch himself a safe distance from Fubuki, and then hurled a kunai at her as he crouched down on the ground, cloak fluttering about his shoulders. She smirked, rising up another icy wall to barricade her, content that she was safe, even as the kunais steel tip penetrated an inch into the frozen barricade.

She was mistaken. The other end of the kunai had an exploding tag on it, and it let loose a mighty boom.

Airo wasn't entirely certain if it worked, but if it hadn't, it would definitely convince her to take him seriously.

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Ayami, meanwhile, had fallen out of the Ayami-shaped hole in the cliff side and dragged herself out of the snow, cursing up a storm and suggesting rather unpleasant means of death for the Snow ninja when she got her hands on them. Although how she planned to accomplish some of them without a six foot pole readily available was beyond Kakashi's ability to tell. But Ayami was alright. And she was healing, she could see. The unwanted guest in her body was keeping her safe, and his charges were handling themselves. Now all he had to do was keep away from Nadare, and he'd be fine too. But the wolfish snow ninja was relentless, giving no quarter and even less mercy, his blows vicious as he pounded away at him.

His hands snapped up into seals and as one of Nadare's punches came at him, and bought chakra to his hand. Crackling chakra danced around in his palm as he ran toward Nadare.

"Lightning Blade!"

The attack, however, was made powerless. Nadare chuckled as the Lightning Blade flickered and died, and snapped seals of his own.

"Ice Style: Dragon over Tiger!"

Kakashi's hands snapped into seals as he came running at Nadare again.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Both water and ice clashed and looped together, finally evaporating into snow. Kakashi landed on top of an ice spire, his headband raised. "Okay, if that's how you want to play," he said dangerously. Nadare laughed. "Don't you understand!? This is chakra armor! Ninjutsu and Genjutsu are useless!"

Kakashi launched his self atop of Nadare, grabbing him between his arms and legs. "Maybe so," he remarked, driving him at the ground. "But a ninja also has taijutsu!" he slammed into the ground, leaving Nadare to die from the concussion he must've received from the hit.

"Airo," Naruto breathed. Airo looked at him. "What's up with the armor?" Airo sighed. "Its chakra armor … none of our Ninjutsu or Genjutsu will work …" he mused. None of his attacks would work … Fire was strong against Ice, but he couldn't get within spitting distance to use it. As for ...

... mother of mercy.

As if seemingly in cue with his thoughts, a low growl echoed across the snow, a feral sound that send shivers down even the seemingly unshakable Snow ninjas, as Ayami pushed herself to her feet. A midnight black aura had coalesced around her body, and her features were beginning to distort from the sheer power pouring out of her body. Whiskers appeared on her face and grew thicker and more pronounced, and fangs slid into place along her lips. When her eyes opened, they were no longer pale lavender, but a terrible gold. Ayami threw back her head and howled.

"What is that?" spat Fubuki.

"Ignore it! Get the Princess!" shouted Nadare, snapping his hands together into some seals as he turned to face Ayami. "I don't know what you are girl, but this'll cool you down... Ice Style: Dragon over Tiger !"

The icy hillside split asunder under the force of Nadare's jutsu, and an icy tiger arose from the crack, speeding towards Ayami. She barely even flinched, kicking her powerful legs and launching herself into the air as the frozen tiger slammed into the ground, landing in a crouch right before Nadare, her terrible gold eyes locked on the wolfish Snow ninja, ready to tear him to pieces with the terrible claws that had replaced her blunt fingernails. Nadare's green eyes opened wide with shock. There was no way...!

Suddenly a cry rang out, and the girl's golden gaze snapped over to the boys, where Naruto had just been struck down by a brutal blow from Mizori. In an instant, the girl was gone, seemingly having forgotten all about Nadare, and was charging down the hillside on all fours with a new target in mind. Nadare let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and decided to alter tactics a bit.

No freak of nature was going to keep them from their prize.

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In retrospect, Airo thought, he might've made a mistake.

Getting Fubuki to take him seriously as an opponent was proving to be very difficult, for now she was attacking in earnest, and his own attacks were proving to be far less effective. Kunai couldn't do much against ice and snow; after all, this wasn't their native environment. And even though Airo knew fire-related jutsu, he was doubtful he had enough chakra left to use one now as it was. He was playing purely on the defensive now, jumping out of the way of her ice prison attacks and, in the rare event she did managed to actually snare him, making sure it was a Shadow Cloneshe grabbed instead of the genuine article. But all this meant was he was running low on chakra and plans, and slowly being forced into a corner.

Or so it seemed.

As Airo dropped down into a crouch by the edge of the glacier, seemingly only a few feet away from the icy cold and highly dangerous waters beyond, he seemed defeated. He was panting heavily for breath and had exhausted his supply of kunai and exploding tags, his pouches now close to empty. His reserves were on the ship, and he highly doubted the pink-haired Snow kunoichi would allow for a timeout so he could go and retrieve more. Fubuki could take her time, deciding how best to finish him off. Or simply knock him into the drink and let hypothermia do the job for her.

In reality, however, Airo's resources hadn't been expended, but well spent. He'd sent some of his Shadow Clones out in small bunches to try and attack Fubuki, but his attacks had been dodged and repelled easily. However, rather than create more Clones, he had been giving additional instructions for them to slowly gather in another location and prepare for another attack. They would soon be in position, as he kneeled on the edge of the tiny peninsula he now stood. All he needed to do was get Fubuki to come just a bit closer ...

... now!

Airo hurled himself forward and threw up his arm, simultaneously taking a swing with his kunai and letting his Shadow Clones swarm towards Fubuki. Predictably, she blocked, throwing up her arm, and his kunai met with a sharp clang and a wicked screech as it was harmlessly deflected. His Clones were similarly defeated, and they were harmlessly swatted aside by the chakra armor gauntlet, for some reason, they found the armor distasteful to be near. However, they provided enough of a distraction for Airo to land under her and kick upward, followed by a strand of more powerful kicks, before he pulled away, letting a hidden Clone kicking her in the small of her back. "Last Shot! Eagle's Barrage!"

Fubuki landed on the edge of the peninsula and looked directly up ... and found the light of the sun being slowly blotted out above her.

Fubuki's bright green eyes turned skywards, and opened wide in nothing short of pure shock as a it seemed like a small black meteor came hurtling down towards her. And with her on the edge of the peninsula she didn't have many places to run, hide, or dodge. Airo had maneuvered her right where he'd wanted her. Even if she chose to lunge forward at the last minute, that was where he was, and she'd be stepping into close-range and be sliced to pieces by his demon wind shuriken. From what he'd seen of her fighting style, much like the puppet-master, she preferred to be far away from a fight once it started.

Wasting no time, the Hyuga leapt clear as his last Clone struck with the force of a cannonball, slamming into Fubuki and smashing into the ground hard enough to make it shake ...

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Ayami came barreling down with the force of a small tidal wave, slamming into Mizori's back just as he'd shot off an extension of his left gauntlet, a sort of metal grappler/hand that he'd intended to grab Yukie with. Ayami's impact sent his aim off, and knocked him off to the side, but he hadn't been her real target. Instead he'd rushed forward to his real objective, fangs and midnight aura vanishing as she beheld Naruto. The blue-eyed boy was lying crumpled on the ground, with a very nasty looking bruise on his forehead and his arm out at an awkward angle. Fortunately, he let out a moan when Ayami approached to inspect the injury, indicating he was relatively alright. But it was doubtful she could fight much anymore.

... a rumbling rocked the glacier, and Ayami barely had seconds to react before she saw Airo come hurtling towards them in awkward jump. It looked like he wouldn't quite make his projected landing, and he stumbled, Ayami barely managing to catch him with a free arm awkwardly. Thankfully, it was enough for Airo to regain his balance. Airo glanced up, adjusting his headband to get a better view. Had it worked? Had he got her?

A giggle came from high up in the sky, and he turned to see she'd managed to escape, courtesy of a pair of wings installed into the back of her armor. With no obvious exits to run, she'd escaped in an unobvious fashion, and flown straight up, avoiding the attack entirely. Airo's opinion of his enemy rose a notch. He hadn't expected that. Clearly, he wasn't the only one with tricks up his sleeve.

Ayami barely gave the girl a glance other than to know she was still an active enemy, her attention, more wholly focused on Naruto. The bruise didn't look so bad as that, but his arm looked broken, but if she remembered what Kakashi had told her about head blows, it could be far worse if ...

"Ayami!" Kakashi's voice snapped her back to reality. "Get the Princess and go! Airo! Go with her! NOW!! That's a priority!" he stated, deflecting a surprise blow from Nadare.

"What about you?" she asked.

"Don't worry about me!" he snapped. "Finish the mission. Get Koyuki safely to her destination. I am counting on you, Ayami Hyuga," he added, his ruby and onyx gaze flashing.

She gulped, but nodded, and took off running, Naruto on her back, Sandayu by her side, carrying Koyuki. She glanced back as they neared the ship, seeing her sensei being overcome by the Snow ninja, the third one circling overhead. Grimly, she remembered her instructions. Get them to the ship. Get them to their destination. The Princess. The Mission. She arrived back at the boat and ran up the gangplank along with the last of the filming crew, who'd been trying to capture the entire battle on tape, and quickly made her way to a relatively secure place to set Naruto down. Once he and the Princess were safe, she planned to rush back and help her teammates ...

But by now the ship had moved too far from the glacier, even for a good shinobi leap, to reach. Ayami couldn't get to Kakashi, and he couldn't get back to the ship. Not unless he was willing to hop-skip-jump from floating ice to floating ice and pray he didn't slip and get dunked in the freezing cold waters.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!!!!" she screamed.

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Nadare growled darkly, thoroughly and completely ticked off at having lost the Princess, and he was going to take it out of Kakashi's hide, piece by bloody piece. If for no other reason than for the sheer pleasure of it. As it was, he didn't look the least bit worried facing a thoroughly ticked off Snow ninja. His expression was serene, his onyx and ruby eyes closed, his lips murmuring a silent prayer.

"Be safe," he whispered, before his hands came up and he formed some quick seals.

"Lightning Blade!" he intoned, charging at Nadare fearlessly, the Lightning Blade breaking ice as it trailed behind him.

"You stupid man, you can't beat us with Ninjutsu!" snarled Nadare.

"Beat you?" asked Kakashi, cocking an eyebrow. A wide smirk spread over his face. "Not quite what I had in mind," he replied, bringing the Lightning Blade to the ground. At first, Nadare was confused. A fluke? No, he was cracking the ice! He did some quick imitations of a jutsu Nadare had planned on using. "IMPOSSIBLE!!!" Nadare screamed, using the same jutsu.

"Ice Style: White Wale Jutsu!"

Two huge ice-white whales appeared, clashing against each other, cracking the already deep crack Kakashi's Lightning Blade had caused. It was followed quickly by a shockwave of such awesome power it cracked the island in two and sent small tsunami's rippling through the waters, pushing the ship off-course and knocking its occupants clean off their feet. Ayami quickly recovered, however, and scrambled to her feet, along with Airo, even as the crew quickly worked to right the ship and secure everything that had been thrown about.

They saw only destruction. The whole island had been blown to pieces, and there was nothing but fragments of ice floating in the water.

"I'm going after him!" shouted Ayami, shrugging off her cloak and preparing to leap over the railing. She was nearly over the side when a powerful hand caught her shoulder.

"That water must be below freezing," stated Airo, his normally calm voice quavering with emotion. He, too, was contemplating leaping over the side to save his mentor. But logic had to win out for the Hyuga boy. And logic told him it was a foolish course of action. "We ... we can't do anything more for him ..."

"The hell we can't!" roared Ayami, right into his face. "We have to do something for...!"

"There he is!" shouted one of the crewmen.

"Man overboard!" cried out another.

Kakashi drifted in the water, unconscious. It was difficult to tell how badly hurt he was, but he looked pretty banged up as he drifted towards the boat, clinging to a floating piece of ice as a means to keep afloat. But he wouldn't stay that way for long.

Ayami shrugged off her brother's hand and pulled herself up onto the railing. "Grab my ankles," she shouted to Airo, not bothering to wait and see if her teammate would comply as she snapped her hands together and unleashed a small hoard of Shadow Clones. Working together, each one grabbing the other's ankles, with larger and heavier Airo as the anchor, they formed a chain and swung themselves into the water to grab up Kakashi and bring him up out of the water. They were as delicate as they could, not wishing to injure him further, but of greater priority was to get him warm, and fast. Gently, they set him down on the deck. Not a full blown medic-nin, Ayami healed only the minor cuts and bruises and stepped aside and let the ship's surgeon take Kakashi downstairs to her cabin and under some warm blankets as quickly as they could. The Shadow Clones, several of whom were dripping wet and miserable, puffed out of existence, leaving only the original.

Her sensei out of immediate danger, or at least, nothing more that he could do for her, Ayami turned her attention to Naruto, but he was already starting to stir and come around, and it looked like the nasty bump on his head would turn out to be just that, and his arm was broken. But she was so grateful she took him in her arms and clung to him for dear life, as if terrified to let go would be to lose him again. She'd been terrified when she'd heard him scream.

Airo alone had managed to keep his cool throughout the crisis, but as he stood beside the railing of the ship, he felt his hands shake. He'd been nervous too, he admitted privately to himself. Worried about losing his teammates every bit as much as Ayami was. But it did them no good for him to shout and whine and run about in circles worrying. He had to think now. And wait. And see what happened.

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In the distance, on one of the larger hunks of ice, the Snow ninjas watched sullenly as their prey escaped. They'd been careless. It wouldn't happen a second time. Next time they'd be ready, freaks or no, tricks or no. They had power on their side. And that trumped anything second-rate weaklings from Konoha could throw at them. Even so, the mere fact they'd beaten infuriated all hell out of them.

"What now?" asked Mizori, folding his board and securing it to his back.

"Do we go after them?" asked Fubuki lightly, brushing some snow from her shoulder with a casual gesture. "Some good exploding tags..."

"... and the whole ship sinks, along with the Princess and the crystal," stated Nadare, shaking with rage, clenching and unclenching his fists. Deliberately, he forced himself to calm down. "Fubuki, follow, keep out of their line of sight and report where they land, then return to the castle. We'll figure out where we make our next strike from there. Mizori, you're with me."

"Roger!" she replied, gracefully leaping up, using Mizori's shoulder as a stepping stone to launch herself up into the air once more and unfurling her wings, floating gracefully as a dove in the sky. Nadare, meanwhile, called on one of his jutsu to summon an icy boat and he and Mizori climbed in and began to make their way back towards their home base.

They'd failed this time. Next time, there would be no mercy.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ayami never felt the cold. The worst winters of Konoha, in an apartment with windows stuck open, she'd never felt more than slightly chilly, annoyed more by the breeze than by the temperature. But right now, seeing her sensei, she knew what it was like to be chilled, right down to the bone.

He was breathing, but very slowly. He seemed to have survived the very worst of the blast; his body was almost completely unmarked. He hadn't been so lucky escaping from the frozen waters. His skin was clammy and pale, and despite several thick, warm blankets covering him he was shivering in he sleep, tossing fitfully. The surgeon had assured the members of Team Seven he'd make a full recovery, but it had been a very near thing. Another minute or two in the water...

... they didn't even want to think about that.

She felt numb all over, as if all the warmth had been leeched not only from her body but from her soul as well. Maybe Koyuki had been right about the Snow Country, she idly mused. It was so cold and lifeless it sucked the spirit right out of you.

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It was a little more than a day later when the ship reached the harbor of the Snow Country proper, thankfully without any further interruptions. Kakashi was still deep asleep, however, and had been much of the night. Naruto hadn't left his bedside for an instant. But he was slowly regaining some color in his cheeks, and they knew he'd pull through. He was their sensei, after all. Nothing could stop him, or so they naively thought in the way that only young people could think of their mentors, incorrectly believing them to be infallible and indestructible.

The rest of the team was in remarkably good shape, all things considered. Ayami didn't even have a scratch, though her shirt was torn and ripped from Fubuki's ice birds. Fortunately after previous troubles with her clothes she'd made a note to always pack at least a few more shirts away when on a mission. Naruto's head injury had been nothing worse than a nasty bruise, some healing ointment was applied, and he bid it farewell the very next day, though the area was still sensitive whenever he touched it or shook his head, so he made certain to be especially slow and careful in his movements for the time being. Airo also managed to escape without many injuries, and he'd taken a chance back on the ship to dig into his emergencies supplies and rearm himself for their next, inevitable encounter with the Snow ninja. He didn't intend to be caught off guard a second time. It was only a pity that Kakashi hadn't taught them many fire jutsu; they would've been very handy about now, even though he and his sister knew fire jutsu.

Team Seven left the filming crew to organize their stuff into the heavy trucks that would carry it the rest of the way, when they took off in the late afternoon. By then, they'd hoped, the storm clouds overhead would have cleared, and the going would be easier, since any additional snowfall would have to be cleared from the roads. Hopefully by then Kakashi would be well enough to travel.

But now Team Seven had to finish the mission without him. And to do that, they needed answers. Fortunately, for his sake, Sandayu felt the same way they did. Deceiving them would accomplish nothing at this point, and might even do more damage in the long run. It was a wise decision on his part, not least of which because at this point Ayami was on the verge of pounding the answers out of him by force, and Airo and Naruto were of such a like mind they wouldn't have stopped her if they did. So the three of them, Sandayu himself, and the film's producer and director now sat down at the harbor inn's back room. Some tea had been poured, but no one had touched a drop.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" began Airo, after a moment's thought. "You know that the actress was someone more than she appeared to be. You knew ... that is why you really wanted protection, wasn't it?"

"Yes," he replied morosely. He still felt deeply responsible for what had happened to Kakashi.

"You must have known what would happen. That the Snow ninja would be after her. Why didn't you warn us?" Airo pressed on.

"I didn't know for certain they would strike, I was hoping they'd forgotten about her ... thought her gone ..." he fidgeted nervously. "If I warned you, you might tell her I knew of her secret ... she would know. This was the only way I could get Princess Koyuki back to the country of her birth ... back to her destiny ..." he trailed off.

"So her real name is Koyuki Kazahana?" asked Naruto curiously.

He nodded. "Yukie Fujikaze was an alias," said Sandayu. "Adopted to keep her safe after her father was overthrown ten years ago, when she was only a child. But she was, and still is, the heiress of the Snow Country. I haven't seen her in almost nine years ... I am not surprised she doesn't remember me ... didn't remember me," he amended weakly.

Ayami's wrinkled her nose; something didn't smell quite right to him. "You're not an ordinary manager then, are you?"

"No. I am also from the Snow Country. I served at the side of the previous ruler, Sosetsu Kazahana. Back when things were peaceful ... before ... before the incident t..." he began more slowly, "Sousetsu's younger brother, Doto, hired some mercenary missing-nin, revolted, and seized power. Against the Snow Ninjas and their special armor, the palace guards were helpless. The beautiful Kazahana castle was burnt to the ground, and we were certain we'd lost the Daimyo and the Princess both ..."

"... but you didn't."

All eyes snapped to the doorway at once. Leaning on the frame, wrapped in a heavy blanket, but standing on her own two feet and looking considerably better, was Kakashi Hatake. Ayami and Naruto were on their feet almost at once, arms wrapped around their sensei, almost clinging to him before he managed to assure them that yes, he was okay, he would live, etc. and that if they could get him some hot tea and a comfy seat, he'd be that much better off. Naturally, he'd had both things before he could bat his one eye. Airo was much more reserved in his greetings, but even he stood and offered Kakashi a seat to rest in, and he could tell that all of his students had been truly worried about his well being.

Settling into his seat and taking a moment to sip his tea, letting the warmth fill her body, Kakashi started again.

"Princess Koyuki Kazahana, heir to the throne of the Snow Country ... wasn't killed in the fire, of course. She was rescued by a team of Leaf shinobi ..." he began, and let his own story unfold.

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... the castle was ablaze, the fire dancing in the falling snowflakes, casting an eerie, burnt orange glow over the landscape. Cold wind whipped at Kakashi's exposed face as he stumbled as he drove the pack of wolves farther and farther away from the burning castle.

"Keep your head down!" he shouted over his shoulder. The young Princess Koyuki snuggled farther into the wool blanket that covered her body. "They still may be coming after us!"

Koyuki's eyes were streaming tears as she looked at the burning castle. Hair whipped around her face as the burning castle faded to an orange glow. "FATHER!!!!!!!!" she screamed.

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"... we couldn't win against the Snow ninja back then, not with only a three-man ANBU-Black Op team. We had to retreat. The life of the Princess was our mission. From there, I lost track of her. She'd only been one mission of many, after all," he said with a shrug. "And she'd survived."

"Survived and did well for herself," added Sandayu, tears starting to stream down his cheeks as he remembered all the hardships he, the Princess, and the Snow Country had gone through. "I found her when she was on the stage ... I recognized her instantly."

Realization hit.

"Of course," said Airo, his mind buzzing with activity as pieces fell into place, like a jigsaw puzzle he could finally see the image for. "You were the one who wrote and organized this whole movie venture. The Unlucky Princess was a means to lure her back to the Snow Country without her realizing it ... you plan to have her ... use her," he amended, "Use her to incite a rebellion to overthrow this Doto Kazahana."

"You've been using us?" asked the assistant director, righteous anger evident in his tone and his stance. Beside him, the elder director didn't seem phased at all; none could truly say what he was thinking. Perhaps he'd even been in on the plan with Sandayu.

"He would have used you all ... and me as well," came a voice from the door, and again all eyes turned to see Princess Koyuki standing there, her expression dull, drained of emotion. She could have been discussing the weather rather than how casually she'd been manipulated by one she called a friend.

"This was for the sake of the Snow Country," Sandayu replied quickly.

Koyuki sighed heavily, having expected that. "It would've been better if I'd died that day."

"Please don't say that, your highness," said Sandayu. "To us, the fact that you are alive is our only hope!"

"The Princess you knew is long since dead," she replied coldly. "She died with her father. I shed my last tears for her years ago. And you," she added, her voice dropping in volume. The air in the room seemed to follow suit. "You are worse than an evil bastard, Sandayu, you are an imbecile. You cannot defeat Doto, and I will never help you in this foolish endeavor to get yourself killed. You can't win, so just give u—"

A palm came down on the table with enough force to make the whole room shudder, or so it seemed, and all eyes riveted to the normally well tempered, spirited kunoichi in black and grey who'd slammed her hand down and stood angrily. Ayami's other hand was clenched into a fist and shaking violently.

"Don't you dare say 'give up' so easily!" said Ayami darkly. "That old man is risking his life for his people and his dream, and you're just standing there like a spoiled brat! I won't ever forgive you for something like that!"

Two sets of harsh white eyes met as Princess and Kunoichi stared one another down. However, the former quickly found her outmatched when eyes of cool blue, steely white, and encompassing onyx added them to hers. To everyone's surprise, it was the director who then spoke up and broke the stare down, saying "Because you didn't give up, you'll be able to see a dream... because you're able to see a dream, the future will come."

"Final Act, Scene Three," Airo quoted right back. "End of the first movie."

A smile spread across the director's wrinkled face, impressed by Airo's memory. "This would make an interesting turn of events... it would be a shame not to take advantage of this. Think about it... a real Princess for once. It's too great an opportunity to pass up!"

Koyuki huffed and spun on her heel, stalking out angrily. "It's just a stupid movie," she muttered under her breath.

"You can't run and hide anymore, Yukie Fujikaze," stated Kakashi, turning in his seat, and deliberately using her false name to get a reaction. She got it. His words froze Koyuki in her steps. Despite the heavy blanket and disheveled hair, the former ANBU shinobi looked as regal as a Prince himself. "Doto knows you're alive. He'll hunt you down to the ends of the Earth and beyond if he has to. You've only one option now if you want to live."

"Knock his lights out!" added Ayami, fist in the air. "Don't forget it!"

Koyuki's mouth opened, but in her shock and outrage, she could think of no suitable argument for this, and after a moment snapped it shut and stormed out of the room.

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In the end, Team Seven agreed to complete the mission, since technically, despite leaving out numerous facts, Sandayu was still their client, and he hadn't strictly speaking lied about their job or it's dangers. And now that they had more information, not just about their client but their enemy, they stood a better chance of success. So the mission, to get Koyuki safely to the capitol of the Snow Country, continued. Kakashi would've vastly preferred one more team in a support function, like Asuma and his Ino-Shika-Cho team. Alas, they would have to make do without Shikamaru's muttering, Ino's whining, and Choji's snacking.

Although if Ayami had found she disliked Koyuki before, she positively hated her now. She was even less like Princess Gale than she'd imagined, she was spoiled and selfish and cold and heartless, and she had virtually no redeeming features. If it hadn't been for Sandayu's pleading, and the chance to help an old man see his dream, he would've told the Princess to go drown herself in sake and gone back to the Hidden Leaf. Although that was if he could convince Kakashi and her teammates to go with him. She'd never abandon Airo or Naruto. They were practically family.

The caravan set out sometime in the early afternoon. It was snowing lightly and a considerable nuisance, but the storm showed no signs of getting any better anytime soon, so they decided to press on rather than simply wait it out. Storms in the Snow Country could last for days, after all. Fortunately, the going up the mountain passes seemed relatively easy, no snow slides or the like stood in their way. Their plan was to climb the mountain passes, along the roads, slip underneath a wide tunnel/cave in the middle of their route, and reach a small village on the other side where more of Sandayu's comrades could be found. They'd be relatively safe there.

Team Seven, however, had the unfortunate job of guard duty, regardless of the weather, and so they'd had to set themselves up at the front, back, and middle of the caravan in case Nadare and his Snow buddies got anxious for another attack. Airo was up front, riding atop of one of the wagons, and thoroughly miserable, shivering under his blanket, his Byakugan reaction sluggish and slow in the weather, practically refusing to obey his brain signals. Ayami was in the far back, her Byakugan on also, active to scan for enemies from the rear, and equally chilled down to the bone, her lips quivering and blue. Her Shadow Clones sat atop each of the caravans, prepared to spring into action if it was necessary. Naruto took up an unfixed position in the middle, confident that if an attack came from either end he'd be able to send a small horde of Shadow Clones down to help his teammates. Of them all, he alone didn't feel the cold's bite so sharply, but that almost made him feel that much worse with guilt for not being able to relieve his teammates burden.

Kakashi sat at the front with Airo, though he'd only managed to get this far simply because he was Team Seven's Jonin sensei. Even Airo, the most docile and quiet of them, had insisted that Kakashi stay out of danger and keep inside of the caravan so he wouldn't risk catching ill. Ayami had backed him up, and come dangerously close to suggesting they tie him down to keep him out of trouble, such as he'd once had to do to keep her in the hospital to properly heal.

Fortunately, no attack came that day, and they reached the ice tunnels without incident.

But that was where the real trouble began.

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Thankful for a chance to climb into one of the vehicles with Sandayu and be shielded from the cold air, Team Seven was resting comfortably as the vehicles made their way through the ice caverns towards the other side. There was virtually no danger for them in here. However, as they passed through, they saw a wonderful sight ... the rock caves, frozen in slick ice from condensation, which reflected the light from the trailers in a beautiful display of color. Ayami and Naruto spent most of the trip with their faces pressed up against the glass, wanting to see it better.

"It's amazing," said Ayami. "But why are we traveling under the mountain... wouldn't it be safer to travel above in case of a cave in?"

"This place used to be a railway station," replied Sandayu.

"Railway?"

"Its old technology," explained Kakashi. "Steam would propel a great engine train and whatever carts were behind it along a metal track... which must be below us."

Sandayu nodded. "Frozen solid, I'm afraid, from years of neglect. Right below us. The old Snow Country used to benefit greatly from old technology. Our Daimyo, Sosetsu Kazahana, was something of an expert on the subject. He did a lot of research to advance the effects of the machines and to improve them. And the Snow Country prospered because of it... until the incident, of course."

Ayami peered out the window and looked down, but she couldn't see it. That was a great pity, as it sounded fantastic. She'd have given anything to see one of the "trains" that Kakashi and Sandayu was describing. It sounded downright amazing. And this from a girl who had a Eight Tailed Wolf sealed away inside of her belly. That, and the fact she was having a retarded moment, forgetting she possessed the Sharingan and the Byakugan.

However, all too soon, their trip through the cave ended and they reached the other side. Bundling up, the shinobi team climbed out as the filming crew began to set up for the day's recording, unfurling wire and setting up remote cameras and the like in strategic positions. The movie had seemingly evolved since it started, and now they were working on the spur of the moment, something that their current Director seemingly excelled at. However, almost immediately, a problem had arisen with the star of the film.

"Director! It's Yukie! She's done a runner again!"

Ayami slapped her forehead angrily. Honestly, that spoiled Princess...!

She was about to turn around and make all possible haste down the cave when Airo came into view, holding up a hand. "There is no need to be concerned," he stated. "I anticipated something of this nature would occur."

A wolf-like grin spread over Ayami's face as he realized Airo's ploy. She should've known really, it was standard practice for Team Seven. Airo had taken a small piece of cloth from her shirt earlier. Since Ayami had tracking abilities that rivaled even the Bikochu, they'd have no problems sniffing out the Princess.

Or so they thought.

Unfortunately, even Team Seven had its limits, and they soon reached them at the other end of the tunnel where Koyuki had given them the slip. For one, Ayami's nose had only limited sense of smell under even the best of circumstances, and Koyuki must've sprayed on too much perfume, or she set up different scent trails. No matter how much Ayami sniffed, or how much chakra she bought to her nose, she couldn't get a direct fix on Koyuki's location. Usually this wouldn't be a problem, by now Kakashi or Airo would've picked up Koyuki's trail, but with the snow still falling it was already being obliterated from view, vanishing into a world of pure white.

"No choice then, we do this the old-fashioned way," stated Kakashi, adjusting the radio in his ear. "I'll stay here in case she comes back, the three of you split up, go separate ways, and radio the instant you spot her or trouble. If it's an enemy, don't engage alone," he added.

"Roger!"

"Alright!"

"Understood!"

As one, blurs of midnight black, bright orange and dark grey vanished into the snowy wilderness. Kakashi folded his arms across his chest, though it was much a gesture to keep warm as it was of waiting. He didn't like the Snow Country any more than the Princess did, right now.

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As it turned out, it was Naruto who caught up to Koyuki this time. Apparently she'd taken a bad tumble sometime during her escape into the wilderness, and sprained her ankle. By the time the Knucklehead Ninja had found her, she was face-first in the snow, unconscious. He'd quickly radioed for back-up, and then moved in closer to see if there was anything he could do while he waited for Ayami and Airo to arrive.

Seeing Koyuki like this felt so alien to him, even now. First she'd been an idol, not just as a character but as an actress, a woman who'd known what she'd wanted to do and done it with all the confidence and grace the Knucklehead had lacked. Then that happy illusion had shattered when he'd met her in person, and seen she was in her own way as miserable and trapped as he herself felt on occasion. But now, seeing her like this, unconscious, vulnerable, helpless even... he couldn't help but pity her, a little. Gently, he reached out a hand and smoothed back a long black strand of hair out of her face. Would she ever look that beautiful, he wondered. Even now, even when she'd been drunk and a mess and worse, she always looked so incredibly beautiful.

Footsteps falling in the snow were muffled but he heard them anyway, but was relived to see the familiar black and violet image of Ayami making her way towards them. Airo followed a bit further back.

"Good job, Naruto," Ayami said with one of her trademark smiles. She seemed to have been unconsciously picking up a few habits from her training partners Gai and Lee, as the wattage on the smile nearly blinded Naruto. That, or maybe because it was simple praise from the one she cared for.

Either way, it didn't seem so cold out anymore.

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Ultimately it had fallen to Ayami to carry Koyuki as they made their way back to the tunnels and the rest of the film crew. As the heavy muscle of their team she was best qualified, and Airo and Naruto were just as qualified to make sure no danger came after her while she was relatively encumbered and unable to fight properly. Still, if worse came to worse, she was their fastest runner, and thus could get the spoiled Princess/actress to safety the best.

She didn't like it much though. She was heavy and she was insufferably depressing.

"Just leave me be," she mumbled, apparently too weak to even argue much as she simply let Ayami carry her.

"We cannot do that," said Airo, trailing alongside her. "It is our mission to watch over you."

"We don't want to see you get hurt," added Naruto quietly.

A heavy sigh from the Princess, who seemed resigned to her unpleasant fate, knowing there, was little way she could escape Team Seven's superior tracking abilities. No matter where she went, it seemed there was no way to escape her destiny.

She said as much.

And that just ticked off Ayami even more, who gave a low growl beneath her. Now she was starting to sound just like her cousin Neji, and all he'd said during the Chunin exams. "That's garbage," he spat. "You make your own destiny in this world. You should never give up fighting for what you really want, no matter how tough it is. Even if you get hurt. Even if you die," he added firmly. "Some day, I AM going to be the best kunoichi ever bred in the Leaf, and possibly its proud Hokage. Some day Naruto is going to become Hokage." Naruto blushed a bit at that, though he was grateful he had been walking behind Ayami, and she couldn't see it. "And some day Airo is going to be the Leaf's biggest pimp master!!" she added, with more than a little of her usual mischief. Naruto laughed so hard he fell to the ground. Airo nodded and smirked at that. "And no one forget that!"

"These are our dreams. And nobody's going to get in the way. And yeah, it's hard sometimes. Really hard. But if you don't give up, and keep on believing in your dreams then they will come true."

Koyuki lifted her head, but her eyes were still cold and dead. "Kid... you watch too many movies…"

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Airo came to a dead stop, foot scraping on the stone floor. To his teammates, who knew his behavior patterns, this may as well have been Airo jumping up, yelling, and flashing a bright neon sign that said 'trouble' in capitol letters.

"Can you hear that?" he said, tilting his head to the side, bringing up a hand to tug down on his collar and cup at his ear to amplify the sound. Though in truth, there was no need. They could all hear it by now. The blow of steam. The roar of an engine.

As they watched, the floor began to shimmer, and then a long series of metal lines stretched out from one end to the other. Train tracks. Concealed by genjutsu or hidden under the now melted ice, they couldn't tell. Suffice to say that they hadn't been there before, and now they unquestioningly were. And the sounds were getting louder, and none of Team Seven wanted very much to find out what the source of them was. They started to move, running along at a light jog, saving their energy in case they'd need it later. As well, both Airo and Naruto kept close to Ayami, who was hampered by the heavy Princess.

As they ran, the sounds only got louder. They could also hear the distinct groan of metal now, and that rarely meant anything pleasant.

"It's a train," breathed Koyuki. She hadn't seen one since she'd been a little girl.

"Train?" asked Ayami, tilting her head up as she jogged along. She tried to glance back and see what was coming. And immediately regretted it. As the train rounded the corner, it became visible, the light on it's front illuminating the cavern and outline the fearsome metal shape, twice as big as the whole caravan and much longer. Worse, it was barreling down on them with a speed reminiscent of very, very fast horses. They'd be overtaken in moments.

"Oh, that train!" Ayami screamed, her eyes widened. She ran, leaving her teammates in the dust. Ayami's chakra charged back into her body, flying down the tracks at breakneck speed. Her teammates followed closely.

Their delay had slowed them down a bit, and the train was approaching rapidly, unhindered by the icy pillars in the cave as the three shinobi were. Still, they picked up speed and grimly pushed on. Airo and Naruto ran flat out, keeping up with Ayami, who still was being hampered by Koyuki's awkward weight and size on his back. Together, the three of them were slowly being overtaken by the black metal behemoth behind them. Seemingly on cue with their thoughts, it blew steam again, the sound ominous in the cavern.

"We're going to be flattened!" screamed Koyuki.

"Not on my watch!" Ayami replied, grimly putting on more speed.

"It's impossible!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" she roared darkly back at her. "I NEVER GIVE UP!!! I NEVER GO BACK ON MY WORD!!!!" She screamed, pulling ahead of her teammates. "COME ON COME ON COME ON!!!!!!!!!" she repeated over the roar of the train, gaining speed.

"Focus on running!" Airo shouted over the roar of the engine, turning in his own run to hurl two kunai with exploding tags at the train. They hit and gave off a decided boom that would've left virtually any shinobi little more than a greasy spot on the ground. As it was, they barely even left a scratch, and Airo's eyes widened. No way to slow it down. He couldn't even hit the wheels; they were obscured by the sloping front of the train. Focusing resources seemed the logical thing to do in a situation like this. Gather all energy to the legs and pump them for all you were worth.

The train was gathering speed all the time, even as they struggled to keep ahead of it. The other end of the tunnel was their only option now; there was no way they could slip out of its way. They had to get to the end and dive, or they would indeed be flattened. And it seemed so far away.

Sixty yards.

Fifty yards.

Thirty yards.

They wouldn't make it.

Twenty-five.

They couldn't make it.

Twenty.

They had to make it.

Ten.

They would make it!

Five!

Calling on one last burst of speed, tapping reserves she didn't know he even had, Ayami flung herself forward and out of the cavern, launching herself out of the tunnels and plowing directly into the snow, rolling a short distance away from the tracks. Koyuki was dislodged in the motion and went tumbling down after him, though the heavy snow cushioned their fall. Airo and Naruto quickly sprang to either side of the tracks as they emerged, Naruto stumbling before regaining his balance, Airo stumbling and collapsing backwards onto his back, panting heavily for breath, arms spread as he just lay there a moment.

"Naruto! Airo! Ayami!"

Kakashi came charging over, shrugging his heavy blanket in the process as he seemed almost to blink out of view there and rematerialize next to his students in his hurry. Thankfully, they appeared unhurt, just badly out of breath, and the Princess was much the same. Naruto and Ayami were even laughing, though what they could've possibly have found funny about the situation he had simply no idea. Neither did the Princess, it seemed. She was just watching in sheer disbelief, marveling at how a small girl had been able to carry her and outrun a speeding locomotive.

In short, she felt just like Kakashi did when he'd realized the truth about Ayami.

If she believed in something strongly enough, she made the impossible possible.

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Unfortunately, Ayami's reserves were spent, and they had more trouble to deal with. The film people were keeping out of the way, for which Kakashi was supremely thankful, but that didn't stop him from being worried when he saw the back end of the locomotive open up and emerge from it a dark figure in a white robe. Some resemblance could be seen to Koyuki. Dark, straight hair, the same blue eyes. But this was a man's face, stern and harsh and unyielding as the winter itself. Deep lines furrowed under his eyes, evident of many sleepless nights, of many lost smiles.

When he announced himself as Lord Doto Kazahana, Kakashi wasn't surprised. So this was Koyuki's uncle. And the killer of her father, Sosetsu Kazahana. No wonder all the color drained from her face.

"It has been a long time, hasn't it, Koyuki?" he asked, his voice amplified by a loudspeaker held in his hand. "Mmm... I think it is time you gave up and surrendered." As he spoke, Kakashi caught sight of Nadare in Doto's shadow. The Snow ninjas were here. No sign yet of the lumbering Mizori or the creepy Fubuki, but they couldn't have been far off. They always traveled in packs.

Kakashi frowned, his mind racing with options, and he hadn't many. Fight? He was still recovering from his dip in the ice water, his chakra was low and his limbs felt like they were filled with wet noodles instead of firm muscles. Flee? He couldn't abandon his team, and he doubted if any of them had any strength left to run. Try to fool Doto and his men? Even if he could pull of a Lightning Blade, it wouldn't harm the Snow ninjas, not with their chakra armor. They'd break through it in no time, and then break him in half for his trouble. No allies to call in either, the film people weren't fighters, though at least they were content to keep their distance and shoot the action, well out of harm's way. Even Sandayu had fled as soon as the train had appeared, heading up the hillside, away from danger, and abandoning his Princess.

Before he could make a decision, however, and thankfully, before the Snow Ninja could decide for her and attack, he felt the shift of snow behind him, and glanced back out of the corner of his onyx eye, keeping his gaze still primarily on her enemies. To his astonishment, Ayami had regained her feet and her breath. The girl had stamina in excess, he knew, but this was a bit much to believe. She'd taken a moment to unzip the front of her vest and give her a little cool air, exhausted from her running, but otherwise she seemed fine, if winded.

She stood directly in front of the Princess. Even now, she was protecting her. Carrying out the mission.

Picking up his cue, Kakashi turned back to Doto. "Not going to happen."

Dark eyebrows drew together as the self-proclaimed Lord of the Snow Country frowned darkly in displeasure. His hand rose up, and instantly everyone tensed. In a moment he was going to order an attack and the Snow ninjas were going to descend on them like the wolves of winter. Kakashi quickly went through his Ninjutsu arsenal, some quick misdirection might give his team a chance to recover, even though every second was going to...

... and then he stopped, catching sight of something out of the corner of his eye, and marginally relaxed.

Help had arrived.

A number of heavy logs had come barreling down the hillside, along with a great deal of snow, no doubt a trap having been previously set up specifically to stop the train should it come by. And now someone had set it off, to the ragged cheers of Team Seven and to the annoyance and frustration of Doto and the Snow ninja. And that someone was high up on the nearby hillside, now decked out in his ceremonial armor, which looked oddly out of place against his gray hair and bespeckled appearance.

Sandayu wasn't alone either.

Fully fifty men, at the very least, similarly armored and armed with a variety of makeshift weapons, and bearing banners with the emblem of the true rulers of the Snow Country, stood on the hillside beside him. Sandayu hadn't abandoned anyone, it seemed. And he wasn't the only one willing to fight against Doto for the sake of Koyuki.

"Our Princess Koyuki has returned to us!" he called out, as much to his enemies as to his troops. "Victory will be ours! Doto Kazahana! We have waited long for this day ... the day you are dethroned, false king! I am Sandayu Asama, representative of the 50th Brigade! Today," he continued, smoothly drawing the katana from its sheath at his side and holding it up proudly. "We avenge the death of our noble lord, as well as avenge ten years of suffering you paid us! And we take out that debt out on you!"

A cheer arose from the ranks that might as well have been a war cry, and even Team Seven could feel inspired by some of Sandayu's speech, new strength flowing into their bodies as they prepared to add their strength to the 50th Brigade and crush their enemy. Doto, however, did not look worried.

On the contrary, he looked positively smug.

"There are still rebels to deal with? Nadare, I thought we'd eliminated them all...?" he asked his subcommander.

"My deepest apologies," replied the pale-haired shinobi, giving a slight bow of his head. "Allow me, I will crush them..."

"No," Doto cut him off. "I want them to experience a truly... hopeless situation," he said, lowering his microphone and making a sweeping gesture with his arm. "Now!"

As the hillside swarmed with soldiers of the Snow Country, charging down towards Doto and his train, the main compartments began to unfold and open up, as Snow ninjas took their positions, arming them, the sides now resembling so much as a wide net full of small holes, barely big enough for a kunai. Their exact purpose couldn't be determined until it was almost too late, but Kakashi could see almost immediately something sinister was happening, and cried out a warning to Sandayu and his soldiers. He might as well have been trying to stop a tidal wave with his bare hands for all the effect he had.

Doto dropped his hand, another non verbal signal, and the Snow ninjas unleashed their fury. The machines fired off kunai, he saw now. Not a single one each, not even merely a handful, but hundreds of kunai. And wave after wave of them in rapid order, until it seemed it was raining down metal death. Soldiers were cut down in seconds, many of them, not even standing up to the sheer force of the assault, being cut to ribbons and splattering their patriotic blood all over the snowy hillside, painting the white canvas a deep red of death and suffering.

Even Kakashi, who'd seen his share of death and mutilation during his time as a Jonin, felt sick, and all the strength faded from his legs. It was all he could do to keep to his feet. To be strong, for his team.

And that sick bastard Doto was laughing!

After what seemed an eternity, the machines stopped, either out of kunai or, judging from the heavy steam rising up from them, overheated. They must've had a limit to their operation time. Not that it mattered, he thought. With a single decisive sweep six nameless Snow shinobi had wiped out an entire battalion, save for...

"Sandayu!" cried Koyuki.

Her guardian looked like hell, his armor ripped and torn, his glasses broken, kunai sticking from his body, but still, he stood. He would not back down, and would not stop until he was dead. He grimly held onto the katana clutched in his bloodied hand.

"Forgive me... Princess..."

Doto frowned, and made a final gesture with his hand. Again, the machines fired, and a wave of kunai came speeding towards Sandayu. But he wasn't afraid. He'd caught a glimpse of his dream earlier today, and he'd died fighting for it. Not many could ask for a better way to leave this world than that. So it was he raised his katana in one last gesture of defiance against Doto.

"Forgive... me..."

The kunai struck.

Sandayu fell.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The rebels defeated, Doto turned his attention to the meddlesome Leaf shinobi who'd interfered with his plans, and prepare to let Nadare and his team deal with them. To his surprise, however, they were already moving, running, heading up the hillside and away from danger.

Kakashi was at the lead, and he told them in no uncertain terms what their plan was, which was simply to "Run!"

Team Seven, dead tired but with no other options, did that. Ayami and Kakashi, the least tired of the team, helped Koyuki between them. They ran up the hill where they caught up with Airo and Naruto. Running away from the train tracks and into the wilderness, where the train and its machines of rapid, inescapable death couldn't follow them. There, they'd be able to zigzag away from their enemy and get back to the village town in short order, if they were fortunate. If not, well, in the wilderness they might have a better chance of survival than out in the open. None of them had the sheer force necessary to deal with something as terrible as that war machine.

"Wait! We can't just leave them!" said Ayami, indicating the bodies of Sandayu and the other Brigade.

"We can and will!" Kakashi shouted back, perhaps a bit more harshly than was called for. For a moment, he could almost see them again, his old team. Smell the very distinct scent of death. But this is what they would've wanted. "The living comes first, Ayami! It's what the dead would want!"

"Provided we are not added to their number," stated Airo, pointing down the hillside. Nadare and his subordinates were charging up after them, hot in pursuit already.

Kakashi was prepared for that, however, and reaching into one of the pockets of his flak jacket, turned and hurled a pair of black globes down onto the ground behind him, which exploded on impact, letting thick black smoke billow up, obscuring vision. He may have been a Jonin but there were plenty of good ol' fashioned non-chakra ways to distract and fool the senses, and he happened to know more than a few from his late-night reading. It seemed to work, Nadare and the others were slowing down inside the cloud of black smoke, unable to see and unable to track them. They might have been home free, but unfortunately, things were never that easy.

A great gust of wind filled the air, and just beyond the edge of the smoke, the members of Team Seven watched as the very back of the train, the final compartment, underwent yet another transformation. Fully expecting a flurry of shuriken to descend upon them, they instead watched as a canvas broke out on top, and immediately expanded and filled with hot air. A number of long, elegant metal wings extended from the sides to aid in flight. Lord Doto apparently didn't just have his very own train and mass weapons of destruction, he had his own damn flying zeppelin to boot!

Ayami managed to neatly sum up Team Seven's thoughts on the matter.

"Goddammit..."

An armored hand shot from above the blackness just as they were clearing the hillside on a long extension wire, speeding towards the Princess. Airo sprang into the way to try and knock her clear but missed by mere seconds, and Koyuki gave a sharp scream as it clamped down hard onto her back. Unfortunately, as the line went taut, it also had the misfortune of wrapping around Airo's ankle, and coupled with the Princess forcibly slamming into him, the Hyuga Byakugan/Sharingan user was knocked clean off his feet. Both of them were hauled up into the sky by the brute Mizori and his grapple, heading towards Doto's airship.

"Hey!" Ayami roared, charging back down the hillside, ignoring Kakashi's barking orders. She was about to go after Airo when a new problem presented itself in the form of a pink-haired glider. Cackling overhead, Fubuki swooped underneath the airship, tossing down exploding kunai to and fro amidst them. Surprisingly, the kunai didn't have exploding tags, but some sort of blue crystal on the end. When it hit, they exploded in a flurry of heavy ice that grew at impossible speeds, hard and sharp as metal, in every direction. But no matter what it was, it was still dangerous.

Ayami quickly decided retreat wasn't an option and instead sprang forward, ducking underneath the attack and rolling down the hill awkwardly down towards the tracks, barely avoiding being hit by sharp poles of ice as long and deadly as spears. Naruto, right behind her, managed far better, managing to leap and twist gratefully out of the way of the exploding ice. Kakashi landed beside him, but Naruto shook his head. He was okay. That just left Ayami, and as his onyx gaze scanned the field of icy shards for his other loud mouthed student, he bit back a curse as he finally found her.

"Don't tell me...!"

The very spirited Ayami Hyuga dangled from the back of the airship by a rope and a thrown kunai, improvising her own grapple. Her black vest, fully unzipped, fluttered about in the breeze as she grimly hung on. As he watched, she was already starting to pull herself further up, and the ship was gaining altitude, there was no way Kakashi and Naruto could get up that high in time.

There was no way she was going to let her teammate and brother fight the Snow ninjas alone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Up on the airship, Airo had his hands full with the brute known as Mizori. He'd tossed aside the Princess to unencumbered himself, though he'd also given Airo enough time to spring out his weapon and slice through the bonds around his ankle. Mizori was proving as difficult to beat down as a small mountain, as any blow of Airo's demon wind shurikens that landed was seemingly absorbed by the chakra armor, the stuff didn't break easily. Worse, as his eyes glanced about he could see no way to turn the environment to his advantage either. If the ground had been wooden, he could've use his specialized tripwire hog tie the brute and break a hole through the floor and let the brute fall to his doom. Alas, not an option here.

So it was he'd gone wholly defensive, weaving his demon wind shurikens before him in a figure-eight pattern, not so much hoping to damage Mizori as keep him at a distance until he could regroup and come up with a fresh plan. Honestly, he shouldn't have been caught up in this situation in the first place. He wasn't the sort who charged recklessly into dangerous situations. That title better fell onto his teammate ...

"Hey! Airo!"

"Right on time," Airo replied, not taking his eyes off of Mizori as Ayami landed beside him on the deck of the airship where the battle was taking place.

"I'll hit him high, you hit him low!" Ayami declared, and launched herself forward. Airo was right behind him. As per their strategy, they did indeed go for both of Mizori's ends, hoping one of them would break through his guard and the armor and score a decisive hit. Airo fully intended to knock Mizori off his feet even if he couldn't. Once down, he might be easier to manage. However, they'd made a small miscalculation.

They'd thought it was two-on-one. It wasn't. It was two-on-two.

Mizori ducked under Ayami's swinging kick and launched a vicious left hook that nearly caught Airo off-guard, save that he crossed his arms and locked his stance. It saved him from some broken ribs but the sheer forced knocked him back against the far wall. And that was when Nadare made his move. Seemingly springing right out of the shadows of the hold, he caught both Airo and Ayami completely off-guard as his hand slammed into Ayami's chest in mid-flight.

"We're ready for you this time, you little freak!" he shouted, just as his hand, and something in it, collided with Ayami. She too was knocked off her feet, and her much lighter frame sent her tumbling along the hard ground until she slammed into the wall beside Airo, upside down, head on the ground. However, it did give Airo an excellent view of the device that the Snow ninjas had just attached to his teammate.

At a casual glance it almost resembled a piece of the chakra armor that the snow ninjas were wearing, with the yin-yang symbol. But whereas theirs was white and blue, this one was a dark crimson and cerulean, and it was covered in wicked sharp tubules that had already sunk themselves down into Ayami's light grey shirt and into her skin beneath it. Airo hazarded a guess that was its exact intent. And she somehow doubted the Snow ninjas wanted to give their Leaf opponents an advantage of some.

Nadare's words confirmed this. "It's a chakra nullifier... evens the playing field a little bit. With that on, you can't even use the most rudimentary chakra techniques. You're helpless." As he spoke, Mizori strode forward, the deck shaking under his heavy footsteps, and he cracked his knuckles.

"She might be, but I am not," replied Airo, having regained his feet. He'd lost one of his demon wind shurikens, but the other was still firmly in his hand, and he upraised it, the other arm grabbed a kunai. He would fight for his life… and Ayami's. It had to work.

He hoped.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When Mizori launched himself forward, Airo was ready, and ducked down low and to the side, throwing out his kunai and catching the brute's ankle. As he'd anticipated, he was all energy and strength and poor dexterity, with virtually no stance. Thus, he quickly lost his balance and stumbled forward, slamming his helmeted head right into a wall hard enough to dent it. That might not take him out but it would certainly slow him down as Airo got back to his feet.

However, that had been a lucky blow, and he highly doubted he'd get another. A case in point, Nadare's next attack nearly cost him an eye as six shuriken imbedded them in the wall behind him. Airo didn't visibly react, except to quirk an eyebrow. But that had been dangerously close. Leaving Ayami to pull herself together, and hoping it wouldn't take too long, he swung out at Nadare, but the Snow ninja countered, using a kunai to skillfully parry Airo's kunai, then lashing out with a second kunai which brushed over the top of Airo's spiky hair, nearly giving him a much unwanted haircut.

"Hold still, you brat!"

"I was just about to offer similar advice," remarked a voice behind Nadare. As it spoke, the edge of a kunai pressed against his throat suddenly. Risking a glance back, he spotted a second Hyuga. A Shadow Clone. Airo… the real Airo... breathed a sigh of relief. His Clone hadn't failed him.

"Hey kid!"

Both Airos heads snapped up, towards the still open door, and towards Mizori. The great brute held a weakly struggling Ayami by her ankle, dangling her out of the doorway, his intent obvious. They were going to drop Ayami out of the airship. And by now, they might've been close to sixteen or seventeen stories up. Even a fully trained Jonin would have trouble surviving that, and Ayami had that chakra nullifier stuck to her chest.

Airo glanced between Nadare, the unconscious Koyuki, and the dangling Ayami. His enemy. His mission. His teammate. No, he corrected himself, his friend and sister.

"Catch!" said Mizori, and his hand opened.

Airo sprang forward in short order. As he did, Nadare lashed out with an elbow and scattered the Shadow Clone behind him. As he ran, Airo scooped up his second lost kunai and all but dived out of the airship after his teammate, relieved that Mizori hadn't gotten in his way. Of course, he morbidly realized, Mizori was counting on him getting splattered when he hit the ground as well. And unfortunately, he realized that Mizori might've been right. Unlike the pink haired Fubuki, he didn't have a set of wings. And he wasn't aware of many jutsu that simulated flight for that matter either.

Now was not the finest time to have to come up with a new plan. But he'd have to if he hoped to survive.

There! Some trees, big and pine-filled and he imaged what he was about to do was going to hurt to all hell but if it saved Ayami's life and his own, so be it. Airo reached out an arm and grabbed hold of Ayami's vest hood, thrusting out his other arm.

Airo managed to bring them about in a wide arc towards the forest, instead of down onto the open slopes where Kakashi and Naruto had been standing. With the ground meeting them much higher up, supposedly, it would make their landing that much less painful. However, it was going to be a very near thing. However, Airo wasn't alone in his foolish ideas, and Ayami had come up with more than a few of her own during her fall. She reached out and grabbed a hold of Airo's cloak, since she hadn't been wearing one, and hoped Airo would hold on tight as he threw it up over them, grabbing the four corners as it immediately caught the wind as a crude sort of parachute.

"This is new," remarked Airo casually, even as he frantically grabbed tighter hold of Ayami's hood so he wasn't thrown off. Crude was definitely the key word to describe Ayami's technique. Still, if it worked ...

... but it didn't seem it would. They were still coming in too fast. Airo thrust out his legs towards a nearby tree and charged them with chakra, clinging to the side of it even as they were dragged downwards by their combined weights. Hopefully this would slow them down further. And it worked... right up until then end, when they snagged Airo's cloak on a tree branch and Ayami lost her grip, and then they went tumbling down the last ten feet or so to land in a heap at the base of the tree. Bruised, battered, depleted of chakra, but with possibly no broken bones and still very much alive.

It seemed like about ten or fifteen minutes later when Kakashi and Naruto came racing up the hillside towards them, concern and worry evident in their expressions.

"Airo?! Ayami?! Are you alright! Speak to me!"

"Ayami!!!!!!"

"What the hell is that?"

Airo was thankfully just bruised all over, but he'd live. Ayami, however, had a nasty cut on her head where she'd struck a tree branch, and it was likely only her forehead protector that saved her from an even more terrible injury. The blood was flowing down her face, even as she stood, making the injury look worse than it actually was. She had hit the ground harder then expected, so Airo believed that her breastbone may be fractured, along with a couple of ribs. But she managed to give a thumb's up to her frantic teacher and teammate, assuring them that yes, she was okay.

"I'll live... ow... but I think I'll be sore for a week," she remarked, rubbing her side where she'd struck the ground.

"That was incredibly reckless... be lucky you have a week!" snapped Kakashi, fury and concern equally evident in both his tone and voice.

"Kakashi-sensei...!" Airo's voice stopped him before he come finish berating his students. Turning back to him, Kakashi saw his Byakugan was activated, and he was intently focused. He'd spotted something. "It's the Snow shinobi. They're on the move. Converging on this location quickly," he reported, allowing his bloodline technique to fade and his eyes to return to normal.

"Good, I could use some payback!" Ayami growled, and started to make her way down the hillside, but Kakashi caught her shoulder and shook his head. If she went back in there now, with fractured ribs and exhausted, her chakra severely hampered, the Snow ninjas would tear him to pieces.

"The mission isn't over," he stated, loudly enough for all of his team to hear, as he tossed down a few smoke bombs to cover their retreat. Instead of staying to fight, they turned to run, Ayami at Kakashi's side, Airo and Naruto ahead of them.

Together, Team Seven vanished into the woodwork of the snowy forest, and by the time the Snow ninjas had caught up, they were long gone. Not that it mattered. They'd lost the Princess. Now she was at the mercy of Doto and his gang of ruffians, suffering who knows what kind of horrible tortures.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Later that evening, when the sun had set, the moon rose, and the temperature dropped to just above freezing, Team Seven regrouped together in a forest clearing, brushing snow off of the logs and starting a small fire and downing some soldier pills Ayami kept in one of her vest pockets. Normally they wouldn't have dare lit anything without the smokeless wood Airo carried in his backpack, now lost and back with the filming crew in the caravan, but they were content they'd be on the move again before anyone would find it and come looking. Not that they suspected they would. After all, the Princess had been captured, and their mission was a failure.

Or so it seemed.

"So what do we do now?" asked Naruto, at a loss of what to do. He held out his palms towards the fire and wrapped his cloak tightly around his shoulders, but it didn't seem to help much. He was still chilled to the bone and sick to the stomach from the horrors he'd witnessed firsthand today. Even during the Chunin exams and Orochimaru's subsequent Sound invasion she hadn't seen these sorts of atrocities. Or the simple unfairness. During the Sound invasion, Leaf shinobi had fought back equals. Here, it had been less a battle between worthy foes than a slaughter.

He also couldn't help but wince every time Ayami rubbed at her chest, at the chakra nullifier that was stuck there. They'd taken a cursory look at it when they'd stopped for the night, but Kakashi had never seen anything like it, and there was no telling what sort of damage could ensue if they tried to remove it without knowing what they were doing. It might've caused irrevocable damage to Ayami. The sort even her unpleasant occupant might not have been able to heal. Airo's Byakugan had confirmed the device was attached not just to her skin but also her chakra system, wired into it, so to speak. It was almost like a ninth "gate" that severely limited chakra traveling throughout the body. And every time he watched her grimace in pain from the device, Naruto felt it himself. He should've been there. Should've been able to help her. But he hadn't been able to.

"We have to rescue the Princess," replied Ayami firmly, having cleaned and bandaged up her ribs with Kakashi's help. They had, in fact, been broken. "That's our job." Evidently the device had sapped her chakra but not her resolve.

"She could be anywhere by now," Airo pointed out, not disrespectful of his idea. In mission debates that Kakashi often posed to his team, it was his job to play devil's advocate and point out flaws in his teammates plans. "Even if we pick up her trail and follow her back to Doto's fortress, wherever it is, they would have many Snow ninjas; Jonin and Chunin level likely, guarding the place. We are a small team, and not designed for heavy combat."

"I don't care, we'll find a way... we'll sneak inside," said Ayami, after a moment's thought. "Slip past the guards, free Koyuki, get her back to the village... just like we said we would."

"Ayami's right," added Naruto. "We can't just go home now."

"Our client is dead," Airo pointed out, his expression obscured by his long bangs and high collar. "We receive no payment for this mission, completed or not."

"Look, if you don't..." Ayami growled, raising a warning fist up at him.

He held up his hands in an admission of surrender. "But... I do find the idea of leaving Koyuki to the Snow ninjas every bit as unappealing as you do," he added. "I simply think we need a suitable plan of attack before we do something reckless." Ayami smiled at that, and a similar expression lit up Naruto's face. She never thought any of them would come to miss the bratty Princess, but right now she was the hope of an entire nation, and even if she wasn't, she was still a human being, and didn't deserve whatever Doto and his buddies were cooking up for her.

"There's something else," Kakashi added, after his team had settled onto their course of action. It was the one he himself would've chosen, but he kept that to herself, secretly proud they'd work it out on their own. "There is a reason I said the mission isn't over back there, Ayami. Doto isn't only after the Princess. There's something else he wants. Do any of you remember?"

... unlike the girl in the Leaf, however, this one had a maniacal grin on her face and was wearing the same outfit as her counterpart, as well as similar armor.

"I welcome you, Princess Koyuki. Did you bring the Hex Crystal...?"

"The crystal," Naruto shouted. "The pink-haired girl, she said something about a crystal! What did she mean?"

"Why, this of course," replied Kakashi, unzipping the front of his flak jacket and drawing out the hexagonal amethyst, holding it up with dramatic flourish.

"Sensei..." said Airo in awe. "How did you...?"

... if the face wasn't enough to stir up memories, the crystal shard resting on the windowsill was. Idly, he stretched out a hand, taking it up between two fingers to study. It was only a short piece of amethyst, barely two inches long about a quarter of an inch thick. It was shaped like three stones had been pieced together unevenly. A strange phenomenon took place within the small crystal, however. What looked like snow was endlessly dropping from the top to the bottom, endlessly recycling itself. Kakashi returned the crystal to where it was... or did he...? And slipped out, silent as a shadow...

Ayami grinned wide as a wolf. She should've known her sensei would've pulled one over on Doto and indeed, even Princess Koyuki, it sounded like. "Great, so now we still have what they want, and they might not even realize it yet!"

"They'll figure it out soon," replied Kakashi, shrugging off the crystal's necklace and holding it up in his hand, offering it to Ayami. "Doto is no fool. So I want you to take this. Of all of us, you're the most likely to be able to keep it safe if worse comes to worse. And even if the crystal isn't our official mission, anything we do to hurt our enemies is important as well."

"Understood," she said, slipping it around her neck, letting it dangle alongside the ultramarine and blue green gemstone that she'd obtained from the wolf Sannin Rin Yuhi. Together, they looked remarkably similar. Kakashi idly wondered if they'd been carved by the same hand, so very long ago.

"So we have no plan... but we have an objective?" asked Airo. "Rescue the Princess?"

"Exactly," replied Kakashi. "And this mission calls for stealth, cunning, and guile. And that's trademarks of this team."

"I'd better go get changed then," said Ayami, climbing off her log and vanishing behind a nearby tree. She emerged after a few moments, her vest and pants inside-out, as they'd been designed, the inside lining an almost white grey that now made it easier for her to blend into the background of the snowy forest and, presumably, the dark fortress of Doto, wherever it was. Thankfully, her vest had been unzipped when Nadare had ambushed her with the chakra nullifier, and it was easily hid underneath. She took a moment to tuck her dark violet hair underneath the now white gray hood and removed her black headband and tucked it in her kunai holster. None of them had much in the way of supplies or gear, they were back with the film crew, but they did indeed have plenty of stealth, cunning, and guile. As well as the eyes of two Hyuga, and the indomitable spirit of the soon-to-be legendary Uzumaki and Hyuga at their disposal.

Extinguishing the fire, Team Seven stood and set off to make war with the Hidden Snow.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Finding Doto's fortress hadn't proven all that hard as they'd thought it might. After all, it was a great, ugly black structure in the side of a nearby white ice hill, it stood out like a cat-ninja at an Inuzuka gathering. That wasn't the hard part. The hard part would be getting in. As Airo had predicted, the place was swarming with both regular guards and snow ninja. Most of them wouldn't be stronger than Genin level, but the sheer numbers would be problematic if Team Seven was cornered. Worse, they'd catch the attention of those like Fubuki and Mizori, or even Nadare, and then they'd be in real trouble.

So their first step was observation. Naruto and Kakashi had to wait patiently while Airo and… Airo used his Byakugan while Ayami sat, glowering, invisible against the white background. "Stupid chakra nullifier…" she muttered.

"One hundred and five shinobi present in three man teams," Airo stated. "And it seems not all of them are wearing that special chakra armor we saw earlier."

"It must be in limited supply," mused Kakashi. "Saved for those who pass a certain rank, like the flak jackets."

"So far we only know of three who wear it. I can't seem to find any of them, it may be invisible to the Byakugan. So they may be there… only I can't see them."

"Let's hope not," muttered Ayami.

"Agreed, and the rest?" asked Kakashi.

"Around. Any of them come close I will know."

"Good work... Airo?"

His Byakugan deactivated, the pale-eyed boy nodded. "I've found Princess Koyuki; she's in a dungeon three levels down. I think I've managed to figure out a route as well that's avoiding any major installations."

"Perfect... alright," Kakashi crouched down in the snow, drawing in it with a stick he'd located nearby. "Here's our plan of attack..."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Guard duty was one of the oldest occupations on the planet. Ever since people had decided they started to value "things" they'd always been worried they would lose their things. And so, when people got lazier and richer, they hired guards with the express purpose of guarding their things. Valuable gems, family, even the guard's employers themselves. They existed to sit and watch for trouble to whatever they guarded. But as well as being one of the oldest occupations in the world, guard duty could also be one of the most boring in the world, with many long hours, days, weeks, months, even years at a time going by with nothing to do but sit and watch.

This might've explained why the guards to Doto's fortress were on the verge of falling asleep when the team arrived, traveling across the snow. One of the three man team's Doto must've sent out. Though a ruler of the Snow Country, his fortress also functioned as a Hidden Village, and on occasion they made use of their talents abroad to bring in money. The guards barely paid them any mind. Except ...

... except one of the guards caught a flash of black amidst the pale blues and whites and grays of the snow shinobi guard. At their insistence, they called a halt to the team, their suspicions aroused. It was an odd bunch, after all. Two men, one woman, none of whom bore any remarkable features beneath their hoods and masks. "What're your names?"

"I'm Touketsu," said the man in the front, with piercing blue eyes. "This is my team. Reporting back from patrol duty."

The guards glanced at one another. They hadn't heard anything about that, though it wasn't completely unusual. "Where are your papers?" Border patrols were always assigned papers sealed with special chakra so that they couldn't be relieved except by a new team of proper replacements, not just anyone with a decent Transformation Jutsu.

The three snow shinobi glanced at one another. "Oh, I had those!" piped up the woman in the back. "Come take a look!"

The guards moved in to take a look, not thinking until the last moment that the other three were moving to surround them and get into position. By the time they did think, the shinobi had struck. The first guard went down with barely a grunt, two hard blows in his stomach and one across his jaw to knock him out like a light. The second guard cried out a warning before he too was quickly overwhelmed. Snow shinobi and more guards came pouring out of the open doors towards the four shinobi, who stood their ground grimly.

"Bring it!" shouted the first attacker, her voice now distinctly that of Ayami Hyuga. A puff engulfed her and her teammates, revealing the forms of Naruto, and Airo, also ready to fight. They rose up their fists and prepared to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat, using good ol' fashioned taijutsu techniques.

This, if anyone knew Team Seven, would've immediately tipped them off that something was wrong. Not that disbelieving would help either, of course. Shadow Clones could still hit pretty damn hard.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As the gates opened to admit the soldiers and guards, high above, clinging to the wall with chakra-charged feet, the real Naruto and Ayami made their way inside, crawling along the ceiling and out of sight, for in such dark corridors, and high ceilings, it was remarkable how very little any of the passing guards bothered to ever look up. After a few turns and twists, they managed to drop back down onto the ground and proceed walking. It made it a little easier to find their way without the entire fortress being upside down. To say nothing of less trouble for Ayami. She'd expended most of her chakra just creating the Shadow Clones at the gate. And with the damn nullifier on, she could barely cling to the walls without receiving a sharp electrical shock.

Ayami paused a moment, Byakugan active, veins throbbing on either side of her head as she took a moment to get her bearings at an intersection before deactivating it and shouting in pain behind her hand from a sharp electrical shock. Then, without hesitation, she pointed. "This way," she said. Naruto nodded, following beside her. A kunai was palmed, no sense in taking chances in the wolf's lair, so to speak. Even with Ayami's all-encompassing eyes beside him, he felt nervous. Nervous about the fact Ayami couldn't sense anything within spitting distance. Like there could be danger anywhere.

For all he knew, there was. Ayami was usually very reluctant to volunteer information about the Byakugan or her improvised Gentle Fist fighting style, something her family wouldn't have approved of, likely, but they'd run into obstacles on past missions where there were ways to obstruct the view of the Byakugan and hide from it. And then there was that blind spot all Hyuga had, extending outwards from their third thoractic vertebra and extending backward in a narrpw clone. Naruto had discovered it once by accident when he'd been tossing some vegetables to her on a D-rank mission. His job had been to uproot them and then hand them to her to wash, and they'd made a bit of training out of it, him tossing, her catching. It had worked fine until he'd gotten to the tomato. Incorrectly assuming she could see it coming with her Byakugan, he'd hurled the vegetable at her to get washed, accidentally tossing it right into her blind spot.

He'd spent hours apologizing for that afterwards… and washing dirt out of his mouth…

"Someone's coming," she said suddenly, and he tensed immediately, snapping out of his reverie. "Down that corridor," she added, pointing it out. Naruto quickly swung out an arm and gently pushed Ayami out of the line of sight with his hand as a pair of Snow ninja came past, pausing just before the intersection where they were hiding. If they got much closer, they'd spot Naruto and Ayami in short order.

Naruto also didn't realize it, but when he'd swung out his arm to push Ayami out of the light, he'd accidentally missed her far shoulder, which was his target. Instead he'd hit a lump of some sort just under her vest. Ayami, fully aware of Naruto's palm on her, slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle a squeak that was sure to emerge, and felt her cheeks become rose pink. It was a near wonder Ayami didn't kill Naruto from him touching her.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the guards moved off. Still holding Ayami, unaware of her embarrassment, Naruto leaned forward to tilt his head and make sure the corridor was clear. "Okay... looks like they're gone... I think we can move on," he said.

Ayami, unable to properly voice herself, reached out and tugged on Naruto's jacket. He turned back, and she just pointed down at where he's grabbed her. And his eyes opened wide in shock and he all but yanked his hand off of her body as if it had been scalding hot, a stream of apologies on the tip of his tongue, about to pour out, but she placed a hand over his mouth before he could voice them aloud, and possibly give them away, shaking her head.

"I am soooooo sorry," he said, thankfully in a whisper. "I swear that was an accident. I would... I would never..."

"I know," she replied gently. "I know Naruto its okay. It... it was an accident," she said, her cheeks still stained pink.

"Yeah, right... an accident."

"So...!" she said, softly.

"Oh, right, the mission... Uhm... let's go..." he said, taking off down a corridor.

"Naruto..." she said, teasingly.

Naruto spun on his heel without pause and took off down the opposite corridor. He'd been heading the wrong way.

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While Naruto and Ayami were headed down to locate Koyuki and get her out, Kakashi and Airo were positioned up above and making their way in on top of the roof. Their goal was to create a distraction. But first they needed to get in. That wasn't made so difficult by the guards on the roof, they'd been keeping watch for signs of invading army, not shinobi. So Airo and Kakashi had snuck up on them as quiet as shadows and overwhelmed them both, Kakashi landing two well-placed blows to the back of their necks to render them unconscious.

"Where to?" asked Airo.

"Down. We don't know how long that distraction at the front gate will last. Remember, we want as much chaos as we can possibly cause to distract them from the main trouble."

Airo nodded as they made their way down the corridor, then idly reached up and grabbed a hanging lantern, swinging it around and tossing it back the way they'd come at an expensive looking rug, setting it ablaze. Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at him, to which he merely shrugged, his expression still unreadable behind his bangs and high collar.

"You did say chaos."

"Not quite what I had in mind," he remarked, onyx eye glancing upwards. "But ..." he hurled a pair of exploding tag-kunai upwards at a supporting beam, making sure Airo and himself were well out of the way of devastation that followed as the entire ceiling came caving in. By now they could hear the shouting and screaming could see troops moving as they slipped in and out of rooms and hiding places, continuing to sow chaos from one end of the castle to another. Setting fires and exploding rooms and releasing genjutsu so some of the Snow Genin smashed into walls thinking they were running down a corridor, or found themselves being crushed to death by gigantic roots and vines that had sprung up out of nowhere. On occasion, they even left exploding tags with delayed timers so they would force their pursuers to backtrack, thinking them going a different direction.

"I have been spending too much time around Ayami," remarked Airo, as they broke into what must've been Doto's private distillery. And as any good shinobi can tell you, if there's one thing that burns better than wood, its alcohol. So Airo had made himself some Molotov cocktails. "Her pranking habits are rubbing off on me," he added deadpan, not even looking as he dropped one of his flaming beverages out of a nearby window and letting it shatter near a platoon of guards running through the courtyard.

Kakashi wisely decided not to comment on such. He too felt he'd been spending too much time around the Hyuga prankster. He was actually starting to enjoy himself. But they couldn't keep this up forever. Sooner or later they were going to get themselves cornered, or run into trouble. Airo's Byakugan had helped so far in enabling them to avoid Snow patrols, but they wouldn't help much against Nadare and his buddies in the chakra armor.

"Come on, Ayami," he murmured, as he laid some more exploding tags on a wall, then quickly formed some seals with his hands. "Transformation Jutsu," he murmured. As he watched, the tags faded, shimmered, and vanished, replaced by smooth stone walls just like before he'd set them. Completely invisible unless someone was looking for them. This set would go off once he triggered them remotely.

"Hurry up," he urged her students from afar.

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Ayami stiffened suddenly, clutching at her side, and Naruto was there in an instant, concerned she'd been attacked. She glanced up, shaking her head. "I'm okay," she said, then frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "It's the team at the bridge, my Shadow Clones ... they were taken out. They couldn't hold on any longer."

"Then we don't have much time," he replied. "C'mon ..."

They were on the last level above the dungeon, and slipping down proved no problem, the place was protected by only a few guards, easily dispatched by two well-placed Gentle Fist strikes which sent them crumpling like wet paper. Apparently no sense in extra guards for watching prisoners safely barred up, especially one useless actress like Koyuki, when there was an invasion going on. Unfortunately, it meant that the keys to the cell were nowhere in place. Ayami's incredibly weak Byakugan, crippled by the nullifier, couldn't find them anywhere, which meant a guard had taken them and wasn't present. To look for them in the entire fortress would take time. Too much time.

They found Koyuki in one of the cells, looking as morose as usual but thankfully unharmed. "Princess Koyuki!" Naruto whispered loudly. "We're here to rescue you."

She glanced up at him with dull eyes, not even surprised by his being there it seemed. "Go away," she muttered.

Ayami bit back a sharp retort, reasoning with the spoiled brat seemed useless, so she'd focus on getting her out, and instead grabbed at the bars, hoping they'd be weak enough for her to break with sheer strength alone. No such luck. And she was rewarded for her initiative by a bolt of lightning traveling down the bars and into her hands, sending her reeling backwards, clutching at her stinging fingers.

"The bars are warded with a lightning jutsu," said Naruto darkly, cerulean eyes now focused on Koyuki's cell. "It's designed to give a shock to anyone who touches them. There," he added, pointing out the seal on the door's keyhole. "We can't remove it unless we were the one who put it there. Its chakra attuned."

"Then we'll do this the old fashioned way!" replied Ayami, grabbing up some lock picking rods from the pack at her side. However, this was met with failure. Anytime the metal slipped, touching the keyhole, it sent another jolt down her body. She recovered quickly, but it still hurt like hell.

"Just give up kid, you can't succeed," muttered Koyuki, leaning back and gazing up at the ceiling. "Just leave me here to rot."

"Don't tempt me," she spat, and continued to try and pick the lock, rewarded again and again by failure.

"You just don't get it; it's hopeless, so just..."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Two sets of white eyes blinked in shock, and turned as one to look at Naruto, who looked furious, his blue eyed gaze burning. "Ayami is risking everything to save your sorry butt and all you do there is sit and complain and whine! Now just shut up! We're not giving up! We are going to get you out of here, no matter what! That's our way of the ninja!"

Ayami was thrown off by the normal prankster Naruto, suddenly as loud and violent as herself. The only time she'd seen him this set on something was the time he'd yelled at her for thinking herself as a monster. Back when she'd told him about the creature living inside her. Back when he'd accepted him for whom she was. All of who she was.

Ayami Hyuga remembered. Wise old Saturobi. Book smart Iruka-sensei. Pint-sized Konohamaru. Fatherly Kakashi. Pimpy yet Caring Airo. Jokester Naruto. Hardworking Gai and Lee. Shy Hinata. Overprotective Neji. Perverted and Emo Sasuke. Motherly Rin. Gambler Tsunade. Pimpy Jiraiya. Even friendly Teuchi and Ayame, who ran Ichiraku. These were her friends. These were the family who believed in her.

She wouldn't let them down.

Throwing aside the lock picking devices, which were ruined by the repeating lightning jutsu, Ayami grabbed the bars of the cell again and heaved. White lightning surged along the bars, and the pain was immeasurable this time. But she grimly held on, pulling hard, using all of the strength in her diminutive form. Dimly, she could sense midnight chakra filling her coils, replacing the blue. The nullifiers gemstone shivered against her chest, and a thin crack developed. Evidently, the power of the Hachibi was too much for it. Her injuries were healing almost as rapidly as they were occurring, and she could feel a feral hunger fill her body. But unlike the previous times, she had control. She'd learned to harness it as another source of power, not let the power overwhelm her. Biting back a roar that might've drawn the guards, settling for a low growl instead through clenched fangs, Ayami heaved, tearing the metal bars clear out of their frame and hurling them aside. The paper seal vanished, consumed by a feedback in the lightning jutsu, and Ayami staggered backwards, collapsing onto her knees, panting heavily for breath as she felt the black chakra subside and vanish.

The lightning had still hurt like hell, however, and she could barely feel anything for a while, not even when Naruto laid a hand gently on her shoulder to try and see if she was alright. But dimly, her senses came back into sharp focus, though the unfortunate stench of smoke wafting off her clothes she could've done without, and she glanced up, placing a hand over his to let him know she was alright before standing.

Princess Koyuki, looking nothing short of amazed, stepped between the narrow gap in the bars, her eyes wide in disbelief ... and then lowered shamefully.

They had been right. And she had been wrong.

It was as simple as that.

"I ..." she started, but Naruto cut her off.

"It's okay. Let's get out of here first; the guards might be coming soon."

"Right," added Ayami, standing on shaky feet. Calling on Hachibi had drained her a little, but she'd be good to go shortly. Meanwhile, it fell to the Kyubi Container to protect them. He led the way, the Princess and Ayami following closely behind him. The rest of their plan was simple enough. Find Kakashi and Airo and get the hell out of the place before it was too late.

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Both teams re converged at a pre designated point in the middle of the fortress, a short distance from the dungeons assuming correctly that Koyuki wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace that most ninja set. Kakashi and Airo arrived first, but they slipped out of sight along the wall when a single guard came around the way. As the guard glanced left and right, they came dangerously close to spotting their hidden perch up atop of the nearby wall. However, instead of giving out another warning for the entire castle, the guard simply raised their hand and signaled.

Kakashi nodded, and he and Airo dropped down onto the landing beside the guard, not surprised in the least when a puff of smoke engulfed them, replaced by the diminutive form of the Kyubi Container. Ayami and Koyuki came around the corner moments later. "Everyone alright?" Kakashi immediately asked.

"Little shook up, otherwise fine," replied Ayami, who still felt a bit dizzy from his repeated shocking. An ordinary shinobi would've been knocked unconscious or killed by such a stupid stunt as she'd just pulled. And he shrugged it off like she was having a bad morning.

"Kakashi... you took my necklace, didn't you?" accused Koyuki. "Doto was quite upset when he found out you'd switched it with a fake."

"I figured they were after it as much as you," replied Kakashi, nodding. "They must've kept you alive to try and figure out where you'd hid it. The fact that I switched it probably saved your life."

"Or nearly got me killed," spat Koyuki, thrusting out her hand. "I want it back, now."

Kakashi sighed heavily; their client's brief stay in a dungeon had done nothing to improve her personality. Still, she was their protectorate, and Leaf shinobi weren't thieves. He nodded to Ayami, who unzipped her vest and removed the necklace, offering it back to Koyuki, who cradled it close the first chance she got it back into her hot little hands. Though it seemed even she paused to stare in wonder at Ayami's own necklace.

"That's... just like mine..."

Airo's head snapped up. "Trouble. Small platoon of guards heading this way."

Koyuki slipped the necklace into her pocket, no time to put it on properly. "This way!" she said, leading the way. Team Seven took off after her, and Kakashi held up a hand, activating the seals of some exploding tags he'd secured elsewhere in the building. That would buy them a bit of time, hopefully. They zigzagged down a few corridors, some of which Kakashi and Airo's handiwork was readily apparent, but overall they met no more guards, and found themselves in a big, open chamber. The symbol of the Snow countries daimyo was on the ground, but apart from that, it seemed difficult to make out anything in the darkness.

And then there was light.

A lamp came on overhead. At the far end of the room there was a large raised dais, and on that, a throne of iron. And seated in that throne, a dark, ominous figure shrouded in a long white cloak. Doto Kazahana, murderer and tyrant and gods-only-knew what else. Team Seven tensed as he stood, chuckling deeply.

"Well done... Koyuki," he said.

The Princess was off like a shot soon as her true colors were revealed, which was fortunate because Kakashi was right behind her, to stop her before she could betray them. However, before he could take more than three steps, forms blurred and materialized out of thin air, and suddenly three imposing figures stood before her. Wolfish Nadare, creepy Fubuki, lumbering Mizori. They formed a barrier between the Princess and Kakashi, and she skidded to a halt, ruby eyes flashing. They'd have to fight soon. Behind him, he could sense his team readying themselves. She could hear the scrape of metal as Naruto and Airo palmed some kunai, and could well imagine Ayami sliding arms and legs back into a distinct Gentle Fist improvised version stance.

But the fight didn't come just yet. Both sides just waited for the little drama on the dais to play itself out first.

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Into Doto's outstretched hand, Koyuki gently placed the amethyst crystal, the key to his ambitions, and the downfall of the Snow Country. Just like that, she'd betrayed them all, betrayed everyone, to a madman's schemes. And they'd trusted her. And pitied her, a little. They'd certainly never thought her capable of something like this.

"Everyone seems to have forgotten... I am an actress," Koyuki stated to the stunned, and in some cases, enraged, members of Team Seven.

"It is true... Koyuki acted the entire scene," added Doto, deep voice booming off the walls.

Furious white eyes met Koyuki's silently accusing her. And then onyx furious blue and unyielding white added to them. And unlike before, the spoiled Princess had not the strength in her convictions to meet them. Not after all she'd and witnessed from a small band of Leaf shinobi. She'd treated them horribly, and they had risked everything to save her miserable life.

"Yes," she said, her own gaze lowering. "It was all..." her hand dropped down to under her coat, where she'd hidden the small knife Sandayu had kept safe for her. "... an act..." Without warning, she drew the blade and lunged forward at her uncle, thrusting the knife hard into his chest with a wild, ragged cry. "That's why I said... I... am... an actress!" she spat, twisting the blade in deeper.

But to her shock and horror, Doto wouldn't fall. She'd hit some sort of resistance underneath his robes. He thrust out a hand, strong fingers closing around her windpipe, trying to suffocate her or snap her neck. She gave a strangled cry of pain.

"I always expected to die in the Snow Country," she hissed out in a strangled voice. "That's why, at the very least..." she pushed back against Doto, driving the blade forward, pushing with all of the strength left in her body. "Ayami... Naruto... it was thanks to you..."

"Princess!"

With a murmured prayer that they couldn't quite make out, Koyuki pitched herself forward, knocking herself and Doto off of the dais to come crashing down on the floor below. Fortunately, Koyuki's fall had been broken by Doto's heavier form, but she still looked hurt. Ayami went charging forward, and to her relief none of the Snow ninja stood in her way. However, to her shock, when she arrived, a huge fist came barreling out of nowhere to slam into her face, sending her flying through the air. She skidded along the ground before righting herself, rubbing at her sore jaw as she beheld a new enemy.

Doto stood, fist still upraised from where he'd sucker punched Ayami. He brushed aside the knife still imbedded in his heart like it was nothing, then shrugged off his ceremonial robes. Beneath, it was readily apparent why the tiny weapon hadn't hurt him. He was wearing a full compliment of black armor, like a beetle, and it didn't take a genius to make a connection. Doto wasn't leader of the Snow ninjas without reason.

He was one of them.

"This is the newest, most advanced model of the chakra armor," stated Doto, letting them all have a very good look as he grabbed up the unconscious Koyuki. "Well then, I think it's time I took Koyuki to the place beyond the rainbow... but don't worry. I'll leave you all in the capable hands of my Snow ninja."

Nadare grinned wolfishly at that, and similar smirks lit up the faces of Mizori and Fubuki as the former cracked his knuckles and the latter began twirling some kunai on her fingertips. Team Seven tensed as Doto gestured, but it wasn't the signal for attack. The entire room shuddered, and the walls started to cave in. This wasn't Kakashi and Airo's doing, this had been a trap rigged for them all along. Apparently, Doto was willing to forsake his fortress for whatever his new treasure was he'd found in Koyuki's necklace. And he would manage to neatly eliminate Team Seven in the process. The Snow ninja activated grapple-lines that hauled them out of danger in short order, and Team Seven bid a hasty retreat, yet again forced to abandon the Princess for a temporary time.

Their mission still wasn't over, however.

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Team Seven managed to escape the doomed structure, leaping clear of one of its collapsing towers to touch down in the snow in an awkward jumble. As they watched, they could clearly see Doto making his escape high up in the sky, way beyond their reach. Apparently, his armor model used the same sorts of wings as Fubuki's. There was no way they'd be able to catch up with him anytime soon. Nor track him, come to that. Airo's Byakugan couldn't locate Doto because of the chakra armor. This was how he'd managed to surprise them inside his own fortress.

Still, ultimately that didn't matter right now.

They had bigger problems to contend with.

Like Fubuki, cackling overhead, who was tossing down more of her patented exploding ice kunai to and fro amidst them. Ayami, caught flat-footed, was knocked out of the way of such a falling kunai by Airo, and the two quickly gained their feet as they and their companions began to run, needing to get some space before they were killed.

"Stay together!" shouted Kakashi, though the next blast sent him flying in a different direction from his team as they ran. Before they could regroup they were set up on again, and forced to go separate ways just to keep going. The Snow ninja were relentless. A flurry of ice exploding kunai came down after the rest of Team Seven as they ran along, having lost Kakashi somewhere along the way in their mad scramble. They were confident their Jonin sensei could watch after himself, however. Right now they had enough to worry about just watching after themselves.

"Down!" shouted Airo, and Naruto rolled, narrowly being missed by Fubuki as she'd swooped down like a bat overhead. She'd managed to just clip Naruto's shoulder as the Kyubi Container had rolled and slid back to his feet easily. Airo and Ayami joined him as the pink-haired girl went flying around for another pass, giving them a few minutes of breathing space. Not much though. Mizori was coming barreling down the hillside as well on his snowboard like a cannonball. They didn't have much time to form a strategy.

Ayami quickly bit the wrappings that covered both arms, letting them hang partially from her arms. She looked back at Airo. "Yo, you think you can keep the big guy busy for a few minutes?"

He blinked in surprise, but nodded, getting into stance. Ayami turned to Naruto, snapping her hands together into a familiar seal, even as the chakra nullifier sparked. This was going to hurt, she knew, but it would be well worth it.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!!!"

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"Whatever you do will be useless!" shouted Mizori, barreling down the snow towards them. He'd lost sight of the spirited Hachibi Container, but he spotted the dark-haired boy easily, and he'd take him out first as he adjusted his course and came speeding towards him like a battering ram. To his surprise, he didn't even blink his white eyes. All terror had fled him. Airo Hyuga, Heir of the Byakugan, was being counted on by his teammates, by the girl that was his sister. And he would not disappoint.

Time seemed to slow, crawling by more and more slowly, each second stretched out into minutes, then hours. And then time seemed to come to a complete halt as Mizori came within less than a yard of Airo. And still he hadn't moved. He could see. He could perceive with crystal clarity now exactly what needed to be done. In a world seen only by the Byakugan a glowing green ying-yang symbol had materialized on the ground between her and Mizori, lined by a number of powerful kanji.

"Eight Trigrams…!" he cried, and time resumed.

To describe Airo's attack as devastating would've been a dreadful understatement. His hands moved in a blur, two fingers on each palm striking Mizori's shoulder and hip, the sheer power behind them stopping him in the middle of his charge, knocking him off his board, which went flying off into the distance past them. Then four more strikes followed. Then eight. Then sixteen. Thirty-two. Sixty-four. Chakra armor enhanced the flow of normal chakra in the wearer, but it still flowed in the exact same pattern as a normal shinobi. It still had chakra points to some extent, located along weak points in the armor, which shattered under the two finger strike of a thirteen-year-old boy. Mizori gave a strangled groan, spitting up blood, barely able to react before the entire attack had taken place, and he stumbled backwards...

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Naruto, meanwhile, was pursuing Fubuki, trying to simultaneously avoid her thrown kunai and gain ground by leaping from tree branch to tree branch, one of his kunai palmed, the other still hidden. He wanted a free hand in case he needed to keep his balance. A number of shuriken had been palmed into his hand, and he awaited the opportunity to make good use of them. Another of Fubuki's ice-exploding kunai went whizzing past, but he executed a flawless roll in mid-air before landing on a nearby tree branch, though he had to lash out with his kunai to retain his balance, the sharp blade digging into the tree and acting as a handhold.

"Give it up kid! You can't beat me!"

Naruto didn't dignify that with a reply, and instead swung underneath and around one tree, using chakra in his free palm to guide himself and swing upwards, giving an awkward push with his feet for the last distance. He tilted his head up. As a dark shadow flew overhead, he nodded. She was in position. He drew back his hand and hurled the half-dozen shuriken up into the air.

Fubuki dodged aside with pitiful ease, laughing to herself. The boy really didn't know when to give up, and he couldn't even throw worth a damn, those shuriken had been half a mile off. Ah well... she'd finish the job Nadare couldn't properly. And enjoy it about twice as much, in all likelihood.

She reared back her hand...

Suddenly half a dozen puffs occurred above her, and she twisted in shock, tilting her head upwards at an awkward angle to see...

... three Ayami's coming flying down towards her...! How?!?!

Shadow Clone Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu, she realized, a split-second too late. The original had turned the others into shuriken and given them to the Kyubi boy. And he had hurled them up past Fubuki, and now they were coming back down, atop of her, where she was most vulnerable.

"Ay-a-mi...!"

Two precisely aimed kicks hit her full in her unprotected back, and the third tore clear through one of her wings, sending Fubuki into a downward spiral, dropping her kunai in the process and letting them rain harmlessly down somewhere off in the distance. She flew past Naruto, who only watched, and could only watched in dizzied horror as the last Ayami, the one waiting on the ground, leapt up at the last minute to meet her with a fist to the face, launching a vicious uppercut to end their bout.

"HYUGA BARRAGE …!!!!!"

Fubuki was hit so hard her jaw shattered and she went end-over-end through the air. Unfortunately, fate wasn't going to be kind to her today, and it had only just gotten started. She was flying through the air to slam directly into her partner Mizori. What happened next neither of them couldn't anticipate. They hit hard, suspended in the air as their chakra armor simultaneously began to repel and magnify one another's chakra to breaking points, building up and up until an explosion rocked the hillside and they were sent hurtling away from one another. Mizori crashed into a tree hard enough to leave a dent with his body, woodchips flying everywhere, and Fubuki came crashing into the ground, her entire body battered and broken, wrapped in the shattered remains of her glider, limbs twisted at unnatural angles. She was alive, but at the moment, that wasn't comfort in the slightest.

Ayami massaged her bruised knuckles and flexed her fingers. Her reversed combo attack had been a bit of a gamble but it had paid off, but she doubted she'd be able to use it in that fashion against normal opponents on the ground. Still, she'd won. She smirked, the pain already fading, and jogged over to join Airo and Naruto, who leapt down from the branches to join them.

"What happened?" asked Naruto, marveling as the glowing chakra armor was already starting to fade.

"Feedback loop," surmised Airo, placing his kunai into his pouch. "Their armor is designed to build up their own chakra and repel an enemy... but if they were knocked together, the armor must've cancelled each other out. Violently, it would appear," he added.

The entire area was devastated by the fighting, trees knocked clear out of their root, snow torn up and thrown about, icy stalagmites sticking out of the ground from Fubuki's attack. The peaceful scenery of the Snow Country had been badly torn apart by three young ninja and their opponents.

"Have I mentioned lately you have a knack for understatement?" remarked Ayami.

"Not recently, no," Airo replied deadpan.

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Elsewhere, Kakashi was having troubles of his own. He'd managed to regain his ground and some time on a hillside near Doto's fortress, but the way things were now, he was also cut off from his team and up against a fearsome adversary in the form of Nadare Roga. The pale-haired, wolfish Snow ninja, on the other hand, didn't look the slightest bit concerned as he faced him.

"Going to run away again?" he mockingly asked. "Seems to be all you silly shinobi know how to do."

Kakashi blinked his onyx eye, and then narrow it dangerously.

When he'd first formed Team Seven, he'd told them what he expected of his students. That when it came down to it, proving who was stronger, winning all fights, was a childish schoolyard game. Getting information where it needed to go was the job of a reconnaissance unit. If that meant running away, they ran and never looked back. That didn't make them cowards. But staying behind to fight and die made them traitors. And Kakashi Hatake never gave any advice he didn't take seriously himself.

However, even Kakashi Hatake had his pride, and if there was one thing that really grated on his nerves to no end, it was being taken lightly because he ran from him ten years ago.

If Nadare wanted to dance, then fine, they'd dance. With a glare worthy of Ibiki Morino on a really bad day, he brought up her hands and slapped them together hard. Kakashi quickly formed the seals for her opening jutsu. Nadare Roga quickly did the same, hands forming seals with speed equal to her own.

"Ice Style: Wolf Avalanche Jutsu!"

"Lightning Blade!"

An avalanche started, fueled by Roga's chakra, and snow came washing down the hillside towards Kakashi, assuming the shapes of a huge pack of gigantic wolves on its way down. Icy teeth as long as his arm and sharp as any kunai were snapping as they charged towards him. Kakashi, however, was amply prepared, and as Roga watched him charge at him again, he laughed.

"Oh, trying that again …!" he called out as Kakashi charged straight through the pack and at Nadare. He felt it crack open the yin-yang symbol. The symbol only cracked, but it was enough damage. Nadare shrugged Kakashi off and aimed an awkward kick at the small of his back. Kakashi turned around and shoved him down the small cliff. He wrapped some unseen bandages around Nadare and began spiraling down. "You forget that a ninja always has Taijutsu!"

Nadare whirled around, the ground meeting him faster then he wanted to. He hit the ground head on, with a sickening thwack… and he rolled over… possibly dead. Something that wasn't necessary.

Or rather, he would have, but instead he stumbled without a backward glance instead. So many jutsu in such short time had drained him of his chakra reserves, and he was very tired. He managed to maintain his stance and not fall over, but it was a near thing. Grimly, he focused, putting one foot in front of the other. Slowly, steadily, he began to make his way back up the hillside. He might not make it in time, but he was determined to be there for his team when they needed him.

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The rest of Team Seven, meanwhile, had regrouped, unable to find Kakashi nearby. He was beyond the range of Ayami's Byakugan, admittedly, a short range since the chakra nullifier severely hampered her Byakugan's range, and Airo's Byakugan as also unable to find her. But the three of them felt confident their Jonin sensei would be alright, he always was. So they instead decided to not waste time with a search and focused instead on their mission. Princess Koyuki. So they'd bandaged what scrapes and cuts they had, Airo applying a healing salve he always kept with him for emergencies. Ayami took the opportunity to change her vest and pants back to their regular black color as Naruto suggested they patch up and move on. Stealth was no longer a priority.

"We can't track her any more easily than we can Kakashi-sensei," Ayami pointed out. "How are we going to find them?"

Airo frowned at this, equally stumped. If they fanned out like before it would take them ages to find Koyuki and Doto, and by then it would be far, far too late for them to do anything about it. He had the crystal, and he'd sacrificed his own fortress and hundreds of his mine. Logically, he was going after something bigger. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good.

Naruto piped up, "Didn't Doto say something about uhm... 'I'm taking Koyuki to the place beyond the rainbow...'? What did he mean by that?"

"He was probably speaking figuratively," Airo replied.

"No... no he wasn't," said Ayami, in a flash of insight. She got it now. She remembered.

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"... we're going to make use of some of the natural landscape as part of it," explained the assistant director, who tapped one of the pictures on a nearby wall. The one he indicated was a breath-taking view of some cliffs that seemed arranged like a series of standing stones.

"They're called the Rainbow Glaciers. Sandayu was the one who suggested we use them for the final scene in the movie. It's said during the spring the glaciers light up with the seven colors of the rainbow..."

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"The Rainbow Glaciers," said Ayami. "That must be where they're going. Airo, don't you have a map?"

Apparently the Hyuga did, and he rolled it out quickly. Although Doto's fortress didn't appear on it, not surprising, given it was practically a Hidden Village, they did identify enough landmarks to know that the Rainbow Glaciers weren't far from here. Just a little ways to the north. About a mile or two away. It would take them some quiet time to get there, however.

But they started off anyway, and pray that they would be in time.

As it was, fate had decided to be kind to Team Seven today.

On their way, they'd encountered the film crew whom they'd left behind after Doto's massacre. Apparently, the Director had taken it into his head to follow them into the forest, where they'd lost sight of them. And they'd been scouring the place ever since to get his actors back within the camera's field. So they had a sled or two ready and were still filming when Airo, Naruto, and Ayami came across him.

The elderly Director smiled, and gestured for them to join him. "Hop on," he said, seeing they were traveling. "Our film still needs a happy ending, after all," he said. Smiles lit up Ayami and Naruto's face, and even stoic Airo seemed pleased, as the three of them climbed aboard and gave directions to head northward. With the added speed of the motor-run sled, they'd reach it in less than ten minutes. Not too far behind Doto and Koyuki.

Hopefully in time to stop whatever mad scheme he'd concocted.

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In the land of the Snow Country, there were a number of great and beautiful sights that stole the breath away as easily as did the frigid air. Near the northern end of the continent one such place existed, the Rainbow Glaciers. Seven towering pillars each as tall as the Hokage monument, made of solid ice frozen forever in the perfect shape; they were enough to inspire awe with their quiet, simple majesty alone. But all sorts of superstition and myth surrounded them as well.

One story said that when spring came to the Snow Country, the light from the rising sun would shine off of the glaciers in the seven colors of the rainbow, and the whole region would be lit up and breathtakingly beautiful. Some legends suggested there was a great treasure hidden underneath the ice, a fortune of silver and precious stones waiting for someone to dig through the permafrost and claim it as their own. And some say there was lost technology hidden amidst the standing pillars. A terrible weapon awaiting activation, which would devastate anything that stood in its path, and bring destruction and chaos unseen since the Great Shinobi War if it fell into the wrong hands.

Like the hands of Doto Kazahana.

Evidently, if he believed any of the legends, he believed this one. So did his brother, or so he surmised from his research and spying. He'd spent a lot of time here, at the small shrine in the middle of the Rainbow Glaciers. Working on it. Studying it. He'd been an expert on lost technology. This must've been the weapon. And now, he had the key, hidden away on his own niece. Holding up the amethyst, Doto's hand trembled at the prospect of all that power at his fingertips. All of it his. His name would ring throughout history, and the Snow Country would take its place alongside the Five Great Shinobi Nations. He'd be a Kage. The first Yukikage. He rather liked the sound of that.

So it was, wasting no more time, paying no more heed to his niece, Doto reached into the shrine and placed the crystal into the center, into a small hole that had been shaped precisely for it. It fit like a glove, more proof that this was exactly what he had sought. He gave a twist, and pushed it in. And as he watched in awe, taking a step back, it lit up. The whole shrine, then the whole region lit up, lines of energy snaking across the ground in a snowflake pattern, radiating outwards from the shrine towards the standing pillars of ice on all sides. Each one began to glow with an eldritch, eerie light as a distinct hum filled the air. The sound of power. It was intoxicating. Doto could do nothing but stare and grin like the madman he was.

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This was, however, when Team Seven arrived. They'd leapt clear of the sled and left the film people to find secure locations nearby to capture their exploits on film as they'd vanished into the snow near one of the pillars to watch the scene unfold.

The glow from the monuments was fading, however, even as steam began to rise up from the ground. Confused, Doto could only grasp at straws, glancing about furiously.

"Where is the treasure? Where is my weapon?!" he demanded angrily.

Airo, shifting slightly to get a better view, accidentally stretched out a hand, resting it on the monument, and almost immediately snatched it away.

"What is it?" asked Ayami, as she and Naruto glanced her way.

"It's... warm... look!" she whispered, pointing. As the three of them watched, they could visibly see the ice and snow starting to melt. The whole area was filling with watery streams and tiny rivers as the layers of permafrost and snow were melting away. Steam was rising in the air. Something Doto had done hadn't gone according to plan. At least, not his plan... but perhaps someone else's. This place had been designed for something.

"It's a generator," breathed Airo, realization dawning on him. "A power generator... this is a power source. Light and heat and power for all of the Snow Country... powered by old technology."

"That's a treasure?" asked Naruto. "I thought Doto came here after a treasure ..."

"But this is old technology," Ayami added. "Sandayu said that Doto's brother was an expert on it... maybe he misunderstood his brother. Maybe to one man, what is truly treasured..."

"The people most precious to him…" whispered Naruto. "The people of the Snow Country. This was never silver and gold. This was light and heat."

"It seems Doto has come to the same conclusion," remarked Airo, pointing again, where the black-clad shinobi was cursing up a storm. And it looked like he was about to take it out on Koyuki, who was sitting there, dazed.

"I think that's our cue," said Ayami, springing forward. "Princess!"

Doto's enraged blue eyes snapped up to see three shinobi running across the snow in a ragged pattern towards him, the two boys and the girl. Not even their Jonin-sensei was with them, but still, they should've all been dead now. He should've known better than to trust Nadare and his imbecile partners to deal with them. "Must I do everything around here?!" he roared, snapping his hands together to form seals. "Ice Style: Black Dragon Blizzard!" he roared, thrusting out his fist. A wave of black energy shot forward, originating from his fist and speeding towards the Leaf ninjas. It formed into the shape of a black dragon, with burning ruby eyes and a vicious mouth full of teeth.

"NO!" cried the Princess, watching in horror as her only hope was destroyed.

The jutsu hit with the force of gale, slamming into Naruto, Ayami, and Airo, sending them flying through the air as Doto grinned wickedly. But his smirk faded when the bodies of Naruto and Airo puffed out of existence in small explosions, vanishing before his eyes. Ayami, evidently the only real attacker in the bunch, went crashing to the ground, vest torn and ripped down the front and clinging to her only by the shoulders, exposing her grey shirt and the crystal dangling around her neck, as well as the chakra nullifier still attached to her chest. "Y... you've got t... to be k... kidding me... I barely... f...felt a...anything..."

"CLONES?!" Doto cursed.

"Correct!" shouted Naruto, springing out of the snow in his hiding spot, now much closer to Doto and launching a powerful spin kick, aiming for the man's block of a head. Doto blocked, the metal of his gauntlet shuddering from the force of the blow, but it wasn't nearly powerful enough to damage him. He retaliated by throwing out his other fist towards Naruto, but as it connected, the Kyubi users' body exploded as well. Doto cursed again, but he'd been caught off-guard trying cut through the thick smoke even as the real Naruto made his move and latched on to the back of Doto's armor, grabbing at his neck with his arms to try and restrain him. He might as well have been holding down a bull for all the effort he was making, but it served his purpose.

"NOW!"

Doto's eyes opened wide as the pale-eyed Hyuga came rushing across the snow, kicking it up as he leaned forward, palms upraised to deliver one of her wicked Gentle Fist strike. Now struggling in earnest, he grabbed a hold of Naruto's coat and hurled the Uzumaki brat over his shoulder, to let him crash hard against a nearby outcrop of ice where he lay, motionless. But he still wasn't fast enough to avoid what came next. And casually throwing about one of the few people Airo Hyuga called friend was a very, very bad move indeed.

"I..." Airo raised his head as she came in low, Byakugan flashing. "... am going to KILL you!"

His began making handsigns, way too fast for Doto to read. He instantly thrust his hand downward, and clasped his other hand over his wrist. Chakra began to crackle in it, and he charged at Doto, the crackling ball of chakra making the sound of a thousand chirping birds. He plunged it deep into Doto's chest, cracking the little gemstone. Doto punched Airo in the chest, causing him to hit a pillar of ice and weakly slide down.

"I... cracked it... Ayami," he whispered as he laid there, blood pouring from his mouth. "You can... you can do the rest..."

Aware that one last threat was present, Doto turned to see a small army of black-clad, violet-haired girls come charging over at him, as if a sea of black and violet was washing down the hillside. "Can't any of you stupid kids ever die?!" he snarled darkly, hands snapping together to form more seals. "This time I finish you off! Twin Black Dragon Blizzard!!"

Thrusting out both hands in opposing directions, Doto unleashed his ultimate technique, as not one but two blasts of black energy shot fourth from his hands, spinning off in separate directions, and then whirling upwards towards one another in a cyclone of awesome, destructive, power. The black bands took on the form of black, crimson-eyed dragons once more as they shot through the air and whirled down like a hurricane to rip through the ranks of Ayami's Shadow Clones. Many vanished in the span of a heartbeat, puffing out of existence in seconds from the sheer force of the winds destructive power. The power didn't stop with them, however, as the black dragon hurricane crashed into the ground, sending waves of snow and dust up into the air, obscuring vision. Doto, however, was confident his attack had ended the threat of Ayami Hyuga once and for all.

"It is over!" he shouted. "It is ALL OVER!!" Doto threw back his head and laughed cruelly.

Princess Koyuki collapsed, unable to take anymore, falling to her knees as she surveyed the devastation. She'd had no idea Doto was so powerful. He'd swept them all aside like they were nothing to him. She'd been right. There was no hope. There was no spring. There was only death, destruction, and...

"Don't count on it!"

Two sets of blue eyes widened in shock and turned to the source of the call. There, standing on her own two feet, was the one and only Number One Loudest, Short Tempered, Unpredictable Hyperactive Knucklehead Kunoichi Ayami Hyuga. She looked like hell but she'd evidently managed to escape the worst of the blast intact, through frazzled and tossed up.

"This story... is going to have... a happy ending!" shouted Ayami.

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Ayami thrust back her hand to her clone, and it began to swirl chakra around in her cupped hand. The chakra began to gain a definate shape, a ball about the size as a dodge ball. She began to run at Doto, the clone still charging up the ball of chakra.

This was the point that Kakashi Hatake had arrived, having pushed himself to be there for his team. But it seemed there was no need. He could only watch in amazement as he saw Ayami run fearlessly at Doto with a Rasengan, and shake his head in awe. He really needed to stop underestimating that knucklehead, he thought to himself.

"Ayami!" cried out Koyuki suddenly. "I believe in you! The Unlucky Princess accepts you as the greatest ninja ever!" the dark-haired woman shouted, finally, at long last, putting her trust in someone. Daring to hope. Daring to believe... that they could win.

As Ayami and the Shadow Clone Ayami were halfway to their target, the sun finally peeked up over the horizon as the night ended and dawn began. But what was more amazing was when it struck the rainbow glaciers; it lit up in a brilliant display of colors. And these same colors washed over Naruto, Ayami, and Airo, and in particular around the ball of energy swirling in their palms, changing it from a brilliant blue to a myriad of colors. Flaming red. Shining orange. Bright Yellow. Forest Green. Ocean Blue. Nighttime Indigo. Passionate Violet. Seven colors swirling together to form one bright sphere of light.

"The Seven Color Chakra," Naruto breathed in awe, helping Airo to his feet. "Just like the movie."

As it turns out, even Doto was affected by the implications of the light, and couldn't do more than stand there in stunned silence for more than a few minutes until Ayamicame in close, ready to tear him to pieces. He swung out with an arm to stop Ayami and their attack before it collided, but it flew clear over his head, even as the Shadow Clone Ayami came to a stop a few feet away, its part done. With his attack having missed, Doto was wide open, as Ayami reared back her hand.

"Eat this! RASENGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ayami thrust out her hands and slammed the ball of chakra into Doto, and for a moment, it seemed as if time slowed to an absolute stop. And then the full fury of raw chakra slammed full into Doto with the force of a meteor strike, pummeling at him again and again relentlessly as Ayami grimly held on. The force cracked his chakra armor further, shattering the gemstone power source in the center, and then further breaking the armor down until it was practically pulverized into iron dust. A hurricane smashed into Doto, or so it seemed, sending him flying, spinning wildly out of control, through the air. His impromptu flight was halted by one of the stone pillars as he crashed into the side of it on his back hard enough to shatter the foot-thick ice.

For a moment he simply hung there, suspended, and then Doto came crashing down to earth, landing unceremoniously beneath the bottom of the glacier. But no one was paying the slightest bit of attention to him now. They could only stare as their breath was stolen away by an even greater sight.

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As the ice shattered on the glacier, it seemed as if a wave swept over the landscape. As they watched, snow completely vanished in seconds, not melting, completely vanished right before their eyes. Replacing the snow was grass, grass as green as any found in the Hidden Leaf Village, and cool blue watery ponds and lakes. Flowers sprouted up everywhere, a myriad of colors. Red, yellow, green, blue, violet. The seven colors of the rainbow, all encompassed by the bright green that filled the senses.

Airo, unable to believe his eyes, tucked his bangs behind his ears to get a proper look around, his own eyes wide in astonishment. Even Kakashi felt like pinching himself. This couldn't be real ... could it? But it was, he realized. Real grass beneath his feet. He leaned down to pluck some up and be certain. It even smelled real. This was no Genjutsu. Somehow, the machine, the old technology, had been properly reactivated. It had brought back the one thing the Snow Country had thought lost forever.

Spring.

The Director and his crew stared in awe as they gaped at the sight. "Can this be?!" the assistant director shouted, adjusting his cap. "WE'RE MAKING THIS MOVIE 3-D!!"

And there was something else. As he watched, an image formed high up in the sky between the ice glaciers. Some hidden projectors that were in the old technology were conjuring up a very old image, blurred and indistinct on the edges but undeniably there. It was a little girl. A little dark-haired girl of maybe six or seven, and it did not take a genius to note the similarities of the dark-haired girl image and the dark-haired Princess who stood on shaky legs below, watching in awe.

"Believe in the future," came a kindly male voice, echoing in the valley from hidden speakers. "If you believe, Spring will come. Koyuki... what would you like to do when Spring comes?"

"I want to be a Princess," replied the image of the girl above, with all the enthusiasm of a child behind her.

"Oh?" came the kindly male voice again. "What sort of Princess?" asked the voice. A voice the older Koyuki recognized.

"Father... " she whispered, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"A kind, strong one," replied the younger Koyuki. "A princess who..."

"... believes in justice..."

"... believes in justice!"

"That's going to take a lot of hard work," the voice replied again. "But if you don't give up, and keep on believing in your dreams... one day, for sure... you will become one." As they watched, the image above blurred faintly, and another figure joined the first, a tall, kindly-faced man who's resemblance to Koyuki and Doto was readily apparent in his long, dark hair and his blue eyes. He wore a set of stately robes and a pair of glasses rested on his nose. But whereas Doto's face had been twisted by arrogance and cruelty, this face was marked by kindness and compassion. This was the real lord of the Snow Country, who had passed away, but still watched over it ... and over his daughter, the Princess.

As Koyuki watched her father, who seemed to be smiling down at her in particular, she couldn't help herself any longer, and the tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried. Not just in sorrow, but with joy. Her father's dream, of a Spring, had been realized. And as she came to understand that, she turned her head, and regarded her companions in new light.

Ayami, who lay on the grassy ground with a goofy smile on her face. She worked hard for her dream of becoming Hokage and great kunoichi, but had also worked just as hard to protect, to help, to save people and show them that they could have their dreams as well, if they really tried. And then there was Airo, pervy and caring for his favorite little sister, though there was a great feud there between them. Kakashi, fighting for his team, his dream to see theirs fulfilled. Sandayu, who died trying to see this world. Even the film-makers and the cast of the silly little movie. They'd worked hard for their dream of a happy ending.

"But I am not quite decided yet," the image of the younger Koyuki said. "There's one other thing I want to become..."

"Oh?" asked the image of her father, seemingly surprised. "What's that?"

"... an actress..."

"An actress!"

Tears streamed down Koyuki's cheeks, as the hard ice around her heart had melted, and she let herself go freely with the emotions that surged through her. But she wasn't sad. She was laughing as she cried, even as the image of her younger self and her father faded away. She knew they would always be with her. The young Princess she'd been hadn't died so long ago, as she'd sometimes thought. She'd been with her all along.

Lying on her back, completely exhausted after her Rasengan, Ayami managed a smile as the image above faded away.

"Hoo-boy... now that's a happy ending..." she sighed out, before losing consciousness. A butterfly landed on her headband, and hse didn't even notice. She were completely drained. But completely happy. Even fast asleep, a big smile refused to leave her face.

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In the many weeks following the battle at the Rainbow Glaciers, things had been very, very busy indeed.

First of all, the film crew had regrouped and gathered up the sleds, helping to move the Princess and her escorts down to the village they'd originally been headed for, taking up temporary shelter there while Team Seven healed. Fortunately, injuries weren't quite as bad as they'd feared. Ayami, though completely exhausted, was unmarked once her torn clothes had been removed and replaced. As they feared, her breastbone, collarbone and ribs were fractured and broken in several places. They'd even managed to find a retired medic-nin in the village that was able to finally remove the hated chakra nullifier, though Kakashi had done his best to direct the doctors away from the violet-haired girl while she rested lest they notice her unusual recovery. Content she was out of danger, he had them focused their efforts on Airo and Naruto instead, who were in not as bad of a condition. Airo had fractured a rib during the fight with Doto, and it was nothing short of amazement he hadn't blacked out long before the final blow had been struck from the pain. Naruto was relatively fine, if covered in bad bruises and with a split lip that seemed to hurt every time he smiled. And he simply couldn't stop smiling. But both of them would be alright with a day or two of rest. Or at least able to travel.

Less than a week later, Team Seven and Koyuki entered the capitol of the Snow Country, as the reformed Princess assumed the mantle of leadership following the defeat of Doto Kazahana, her uncle. One of her very first executive decisions was to have him locked up in a dungeon in the very farthest, iciest regions of the north, where, apparently, the generator's power could not reach. There he would languish in the cold he so preferred.

Her second decision was to disband the Village Hidden in the Snow and declare them fugitives, to be jailed on sight. Most of them fled south, towards warmer climates, and found themselves employed to other Hidden Villages or running wild as missing-nin. Some even, or so it was rumored, wound up in Hidden Sound as experiments for the snake-eyed Orochimaru, who was curious to learn more about the ice-jutsu bloodline that some of the Snow ninja shared.

It was snowing in the streets the day of Koyuki Kazahana's coronation as Queen, but it wasn't snowing particles of ice. It was snowing showers of white flower petals. Whole legions of people had turned out to see her ascension to the throne, not the least of which was Team Seven, who stood in the very front row. Ayami and Naruto yelled and waved, while the others also looked enthusiastic, if slightly more restrained in their cheering. For a while, Koyuki was a little scared, but all she had to do was think of them, think of their courage and their wisdom, the wisdom of children, and know she's set herself on the right course of action.

Fireworks exploded overhead in the seven colors of the rainbow.

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After the ceremony, when things quieted down, she met with them again. One last time before Team Seven was scheduled to return to The Village Hidden in the Leaves. Koyuki had briefly considered offering them a home here, positions of honor, personal bodyguards of the new Queen. But she knew they'd never accept. This wasn't their home. Just like the Fire Country wasn't hers. Besides, Naruto would never leave. Not until he was Hokage, she thought with a smile. Neither would Ayami. At least, not until she became the best kunoichi ever bred within the Leaf's boundaries, or Hokage.

But for right now, they had some time to talk. And she had some time to make amends for past mistakes.

There was one thing, however, that puzzled Airo, and he disliked puzzles. "What happened with that old technology... if it worked, why didn't Sosetsu Kazahana activate it years before hand?"

She smiled at that. "It was incomplete," she stated. "When Ayami threw the traitor into the glacier he broke something... and reawakened it, I think."

Ayami had the good grace to look sheepish at that, rubbing the back of her head. Kakashi could only shake his head ruefully. The Genin made the impossible possibl ... and without realizing what they were doing half of the time. They were less a shinobi than a force of nature.

"So there's going to be winter again?" asked Ayami, tugging down lightly on the collar of her formal light purple kimono. She'd never felt completely comfortable in such formal garb, but Kakashi had insisted Team Seven be presentable at this function. Naruto looked much the same in his black formal robe and hakama. Airo didn't look phased, but then again, he rarely did. Kakashi had been grateful for a chance to remove his Chunin jacket, and was adorned in an onyx robe and hakama.

"No, not at all," replied Koyuki, holding the amethyst pendant hanging from her neck briefly. "We will study it properly, and figure out how it works. And if...no when," she corrected herself. "When we figure out how to refine it, the Snow Country will be called the Spring Country. Someday."

"It will be a shame though," said Ayami, eyes downcast. "I mean, you won't be able to continue your acting if you're a Queen..."

"Who said I was going to quit?" asked Koyuki lightly, a smirk on her lips as she saw the stunned reactions of Team Seven. "As monarch and actress, I will do show that you can do both," she stated firmly. "After all... it is foolish to give up on your dreams, isn't it?" holding up a script underneath her arm.

Kakashi's onyx eye grew wide at the sight of the title. "T-that's...!" he stuttered, unable to utter a single sentence. "S-she's p-perfect…"

Giggling softly behind her hand, the monarch of the Snow Country knelt down and gently took Ayami into her arms in a warm embrace. "Thank you for everything. All of you," she said, as she released her and gave Naruto one as well, ignoring how undignified her staff would've called her. Right now, she didn't care. She hesitated when she came to Airo, but ultimately gave him a hug as well, though it was exceedingly brief. She drew herself up to her full height then, and bowed formally before them. Team Seven returned the gesture.

"Farewell!" she said, lifting up her robes and making her way off. However, if Queen Koyuki hoped to make a quick escape, she quickly found her way cut off by a hoard of small children begging for her autograph. However, unlike before, this time she took the time to sign a few, smiling, giving words of encouragement. She was a changed woman. And she owed it all to them.

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As the ship pulled out of the harbor, and Team Seven bid farewell to the Snow Country and their mission, returning to the Hidden Leaf. The life of a shinobi had its wonders and it's fun but always at the end they had to make their way home for the next mission. Idly, Kakashi wondered if they would start pulling A-rank missions the way his team was doing so well in their time in the field. Or even S-rank. Koyuki had even been generous enough to fund their mission in the light of Sandayu's tragic demise. And she'd slipped a little bonus to Kakashi when his students had been out of sight. It was a tiny package he showed them now. Anxious to see what lay within, Ayami and Naruto urged him to open it, he gave the usual "Keep your headbands on!" and he dutifully obliged on a small crate nearby so they could all see it's contents.

Inside... well... not quite what they'd expected. Money, to be sure. About a ten percent extra that the mission's original cost at a rough guess. But something underneath. Brushing the money aside, Kakashi reached in and drew them out.

"So this was what she had in mind... clever..." remarked Kakashi.

During the formal ceremonies, seemingly on a whim, Koyuki had requested the team come by in full shinobi gear for a special photograph she had in mind, and rejoined them in full costume and make up as Princess Gale. One of the photographers from the filming crew had snapped the picture of them all striking heroic poses around her, not unlike her regular companions Tsukuyaku, Shishimaru and Brit. It looked like a screenshot from an actual movie, if a fantastical one.

Koyuki Kazahana, or Princess Gale, as she was in the image, stood dead center, ceremonial sword upraised as if to unleash the power of the Seven Color Chakra to whoever was gazing upon them. Standing in front of her and slightly to the left was the orange-clad, spiky blonde image of a thirteen year old shinobi boy, who'd palmed a trio of kunai between the fingers of his fist, ready to let them fly. Further to the left and behind both of them was the black spiky haired boy with his hands snapped in midseal, prepared to unleash the Chidori. To their right, and also before Koyuki was a white-eyed girl, hands snapped into the distinct Shadow Clone Jutsu seal. And slightly behind her and further right was the image of a now onyx and ruby eyed man in alternating green and navy, hands clasped before him in the seal of the tiger, though what jutsu he was about to unleash, none could say.

And the Queen had made four copies, and signed all of them. One for each member of Team Seven. Unable to contain himself, Kakashi read each one aloud as he passed them to their respective new owners.

"Naruto Uzumaki," handing it to the blonde boy with the eager smile. "Never give up on your dream of becoming Hokage. Yukie Fujikaze." She must've decided to use her stage name in an effort not to confuse those who were unaware of the events in the Snow Country the past few days.

"Ayami Hyuga," handing the next to the white-eyed, spirited kunoichi. "In my eyes, you already are the best kunoichi ever bred within the Hidden Leaf. Yukie Fujikaze." Ayami blushed sheepishly at that and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Airo Hyuga," as he offered the copy to the Byakugan/Sharingan user. "Best of luck in becoming a pimp. Yukie Fujikaze." Airo accepted it quietly, nodding.

"And... Kakashi Hatake," he added, examining his own more closely. "Never be afraid to show the world what you can do. Yukie Fujikaze. PS: I know you're looking forward to seeing me in the adaptation of Make-Out Paradise: The Movie." He smiled and blushed at that. Most of them did.

"First thing I do when I'm Hokage is frame this in my office," Naruto stated proudly, eagerly tucking the picture into his pack for safekeeping. Ayami smiled at that. She'd be keeping hers safe, Hanabi would be all over her, shouting "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WERE IN A PICTURE WITH YUKIE FUJIKAZE!!!!!! THE YUKIE FUJIKAZE!!!!!!!!!" while Hiashi would be "Why do you disgrace the Hyuga Clan by using that jutsu? You are…" But she really didn't care. She would keep it safe… forever. She smirked at Naruto. "You mean MY office."

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Their mission money divided up, equal shares four ways, as was Kakashi's way, and their autographed photos stashed away for safekeeping, Team Seven settled back to enjoy the voyage home with varying degrees of eagerness and reluctance. After all, the Snow Country hadn't been so very bad as all that. Not counting the wolfish Snow ninja and Doto, and maybe some bad weather. And lack of hot water for showers and ramen, things which Naruto and Ayami missed most of all whenever they were away from the Leaf.

No, not so bad as all that.

All in all, the team was rather subdued as they voyaged back to the Fire Country and to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, their home. This hadn't been their first mission outside of their own borders but it had certainly been memorable, and it was doubtful any of them would ever forget it.

The first night out, Naruto and Ayami were so exhausted he slept like a log, but Naruto found himself up early in the morning to catch the rising sunlight. So once again he trailed his way up the stairs from below deck and his cabin, leaving Shino to sleep. Or, leaving Airo lying down, at least. Naruto had never been one hundred percent certain which was the case with his Hyuga teammate. So he strolled the deck, arms outstretched, letting the still cool but no longer biting cold air rustle his blonde locks. He felt invigorated. Somehow, he felt he'd taken a big step towards become Hokage on this mission. And it thrilled him. The moon wasn't visible, the sky was almost a pale purple as the sun started to rise on the horizon, bathing the ship in a golden glow. It also illuminated, standing by the bow once more...

"Ayami," he called out, though not too loudly. The crew of the ship had been up early but it was still a bit early for yelling.

She started, but gave a big smile as she saw who it was emerging from the early morning shadows. "Naruto," she said. "Can't sleep?"

"Nawh," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Way too restless. You?"

"The same," she replied, stepping aside to give him room. He joined her at the bow of the ship, resting his arms on the railing to peer out at the dark ocean. "Just... thinking."

"Me too. This was a good mission," he declared.

He draped an arm over her shoulders, causing her to blush. She turned to face him, but as she did, he gave her a light peck. Ayami could've passed out right there. Naruto ruffled her hair, like Airo did to her. "If either of us becomes Hokage, we're the fillins." Ayami nodded. "Agreed."

And they stood there side by side, watching the horizon. And watching the future as it unfolded.

It truly was… a very happy ending.

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