Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Legacy of the Messiah

Chapter11: Priorities

Snow Country: Mountain Tunnel

The sudden sound of a horn echoed through the tunnel as the frozen railroad tracks at their feet began to thaw until the tracks were usable again. Yugito stopped at the sight and looked back towards where the sound originated but only saw a light.

"It's...a train," Koyuki said in confusion. She hadn't seen one since she was a little girl; the only ones used were in Snow Country and they had been frozen over after Doto rose to power.

Yugito shot her a surprised look, "you've got to be kidding me".

The horn echoed again as a large steam-powered train came into view, barrelling down the tracks. "We should get out of here!" Koyuki yelled in surprise.

Yugito turned and ran in the opposite direction, "I hear you!"

She ran—Koyuki on her back—with the train following close behind. Her feet were pumped with chakra to increase her speed, her muscles shifting every time had feet touched the ground. Despite her efforts however the train slowly gained on them; it was then that they saw the end of the tunnel. Yugito didn't stop even as they jumped out of the tunnel and rolled across the snow covered ground.

The train screamed passed but slowed to a stop along the cliff; Koyuki shook her head to get rid of the dizziness clouding her vision and saw that the convoy wasn't there. However stand atop the platform on the train was her uncle...Doto...the man who ordered her father's death.

She didn't know what to say...

"It's been a long time...Koyuki," the Snow Daimyo said into the mike he held with a smirk on his face.

"Doto..." fear consumed Koyuki for that single moment.

"It's been ten years; come now. Don't be shy; let's get a look at that face," Doto said with that same damn smirk.

Yugito stood up in front of the princess causing Doto to narrow his eyes, "hey paedophile. It's against the law to hit on your niece, you bastard".

Doto sneered at her, "mind your place little girl".

"Make me," she growled as her eyes flashed purple.

Before Doto could answer her challenge several logs barrelled down the hill and slammed into the side of the train surprising them. They looked up and saw Sandayu standing with an army of samurai, ready to put an end to Doto once and for all.

"There you have it men! Princess Koyuki is here to watch over us! With her at our side victory is ours!" Sandayu called out and the samurai cheered.

"Sandayu...you idiot; what are you doing?" Koyuki asked barely above a whisper.

"Hear me Doto! We've waited a long time for this day of reckoning to come! Asama Sandayu and fifty loyal warriors stand before you to avenge our beloved ruler Sosetsu-sama! You will die here Doto!" Sandayu shouted raising his weapon into the air.

"I thought you'd destroyed the last of the insurgents," Doto said annoyed.

Nadare bowed his head apologetically, "I'm sorry. It appears we missed a few; we will deal with them now".

Doto just sneered as he gazed at the group, "it doesn't matter. Men such as these can't understand anything but complete annihilation...wipe them out".

"Attack!" Sandayu called out and the group dashed down the hill with their weapons raised.

The side of the train opened however to reveal dozens of tubes along the carriage; a nameless Yuki nin stood at the controls. He turned the gears and suddenly dozens of kunai shot out from the tubes creating a wall of flying kunai. The samurai stopped dead in their tracks as their eyes widened at the approaching swarm of death.

"Shinra Tensei," the ground cracked as the kunai were suddenly hurled to the side like toys. Naruto stood next to Sandayu, his arm raised towards the train and his eyes glowed with a dull gray.

"Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke exhaled a large fireball from the side which slammed into the side of the train a section of it to explode in a column of fire.

Doto clutched the rail as the train shuddered from the impact, "get us out of here!" he barked and the train started moving again.

The moment it was on the bridge a bit further down the track Sakura detonated two of her explosive notes. The back end of the train collapsed as the bridge under it was consumed in a pair of miniature suns. The front end of the train kept moving however as it released the damaged sections allowing it to escape.

Sasuke and the samurai were about to go after them when Naruto called out; "hold it. They want us to go after them; if we're going to face them it will be on our terms, not theirs".

Sasuke looked like he was going to argue for a moment but nodded understanding the logic; he didn't like waiting around but he did understand that it was better to use any advantage you had.

Koyuki walked up to Sandayu and asked in a voice befitting a mother, "You stubborn fool! What were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself and everyone else killed with that little stunt of yours!"

"B-but princess-" Sandayu began.

Koyuki interrupted before he could finish, "but nothing! A leader is supposed to put aside their personal feelings and do what is right for the people! That stunt you just pulled was selfish beyond measure!"

"Calm down princess," Naruto said causing her take a breath.

"Thank you Naruto-kun," Sandayu nodded his head in gratitude.

"Don't; I happen to agree with her," Sandayu took a step back at that. "What you did was reckless even by my standards; don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgement like that again". (Oh the irony of that statement...)

"I'm sorry," Sandayu bowed his head in shame, knowing it was true.

"Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader cowardice cannot survive," Naruto told him and Koyuki.

The Princess looked at him for a moment and clutched the necklace she held, 'maybe...'

"That was..." Sakura whispered.

Sasuke nodded at her side, "the Shodai Hokage".

"Let's get out of here; we're no good in the open like this," just as Naruto gave the order a large blimp flew up over the mountain.

Mizore stood at an opened hatch and fired his grappler; the mechanical hand grabbed Koyuki's torso and retracted. She let out a yelp in surprise as she was suddenly pulled up into Mizore's arms. He tossed her inside as Fubuki bombarded the terrain below with her 'ice grenades'. Everyone had taken cover by then and soon enough the airship withdrew from the area.

"Damn it," Naruto growled out as he saw it fly over the mountain.

"They got us good there," Yugito winced as she healed the scratch left behind from one of the ice bombs. "What now?" she asked as she quickly healed Sakura's injuries too.

"...Rescue mission," Naruto said simply. "I think it's about time we give a little of what we've been taking".

"And how do we do that?" asked the Kumo Chunin.

Naruto just grinned, "The best defence is a good offense..."

Koyuki sat in a rather comfortable seat aboard the airship as it flew over the various mountains in the area. Its destination was the former ground of the Kazahana Palace...the sight of her former home. She was nervous...she was scared...she was absolutely terrified yet...she was also calm. She had become a natural at hiding her emotions; she was an actress after all.

"You've grown quite beautiful Koyuki," Doto said with a smirk. "Tell me...do you still have the Hex Crystal?"

"Yes," she responded with a grunt.

Doto chuckled at that, "good. It is a prize unlike any other; with it I can finally unlock the treasure of the Kazahana Clan".

Koyuki looked up, intrigued, "treasure?"

"That necklace is a key to the treasure of the Kazahana Clan. When I took control of the country I found that the clan's resources were almost gone. My brother had to have hidden it somewhere; I've already found the location of it. It is in the Rainbow Glacier but to unlock it I need the Hex Crystal," Doto explained. "With this we will finally be able to increase Snow Country's power and eventually overthrow the Five Great Shinobi Nations".

"...Even if you succeed it won't change anything," Koyuki said as she took off necklace she wore and handed it to Doto.

A second after Doto examined it he snarled angrily, "What is this? Do you think I can't recognize a fake?!"

"W-what? B-but that's-" Koyuki's eyes snapped in recognition. "Uzumaki Naruto," she whispered in understanding.

"What?" Doto growled.

"The brat's just like his mother, an unpredictable prankster. I wouldn't put it passed him to pull a switch," Nadare said as he stood with his team. "We'll go get it now; it shouldn't take long".

"That won't be necessary," Doto sneered as he threw Koyuki back down on the couch. He turned to the Yuki nins and smirked, "we have what he wants. He'll come to us just to save the little princess here like a good little hero".

Snow Country: Snow Fortress

"The place is crawling with guards," Yugito whispered as she sensed the various chakra signatures in the area. "They're all Genin level except for five; three are Jonin level and the last two are at the Chunin level," she stated clearly.

"I thought there were only three Yuki nins in that squad," Sakura commented from the side.

Yugito nodded, "one of the others is Doto but I don't recognize the last one".

"What about Koyuki? Where is she?" Naruto asked her.

Yugito closed her eyes for a moment before replying, "She's in one of the underground holding cells".

Naruto nodded in understanding, "alright this is what we do. Sasuke, you and Sakura set up as many explosive tags in the fortress as you can while Yugito and I get Koyuki. While we do this I'll have my shadow clones razing as much hell as possible on those Genin; just wait for the signal before detonating the tags".

"And what's the signal?" Sakura asked.

Naruto just grinned, "That would be the prison area going sky-high".

"You know I've never actually read one of those books about a damsel in distress but...I guess you would count as one huh?" Koyuki looked up upon hearing the voice. Naruto stood outside of her cell with a fox's grin on his face, "hey princess. Did you miss me?"

Koyuki let a genuine smile cross her lips for the first time in ten years, "...you're late Naruto".

"Yeah well heroes always show up at the last second," he shot back as he opened the cell door.

Her smile faltered for a moment, "you swapped the Hex Crystal didn't you".

Naruto nodded and handed her back the purple crystal, "yeah. I figured that's what they were really after; especially considering the feeling I was getting from it".

Koyuki looked at him confused, "feeling?"

"Yeah every time I look at it I feel cold; it's the same as the necklace I've got. Except that one feels warm," the blond replied.

She stared at him for a few more seconds, 'that can't be...I thought I was the only one who felt anything from this'.

"Naruto behind you!" Yugito called out from down the path.

Naruto turned quickly but he wasn't fast enough; a figure had appeared behind him and knocked him away with what appeared to be sword made of lightning. He bounced off the side of the wall, scattering pieces of the concrete before he finally rolled to a stop a few feet away. He stood to his feet a moment later, being aware of the edge of the pathway overlooking the abyss below.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto growled.

The stranger had already grabbed Koyuki before Yugito could intercept; his blade rested at the princess's neck ready to slit her throat at a moment's notice. A sudden clapping echoed through the prison area and everyone looked up to see Doto descending from the lift.

"Well done," Doto said with a smirk as the stranger threw over the Hex Crystal along with the princess. "Dispose of them while I take care of more important business," Koyuki struggled to break free but to no avail. He released his cloak, revealing his new chakra armour and took to the air with his mechanical wings.

The stranger smirked as he turned to the Konoha Chunin, "my name is Rokusho Aoi". He turned his head towards Yugito, "it will be the last name you ever hear".

"He's a nukenin from Konoha who stole the Raijin; the sword that was wielded by the Nidaime Hokage. I thought he joined Ame; why is he here?" Yugito asked as she stood beside Naruto.

The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki wiped the blood from his mouth and said, "Who cares? We have to get Koyuki and the crystal back".

"It's too cramped in here to fight properly," Yugito told him.

"Shinra Tensei," the world was engulfed expanded around them. Aoi was forced to escape as the ceiling, the cells and even the building on top of them collapsed.

"Problem solved."

The Snow Fortress was riddled with explosions as explosive tags detonated in a fiery blaze. Team Kakashi watched as the fortress soon tore itself apart; killing all inside. A split second later it the entire building went up in one big fireball, consuming all it touched.

"Yugito can you track them?" Naruto asked as the four stopped.

She nodded in reply, "they're heading to Rainbow Glacier. There's a problem in getting there though".

"What's the problem?" Sasuke grunted.

She turned towards him, "the snow team and that nukenin are between us and them. There's one Jonin up the mountain, the two Chunin are in the forest and the other Jonin is just outside the glacier".

Naruto thought for a moment before he spoke again, "alright this is what we're going to do. We're going to split up; Yugito can you take that rain freak?"

"Aoi...yes," Yugito nodded hesitantly.

Naruto nodded and turned to the others, "Sasuke...walk with me for a moment". The two walked a little ways from the girls and said simply, "do you think you can take on two Chunin by yourself?"

Sasuke grunted at that, "It's nothing I can't handle. Why?"

"You and I both know Sakura's no match for a Chunin; if she came with Yugito or I then we would be slaughtered. The only choice I have is to have you protect her while fighting; can you do it? Can you protect her while fighting two Chunin?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke grunted again, mostly in annoyance, "it shouldn't be a problem".

Naruto smiled at that, "alright then". He spoke louder so everyone could hear, "there is one last thing. When you win; don't come to aid the others...head straight for Doto and Koyuki. Until Doto's plan is stopped and Koyuki is saved, nothing else matters".

Author's Notes:

People have been saying Naruto should learn more jutsu besides the two he picked up from the Rinnegan. I agree but he won't be learning any more jutsu until the three-year time skip where he trains with Jiraiya. I'm sorry but that's just the way things are; this entire arc is practically devoted to Naruto acquiring leadership skills, not learning jutsu. He did that during the last arc where he learned Bansho Tenin and Rasengan.

Translation

Rikudō-Sennin = Sage of Six Paths

Shinra Tensei = Divine Judgement

Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu = Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique

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