Blu: Today's episode...or tonight's episode...or this afternoon's episode...
Naruto: Get on with it!!
Blu: This episode is focused on Yukimaru and her clan! So, for those Yukimaru lovers out there, I hope you enjoy this particular chapter! And you better, because it's over 13,000 words, not counting this author's note! So…on with the fic!!
Disclaimer: Blu Rose doesn't own the Naruto or Disgaea series. They respectively belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the guys at Nippon-Ichi.
X-X-X
To quote a famous person whose name shall not be mentioned, "Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood." For one certain Kunoichi, while she cannot see it, mere memories of snow make her remember the past...remember her childhood...remember her clan...
X-X-X
:Episode 9:
:A Tale of Two Ninja:
X-X-X
"Big brother!" A little demon girl exclaimed as she ran through the snow, trying to catch up to the taller, dark-haired figure wearing mostly white and ice-blue robes. Snow drifted down lazily from the cloudy sky and landed on the girl's head, powdering her hair. The dark-haired person stopped walking and the girl caught up to him immediately. She bent over and began to pant, though she still managed to ask, "Where are going...so early in the morning, big brother?"
The dark-haired person turned around, revealing himself to be a young man with long, dark hair and ice blue eyes. "I'm going out of the village to train."
"So early?" The little girl pouted and stood up straight. "Well...can I at least go with you?"
"You're too young to be doing things like this. Besides, I work better alone." He turned around and began to walk away from the girl. The wind picked up and the snow hid him from sight until he disappeared.
The girl bit her lower lip and a sob escaped her lips. "Fubuki..."
X-X-X
The next day, in the courtyard of the Overlord's castle, the vassals were training on some practice dummies. Yukimaru, on the other hand, was sleeping underneath a tree.
"Zzz... Zzz... Zzz..." A shadow suddenly overcast the Snow Kunoichi while she snoozed away.
"YUUUUUUKIMARUUUUUUU!!"
"AAAAHHHH!!" Yukimaru's eyes suddenly snapped open and she saw a smirking Naruto staring down at her. "Ah, Naruto-sensei!! I-I was just resting my eyes for a second!"
The orange-clad ninja arched an eyebrow. "That's the oldest excuse in the book, you know." He sat down next to his apprentice and sighed. "Okay, what's the problem?"
"Huh?" The dark-haired kunoichi shook her head. "There isn't a problem, zam! I'm fine, really!"
"You've been spacing out and falling asleep ever since we got back from Holt Village. It's been pretty obvious ever since that time when we were playing Prinny ball and you just stood there and let the Prinny hit you in the face and explode."
Yukimaru looked at the ground and remained silent for a while. "...I...I am jealous of Adell-san."
Naruto blinked. "Huh? What for?"
"Seeing him with his family...and the fact that his brother and sister are now vassals here as well..."
"Fire in the hole!!" Hanako shouted from somewhere else in courtyard as she whipped out a bazooka.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Adell shouted while Taro's eyes became large and blank and his mouth hung open. "H-hanako, put that away!! You'll kill someone with that thing!"
"Oh, relax, Adell! If it wasn't safe for me to use, Rozie wouldn't have let me buy it!" Hanako said with a grin as she attempted to remain balanced while holding the bazooka that had to be three times her size.
"I highly doubt that bazookas are deemed as kid-safe!!" Her redheaded brother shouted again. Taro's expression still hadn't changed.
"I'm not stupid enough to use live ammunition! I'm using Prinnies."
Adell blinked. He then folded his arms across his chest and smiled. "Good! So long as you're not using live ammuni-- Wait, you're using Prinnies?!" He shouted as his eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Yup. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna start where I left off."
"No, wait--!!"
Ignoring the loud explosion that came from the background, Yukimaru continued, "It's made me quite homesick, you see." She then looked up at the sky sadly. "I miss the feeling of snow beneath my feet...the crisp air against my face...most importantly, I miss my family..."
"I know what you mean... There are times when I think about Konoha and I get depressed..." Naruto gave a sigh. "But, if this all keeps up, you're gonna wind up getting yourself killed in battle!"
"I know, zam...!" The Snow Kunoichi got to her knees and bowed to the taller ninja. "Please, tell me what I must do to stop this feeling, Naruto-sensei!"
"H-hey!! Stop that!" The blonde grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back up into a sitting position. "The best way to get rid of home sickness would be...to just go home, don't you think?"
"Huh?" Yukimaru sweatdropped. "'Just go home'? ...Why didn't I think of that, zam? I'll just go home and--" She suddenly stopped speaking and slumped over, an aura of sadness appearing around her. "I...cannot do that, zam."
"Eh? Why the heck not?!"
"Because there is no way that I could go home without Miss Rozalin's permission, zam. I am your vassal, and you are Miss Rozalin's vassal, and that makes me her vassal as well."
Naruto squinted his eyes and took on a pose similar to that of the Thinker--though it just looked like he was constipated to the dark-haired demon ninja. After a few minutes had passed, the orange-clad ninja jumped up from his spot and shouted, "I got it!! All we have to do is convince Rozalin to let all of us go on a vacation!"
"Va...vacation?!" Yukimaru exclaimed with her eyes wide and blank and her mouth hanging open. "But I thought we were trying to bring me home!"
"That's what we're gonna do. All we have to do is make it sound like...uh, where is your home, anyway?"
"The land of the Snow Clan is in the coldest area of the Northern region of the Netherworld--Honshu. My home, the village of Snow Melody, is in the middle of the snowy plains that seem to last forever."
Naruto blinked. "Snowy plains...? So, it snows a lot over there?"
"It's always snowing, zam. That's how we of the Snow Clan have managed to perfect multiple snow-based techniques."
"Ohhhh...!" A wicked look appeared in Naruto's eyes as he rubbed his chin in an intellectual manner. "I'm coming up with a plan...! A plan that Rozalin won't be able to resist! Heh-heh-heh...!" In the background, he didn't notice his apprentice shaking in fear at the look in his eyes.
X-X-X
Later, in the throne room, Naruto, Yukimaru, and the little black Prinny walked up to Rozalin's throne.
"Hm?" The blonde Overlord arched an eyebrow as she stared down at her vassals. "What are you doing here? Don't you have work to do?"
"Actually, Rozalin, we've come with a proposition," the orange-clad ninja stated in a business-like tone.
"Oh? And what is it that you propose, Naruto?"
"A vacation."
After a few seconds, Rozalin tried to stifle her laughter, but she couldn't help herself. "Haha... Hahahaha!! You're joking, aren't you? We had a vacation just a while ago."
A vein began to throb on Naruto's forehead. A...a while ago?! That was months ago!! And we didn't even get to the beach!!" He exploded, shaking his arms frantically in the air.
The demoness nodded her head and sighed. "You're right... And I was looking so forward to it? Do you want to try and go to the beach again, or do you think we'll stumble across some more of your old friend?"
"Nope! This proposition is about vacationing in...the lovely, snowy, winter wonderland that is Honshu!!" The orange-clad teen exclaimed as he spread his arms out and gave a big grin. "We can have winter sports..." The Prinny was suddenly skiing past Naruto's feet, wearing a black and red beanie with a pair of goggles. "Sit around a warm fire and sip cocoa..." The Prinny and Yukimaru were now sitting around a small fire, sipping some cocoa and roasting marshmallows. "And, best of all, snowball fights!" At those words, the Prinny pulled a perfect snowball from its fanny pack and hit Naruto upside the head with it.
In response to the blonde's glare, the Prinny responded, "What? Dood, you said to act out what you said..."
After wiping the snow off of him, Naruto looked up at Rozalin. "So, what do you say?"
The Overlord tapped her cheek with her index finger. "I say...no."
The human teen's mouth dropped and Yukimaru's eyes became wide and blank. "WHAAAAAAT?!"
"Dooood...!" The Prinny moaned as a large drop of sweat ran down the side of his head.
"Why should I have to visit such a place? From what I've read about it, there's nothing but snow and cold!" Rozalin folded her arms across her chest and turned her head away from her vassals.
"B-but Miss Rozalin!! Honshu is so much more than mere snow! There are lovely sights to see as well! There's a forest with a glade where there are lovely crystals, wonderful land formations, and at night, the sky is filled with beautiful lights of almost every color you can imagine!" Yukimaru exclaimed with tears welling up in her eyes.
Curiosity finally appeared in Rozalin's eyes as she looked down at the dark-haired kunoichi. "...Really?"
A glint appeared in Naruto's eyes. 'She's almost down! Time for the final blow!' "And if you go, you can..." He looked down at the Prinny and nodded. The little black Prinny reached into its fanny pack and pulled out a fashion magazine. Naruto opened the magazine to a certain page and showed it to Rozalin. "This!!"
"Oh!" Rozalin stood up from her throne, walked up to Naruto and stared at the contents of the magazine's pages. "...Inform the vassals!! We're taking a vacation to Honshu!!" She exclaimed.
"Hooray!" Yukimaru cheered as a waterfall of tears streamed down her cheeks and she held her hands together. "Thank you so very much, Miss Rozalin, zam!"
"DOOOOOOD!! Snow trip!!" The Prinny exclaimed as it pulled out another snowball and threw it at Naruto's face.
The blonde spat out some snow. He then grabbed the Prinny and chucked it into the corridor outside the throne room. A loud explosion could be heard, along with the cries of a few innocent victims. Naruto then gave a victory grin. 'If you can't appeal to her sense of decency...appeal to her sense of fashion!'
X-X-X
Later, in the snowy region of Honshu, the group of Rozalin, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Yukimaru, Daisuke, Ina, Morgan, Aria, and the little black Prinny. Adell had to stay behind to spank--erm, discipline Taro and Hanako and teach them about proper weapon usage.
"Wooooowwwww!! This place looks so pretty!!" Aria oohed in awe. She had managed to go up in ranking from a Fallen Angel to a Fallen Messenger. Her hair was now banana yellow in color and her eyes were now green. Her once white robes were now dark green, and her leotard, ribbons, and shoes were now black.
"Finally, a real vacation!" Daisuke cheered as he fell back and landed in the soft snow with a smile on his face. "Ah...! Huh?" He looked down and saw Morgan and the Prinny shoveling snow on top of him. "What the heck are you doing?!"
"We're burying you in the snow, dood," the Prinny stated.
"Duh," the Mage added before they started whacking him multiple times on the head with their shovels. After Daisuke was knocked out--and also bleeding massively onto the snow--she and her Prinny partner in crime continued with their work.
"The Gate Keeper dropped us off in the wrong area, zam. But..." Yukimaru looked around at their surroundings. "I believe that Snow Melody is close by, zam."
"This reminds me of the Land of Spring back when it was called the Land of Snow..." Said Sakura. She was her usual clothing with some long, red arm warmers and toed black boots instead of her usual toeless ones.
"What are you, kidding me? This place is way colder than Yuki no Kuni was!!" Naruto exclaimed as he began to hug himself for warmth. He was still wearing his orange and black jumpsuit, but now donned a pair of black wool gloves, black toed sandals and a long-sleeved shirt for additional warmth.
"If it's that much colder...how come they don't seem to mind it?" Sasuke asked with an arched eyebrow as he looked at the demons. He was wearing a short-sleeved blue tunic with a black long-sleeved shirt beneath, black gloves, black toed boots, and a dark blue scarf.
"Maybe it's because our bodies are tougher than that of a human," Rozalin suggested. She was wearing a shorter version of her usual outfit that reached to her knees and had a hood and long black sleeves with fur lining the collars. She now wore a pair of long, black boots that reached her knee. "We are the superior beings, you know. It would make sense if we could handle the intense colds of the netherworld better than you can."
"Speak for yourself! I'm freezing!!" Ina shouted as she imitated Naruto and began to hug herself for warmth.
"What were you saying about 'superior beings'?" Sakura asked the blonde Overlord in a flat tone.
"Uh... Never mind."
"Look, I can't help it. This is the first time I've ever seen snow," the red-haired Kunoichi admitted. "Most of the time, I stayed behind and guarded my master--y'know, my duty as a ninja. It also helped that it never snowed where I was stationed."
"Snow's pretty rare in the Fire Country, too. The last time I saw snow in Konoha, I was...2 years old, I think."
"Yeah... I remember that! My Mom said that was the first time my Dad got sick!" Naruto remembered with a grin. "And I would bring snowballs inside and pelt him with 'em!" A light bulb suddenly appeared above Naruto's head and lit up. He turned around to look at Rozalin, who was staring off into the distance.
"Just like I thought, there's nothing but snow and ice." She mumbled as she caught a snowflake in her hand.
"Oh, Rozalin!"
The blonde Overlord turned around to look at her orange-clad vassal. "What?" A second later, a snowball hit her in the face. A second after that, Naruto fell to the ground and started to roll in the snow, laughing. Sasuke and Sakura stifled their laughs.
"HAHAHAHAHA!! Oh, man!! You totally fell for that!" The blonde ninja exclaimed as he continued to roll in the snow.
Rozalin shook her head, shaking off the snow before glaring down at Naruto. Her face became a shade of scarlet and her eyes narrowed. "How dare you?! Throwing snow at a queen! Who do you think you are?!"
Naruto rolled onto his belly and looked up at his master. "I think I'm the guy who's having a snowball fight with you."
"Snow ball fight...?"
He blinked in confusion and groaned. "Don't tell me you don't know what a snowball fight is! That's when you take some snow and throw it at people!"
"Oh?" Rozalin bent over, picked up a handful of snow, and threw it at the orange-clad chunin's face.
"H-hey!!"
"You're right. This is fun!" The demoness smirked as she shook the snow off of her hand.
"That's not how you do it!! You're supposed to roll it up into a ball then throw it!"
"He means like this," said Sakura as she bent over. She picked up some snow, rolled it up into a perfect snowball, and threw it at Naruto's face. "See? It's easy."
"Oh, I see. Like this." Rozalin rolled up some snow into a ball and threw it at Naruto's face again.
"HEY!! Quit trying to freeze dry my face!!" The blonde shouted at the girls as he got to his knees.
"That's your fault for getting them started," Sasuke stated. A second later, a snowball had hit him in the side of his head. "What the--?!"
"HA!! It's not so miserable if you're pulled into this, too!"
"Quiet, you idiot!" The Uchiha turned his head to glare at Rozalin and Sakura. "Alright... Which one of you did it?"
"Did what, Sasuke-kun?" The pink-haired Medic asked with a cute pout that made Naruto's blood warm up.
"Yes, what did we do?" The blonde Overlord asked in a clueless tone as she blinked her eyes in an innocent manner.
"Oh, I think he means we did something like...THIS!!" The kunoichi and the Overlord began to pelt the young raven with multiple snowballs.
"That does it!! This means war!!" Naruto shouted as he got to his feet. Sasuke gave a grunt in agreement and the two rivals joined together to take down their female foes. As this went on, Aria and Ina began to make a snowman and Morgan and the Prinny finished off covering Daisuke in snow while Yukimaru stood a few feet away from them, staring off into the distance.
"I felt as though...it has been years since I last came here," Yukimaru spoke softly to herself as the look in her eyes became softer. "Fubuki, I hope you are well, zam." She looked down at the ground and frowned. 'You weren't there when I left... Everyone else in the village was there, waving me off as my team left for the Overlord's tournament, but you were not. Why weren't you there, big brother?' She snapped out of her thoughts as soon as someone's hand touched her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder and saw Naruto, soaking wet and smiling.
"Yukimaru, what do say we get going?" The blonde asked as he shook his head, sending droplets of water and globs of snow flying all over. "...Um, are you okay?" He started to smile again. "You should be happy, right? You're finally back home!"
"...Right." Yukimaru nodded. "I'll lead the way to Snow Melody. Follow me, please."
"This will be interesting: our first look at a netherworld ninja village," Said Sakura. "Do you think it's anything like the ones back home?"
"I doubt that. They're probably just a big clan of ninja and nothing more," Said Sasuke as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.
"Snow Melody, huh...?" Rozalin mumbled as she looked down sadly at the ground. ". . ."
"I guess this means we have to wake up Daisuke," Said the little black Prinny. He and Morgan had already buried the Warrior beneath the snow--and they even made a headstone of snow that said 'Here lies Daisuke the Warrior. R.I.P.'
"If he hasn't died of hypothermia," Said Ina as a large drop of sweat ran down the side of her head. She and Aria had made a snow version of some silly character named Jack Frost from a video game she played once named Persona something or other, a few snow Prinnies, and a mini-version of Rozalin's castle, complete with courtyard and moat.
"Nah, he's tough!" Morgan exclaimed. She raised her shovel up into the air and slammed it down onto where the snow-covered Daisuke's should have been. "Wake up!!"
Aria sweatdropped, her eyes large and blank. "How do you know you didn't just knock him out?"
"...I dunno. If that's the case, come and revive him."
X-X-X
"I can't wait to get to Snow Melody. I wonder what kind of food they'll have there," Said the revived Daisuke as the Overlord and her vassals traveled through the snow. Ina had been right when she said the Warrior had practically frozen to death after Morgan and the nameless Prinny buried him beneath the snow, but a quick revival spell from Sakura brought him back.
"I hope they have ramen..." Naruto spoke as drool began to form in his mouth. His stomach suddenly began to grumble and waterfall tears began to stream down his cheeks. "I really hope there's ramen!"
"Don't you ever get sick of eating ramen?"
"Hey, if I can handle drinking Bat Juice and Frog Sweat and chewing used ABC Gum, I can definitely handle being eating a dozen bowls of pork ramen!!" The blonde shouted as he looked back at the Warrior.
"Man, you can't be a normal human if you've got a stomach like that..." Daisuke mumbled as a blue tint appeared on his face.
"What can I say? I'm special."
"Oh, yeah. You're special, alright," Sakura spoke in a flat tone.
"How much farther until we get to your village, Yukimaru?" Sasuke asked the Snow Kunoichi who was in the lead.
"Not too far, zam. It's just over this hill," she responded.
Naruto ran past the rest of the group and went to the top of the hill. "Oh, man! I can't wait to see...this?" His eyes widened in shock and his expression changed.
"What is it, Naruto-sensei?" Yukimaru asked the blonde as she stopped walking.
"...Yukimaru, are you sure that your village is over this hill?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"I don't think you'll want to see this..." Despite those words, the Snow Kunoichi was at his side in less than a minute and she began to look down below. A gasp escaped her lips from the sight she saw.
"This...this can't be...!" Yukimaru whispered to herself.
"What? What is it?" Rozalin asked as she and the rest of the vassals walked up the hill. "What are you talking abou--" Her eyes widened as she looked down at the village below. There was smoke coming up from the village, and it looked abandoned. "This is Snow Melody?"
"It looks pretty messed-up, dood," The little black Prinny pointed out. "Like somebody attacked it."
"B-b-but who?! The Snow Clan has always remained on friendly terms with their allies, zam!!" Yukimaru shouted. "What could have happened?!"
"Let's go down to the village, then," Said Sasuke, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. "Maybe we can find someone who knows what happened."
"If anybody's still alive down there," Said Daisuke. "OOF!!" Ina had elbowed him in the stomach.
"Idiot. Be respectful. It's her village, remember?" The red-haired kunoichi pointed out as she looked at Yukimaru.
X-X-X
If possible, Snow Melody looked worse within than it did on the outside. Several homes were damaged with their windows broken and doors torn apart. Blood stained the snow-covered path, but there were no bodies to be found.
"If I had to make a guess, this all happened recently," Said Naruto. "Otherwise, the blood would have been covered with snow by now, right?"
"Not to mention all the smoke. Probably because of a fire that was put out by the snowfall," Sakura added.
"But we still haven't seen anyone yet. This place is almost like a..." Aria gulped as she clasped her hands together. "Ghost town...!"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous. The only ghost we'd probably meet here would be...the Yuki Onna (Snow Woman)," Naruto told the Fallen Angel with a creepy look on his face. "She comes and freezes you to death!! Mwahahaha!"
"EEEEK!!"
In less than a second, Naruto was facedown on the ground with a large bump on his forehead and Sakura standing behind him with a large axe. "Next time, I won't hit you in the head with the flat side..."
The blonde sat up and spat out some snow before giving a grin. "I know Sakura-chan's afraid of the Yuki Onna too--" The axe's blade landed dangerously close to Naruto's face. Behind him, Sakura's faced was shadowed over and her eyes glowed an eerie red. He started to sweat and laughed nervously, "Heh-heh-heh! O-of course, I'm just joking! Sakura-chan could take out any stinking Snow Woman, anyway. Heh-heh-heh..."
"So, this vacation was a bust, too. I'm sensing a pattern here," Said Daisuke as he rubbed his chin in an intellectual manner.
"All I sense is an aura of creepiness!" Aria mumbled. In less than a second, she was clinging onto the Warrior's arm. "Let's get out of here!!"
"Geez, get off of me! I thought that once you went up in ranking, you'd be a bit more mature!" A piece of wood fell behind the Warrior and Fallen Angel, causing them both to jump away and behind the closest person: Sasuke.
"Would you two cut it out? You're embarrassing me!" Rozalin hissed.
"In front of who? Nobody else is in this ghost town, anyway!"
"That can't be..." Yukimaru spoke softly as she stared down at the snowy road. "There must be someone here!!"
Naruto looked over at Yukimaru sadly. "Don't worry, Yukimaru. We'll find the guys who did this and make 'em pay!"
"Yukimaru? It can't be!" The door of a nearby house suddenly slid open and a little old demon woman stepped out. She had gray hair wrapped up in a bun and wore a white and blue kimono with long sleeves that hid her hands. "Yukimaru-dono!!"
"Suno-san!!" The Snow Kunoichi exclaimed as she ran up to the old woman and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so glad that you're alive, zam!"
"I'm surprised that you're alive!! When you didn't come back from the tournament, we assumed that the worse had happened!" Suno looked over Yukimaru's shoulder and stared at her friends. "Who are they?"
Rozalin cleared her throat and stepped forward. "She works for me. I am--"
"My master's master!" Yukimaru interrupted. "You see, once I lost in the tournament, I became the student to a great and powerful ninja, zam."
"Really? Well, which one is it?" Suno began to look at Sasuke. "Oh, it's that one, isn't it? Wait, isn't he a human?"
"Yes, but he isn't my master." The Snow Kunoichi pointed over at Naruto. "He is. Uzumaki Naruto-sensei!"
The old woman stared at Naruto with half-lidded eyes. The blonde chuckled nervously and gave a grin. "...Not only is he a human, he looks like one of the stupid humans."
"SAY WHAT?!" Naruto shouted as a vein throbbed on his head.
"Quiet, idiot! You can't insult an old woman--even if she is a demon!" Sakura whispered to her blonde friend as he continued to glare at Suno.
"Suno-san, please tell me what happened, zam!"
Suno looked down at the ground sadly. "Oh, it was horrible! These bizarre-looking ninja appeared out of nowhere and started attacking us! They were human, at first, but they soon transformed into...monsters of some sort!! They took away the youth and the strong ninja of the village, leaving only the sick and the elderly." Tears began to form in the old woman's eyes. "They even took my dear Setsuka!!"
"Don't worry, Suno-san!! We'll bring them back!" Naruto exclaimed before being hit in the back of the head by Rozalin. "OW!!"
"Fool!! We're on vacation and you're purposely making promises of a rescue!"
"But...they're your people! You should do what you can to help them!"
"Suno-san...what about...Fubuki?" Yukimaru asked the old woman with a serious look in her eyes. "Did they kidnap him, too?"
"Oh, of course not!! They're just lucky that Fubuki-dono was out of the village training when this happened. But as soon as he came back and found out, Fubuki-dono went out after them!"
The dark-haired kunoichi gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness... I was worried for a moment, that..." She shook her head and put on her serious face again. "Do you know which way he went?"
"Yes... I believe he went north, towards the forest. You're not going to go after them, are you?"
"Yes!! Fubuki cannot do this alone!" Yukimaru exclaimed as she clenched her fist.
"That's right!! We're gonna back him up!!" Naruto exclaimed. "Don't fear, Suno-san! Naruto Uzumaki of Konohagakure will rescue your people!!"
Rozalin cleared her throat. "Aren't you forgetting about something?"
"Or rather 'someone'?" Sasuke asked with an arched eyebrow.
The orange-clad blonde chuckled to himself and gave a sheepish grin. "Aw, right! I meant that we will rescue your people! And we'll make those kidnappers pay!" The blonde exclaimed as he slammed his fist into his open palm.
X-X-X
A short while later, the Overlord and her gang of flunkies were walking through the snowy forest of Yuki Sekkano. Despite the lovely sight of each special little snowflake floating gently towards the ground, Rozalin was not pleased and raised the hood of her jacket over her head.
"This is not fair!!" The Overlord huffed as she stomped her foot. "I came here for a winter vacation and you pull me into a rescue mission!!" She shouted as she slapped Naruto in the back of his head. "This is all your fault, Naruto!!"
The blonde chunin rubbed the back of his head and glared at Rozalin from the corner of his eye. "You should be happy! You're getting a chance to help out your people again!"
"If I wanted to help out my people, it would be by my will!! Not because you have some sort of...Hero complex!!"
Ignoring his master, Naruto looked at Yukimaru, who was leading the group. "So, Yukimaru...how come you never told me about your past life before becoming my apprentice?"
". . ."
"I mean, it's obvious that you care about this place, so I can't think of any reason why'd you never talk about it."
Yukimaru stopped walking and stared at the ground for some time before she spoke, "I didn't think you would want to hear, zam."
"What makes you think I wouldn't want to learn more about you? Master and apprentice are supposed to bond like that, you know!" The orange-clad chunin began to grin, causing his dark-haired apprentice to blush. "So, tell me, just what's your connection to this Fubuki guy? Is he a childhood friend? Or maybe..." He squinted his eyes in a fox-like manner as a mischievous grin appeared on his lips. "A childhood crush? Ooooh!!"
"Actually...Fubuki is my big brother, zam."
Naruto's eyes popped wide open. "B-b-big brother?! As in blood relative, right? Not like Adell's definition of what a big brother is, right?!" He began to tsk Yukimaru as he shook a finger in front of the Snow Kunoichi's face. "See? This is the kind of stuff we should talk about!"
"Oh, I see now. You're worried sick about your brother!" Aria sniffled. "It's so sad when your family is in danger!"
"I don't think that Fubuki is in danger, zam! He's too strong for that, zam! He's going to become the next leader of the Snow Clan, zam!!" Yukimaru shouted as she started to shake her head frantically. Naruto grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her to snap her out of it.
"Stop it, Yukimaru, zam! That's one 'zam' too many, zam!!" The orange-clad ninja stopped shaking his apprentice and groaned. "Now you've got me doing it!!"
"You're right... I must calm down if I'm to find Fubuki!"
"...She immediately forgot we're here, too," Said Daisuke as he gave the dark-haired kunoichi a half-lidded look.
"She's just going through an overly emotional moment," Ina told the warrior as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean that there aren't other people out here who are freezing their butts off!" He looked down at the red-haired kunoichi's chest. "Not to mention other things..." In less than a second, he was on the ground, groaning in pain as his swollen cheek began to throb.
"Those are things you're better off not knowing."
Rozalin continued to walk forward and began to sniff the air. "Hm? What's that I smell? I smell...blood." This gained the attention of the rest of the group and they all ran forward.
After a while, they began to hear snarling noises. As they walked further down the path, they soon came across a pack of wild Werewolves--3 males and two females--ripping away at what appeared to be a humanoid figure. Two male Werewolves were large and furry beasts with white fur and yellow eyes, standing on its two hind legs. The two female Werewolves looked more human than the males--their white hair was long and messy, reminding one of a Beast Master, and their eyes were yellow with slitted pupils. A pair of wolf ears were sticking out of the sides of their heads and most of their body was covered in white fur, though the upper part of their voluptuous breasts were visible. The third male Werewolf was much larger than the other two, the muscles on its arms and legs visible even under all that fur. All the Werewolves had blood smeared on their snow white fur, claws, and faces.
"Whoa!! That's the biggest Werewolf I've ever seen!!" Naruto shouted as his eyes widened.
"It's the only Werewolf you've ever seen, idiot," Sasuke told the blonde as he drew his Kusanagi. Upon hearing the sound of the sword being drawn, the Werewolves turned around to face the Overlord and her vassals.
"And now, they look like they want us next!" Sakura exclaimed as she drew her large axe. The Werewolves began to snarl before stalking towards the group. The pink-haired kunoichi jumped up into the air and swung downward with her axe, slicing into one of the arms of the lesser male Werewolves. It growled in pain, but it swatted her aside with its large paw. The two female werewolves jumped over the male's head, their claws reaching forward to slash into Sakura, but Ina quickly appeared and formed a hand sign. "MinMinMin!!" A whirlwind of blossoms floated around the female Werewolves and they quickly fell asleep. Sakura jumped out of their way as they fell to the ground, fast asleep.
"Take this!!" Rozalin shouted as she raised her hand up into the air. "Giga Fire!!" As flames engulfed the Werewolves, they suddenly woke up and gave painful howls. After the flames faded, the female Werewolves began to stalk towards the blonde Overlord with their teeth bared and some of their fur burned off. "Hmm, these are some tough mongrels. I suppose I'll have to bring it up a notch." She drew her Gugnir brand spear and it began to crackle with electricity. She jumped up into the air and sent the Gugnir flying down between the two Werewolves. "Impaler!!" The electricity from the spear channeled itself into the ground, shocking the two Werewolves into a point of paralysis.
"And now for the finishing move!!" Daisuke exclaimed as he and Ina dashed towards the female Werewolves with their swords drawn. The warrior and kunoichi began to run around the paralyzed lycans. The wind picked up and finally formed into a large hurricane. After a while, they both stopped running and jumped through the hurricane, slashing through it at the same time. "Hurricane Slash!!" The hurricane then faded and the two Werewolves fell to the ground, dead.
"Not bad," Said Ina as she flicked the blood off of her blade. Just as a male Werewolf slashed into her back, the red-haired kunoichi disappeared in a poof of smoke and a snow-covered log replaced her. In less than a second, she reappeared behind the Werewolf and stabbed her sword through its back.
"HYAAAAA!!" Sakura began to spin around rapidly until she became a blur of pink and red. "Boomerang Axe!!" She released the handle of the axe, causing it to fly spinning towards the injured Werewolf. Needless to say, the results were bloody as the axe went through the Werewolf and came back through it in the back. The pink-haired kunoichi grabbed onto the handle of the axe as it returned to her.
"One more to go!!" Morgan exclaimed as she waved her hands in the air excitedly.
"Yeah, the Alpha Wolf, dood," Said the Prinny. It pointed over at the hulking Alpha Werewolf as it attempted to slash its bloody claws into Naruto, Sasuke, and Yukimaru. It finally managed to pounce onto Yukimaru and bite into her shoulder, but in a poof of smoke, she became a snowman.
"Nadarejin!!" Yukimaru shouted as she reappeared behind the Werewolf and slashed the monster in its back. However, instead of going down, it spun around and knocked Yukimaru aside with its claw. The Snow Kunoichi immediately jumped onto her feet and out of the way of the alpha Werewolf's claw.
"Yo, Ugly!!" Naruto shouted as he dashed towards the Werewolf. As the beast turned around to face him, he fell to the ground and kicked the Werewolf a bit into the air. He quickly got onto his feet and punched the Werewolf up into the air.
"Time to pull out the big guns!!" Morgan shouted as she raised her staff up into the air. "OMEGA FIRE!!" In a flash of light, it appeared as though a dragon of bone coiled its way around Rozalin and her vassals and held its head above the Werewolf. The bone dragon blew a stream of fire down upon the Werewolf, engulfing it in flames that could be seen from space. After the flames faded, the Werewolf fell to the ground, looking like a peace of charred meat. "Critical Hit!!"
The little black Prinny walked past the dead Werewolves over to the corpse of the humanoid. It stared down at the mangled body for some time until it noticed a familiar item lying next to the body, splattered with blood and partially covered in snow. The Prinny wiped off the snow with its flipper and in a matter of seconds, its eyes became the size of saucers. "DOOOOOOOOOODS!! Come look at this!!" The little black Prinny spun around to face the rest of the group and held up a hitai-ate. The symbol on the metal resembled a music note. "It looks like the things that Naruto and his friends wear!" In less than a second, Naruto was by the Prinny's side.
"For real?!" The orange-clad ninja's eyes suddenly widened as he saw the symbol. "This is...an Oto hitai-ate."
Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened as well. "Oto...? But that means that Orochimaru may be nearby!"
"Yeah...Or at least that some of his men fell through a Makai Gate like we did."
"Either way, there are Sound ninja here. This might mean that they're the ones who kidnapped the Snow Ninja!" Naruto growled as he grabbed the Oto hitai-ate from the Prinny and clenched it in his fist. "But what for? The only thing I could think of is..."
Rozalin stepped forward and folded her arms across her chest. "Wait one second. Exactly what are you three talking about? I thought you would be thrilled with knowing that someone else from your world is here."
"Sound ninja are hardly what we would consider as 'friends,'" Said Sakura as she narrowed her eyes slightly. "They're led by a person named Orochimaru, whose goal is to learn all the jutsu in our world. To that end, he's done many horrible, inhumane things to learn more and more. Experiments on numerous people, both shinobi and civilian...and possessing the bodies of others just so he can live a little longer... Orochimaru is a demon snake hiding in human skin!!"
"It's because of that guy that our village was attacked when we were kids...and why the leader of one of our allied villages, the Kazekage of Sunagakure, was killed," Naruto added. "He also trained Sasuke and tried to possess him, making him his new body."
The others' eyes widened. "But...he's still here," Ina pointed out. "What happened?"
"When Orochimaru was finally found out, he tried to persuade me into going with him. When I told him I didn't want to leave my family, he tried to force me to go, but I was lucky. ANBU ninja and the Yondaime Hokage himself appeared and Orochimaru just backed off," Said Sasuke as he rubbed his neck, or rather the curse mark that was on his neck.
"Since then, Orochimaru and Otogakure's actions have been unknown. It's amazing, though... You'd think they would take advantage of the chaos that came from all those demons popping up," Said Naruto.
"...Do you really think...that this Orochimaru is responsible for abducting my people?" Yukimaru asked with her head bowed, bangs hiding her eyes.
"Most likely."
"If that is the case..." She looked up with a darkened expression as she balled her hand up into a fist. "I will personally see to it that he gets what he deserves, zam!!"
"But to do that, we have to find him first," Said Rozalin. "So, lead the way."
X-X-X
Later, in a snowy field with several rocks and large clumps of snow scattered all over, the Overlord and her vassals continued their trek.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
The group suddenly stopped walking and became more aware of their surroundings. "What was that?" Rozalin asked as she blinked in confusion.
"It sounded like someone's in trouble," Said Naruto. He ran forward and looked around. "Uh... I think it came from...over there!" He ran further down the path with Rozalin and the rest of the vassals following him. The blonde ninja skidded to a halt as he saw a person standing over a couple of corpses. "Huh? Who are you?" From the back he looked like a demon that appeared to be in his 2000's with long, black hair that reached his waist. He wore an outfit very similar to Yukimaru's, but there were white sleeves that were long enough to hide his hands. "Hey, answer me!!"
After a few seconds, the dark-haired man turned around to look at Naruto. His eyes were pure white, showing that he was blind, but he was looking directly at Naruto. "Hm? Who are you?"
"I asked you first!!" Naruto looked down at the bodies at the male Yukimaru-look-alike. They were Oto ninja. "Did you do this?"
Yukimaru skidded to a halt as she stopped behind Naruto. "Fubuki!! You're safe!!"
"What?! This is your brother?!" Morgan, Ina, and Aria shouted loudly from the back with hearts in their eyes. "He's hot!!"
The Snow Kunoichi sweatdropped and began to blush. "H-hot?"
Fubuki's eyes widened slightly. "Yuki...maru? Is that you? I had assumed the worst had happened when you ran off..."
"So, you are Fubuki," Said Rozalin as she walked in front of the group and folded her arms across her chest. "I have heard quite a bit about you. I would like to see the strength of the Snow Clan's future leader."
Fubuki's eyes widened again, but they soon narrowed as a dark look appeared on his face. "You...! You have the same dark energy that I felt all those years ago! Overlord Zennon!!"
The blonde Overlord's eyes widened and she took a step back. "Wh-what?!"
"I begin to see clearly... You are the one who abducted my people!"
"I did no such thing!!"
"Yeah, we're trying to help you guys!!" Naruto shouted as he shook a fist at the Snow Shinobi.
Fubuki, however, wasn't listening, and he drew a large blue axe that had a blade that appeared to be formed from crystal. He got into a fighting stance and clenched onto the handle of his weapon tightly. "You will pay for your sins, Overlord!!" In the blink of an eye, he jumped at Rozalin and attempted to slice her in half, but something was holding him back. Naruto was standing between them, the blade of his sword pushing back against the blade of Fubuki's axe.
"Stop right there!! I don't know what you're problem is, but she isn't Overlord Zennon!" The orange-clad ninja growled as he struggled to push away the Snow Shinobi.
"I may be blind, but I know! That mana, though not as strong, is the same as Overlord Zennon's!" Fubuki's eyes narrowed. "In your moment of weakness, you made it appear as though you had died, hadn't you? But now that I have found you, I can at last avenge my family!!"
Rozalin's eyes widened and she held her handgun in her shaking hands. She couldn't even force herself to say a word.
"Fubuki, stop!! Rozalin isn't the same as Overlord Zennon!!" Yukimaru shouted. "Sure, there are times when she does some bad things...but I see no way for her to be related to him at all, zam!" At those words, the other vassals began to sweat.
Fubuki closed his eyes. "...Yukimaru, you have been pulled in by their lies." His eyes suddenly opened. "But I will reveal the truth and make you see the light!!" One of his hands pulled off of the handle of the axe and punched Naruto in the stomach. The blonde's guard slackened and the dark-haired demon ninja spun on his heel and slammed the axe into Naruto's side blade first. The force of the blow sent the blonde flying to side, his blood dripping down all the while and leading a trail towards his body.
"Na...Naruto!!" Rozalin shouted as she looked at her slave. "What are you waiting for?! Get up!!"
Naruto got to his knees and coughed up some blood. A few droplets of red stained the pure white snow.
"It's over!!" Fubuki shouted as he raised the axe above his head. The axe soon began to fall towards Rozalin's head, but in a flash, Naruto was standing in front of her again. He caught the axe in his hand, causing it to cut through the glove's fabric and draw blood.
"I thought I told you to stop it!!" Naruto shouted as he looked up at the dark-haired demon ninja with red eyes.
"Hm?" 'This energy... It's just as foul as Zennon's!' Fubuki was about to jump back, but Naruto, with one hand, swung his sword and struck Fubuki in the side, causing more blood to spill onto the ground. The dark-haired demon winced slightly before he jumped back. He dropped to one knee and held a hand to his bloody wound. "Guh...!" He looked up at Naruto and Rozalin and narrowed his eyes before pulling out black ball that was the size of a tennis ball. He threw the ball to the ground and black smoke exploded from it. When the smoke disappeared, Fubuki was gone, but there was a thin trail of blood leading away from his spot.
"A lot of good that did him. Now we can follow him and finish kicking his ass!!" Daisuke exclaimed as he punched his fist into the palm of his hand, but was soon punched in the head by Sakura and sent flying into a nearby rock.
"Shut up, idiot!!" The pink-haired medic shouted as she pointed a finger at the Warrior. "Remember Yukimaru?"
"I forgot...!" He moaned as he lied down on the ground with swirls in his eyes and a large bump on the side of his head as blood streamed down his face.
Yukimaru looked down at the ground sadly. "Fubuki..."
Naruto turned around to look at the female ninja, his eyes now their normal blue. "What the heck is wrong with your brother, Yukimaru?!"
"I...I don't know... Ever since Overlord Zennon attacked our village so many years ago, my brother had sworn revenge on him. It is because of Zennon that we lost our mother and father...and it's why Fubuki is blind. When Zennon was defeated, he became depressed because he could no longer take his revenge. That is why I swore to defeat the one who defeated Overlord Zennon, in the hopes that that would be enough to make my brother happy!" Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I...I can't believe that my own brother would try to hurt you, Miss Rozalin! I am so sorry!!" She suddenly drew a knife and pointed it to her throat, causing the others to stare at her with wide eyes. "To regain my brother's honor, I shall take my life in place of his own, zam!!"
"Not again!! I thought I threw away that thing!! P-put it away!!" Naruto shouted when he pointed a finger at the Snow Kunoichi, a vein throbbing on his forehead. Yukimaru put away the knife but continued to sniffle sadly. "Now...I'm sure that if we explain things to Fubuki, he'll understand. And won't react violently. ...Hopefully."
Rozalin pulled Naruto aside and away from the group. "Um...Naruto? Yukimaru doesn't know that I am Overlord Zennon's only daughter, remember?" The orange-clad ninja nodded. "How do you think she and her brother will react once they learn that?"
"Hmmm..." Naruto rubbed his chin in thought and after a few seconds, his eyes popped open. "Oh... I see what you mean. Well, maybe if we explain it to Yukimaru now, she could help us calm down Fubuki when we tell him the truth!"
"Somehow, I highly doubt that could happen without Yukimaru trying to kill me."
"That's a point. Um..."
"Why don't we just do this the political way?"
The blonde ninja blinked. "What's the political way?"
Rozalin smiled as she held up a finger. "When Fubuki repeatedly accuses me of being my Zennon, I will deny it."
"...How the hell is that gonna work?"
"Do you have any better ideas?"
"Anything's better than what you just said!"
The group sweatdropped and Sakura stomped forward. "HEY!! If we don't get going now, the snow is gonna cover up Fubuki's tracks!!"
"Oh, yes! Certainly!" Rozalin exclaimed as she and Naruto turned around to face them. "He's injured, so he can't have gone too far."
X-X-X
On the contrary, Fubuki was already quite far away from Rozalin and her vassals by the time they had begun looking for him. It was only after his wound began to become irritated from the intense cold that the Snow Shinobi began to slow down. He was already walking up a snowy mountain trail, up the path that he saw a few Sound Ninja on before they went up. After finally making it to the top, he fell to his hands and knees and began to pant heavily, with his hair hanging in front of his face.
"Ah, so you must be the one, right?" A smooth, dark voice spoke.
Fubuki's eyes widened slightly and he jumped to his feet, looking towards the large cave before him. "Who are you? Show yourself!"
A pair of yellow snake-like eyes opened from the darkness of the cave's opening. In a few seconds, Orochimaru walked out of the cave opening with his arms folded across his chest and his mouth formed into a smirk. "You're Fubuki, aren't you? The one that those demon ninja said would come to rescue them."
"So then, it is you..." Fubuki's eyes narrowed. "You are the one who kidnapped my people?"
"'Kidnapped' is such a harsh word. I prefer to say that I...persuaded them by force to help with my experiments."
"Experiments?"
"Yes... Demons are so powerful...and have a lifespan that is far longer than that of a mere human...but they waste it all through an endless desire for chaos and wind up killing each other before seeing how far they can go."
Fubuki kept his gaze on Orochimaru, his appearance darkening. "What do you want with my people? If you want guinea pigs for your experiments, test some of your own race!!"
"I would, but like I told you, demons are more powerful than human beings. They could probably hold out longer in certain tests where others have died." The Snake Sannin suddenly got a look of lust in his eyes. "Which reminds me: your people seem to say that you are very strong, despite your obvious...flaws." His snake-like eyes began to stare at Fubuki.
Fubuki immediately pulled out his axe and got into a fighting stance. "I will say this only once more... Release my clan, and I will spare you a painful death!"
"You're in no position to be making threats, considering that you've been injured."
Kabuto walked out of the darkness of the cave and up to Orochimaru's side. "Shall I dispose of him, Orochimaru-sama?" He held up a hand and it began to glow with chakra, but as his master raised a hand to stop him, the Medical Ninja put his hand down and it stopped glowing.
"I think I'll play with this one for a little while, Kabuto. I would like to see firsthand how strong a demon ninja can be." The Sannin quickly licked his lips with his long tongue. He opened his mouth and reached into his throat. He pulled out a two-edged sword with a bronze hilt from his gullet. With a flick of his hand, the liquids on the blade came off. "Now then, Fubuki, shall we begin?"
Fubuki's eyes narrowed and in the blink of an eye, he was crouching down in front of Orochimaru with his axe in both hands. Surprise could be seen in the Sannin's eyes as the Snow Ninja swung his axe...
X-X-X
And where were Rozalin and her vassals while this was going down? They were on the path that Fubuki had taken, following the dots of fresh blood in the snow, when they came across a road block. A large, angry, Golem-shaped road block.
"HOLY CRAP!!" Naruto and Daisuke shouted as the group became overshadowed by a large, hulking monster.
"HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLP!!" Aria screamed as she hung on for dear life on top of the 7-foot tall Snow Golem that thrashed about. Its snow white skin, while seemingly smooth, was actually as rough as a rock's surface. Its yellow eyes were large and pupilless, and on top of its head was a set of blue crystals that were all bunched up together and sparkled in what little sunlight was seen in the weather. The Snow Golem had been slumbering peacefully beneath the snow, completely hidden when the group had entered the flat, cliffside area as they headed up the mountain. To them, it was nothing more than a big slab of rocks that had been covered by snow. The crystals that were on top of the creature's head stuck out of the snow, however, and that was enough to catch Aria's eye. The Fallen Angel had ran over to the Snow Golem, climbed on top of it, and attempted to pull the crystals out, but all she managed to do was wake the thing up and make it angry.
"Well, this is great," Said Sasuke as he drew his sword. "Now we have to fight the Abominable Snowman."
"That's not an Abominable Snowman, silly! That's a Snow Golem. They're skin color allows them to blend in perfectly with the snowy environments that they inhabit," Said Rozalin. "I read so in a book before we came here."
"Well, whatever it is, it's angry. And I doubt it'll just walk away peacefully so long as Aria keeps pulling the thing on its head like that."
"True... So let's leave her."
"WHAT?!" The Fallen Angel shouted as tears welled up in her eyes. "Y-YOU AREN'T SERIOUS, ARE YOU?!"
Rozalin folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes. "Well, Fallen Angels aren't exactly rare to find in the Netherworld. They're just hard to hire. However, if I persuade one by force, he'll be working under me before you can say 'Tout Suite'!"
"T'out...Suite?!"
The blonde Overlord opened her eyes and looked up. "What did you expect? Vassals are expendable, after all."
Waterfall tears began to stream down Aria's face. "WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
"You don't mean that, right, Rozalin? You wouldn't dare do something so mean to a vassal who's so dedicated to you, would you?" Said Naruto as he looked back at the demoness.
"No. I wouldn't do it to you. You're an exception...albeit a small, insignificant one."
The orange-clad ninja sweatdropped and gave Rozalin a half-lidded glare. "...I'm not sure about what you said: was it a compliment or an insult? Or was it both?"
"Um, hello? I still need help!!" Aria shouted loudly.
"For that, you'd need to jump off!" Rozalin shouted up to the Fallen Angel.
"Jump?! I can't do that!!"
The Golem stopped thrashing to look down at the group. It raised a hand and brought it down on Daisuke, but he jumped out of the way in time to avoid being hit.
"Whoa! That was a close one," the Warrior mumbled as he drew his sword. "That does it, you'll pay for that!!" He jumped forward and stabbed the creature in its hand, causing it to shriek in pain and thrash about some more, causing Aria to swing about.
"Don't...do...that!!" The blonde shouted as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "You're only making it mad!!"
"Well, what do you expect me to do? Let it squash me?"
"We could defeat it if you just let go!!" Rozalin shouted, her face now red with anger.
"But, I can't just let go!!"
The Overlord stomped her foot and huffed. "Fine, be that way!!" She pulled out her handgun and jumped up high into the air. She aimed the gun down, targeting the Snow Golem as a ball of bright red energy formed in front of it. "Totenkreuz!!" She shot the ball of energy down at the Golem and Aria and it burst into flames that rose up to the sky, forming a cross of flames that could be seen from the village of Snow Melody.
"IEEEEEEEE!!" Aria cried along with the monster's growl of pain. As the flames faded away, the Golem fell to the ground, charred and burned. The snow where the attack was focused had melted, revealing the earth and dead grass. Aria, who was still clinging onto the Golem's crystal still, coughed. Her entire body was charred black and smoke was still rising from her body. "...Ow...!"
Rozalin landed on the snow and put away her gun with a smirk. "I told you to jump off, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but...there's still a problem." The Fallen Angel sweatdropped and gave a nervous grin. "My hands are still stuck to the crystal."
"...What?! Still?!"
"Why didn't you say that before she attacked, Aria?" Sakura asked with an arched eyebrow.
"I didn't get a chance to. So...can you help me get this thing off?"
Daisuke and Naruto walked over to her side. "We'll help you. But you may wanna brace yourself for pain..." Both boys spoke as they grabbed onto her arms.
The blonde began to sweat and a slight tint of blue appeared on her cheeks. "Wh-what? What pain...?"
A few seconds later, from the valley below, the monsters could hear a shrill scream.
X-X-X
Later, as Rozalin and her vassals trekked up the mountain path, the trail of blood was less visible with time.
"Here we are. We're almost to the top of Mount Skadi," Yukimaru informed the group.
"So, if Fubuki is looking for the Snow Clan, then they must be somewhere up here?" Rozalin asked.
"Hopefully..." Sakura mumbled.
"Well, they better! Otherwise, it'd have been a waste for us to walk all the way up here!" Morgan complained as she rode piggy-back on Daisuke's back.
"In case you haven't noticed, Morgan...you're not exactly walking!!" The Warrior shouted as a vein throbbed on his forehead in anger.
"But, I wonder, what will happen when we encounter my brother, zam...?" Yukimaru mumbled as she looked forward.
"We'll try to convince him that Rozalin isn't Overlord Zennon," said Naruto. "He can't fight with that wound I gave him, but if he does...we may have to fight back." He looked over at his dark-haired apprentice. "Is that alright with you, Yukimaru?"
She remained silent for a moment. "...If we have no choice. But please let me speak to him before it comes to that! I believe that if I can get through to him, I can make him see."
"I should hope so. At least before he attempts to kill me again!" Rozalin exclaimed as she folded her arms across her chest.
As the group got to the end of the path and made it up to the top of the mountain, their eyes widened at the sight before them. Fubuki was lying down on the ground with blood pooling around his body. Standing before him was a smirking Orochimaru and a blank-faced Kabuto.
"Fu...FUBUKIIIIIII!!" Yukimaru shouted as she ran over to her brother and kneeled down next to him. "Fubuki! Big brother, please speak to me!!"
"Ugh... Uhn..." Fubuki moved a bit, bringing joy to his sister's heart. "Yuki...maru..."
"What a pity... Here I was hoping to see the jutsu of the Snow Clan from the so-called 'Ninja Master', but he could hardly put up a fight," Said Kabuto as he stared down at Fubuki.
"Indeed. It's such a shame," Said Orochimaru. He folded his arms across his chest, raised his arm, and propped his chin in the palm of his hand. "He may have put up a better fight if he wasn't injured, though... He could still be a candidate for my future vessel."
"Orochimaru!! You vile snake!!" Naruto shouted as he and Sasuke jumped forward with their swords drawn.
The Snake Sannin's gaze moved over the group. "Ah, Naruto-kun. You're looking well for someone who's been trapped in the Netherworld. I'm surprised, since I assumed you'd have been eaten alive by now."
"I'll eat you alive, bastard!!" The blonde chunin growled, his eyes flashing red for a moment.
"And Sasuke-kun...looking strong as ever. I hope those eyes of yours are strong as well."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but said nothing in response.
"Yu...kimaru... Run away..." Fubuki forced out. "You...cannot beat...someone like...him..."
The Snow Kunoichi's eyes widened. "Wh-what?! You expect me to run away? After what he's done to my clan? To my brother?!" She began to shake her head furiously, her cheeks red with anger. "I won't!! I will make this Orochimaru pay for his sins, zam!!"
The dark-haired Snow Shinobi frowned and forced himself to get to his knees. He then grabbed the axe that was lying next to him and slowly got to his feet, shaking as he breathed slowly. "If any Snow ninja shall die today, it will be me. To accomplish the mission I have set, I will gladly give my life!!"
Orochimaru smirked and glanced over at Fubuki. "Oh, don't say that! I was thinking about keeping you for my own."
"You think I would become your vassal? I have too much pride to sink so low as to work for a twisted person like you."
"Vassal? I was thinking more along the lines of a test subject..."
"You're not using anybody, you freak!!" Naruto shouted as he jumped at Orochimaru with his sword raised above his head. He brought the sword downward, but it was blocked by Orochimaru's Kusanagi. Azure blue eyes glared into yellow snake-like ones before he jumped back in front of the group.
Rozalin stepped forward with a stern look on her face. "So, you are Orochimaru... My vassals say that you are an example of just how cruel some humans can be. However, to me, you are merely a weakling whose ego has gotten too big for his britches."
"To talk to me in such a tone... Just who are you, girl?"
"This is Overlord Rozalin, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto explained as he stared at the blonde demoness.
"Ah, I see." Orochimaru began to smirk. "So, this is the well-known daughter of Overlord Zennon. You don't look like a fighter, but Kabuto has assured me that you're quite strong."
"Wh...what did you say?" Yukimaru mumbled as she stared at Rozalin with wide eyes. "Miss Rozalin...is Overlord Zennon's daughter?!"
Rozalin's eyes widened. "How...how did you...?"
"Oh, we have our ways of finding out secrets, Overlord Rozalin." Kabuto smirked and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "After all, that's what ninja do."
"Zennon's daughter... So, what I felt was not the energy of Overlord Zennon himself, but the energy from his blood that coursed through her veins," Fubuki spoke as he clenched onto the handle of his axe.
"Why...? Why didn't you tell me?" Yukimaru looked over at Naruto as tears welled up in her eyes. "Did you know about this, Naruto-sensei?!"
"Yukimaru, I..." The blonde ninja paused and looked down at the ground. "...I knew."
"But why?!"
"Why?! You were obsessed with getting revenge on Overlord Zennon by any means!! If your brother tried to kill Rozalin because of it, you might have, too!" He shouted loudly.
The Snow Kunoichi's eyes widened. "I... I...!"
"Oh, my! There appears to be distrust among your servants, Rozalin-hime," Orochimaru spoke up as a wicked smirk spread out across his face. In less than a second, a bullet went flying past his face and hit the wall of the cave entrance, creating a series of web-like cracks. He didn't flinch underneath the blonde Overlord's glare from behind her bangs.
"Are you mocking me?!" Rozalin hissed as she held her handgun in her hand. "What do you want here? Aside from abducting people from their homes! Did you fall here like Sasuke and Sakura through a portal?"
"Kukukuku! Wouldn't you like to know?"
The Overlord's eyes narrowed. She grounded her feet into the ground and a large amount of energy began to gather into her gun, which was aimed at Orochimaru. "Proximal Shot!!" She pulled the trigger and blasted a large beam of energy at the Sannin. Kabuto jumped out of the way of the blast and the energy overtook his master.
"Orochimaru-sama!!"
The force of the blast almost pushed Rozalin off of the mountain by the time the energy faded away. She looked over at Kabuto and aimed the gun at him as a smile appeared on her face. "Now then...care to tell me what you want? Or would you like to share the same fate as your master?"
"Kukuku...! That was quite powerful... Very strong." Orochimaru's voice came from within the cave.
"You've gotta be kidding me!!" Morgan shouted as she clung to Daisuke's back. "He shouldn't be alive after that hit!!"
"Let's pray that Rozalin doesn't use Rose Thorns in response to this!" Daisuke whispered to himself as a tint of blue appeared on his face.
The sound of something stretching and splitting could be heard, along with something hitting the ground with a thud. A few seconds later, Orochimaru walked out of the cave, looking as though he didn't have a large beam of energy shot at him. He cracked his neck and wiped the puke and fluids off of his hair and face, keeping his eyes on Rozalin. "I see now why you're the Overlord...but is that really the depth of your power?" He looked over at Kabuto. "Is it?"
"No, she has more power than she lets on. She reminds me of Naruto-kun, really. All you have to do is put her in a situation where she'll have no choice but to use it."
"You... What kind of human are you?!" Rozalin shouted as she aimed her gun at the Snake Sannin, eyes showing anger.
"I am a human...who will learn everything about this world...about all worlds!" He hissed. His snake-like eyes showed a strong, lusting look and he licked his lips at the thought. "But sadly, what I am looking for is not here. The coordinates were wrong, but I found something quite unique." He looked over at the gray-haired Medical Ninja. "Kabuto. We're leaving."
"Yes, sir."
"No, you don't!!" Naruto shouted as he and Sasuke jumped forward and attempted to slice into them, but Orochimaru and Kabuto disappeared in a flash of blue light, and they fell face first into the snow. The blonde got to his knees and slammed the ground with his fist. "DAMN IT!! He got away!"
"...That thing..." Sasuke mumbled. "Didn't it look just like the emblem that shows up before the Dimensional Gate Keeper calls us back?"
"Are you saying that Orochimaru managed to find a Dimensional Gate? How the hell did that happen?!"
"I don't know...but Orochimaru's gotten his hands on dangerous things before. Something that would allow him to go from place to place in an instant, no matter where he is...that would catch his eye."
Meanwhile, Sakura and Aria ran over to Fubuki with the intent of healing him. "Just hold still for a moment," the pink-haired Medic told him as she held her hands out and a healing green aura surrounded them, but he soon swatted her hands away. "Hey! What are you doing? I'm trying to help you!"
"I don't need the help of the vassal of Zennon's spawn!" Fubuki spat as he stepped away from Sakura and Aria. Rozalin merely stood there, silent.
"That shouldn't matter if we want to heal you!" The Fallen Angel exclaimed as her eyes burned with fire and she pumped a fist in the air. "In times like this, one's class in life shouldn't matter so long as a life is saved!!"
"I said 'no'! And if you persist any further, I will be forced to do something to end your offers!"
"Fubuki, just let them heal you!!" Yukimaru shouted loudly as tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. "It doesn't matter if she is the Overlord, or that she's the daughter of Overlord Zennon, zam!! I've been around Miss Rozalin long enough to know that she truly is a good person at heart, zam!! Her eyes are as pure as those of a member of the Snow Clan!! And besides, killing her won't do anything to change how we feel about what happened to our parents, zam!!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks and she stared at the ground. "When I was at the tournament, I thought that I would have avenged the clan if I killed Overlord Zennon's killer...but at the end of our battle, I felt nothing...no happiness, no relief, no sadness...nothing." She looked up and began to smile. "But, I felt happy because I helped Miss Rozalin reach her dreams. The dead cannot be as happy as she was when she woke up and realized that she was now an Overlord, and when she actually thanked me for staying with them...it was something that I knew the dead could never do. Don't you see, Fubuki? Killing Miss Rozalin will do nothing to make you feel better about what happened, zam!!"
"...Yukimaru..." Fubuki stared at his sister in amazement. Where had the shy, polite little sister from his past gone? "You...have changed since you left."
Yukimaru began to blush, but she maintained eye contact with her brother. "It is because...of what I learned from my friends. That includes Miss Rozalin, zam." At this, Rozalin began to blush, but remained silent.
"Your...friends...?" He turned his head in the group's direction. "...I see. Then I have failed at my personal mission." He stabbed the axe into the ground and pulled out a knife, prompting the others to look dumbfounded. He held the knife over his stomach. "In order to regain of my honor, I shall perform hara-kiri (belly-cutting)."
"NO!!" The group shouted as almost everyone except Rozalin pounced forward and attempted to remove the knife from the Snow Ninja's grasp.
"He's just like Yukimaru!!" Naruto shouted loudly.
"Wh-what? How so?" Yukimaru stuttered in the dust cloud that had formed.
"He's gotten so depressed over a loss that he's trying to commit suicide!! You're both alike!!"
"Actually, dood, Yukimaru tried to slit her throat. Fubuki's trying to disembowel himself," the Prinny spoke.
"IT'S STILL SUICIDE!!"
Outside of the cloud, Rozalin sweatdropped and folded her arms across her chest. "Excuse me? You do remember that we still have to free the Snow ninja, right...?"
X-X-X
Later that night in Snow Melody, Naruto and Yukimaru sat on top of the roof of a large building where everyone else was celebrating inside.
"So, you really don't mind Rozalin being Zennon's daughter?"
"Of course not, zam. I've been around her long enough to tell that Miss Rozalin is a nice person at heart."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head and frowned as he stared off in the distance. "Say that after she shoots in the back of your head. ...Or in the butt. Either way, they both hurt like hell."
Yukimaru stifled a laugh. She turned her head to the orange-clad blonde and smiled. "Naruto-sensei... I never got to thank you."
"Hm?" He looked at her and started to smile as well. "Oh, that's okay! I was glad to help you save your clan. They are your family, right?"
"Yes, but...that's not what I wanted to thank you for." Naruto looked confused, but the dark-haired Snow Kunoichi continued. "Those things I said to Fubuki...out of everyone who has taught me, you're the one who has taught me the most! Do you remember what you told me at the tournament after I lost to you? You said...that if I fail a mission, that I shouldn't become discouraged and that I should focus on becoming stronger. That in order to truly succeed in a mission, I should live. And I've learned so much from you ever since." She began to blush and looked down. "You've taught me so much... I have to give you something more than just myself..."
"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'm happy that I helped you, but you're the one who decided to change. I just...inspired the metamorphosis." After a few seconds of silence, Yukimaru scootched closer to Naruto and began to hug him. A blush immediately appeared on the blonde's face. "Huh?"
"Naruto-sensei...I have to give you something in return." His dark-haired apprentice looked up at him and began to blush as well. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Um... I'm sorry!! She immediately moved away and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I-I didn't mean to do that, but I was thinking, and before I knew it, I was doing what I was thinking...!"
Meanwhile, Naruto began to sweat, his eyes squinted and his hands gripping onto the material of his pants. He couldn't hear Yukimaru's apologies as he fell off the roof and landed face first in the snow.
"Naruto-sensei?!" Yukimaru exclaimed as she looked off of the roof with large, blank eyes, her mouth hanging open in shock.
X-X-X
The next day, Rozalin and her vassals stood at the village entrance, facing Fubuki and the large group of Snow Clan ninjas.
"Thank you for coming to aid my people," Said Fubuki. "You could have just turned around and go away, but you went out of your way to save them."
"Well, it's not as though we had a choice... You are Yukimaru's family, after all," Rozalin spoke as she gave a small smile. "Nonetheless, I was happy to help."
"...I see. I don't think I've heard of an Overlord who would do such a thing."
"It kinda helps that she's not like most Overlords," Naruto said with a grin.
"Rozalin, I..." Fubuki paused for a moment and began to shake his head. "No... Rozalin-sama. For what you've done, the Snow Clan is in your debt. If you ever need us, please, do not hesitate to ask." He held his hand out to the blonde Overlord, who, after a moment of hesitation, took hold of his hand and began to shake it.
"I will not."
"Yukimaru, I assume that you have a new mission in life now?" The dark-haired demon asked as he looked down at his younger sibling.
"Not yet, actually. But, until then, I will continue to live..." She then began to smile as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "Just as Naruto-sensei told me to do."
"Is that so?" He suddenly looked at Naruto, causing the blonde to jump, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto-san, I trust you'll take good care of my sister."
"O-of course!!" The blonde exclaimed. Something inside of him was saying that Fubuki somehow knew about what had happened between him and Yukimaru the night before, but there was no way of being completely sure.
"Good. Because if you don't..." Fubuki's other hand immediately went up to Naruto's throat, holding a kunai up against it. "I will personally kill you."
Naruto gulped and gave a nervous laugh, his face tinted blue from fear. "Heh-heh-heh-heh...!" As Fubuki broke away from him, the blonde couldn't help but think that the Snow Ninja really did know."
"Wait, Naruto-kun!!"" A group of Snow Clan Kunoichi exclaimed as they pushed their way towards the front, blushing and giggling. "We want to give you something before you leave!"
The chunin blinked. "Really? What?" In less than a second, he had a bunch of Snow Kunoichi hugging him and planting kisses on him. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!! Hey, who's pinching my butt?! Get off of me!! Off, off, off!!" The Kunoichi soon jumped away, still blushing and giggling. Naruto had several kiss marks on his face. "I feel so...violated! Demons are cruel!!"
"You seem to have a habit of attracting demon women," Ina observed with an arched eyebrow.
"Naruto...!" Rozalin growled as a dark vibe came off from her being. The orange-clad ninja dared to turn around and face his master, sweating bullets. He was soon staring face first into the barrel of her handgun. "You fool!!" The blonde Overlord shouted, her face tinted red and a vein throbbing on her forehead.
"W-wait, Rozalin!! Don't--!"
The screen faded out and the sound of shots being fired could be heard, along with Naruto and Rozalin's screams of "Traitor!!" until they faded into silence.
X-X-X
Naruto obtained Yukimaru's Kiss!!
Rozalin has committed the felony "Friendly Fire"!! ...Yet again.
:Episode 9:
:End:
X-X-X
:Next Episode!:
Prinnies: (Singing Off-screen) Red moon, red moon... Cleanses the sinful and makes them anew...
Naruto: Hey, what's with all the Prinnies singing?
Rozalin: Tonight is the Red Moon, when Prinnies who have paid for their sins are at last reborn into new lives for a fresh start.
Naruto: Reborn? Good for them. They deserve it for working so hard and putting up with the abuse we give them.
Prinnies: (Singing off-screen) Shining brightly in the night sky, waiting for the souls...
Sasuke: NARUTO!! Where'd that black Prinny go?!
Naruto: Eh?! Oh, I think it left with the other Prinnies. It's gonna be reborn.
Sasuke: What? NO!! We have to go after it! We have to stop it!!
Rozalin: What are you complaining about? You never even paid attention to that Prinny before, and now you want it back?
Sasuke: Yes, now let's go get it back!!
Prinnies: (Singing off-screen) Who will be born again tonight? Who will be born again tonight?
Naruto: Next time on SiNful Rose, Episode 10: "Revelations Beneath the Red Moon"!
Sasuke: Come on!! Let's go find that Prinny!
Naruto: Sasuke...what the heck is wrong with you?
Prinnies: (Singing off-screen): Born again tonight...?