Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
The Shinobi Knight
Chapter7: Ice and Snow
Land of Lightning: Kumogakure no Sato / Raikage Tower
"Hold on a second...let me get this straight...not only did you defeat Momochi Zabuza and...Acquired a bloodline user for Kumo but you also gained the loyalty of another nation and fought some dark version of Naruto?" E asked incredulously.
"Well when you put it like that..." Naruto muttered sheepishly.
"Yo the dark guy we fought is Naruto's darkness; that never happened to me. Fools, ya fools," Kirabi answered.
"...Right," E said as he felt a headache coming on. "Do we have any idea where this...thing...went?" he questioned.
"He disappeared as soon as Kirabi-sensei arrived," Yugito replied and the Raikage nodded in understanding.
"...If you encounter this...Yami again then I want you to either capture him or kill him...understood?" E asked in clarification.
"Understood Raikage-sama," the team knew not question his orders on this.
"He'll be coming after me sir," Naruto spoke up. "He wants to kill me...and I will have to face him sooner or later."
"And by that time you will ready, my brother will see to that," E responded in a serious tone. "Now that the issue with Wave is out of the way...Haku was it?" the girl in question nodded in reply. "What do you wish to do? You can join Kumo if you wish and I will even place you on the same team as these two."
"I'd like that Raikage-sama," Haku said with a bow.
"You said two Raikage-sama," Yugito picked up.
"Yes, I'm reorganizing Team B," E clarified. "Kirabi, I need you here in Kumo for the next few months until the Chunin Exams are over."
"Chunin Exams?" Naruto blinked.
"It's the exam which Genin take to become Chunin...aren't they being held in Konoha this time?" Yugito asked.
"Yes they are however you won't be entering the exams," E said firmly.
"What? Why not?" Yugito questioned.
"What do you think Konoha would do if Naruto were to step foot in the village?" E shot back and everyone fell quiet.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what Konoha would try to pull...
...They would want to capture or kill him.
"So they can't take the exams this time around...that still doesn't explain why I'm on the rebound," Kirabi said from the side.
"...Konoha know Naruto is here in Kumo," E declared to the room. "Wars have been started over less and I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to pull something."
"...Fine; I'll still here," Kirabi sighed.
"Team B will be reorganized into Naruto, Yugito-Chan and Haku. Haku you will have the rank of Genin until I say otherwise," E spoke clearly.
"Yes Raikage-sama," Haku nodded in understanding.
"Good...now Team B, I have a mission for you," the three Genin immediately straightened as his aide handed them a file. "Her name is Fujikaze Yukie; she's an actress who is rather famous in the movie industry. Currently she is working on a new Princess Gale movie and they are filming it in the Land of Snow. Ten years ago the Land of Snow was in a state of civil war with one side being aided by Yukigakure no Sato; the result was the Daimyo murdered and Koyuki-hime forced into hiding. These days Yukigakure no Sato has become...erratic and prone to attack anyone who enters the Land of Snow."
"We're supposed to guard Yukie-san?" Yugito inquired.
"Correct; Yukie-san has a large amount of power despite the fact that she doesn't use it. To the public she is a symbol of hope in this chaotic world we live in though from what I'm told she doesn't seem to care," E replied gruffly. "Your mission is to simply guard her; normally this is a B-rank mission however there is a possibility that you may encounter Jonin so this will be classed as an A-rank mission...understood?"
"Wouldn't this be better for Chunin and Jonin Raikage-sama?" Yugito asked confused.
"Normally yes however missions are erratic right not because of the exams and quite frankly I want you three as far away from Konoha and Kumo as long as the exams are going on. Understood?" E concluded.
"Yes Raikage-sama," the three Genin answered as one.
"Good; you've proven yourselves capable in the Land of Wave so I expect you to keep it up. Dismissed," the Raikage ordered and the three disappeared out of the door.
"Isn't this too soon? They may go ka-boom," asked his younger brother.
"I wouldn't have assigned them this mission if I didn't have faith in them," E replied as he leaned back in his chair. "Those three are exceptionally powerful from what I read in your report...but they need experience...before it happens."
"What's this 'it' that's got you in such a fit?" Kirabi inquired.
"War," the Raikage answered gruffly.
"According to the file Yukie-san should be in the Land of Grass right now and will be continuing onto the Land of Rivers in a few days. We should catch up with them at the Land of Rivers...at least then I'll be able to sense them without the inference from other chakra signatures," Yugito spoke up.
"Then let's go; the sooner we get there the soon we find out client. Haku?" Naruto said and then turned to their new teammate.
"We do not wish to run into any...hostile forces," Haku responded after a moment. "We should try to mask our presence as much as possible until we reach our client."
"I agree...tell us what to do," Yugito said to the other girl.
They set off a few minutes later with Haku leading the way, mostly because of her training to hide her presence at all cost and to keep the team relatively undetected until they passed through the Land of Fire and into the Land of Rivers.
Land of Rivers: Film Crew Campsite
Pandemonium.
That's the only word to describe the situation at the campsite as the camera crews ran frantically throughout the area, searching for something or someone. This was the scene that Team B arrived to as they landed on the branches of a nearby tree.
"...Hello?" Naruto spoke up catching the attention of the man in charge. "We're ninja from Kumo here to guard an actress known as Fujikaze Yukie," he said the man immediately sighed in relief.
"I've been expecting you; my name is Sandayu and I am Yukie's manager," spoke a man off to the side.
"Where is Yukie-san?" asked Yugito.
"She's..." the film director off to the side sighed at the question.
"What was that?" Naruto blinked.
"She's run away again," the director stated clearly.
"...Run away again? How often does this happen?" Naruto asked after a moment.
"Well...every few hours since we started heading for the Land of Snow," Sandayu admitted.
"...Right...Yugito, can you find her?" Naruto asked, turning to his fellow Jinchuuriki.
The Nibi Jinchuuriki nodded and turned towards the east, "there is only one chakra signature in the area and it's that way."
"Haku you take the lead," Naruto said as he turned to his other teammate.
"Stay close," Haku said to the two blonds before she took off into the trees.
Her teammates followed a moment later...
She had to get away...
She couldn't go back...
Not to there, not to the place that took her father away from her...
She couldn't go back...
She'd die if she did...
She didn't have any fear of death, far from it actually, she wanted to die...
She just didn't want to give those bastards the satisfaction of finally putting her out of her misery.
'I must get away,' was the only thought running through Fujikaze Yukie's head as she ran through the forest towards the Land of Fire border.
Thump
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned swiftly to check the source of the sound. Immediately she spotted three figures drop down from the trees; one boy and two girls ranging from the ages of twelve to fourteen.
"Fujikaze Yukie?" asked the blond girl of the group.
"What's it to you?" Yukie shot back as she clutched the purple necklace around her neck.
"We're your guards and right now you're needed back at the camp. Come on," the boy said seemingly bored.
"I'm not going back there," Yukie said with a look of disgust.
"...Haku," Naruto said after a moment and a moment later the older girl appeared behind Yukie. One chop to the neck later and Yukie collapsed in her arms, "why do I get the feeling this will be a long mission?"
"Don't jinx it," Yugito shot back.
"We should return to camp before dusk," Haku said as she hefted the actress onto her shoulder and they took off into the trees a moment later...
Hiding on one of the tree branches nearby was a single masked man dressed in a long gray cloak and bearing the hitai of Yukigakure no Sato. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the three Genin leave with their objective and knew he had to report this to his superiors.
Silently he disappeared into the trees towards the landing site...
Land of Snow: Yuki Airship / Ocean
The room was silent as the film played on the wall screen in the darkened room of the airship and the occupants couldn't help but feel amused at what they saw. The Daimyo of the Land of Snow, a man named Kazahana Doto paused the film and spoke with great amusement in his voice.
"We've finally found her," Doto's voice echoed through the room. "And she even has the Hex Crystal...how interesting."
"Her escort is a team from Kumo," started Roga Nadare. "She is being guarded by Team B; students of Yotsuki Kirabi."
"They're just Genin; they're not a threat," continued Fuyukuma Mizore.
"I wouldn't be so sure; you know as well as I do the things Kirabi-san has done and how strong he is. I doubt he would teach just anyone," countered Kakuyoku Fubuki.
"She's right...his other students and especially that bitch, Samui aren't normal at all. We should be careful," finished Nadare. The recording them resumed for a moment before it was paused again, this time with the picture of all three Genin together. "Who are these Genin exactly?" he inquired curiously.
"The girl on the left is Nii Yugito, the granddaughter of the Sandaime Raikage and is unquestionably skilled in the ninja arts. According to our spies the other girl is Momochi Haku, the former apprentice of Momochi Zabuza, a member of the seven shinobi swordsman of the mist. Finally is the boy...his entire file is classified above top secret and we couldn't get much information on him," Fubuki explained.
"Yeah according to our spies he was originally from Konoha and failed the graduation exam three times but he managed to kill a Chunin before escaping the village with the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing. He's now a member of Kumo and is said to be the main reason that the Land of Wave is now free from the business tycoon. Gato," finished Mizore.
"What about Konoha? What do they say about him?" Nadare inquired.
"They don't say anything about him...Jiraiya-sama's spy network neutralises almost all of our spies that go to Konoha but...the ones that have survived reported that this kid has been all but ignored by the populace. Officially he doesn't exist," Fubuki answered.
"Now that is interesting..." Nadare mused with a smirk as he walked in front of the image.
"Oh?" Doto said with a raised eyebrow.
"This boy must be something dangerous if Konoha is trying so hard to erase his name from their village," Nadare's smirk started to widen. His hand rest on the image of the blond boy, "I wonder why."
"We will find out soon enough...just bring me the Hex Crystal," Doto gave the order.
Land of Snow: Film Ship / Ocean
Yukie groaned as she awakened from her slumber just long enough to roll over away from the sunlight that came in through the window. The room felt like it was swaying and her head was pounding as she tried to sit up.
"Yukie-sama...are you awake?" asked a voice which she recognised immediately.
"Sandayu...could you get me a glass of water? My head won't stop spinning," she said as she rubbed her eyes to clear them of sleep. "This is going to sound crazy but is feels like the room is swaying," she added.
"Erm...well...actually it's not all that crazy," Sandayu said nervously.
"...What?" she blinked only for him t point out of the window at the sea outside. "Oh no," she muttered before she jumped out of bed and dashed to the door. She swung it open and ran down the corridor until she reached the door at the end. She swung it open and stepped out only to step onto the main deck of the large ship, "you have got to be kidding me!"
Such was the life of a famous actress...
"I see she's as cheerful as ever," Yugito said sarcastically as she looked over at the actress getting fixed up for the recording session.
"It's not so bad," Naruto said with a sigh. "We could have a bloodthirsty maniac with a giant sword after us again...no offense Haku."
"None taken," Haku waved it away as she tapped the Kubikiri Hōchō.
"Let's hope we don't run into one this time around," Yugito shrugged.
Land of Snow: Iceberg / Ocean
"An iceberg? I know this is the Land of Snow and all but what's with a single iceberg in the middle of nowhere right in our path?" Naruto asked confused.
"It is strange..." Haku commented.
"That's because it was formed from chakra," Yugito whispered to them. "The iceberg was made by someone who can control ice," she added.
"Ice? Haku?" Naruto asked as he turned to the girl.
She shook her head in response, "don't look at me."
"Well if it wasn't you then who was it? I doubt there are any other Hyoton bloodline wielders out there," Naruto countered.
"Yuki nins are famous for their usage of Hyoton jutsu," Yugito cut in. "Anyone with wind and water affinities are capable of using Hyoton jutsu but only those with it engraved into their bloodline can do it without training."
"So that means..." Naruto trailed off.
"Someone's out there," Haku nodded in conclusion.
"I can sense them...there's three of them on the iceberg...what do we do?" Yugito asked. "Do we run or..." she trailed off.
"A fight? Are you serious?" Naruto asked as a grin started to spread across his face. A sudden explosion on the iceberg caught their attention, "I don't think that was part of the movie."
"Let's go," Yugito said as the three jumped in front of the actors and Yukie.
"Come out! We know your there!" Naruto shouted and (though the camera crew seemed confused) a man dressed in strange armour appeared on top of the nearby cliff.
"Welcome friends...to the Land of Snow," the man said with a sneer.
"The other two are to the left and right," Yugito spoke up as another two Yuki nins appeared from the snow in the directs she said.
"Greetings Princess Koyuki, I do hope you're still carrying the Hex Crystal," the pink-haired kunoichi said with a smirk.
"Princess Koyuki..." Yugito thought as she cast a look back at Yukie.
"It looks like you're as good as they say Yugito-san," the man on the right said.
'I knew this was going to be a long mission,' Naruto thought as he clenched his fists at his side.
And it started off as such a nice escort mission...
Author's Notes:
The Snow Arc Begins! Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow!
As you can see I'm not having Team B go to Konoha for the exams because to me I doubt Konoha would actually allow him to enter the village without pulling something. Haku has indeed joined the team and the team now fits with two girls and one guy on the team (like Omoi, Samui and Karui). I always felt that the Anime never really explained why Yuki nins and Kakashi could use Hyoton jutsu when it was considered a bloodline so I wrote it like this.
I will tell you though that once this arc is over you will be very surprised at what Yami does and how far I will leave canon Naruto. I know some of you don't like Yami but in my defence I've tried to make him a classic ultimate bad guy on par surpassing Madara. I do this because it adds more flavour to the storyline instead of the same old stuff that everyone else uses over and over again.
As for the long names of the knights' abilities, I do apologise for them but I just can't find a decent translator to use. I typed in what I wanted translated and it came out like that and yes I realise it is a mouthful but it can't really be helped. However future knights' abilities will be much, much shorter than that though for the white and black knights those are its primary attacks for the moment.
Translation
Kubikiri Hōchō = Decapitating Carving Knife
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