Naruto (Reaper): And I am back with a brand new chapter! No time for funny intros, let's just get into it!

Rock Lee: Yosh!

Reaper's Blood: Final Mix
Chapter Twenty-Four

Konohagakure no Sato
Yamanaka Ino

"Ino! Are you paying attention?"

Ino's platinum blue eyes gazed at her Sarutobi Asuma's form as he stood above her, a stern look on his face.

She and her team had been running team exercises but she had been distracted. Ever since Naruto had left for his mission, she couldn't take her mind off of him.

That little moment they had at her home kept replaying through her head and it scared her greatly. Why was this moment trapped in her mind.

"I'm sorry Asuma-sensei…I'm just not feeling well lately..." She said softly as she sat down and placed her knees on her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Asuma looked down at his student and asked her "Alright Ino, What's been bothering you lately?"

Ino looked up at the clear blue sky and let a small sigh leave her lips before saying "I've just been worried about a friend of mine that's been on a mission." Ino then paused for a moment to gather her thoughts before she continued with "I just feel that something is going to happen to him and its bugging me none stop…"

Asuma patted her head softly as he stood up, completely understanding what she was going through "I know exactly how you feel Ino. You see, someone I really care about is on a mission that was bumped up from a C-rank to an A-rank mission and while I worry about her and her team…I have to have faith in her to come home safely and you have to have faith that Naruto will come home safe and sound. Understood?"

Ino nodded softly but then her eyes widened. "H-How did you know I was talking about Naruto?" Ino asked her sensei who was now walking away from her.

Asuma turned his head around to gaze at her and with a smirk; he said "Simple, He's all you've been talking about for the last few days. Now, let's get back to training." And with that, Asuma left a blushing Ino sitting at the training ground, embarrassed that her sensei saw through her so easily.

"He is right though…Naruto will come home safe and sound…And I'll be the first one at the gate to welcome him home," Ino said as she nodded to herself. "He'll be fine," she then whispered but she couldn't help but look at the sky above her.

'Come back safely Naruto…' She thought with her hands clasped before she stood up and ran after her team.

Village – Hotel
Uzumaki Naruto

Naruto didn't know what happened.

One minute, he was sleeping soundly on the bed in Koyuki's vice like grip and next thing he knew, he was on the ground with his legs in the air with Koyuki shrieking in horror.

"That's a poor way of waking up," Naruto groaned out before he rolled off of his shoulders and onto his feet with a deadpanned stare towards Koyuki.

"What are you doing in my room?!" Koyuki shrieked in anger.

Naruto didn't respond. Instead he grabbed a receipt off the table beside the bed and held it to her. She glared at him and responded with "And what is that supposed to prove?"

"How about read it," Naruto replied with a dry tone.

Koyuki snatched the receipt from his hand and read it before he face dropped as Naruto said "You busted into my room drunk and then kicked out everyone except me, where you held me in a death grip until five minutes ago," Naruto explained.

"I-I see…Sorry kid," Koyuki murmured. "Why didn't you kick me out?"

"Because you fell asleep immediately," Naruto responded with a shrug. "Besides, I'm here to guard you remember? This would have been the best option in case an assassin was looking for you, you know?"

Koyuki nodded and said "Very well. It's settled, I'll be staying with you from now on then."

"I'm sorry, what?" Naruto asked quickly.

"Did I stutter Shinobi boy?" Koyuki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Y-You didn't but why?" Naruto asked her before he added "Actress-chan."

There was a flicker of emotion in Koyuki's eyes but it was there long enough for him to make it out.

She was amused.

He grinned.

"You told me yesterday that you wanted to protect me without any stress or strife right? I'm just making sure I do my due diligence to our agreement Shinobi boy," Koyuki responded. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm starving and I need a drink. Hop to it."

"Hop to what?" Naruto asked.

"You want a stress free mission right? That means my stomach is stressed from lack of food and drink…"

"You're not asking me to be your maid, are you?" Naruto asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

Koyuki's emotionless face suddenly turned into a grin which made Naruto admit to himself, she was very attractive when showing emotion, even smugness.

"I'll give you a kiss if you do…" She told him.

"You don't have to do that," Naruto said but the blush he felt on his face said otherwise.

"Oh please Shinobi boy, you looked mighty comfortable in my "Death grip" as you called it. And that blush is telling me different," Koyuki smirked as she lifted her right foot and toyed with the zipper on his jacket. "So would you please, my shinobi boy?" She asked him softly.

Naruto's face was as red as a tomato but he quickly stamped down his blush and said "You know, manipulating me won't work…No matter how attractive you look. A simple please will do."

"That's all I have to say?" Koyuki asked him with a hint of confusion and surprise on her face.

"Yeah," Naruto replied with a kind smile. "Hasn't anyone ever asked you to do something without doing anything in return?"

"No…Never," Koyuki asked.

"Well that's not right," Naruto frowned.

"Nothing is right when it comes to the movie industry kid," Koyuki replied softly.

"I'll stick to the shinobi business then," Naruto said with a wink, which caused a faint smile to appear on Koyuki's lips.

"It must be nice having the choice," Koyuki said bitterly. "I never wanted to be a movie star. I had other dreams and aspirations…But I was railroaded into it by my agent."

Naruto felt a frown appear on his face but he decided to leave it be for now. "Well, since you asked nicely, what would you like me to get for you?"

"Hello Naruto-san," Neji said as Naruto walked down the stairs into the main lobby area of the hotel.

"Is Koyuki-san up yet?" Neji asked with a teasing smile on his face.

Naruto paused and said "I don't like that smile Neji."

A cheeky smirk appeared on Neji's face as he replied "I'm surprised you aren't smiling. Considering you were sleeping with a world famous actress."

Naruto's face heated up and said "It wasn't like that. She was drunk and barged into my room and stayed there. Tenten can vouch."

"I'm sure," Neji responded with a chuckle. "But still. Must have been nice to be with someone like her. Even if it was just "sleeping" together."

Naruto glared as he walked to the bartender bar and said "Can I get a two slices of bacon and egg with…" Naruto pulled out a piece of paper and added "Along with a glass of orange juice and two slices of French toast…Please?"

"She has you getting breakfast for her?" Neji asked with surprise. "You sure you didn't sleep with her?"

"I don't think she's interested in someone as young as I am," Naruto replied cheekily.

"Tell that to Tenten," Neji said, which prompted Naruto to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "She didn't tell you?" Neji asked with a smirk. "Yeah, during her drunken state, she referred to you as "Cute Blonde boy" and how in awe she was of you during your fight with that shinobi."

"Whoa…I could have never guessed," Naruto replied softly. "I'm not special. You know this."

"True," Neji said with a smirk. "But counter-point. If you weren't, I wouldn't be speaking to you as if we were equals."

"True," Naruto replied.

"And if you weren't…I wouldn't kept my word after all this time…" Neji added quietly, which made Naruto snort.

"I hate you," Naruto told him.

Neji and turned around and said "I hate you too." The two shared a grin before Naruto sat at beside the Hyūga and asked "Where are the others?"

"Gai-sensei went to speak to Koyuki's manager and has Tenten and Lee scoping the village for your mysterious challenger. I was sent here to meet with you. Little did I know you were sleeping our mission," Neji replied as he sipped on his orange juice.

A mischievous smirk appeared on Naruto's face as he said "As nice as it was, I like sleeping with Hinata-chan far better." Neji spit out the orange juice immediately and coughed wildly with a shocked expression while Naruto laughed and said "That is what you get for trying to embarrass me."

Without warning, a familiar shriek was heard from upstairs, followed by a man's angered shout seconds later. "That was Koyuki!" Naruto exclaimed.

"We need to go!" Neji exclaimed.

Naruto quickly summoned a clone and said "Bring up the food when done," before he and Neji quickly rushed up the stairs with Neji close behind. The two got onto the floor of Naruto's room, only to see Koyuki running towards them with two masked assailants behind her.

Naruto leapt onto the left wall as Koyuki ran beneath him and kneed the first assailant in the face while Neji struck the second assailant in the chest with his palm before ripping the black cloth off, revealing a strange armor beneath it.

Naruto landed on the ground and blocked two jabs from the first assailant and kicked them in the chest, which made the skid back on the heels of their feet.

"Step aside shinobi," the first assailant said, his baritone voice rumbling against the halls of the hallway. "We require the princess."

"Princess? She plays a princess but isn't one," Naruto said.

"That shows how much you know about your target," The other assailant, a female, said as she pulled out a kunai. "But that's all you'll get to find out!" she screamed before she lunged forward and lunged her kunai at Neji's head.

Neji smacked the kunai away and aimed two strikes at her neck but she leaned back to avoid the strikes. The man ran forward and swung his arms to hit Naruto but Naruto ducked each strike, causing the man to create two holes in the wall from his blows.

Naruto leapt up and kneed the man in the neck, which caused the man to lean back from the blow but he whipped forward and landed a headbutt to Naruto's head, which made Naruto stagger backwards only to catch the man's left hand and then his right.

'Why is his left hand so much colder and harder than his right?' Naruto thought to himself before he repeatedly kicked the man in the left knee, sending the man to the ground on one knee before he leapt up and dropkicked the man in the face, sending him on his back.

Naruto rolled onto his feet while the man did the same but the minute the man rose to his knee, he lunged his left arm forward and from the black cloth, a metal hand exploded from the cloth as he shouted "Come here brat!"

Naruto leapt over the arm, which crashed into the wooden frame behind him, and ran on the silver string before leapt over the man's head while simultaneously grabbing his neck and landed on his feet and with a mighty yell, Naruto launched the man over his shoulder and down the hall.

Meanwhile, Neji twirled a kunai and blocked two stabs from his opponents kunai before he blocked her low kick with his right leg before striking her twice in the chest as she punched his chest at the same time, which caused the both of them to stagger backwards.

"You're pretty strong," Neji said with a grin. "Unfortunately, these eyes see your weakness."

"You aren't so bad yourself," the woman said before she pulled her mask off, revealing her pale skin, green eyes and pink spiky hair styled in pig-tails with small circular dark pink eyebrows. "Kakuyoku Fubuki, Ice mistress of Yukigakure no Sato and I will be your killer today."

"Hyūga Neji, prodigy of the Hyūga clan and the victor of our bout," Neji responded with a growing smirk.

"Then Hyūga, fight me and prove your dominance," Fubuki challenged.

Neji licked his lips and said "Very well. Byakugan!"

"Oi! Neji! You gonna fight her or flirt with her?" Naruto yelled out before the man assailant charged forward and tried to tackle Naruto with his shoulder but Naruto shielded himself from the bash and skidded backwards with gritted teeth.

It was then he heard rapid footsteps running down the hall behind him before a foot belonging to Jiraiya slammed into the man's face, which sent the male soaring backwards before crashing to the ground hard.

"Needed help Gaki?" Jiraiya asked.

"Nah, I'm going easy on him," Naruto replied with a smirk.

"Jiraiya?" Fubuki growled with astonishment before she flickered backwards and skidded by her partner's side and said "We will finish this battle!" She gave a pointed look to Neji, who looked slightly disappointed, before she threw down five smoke bombs, covering the entire hall with white smoke.

And when the smoke faded, the pair was gone and the room that was beside them had the doors wide open. The three ran to the door and saw the window leading outside was wide open. "Damn, they got away," Naruto frowned.

"I'm pretty sure we'll get them again," Neji said calmly before he glanced at Jiraiya and said "Good morning Jiraiya-sama."

"Morning kiddo," Jiraiya said cheerfully. "You two were lucky I was nearby. No sense in destroying this building. Koyuki is safe and has gotten her breakfast surprisingly. Gai told me to pass on that we will be getting on a boat to our next destination."

"I'm sorry, we?" Naruto asked.

"That's right! I am taking Hayate's place and accompanying you on this mission," Jiraiya said with a wide grin on his face as he walked away. "Now come on, let's get ready. We have a boat to get to!"

"What?!" Naruto and Neji exclaimed in surprise.

Rain: And that is the end of the chapter. So I made the main enemies of this Snow Arc a little bolder than they were in the movies and a little Naruto and Neji bonding and Naruto and Koyuki bonding. So until the next chapter…

Mario: See you next time!