Chapter Twenty-Eight
I'm on a Boat, Land of Snow Pt.2
⠀⠀⠀⠀Her name was known to the world as Yukie. She was an actor, and nothing more, and her greatest role thus far was as Princess Gale. She was reserved with her emotions, and would often anger those around her, but when the camera was rolling, she turned into someone else entirely. Ironic, considering she was a true princess, it was all fitting as a child, her dreams was to be an actress. She was also quite attractive, and her blue eyes were very stunning. Sensei had been right, she was the perfect actor for Papa's work, and I knew my modeling to get her involved in Icha Icha would pay off later.
⠀⠀⠀⠀For now, I watched. I stayed quiet. I stayed out of sight, and I followed her about as she rode on her horse. With Naruto not here to bother her, she fetched water for her steed, then ran about to the opposite side of the city. Then she bought new clothes, tossed her 'Princess Gale' costume aside, and pushed herself into a bar after nearly six more hours of walking. The moon was, by now, halfway in the sky, and I had pocketed her costume, placing it in my inventory, after she had tossed it aside. I then stepped into the bar with her after she ordered her first drink.
⠀⠀⠀⠀A minute or so after, a man, who I had sensed stalking Yukie long before he showed himself, entered the bar. He was a Chūnin, given his level of thirty-one, who wore a grey cap, dirty green coat, yellow shirt underneath, and khaki pants. When he ordered himself a drink, he up front, and I began to change clothing. I now moved at the speed of sound and was able to swap into my fancy black suit in under five seconds. It had been the same one I used whenever I went to the bank, and when I stepped into the bar, I walked over to Yukie's seat and sat beside her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You know, when I heard that the actress I helped hire for my Otōsan's work vanished from the set of the next Princess Gale movie—I was a bit worried," I stated, but I didn't look over to her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, you've got to be kidding…" she sighed, only to laugh. I knew her laugh was fake, but a moment later, she just took another shot of saki. "Don't tell me—you're also here to get me to go to the Land of Snow? Well tough break, but I'm not going, Hikigaeru."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"That's alright, I'm not personally dragging you off anywhere," I waved her off. "I'm just here to make sure you still play your part in Icha Icha and chicken not out. Then I would drag you off."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"So you're the brat Makino was talking about," she mumbled. "With how he was praising you, I thought you'd be taller than—this." She gestured at me.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Excuse me, Bartender-sama," I spoke up, only to withdraw a card with my ninja registration on it, "I'd like to get a drink."
⠀⠀⠀⠀The bartender was a cleanly shaven man, who walked over and took my card. He inspected it for a moment and lifted it up to the lamp's light. "Alright," he nodded, handing me my card back, "what would you like?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀My eyes roamed the selection behind him, and I gestured towards the lower shelf. "Rum from the Land of Rice," I pointed up a bit, "amaretto from the Land of Lightning, and beer," I pointed to the top shelf, "from… anywhere, to be honest, just make sure it's good and not cheap."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"A fireball?" the Bartender questioned, and I nodded.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yep. Don't worry about lighting it," I raised a finger, pushed a bit of chakra through it, and a small flame hovered just above my fingernail, "I got it covered."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Yukie chuckled at my comment and poured herself another drink. "Makino might have been on to something with you—but I'm not going back."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"As I said, I won't force you, and I'm here just to enjoy myself," I started again, but failed to mention that I was following her, and, if anyone was going to force her, it was going to be Sensei.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Good," she took the shot she just poured, and the two of us sat there drinking for several long, silent minutes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀The quiet had dragged on after some time, but eventually, Yukie had reached into her shirt and withdrew her necklace. Part of me wondered if she remembered I was there, but I knew she did when the light of my flaming drink added a flickering effect throughout the crystal. I kept my eyes on the glowing blaze of alcohol, before blowing it out and taking a swig. For a moment, I was in bliss, and grateful over the flavor that a fireball gave. It tasted exactly like Doctor Pepper, and I let myself lean on the counter as I enjoyed the burn I felt as it went down.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"The Land of Snow… not even a place worth going to," the princess mumbled, and I nodded quietly in agreement. "Makes me want to puke just thinking about it."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Please don't, this suit is dry clean only," I joked, and she snorted. I then raised my glass, asked for another shot, and placed the empty one beside my other empty glasses.
⠀⠀⠀⠀The quiet continued for a moment, and I decided small talk would be nice. "You know, the downside of being who I am is that I can't really get drunk. My liver just—gets rid of it all."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Don't really care, kid," she quipped, only to put her necklace away. "So long as I can drink myself, it's nothing I should worry about."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I guess that's true," I quietly agreed, and a moment later, the man in the corner stood, and in the distance, I felt Sensei's chakra appear. He was followed by several people, three of whom were my team.
⠀⠀⠀⠀As he made his way out, I decided it was time to stand, and after accidentally bumping myself into the spy, I apologize. When I asked for how much my bill was, I paid with ryō, then paid for Yukie's bill. She then stated, "Don't expect me to thank you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀I continued to say nothing but stepped closer to the door. "It was nice meeting you, Yukia-san. I look forward to working with you later, though I kind of wish you'd loosen up. You've got a stick up your ass as tall as any tree in Konoha."⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Whatever, kid, I wasn't put on his planet to entertain you," she shot back in a lazy, tired voice.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yet you're still an actor," I laughed. "Here to make me, and a whole lot of other people, smile and laugh… or jack off, since there is going to be an adult-rated version of the movie."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Eh, those people are the worst of the bunch," she shivered, only to take another shot. When it went down, she made a refreshing 'aw', then muttered, "So long as they stay the hell away from me, I won't have a problem with them, then. Some people need to learn the difference between someone on screen, and the actor. It gets so annoying when people can't figure out that crap."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"No kiddin," I agreed. Then, when I stepped out the door, I saw a tiny toad looking up at me, followed by Sensei. Sensei then took a step to the side, and Sandayu, a tall skinny man who also lied to others about who he truly is, rushed into the bar. I stepped to the side, allowed him to pass, then walked over to the tiny toad. "Thank you," I bowed, "for your service." I then withdrew a dead beetle and held it out. The moment it was snatched up, the toad vanished, and I turned towards Kakashi. "You should try the fireball shots here, Sensei, they're amazing."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wait, you've been drinking, Hikigaeru-chan?" Naruto asked, and I looked over to see him, Hinata, and Sasuke smiling at me, but each one gave me an odd look.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"And why are you wearing a suit?" Sasuke followed up.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I like to look nice for the actor that's going to portray my Papa's book," I stepped out and grinned. "Besides, it takes more than just twelve shots to get me drunk. Liver presses it out too quickly, and he only gave me low alcohol drinks."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Then Sensei patted my head as he passed, and stepped into the bar. He joined in on their conversation, and I pointed towards after them, and said, "You guys should pay attention. She's—something to get used to. I'll be out here looking at the stars."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned, and when I passed him, I just pointed back.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Just go take a look," I repeated.
⠀⠀⠀⠀And they did, and the moment Naruto caught wind of what came out of her mouth, he began to instantly argue with the actress. Sandayū yells joined Naruto and stated that she could not be replaced and that she was the greatest actor there was. Naruto got mad over how she was just mocking them, and how it was rude. I knew, through her chakra, that Hinata didn't like her either, but she stayed quiet, and Sasuke's reaction was the same, only he immediately stepped outside the bar, not wanting to deal with the situation. In the end, Sensei had to cast a Genjutsu on Yukie, and she slumped over into his arms.
⠀⠀⠀⠀As he carried her out of the bar, I joked, "Now Sensei, that's not how you pick up girls at a bar. Do we need to have a talk about taking things too far?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Now's not the time for jokes, Hikigaeru-chan," Sensei dismissed me. "Sandayū, please escort us to the ship we're to use. Sasuke, catch Hikigaeru up on what she missed."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Sasuke had informed me of everything in a very lazy, short summary. The detail was there but hardly mattered, as I knew everything that was going on already. Then the day ended with me switching out of my suit, then sleeping in a hammock I pitched above deck. It was against the wishes of nearly everyone's request, except Sensei, who didn't mind. The rope I used suspended me high above the deck, as I had tied one end to the main mask, just above the sail, and the other end atop the foremast. The excess rope allowed me to sway side to side, and I was knocked about like a child's toy as the ocean's waves crashed against the ship.
⠀⠀⠀⠀When the sun rose, I decided to stay asleep for another hour, only to awaken when it was seven. Leaving my hammock where it was, I leaped from the top of the ship and landed near the stern. I yawned, and not wanting to wait on others to provide food, withdrew something from my inventory. I silently thanked the gods above for preventing any form of rot or decay in my seals and ate a few fruits that I had stashed away. My team was already up at this point, and when I stepped over to them, I popped my back.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Good morning," I yawned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Morning," Sasuke replied, only to yawn himself.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Morning, Hikigaeru-chan," Naruto mumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Hinata then mumbled something incoherently, and I leaned towards Naruto and asked, "You didn't keep Hinata-chan up all night, did you?" That woke Naruto up, and he sputtered so quickly he bit his tongue. Hinata flustered, and her incoherent mumbling doubled, while I just laughed. "You two are so cute together, it hurts."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Could you not break them so early in the day? We're stuck on a boat with them for the next few days," Sasuke requested.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I know, I know, but I need something to do that does not eat, sleep, or study," I complained. "Speaking of studying," I glanced past my team to Sensei, who slowly walked up to us, "do you know of a quiet place on the ship I can read and take notes? I kind of just passed out last night and didn't get a good look at the ship.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm sure you'll find something on your own, Hikigaeru-chan," Sensei replied. "Otherwise, just keep an eye out."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"For?" I inquired. "Enemy nin or pirates? Actually, what rank is this mission?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"A," Sensei reached into his back pocket and withdrew his book.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Sasuke, who didn't seem impressed by Sensei's answer, muttered, "I highly doubt that us guarding a pampered actress counts as an A-rank mission."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Same could be said about a random bridge builder, Sasuke-kun," I rolled my eyes at him. "Demon's in the details."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"She's right. You never know how bad things can get, and since Yukie is an actor—a big one at that—she's going to be targeted quite often. Though, it's hard to tell by who. So just keep an eye out," Sensei countered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Considering how she acted, I can see kinda why she'd be targeted," Naruto swore, and Hinata quietly nodded beside him, still a bit red in the face.
⠀⠀⠀⠀We fell quiet for a moment, and before I walked off from them, Sasuke spoke up, "Hey, Hikigaeru-chan, the Dobe's been antsy about you wanting to tell us something. Mind getting it off your chest, so he stops bothering us with it?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh right, I forgot to tell you guys," I quietly nodded to myself. "Sorry, I got caught up in the moment of it all," I then apologized, but gestured at Naruto and Hinata. The latter of whom seemed to glance over towards me with curiosity, while the former began to squirm with excitement. "My… Okay, I've been keeping this a secret cause my parents have a lot of enemies, but I'm stronger now, so I'm alright with people knowing. Since I'm alright with that, I'm also picking up my family name."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"And it's a good one, guys," Naruto nearly squeed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Could you not interrupt?" Sasuke asked Naruto in the same lazy tone that Sensei often used.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sorry."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah—so, my Mama's Tsunade, of the Sannin, and the strongest woman alive. Which makes me a Senju. Which is why I'm able to heal. It's kind of like Sōsofu's healing ability. You know—the first Hokage," I finally admitted to Hinata and Sasuke. "So for now on, you can call me Senju Hikigaeru, but hold off on saying it publicly. I'm kind of waiting to announce it to everyone, like the elders and other clans."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Hinata then began to beam at me, and her flushed features were replaced with a grateful cheer. Sasuke seemed to take the information with a pinch of salt but smiled at me. Hinata was the first to speak, who spoke clearly, and said, "Congratulations, Hikigaeru-chan!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I thought you always hated your Mama," Sasuke observed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I do, but… It's a long story, Sasuke-kun. I don't really want to get into it, but you'll understand once you get to meet her day. Sooner then later, I suppose," I smiled softly.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hm," Sasuke nodded, only to ask, "So, what have you been studying?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Fūin, Fūin, and more damn Fūin…" I muttered, only to let my head bop against the back railing of the ship. "That and chakra rotation, fusing my chakra to make fire, and study of the muscular system, plus bone health, and brain health, atop of chakra study." With each listing, I slightly lifted my head and knocked it against the wood.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wow, Hikigaeru-chan, I didn't know you were looking into all of that," Naruto marveled. "Why?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You wouldn't happen to be working on the Rasengan, would you?" Sensei questioned me.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yes," I answered bluntly.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"The Rasen-what?" Naruto pondered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, it's just a jutsu that the fourth Hokage invented," Sensei hinted at, which made Naruto's eyes widen. He then looked over to me, and warned, "Something like that requires a lot of chakra. You should be careful with it since your reserves are a bit on the small side."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, about that," I lifted my head to look at the rest of them, "physical trauma has a chance of increasing someone's chakra reserves based off of the wound. I asked a nurse about it before leaving the hospital, cause I felt like I had more chakra in me than normal, and it turns out I've got a bit more than before."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"By h-how much?" Hinata questioned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Kakashi-sensei, when he had trained Naruto in wind chakra, mentioned that if Naruto's chakra was not suppressing Kurama's chakra, then it would be a hundred times his own. Yet that was Naruto after he trained with Papa and after three years, and as Naruto stood, he only had two-hundred-thousand, while Sensei had one-hundred-twenty-thousand. My own was four-hundred-sixty-six-thousand-two-hundred. I now had more then double Naruto's chakra, and even if you added Sasuke's and Hinata's chakra to Sensei's, I would still have more then four times theirs. It was ridiculous how much I had been given, but I as opened my mouth, I quickly closed it, not answering.
⠀⠀⠀⠀My hesitation was enough for Sensei to snap his book closed, and in the same deep, demanding tone he used when we were on the dock in the Land of Wave, he ordered, "Flair your chakra." He then lifted his headband up, showing his Sharingan.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yes, Sensei," I agreed, and as directed, I placed my hands together, and poured my chakra into the air.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke took a step back. Not out of fear, but as the waves of chakra gushed from me, the winds that picked up were a bit strong. Sensei held his ground, but his eyes slowly widened the longer I poured more and more chakra into the air. As my reserves began to slowly drain from the display, they were quickly regenerated, and the longer it lasted, the more everyone realized something had changed in me. Naruto's reaction was pride, and he grinned at me, amazed by the show. Hinata's was shocked, but not the scared shock most would see in her. It was a scared worry over what was happening. Sasuke's was an impressed, jealous fear, that grew prideful when Sensei motioned for me to stop.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hikigaeru," Sensei stepped towards me, "if your reserves keep growing, tell me. This isn't normal. At all. Don't use much of your chakra while we're on this mission unless it's absolutely necessary. When we get back to Konoha, you're getting checked into the hospital again."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wait, you mean this isn't a good thing, Sensei?" Naruto questioned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hinata had more chakra then Hikigaeru when we took on Zabuza. Now she has more chakra then you, Naruto." Sensei covered his Sharingan. "This isn't normal, and if her body is producing much more chakra then it should, it could be life-threatening."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"In that case, we'll just have to make sure she doesn't use her chakra," Sasuke shrugged. "Isn't that right, Hinata, Dobe?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Y-yeah," Hinata nodded.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"That's easy," Naruto laughed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, yeah, I won't use my chakra, I promise," I nodded, only to turnabout, and walk towards the port side of the ship. "Yukie will be up soon, from what I'm feeling from her chakra. I'll keep an eye out for chakra on the sea, but if it's alright with everyone, I'll be reading." I then withdrew a book from my inventory and walked off with my face tilted into its pages.
⠀⠀⠀⠀The last thing I heard was Sensei ordering Sasuke, "Keep an eye on her. You know how she can get." He then ordered Naruto and Hinata, "The two of you will keep an eye on Yukie. The last thing we need from her is for her to jump ship."
⠀⠀⠀⠀The rest of the day was nothing more than me lying in my hammock, reading and taking notes. I sat with earplugs and only leaped down to eat or use the bathroom. Otherwise, I concentrated on my senses and worked. When night came, I laid back, and enjoyed the night sky, knowing what was coming in the morning. I closed my eyes and smiled, and then the screen for an how many hours I'd like to sleep popped up. I entered in one hour and took a nap. When I woke, and there was no one or thing crazy about, I went back to sleep for an hour.
⠀⠀⠀⠀This repeated, until four in the morning, where I awoke to a mountain of ice forming in the distance. It was far off, and the sun's rays gleaned over the eastern waters, but thanks to my sensing range, I felt the power on display. The chakra being used felt close to Haku's, only saltier. It was also more crabby, though there was a buttery taste to it. It was also not the only one I felt but was the strongest of them. The others were flavorless in comparison, but I knew that was only because the pallet of buttery crab overpowered them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I slowly breathed in the cold, morning air, and ignored the sudden craving I had for crab. Then, I withdrew a jacket from my inventory and leaped down to inform Sensei of what I sensed. Kakashi slept in a bed below deck, and I crouched down near him. In a quiet voice, I spoke up, "Sensei, we have a problem."
⠀⠀⠀⠀His eye slowly opened, but he turned to me with a hardened gaze. "What is it, Hikigaeru?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Nin in the distance. One Jōnin level, close to you, and two high Chūnin to low Jōnin. There's also something you've got to see. I believe we're running into another ice kekkei genkai user," I explained, only to stand, and moved to the door that led to the main deck. When I reached it, I clapped my hands together. "I'll be hidden for now. Genin teams only normally have three, so if they're enemies, they won't suspect I'll be about. I'll be up in the crow's nest."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Sensei quietly nodded and followed me out onto the main deck of the ship. His gaze instantly widened when he saw the iceberg in front of use form. "Hide your hammock," he then ordered, and I leaped off.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Sensei then returned below deck, and the moment he vanished from sight, the chakra in the distance stopped flaring, and the ice stopped growing. Then I felt Hinata's, Naruto's, and Sasuke's chakra stir, and a few moments later, the four of them returned above deck and began getting ready for the morning. Sensei, for some reason, had Naruto and Sasuke then spar. I realized the moment they began to fight, that it was nothing more than a distraction. A ruse to give Sensei and Hinata a reason to use their Dōjutsu. Sensei and Hinata sat near the stern, while Naruto and Sasuke fought near the bow. Given the direction, both Hinata and Sensei's eyes were on the ice before us. I wanted to it was clever, but I stayed quiet and attached myself to the top of the mask.
⠀⠀⠀⠀When the sun rose, the ship had moved closer to the mountain of ice, along with the mountain of ice moving closer to the ship. Its movement was faint, but enough to know it was happening. I tuned out the reactions of the crew as they began to wake, and focused on the three sources of chakra atop the iceberg. I forgot their names, but I knew their faces. A man with blue hair and a strong jaw, who once defeated Sensei in the past. A busty woman, whose hair was pinkier than Sakura, and a large man with small eyes and large lips.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"What do you mean, you're going to make sure it's safe before we can dock‽" I glanced down to see the Director throwing a hissy fit. "This is a sign from the movie gods! A big break that we just can't pass up!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I know, I know, but something like this just doesn't pop up out of nowhere. Let my team look about," Sensei's eye shop up to me for a split second, "and we'll let you know if it's safe. We were hired for that role, after all," Sensei argued.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Fine, but make it quick," Makino grumbled, only to round on the people around him. "Get moving people, they're ninja, they won't take long! I want this movie to get going, and time's a wastin!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀I noticed Sensei's hint and waited for the right shift in the boat before leaping to the glacier. When I landed, I attached myself to a large boulder of ice, so that my feet made no imprint in the snow. I slowly walked around it, shifting about as I went, only to leap off again, and land closer to the first of my prey. My stealth was more than enough to hide from anyone short of a Kage, or perhaps some every talented Jonin, but even then, I knew if I played my cards right, I could sneak up on Jiji.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Observes," I whispered as I gazed upon the pink haired woman.
Kakuyoku Fubuki
⠀⠀⠀⠀Level 53, Yukigakure, Kazahana Dotō
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Loyal to Himself, Loyal to the Genma
⠀⠀Hit Points: 33,500
⠀⠀Chakra: 42,250
⠀⠀⠀⠀'Ten years prior to the movie plot, Fubuki participated in overthrowing the daimyō of the Land of Snow, Kazahana Sōsetsu, on the orders of Dotō Kazahana. Her strong will and loyalty has earned her the respect of her comrades, and though she acts confident in her abilities, which borderlines overconfidence at times, she is still willing to follow the orders of others.'
⠀⠀⠀⠀I lowered my head and shook it about with disappointment. It was one thing to see a strong foe and get excited. It was another to see someone, and the only thing that you can concentrate on is her ugly hair. Fubuki had wonderful skin, a cocky smile that was nice to look at, eyes as green as limes, and a body I knew Papa would marvel at. Even I found it nice to look at, but she didn't hear the snow as I shifted about behind her. She didn't hear me hold out a hand, but her cocky grin did vanish as I withdrew a blade from my inventory. The only sound she made was a quiet gasp, only to pass away a moment later as Enryuu appeared through her neck.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Her spine was severed at the neck, and I had no remorse over killing her, but held onto Enryuu so her body didn't flop against the snow. I ignored the notification that told me I had killed her, and tilted my blade up, lifting her into the air. Then I flicked Fubuki towards me, making Enryuu vanish as I did. Her back flopped onto my shoulder, only for her to vanish into my inventory. All the while I was still transparent and not a drop of blood hit the snow.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I promise I'll bury you in your homeland," I whispered quietly, only for an explosion to shake the ice. I looked over to see Sensei standing between the boat and the leader of the Yukigakure shinobi. I frowned as I noticed the ship had then docked, and several people acted against Sensei's orders. Yukie had yet to step off the boat, but stood along its side, and watched as a spectator.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I then raised a hand and transformed into the woman I had just killed. Leaping forth, I landed on the ice near the main man with light blue hair. Again, I whispered, "Observe."
Rōga Nadare
⠀⠀⠀⠀Level 67, Yukigakure, Kazahana Dotō
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Loyal to Himself, Loyal to the Genma
⠀⠀Hit Points: 39,850
⠀⠀Chakra: 85,000
⠀⠀⠀⠀'Ten years prior to the movie plot, Nadare participated in overthrowing the daimyō of the Land of Snow, Kazahana Sōsetsu, on the orders of Dotō Kazahana. His abilities marked him as leader of Dotō's tree man team. On the day of Sōsetsu's death, he defeated Hatake Kakashi in battle, and forced him to flee.'
⠀⠀⠀⠀Then, playing my part, I stated, "Greetings, Princess Koyuki. I hope you're still carrying around the hex—" I interrupted my own sentence by having a paper bomb go off at my feet. The smoke from it was enough to cover me, and I leaped away from it and landed near Nadare. As I did, another shinobi, the larger man, revealed himself in the distance, only to make a quip I didn't hear.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata! You three protect Koyuki," Sensei then ordered, still baffled over my little act, and not knowing I was hidden as the enemy. "The rest of you—get back to the ship!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀Nadare glanced at me, then locked eyes with Sensei. "Mizore, Fubuki, the two of you fetch the princess," he ordered, and as he leaned forward, and leaped towards Sensei, I dropped my disguise, opened the first four gates, and launched myself at him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"What‽" he gasped as he looked back, "You're not—" I interrupted him with a swing of Enryuu, which I had pulled from my inventory the moment I leaped. He had blocked my attack with his armor but winced as my blade barely cut through it and bit into his flesh.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sorry, but Fubuki-san's already dead," I announced.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"What?" he gasped, only for his foot to kick out.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I blocked it with my blade, and as I flew back, Sensei rushed to where Nadare was going to land. He then called out, "I'll handle him, Hikigaeru! Take care of the other one!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Got it! Yell if you need help," I called out to him, only to land, and rush off towards the third member who was in battle with Naruto and Hinata.
⠀⠀⠀⠀As I went, I noticed that Sasuke had grabbed Koyuki, and retreated to the ship with the Princess in hand. It didn't take me long to rush down Mizore, but I canceled the eight gates as I moved, and allowed myself to slow down. In the time it took for me to attack him, Hinata ducked under Mizore's punch and lifted a hand to knock it to the side. Naruto took the opportunity to throw a punch at the large man's face, only for his mechanical arm to block it. Hinata then stepped into him and slammed her hand into his chest.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"W-what‽" She gasped, only for Mizore to headbutt her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀She fell back, and Naruto, not liking the way Hinata had yelped, shot his foot up, and kicked the man in the lower jaw. As Mizore flipped back, landing with a soft thud in the snow, Naruto was by Hinata's side in an instant. I then landed beside them, and Hinata stuttered out, "H-his armor, it stopped my Jūken blow. His heart should have stopped."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Really now?" I hummed, only to point Enryuu at Mizore. "You two fall back and help Sasuke-kun guard the ship. I'll handle him."
⠀⠀⠀⠀They nodded, and as they ran off, Naruto called out, "Good luck, Hikigaeru-chan!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀Mizore stood up and rubbed his chin with a hand. When he looked up to see Naruto and Hinata running, and myself standing before him, he shook his head, and questioned, "You're not a normal little girl, are you?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to kill you. As for that armor of yours, it will be returning with me to Konoha," I stated, ignoring his words. "I promise you'll be buried in your homeland with your allies. Do you have any requests for what you wish placed on your tombstone, Fuyukuma Mizore?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well you're presumptuous," he chuckled, only to dash at me, with his mechanical arm outstretched.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Webbing shot out of it, and I sidestepped the gunk as I moved in. Then, as Mizore raised his arm to attack me, I had done to him what I had done to Daikoku in the academy. I waited. I allowed the large man to move in, and the moment I was within arms reach of him, I forced open the first two gates, and moved faster than normal. I then reached out to his non-mechanical hand, and his fingers crunched together. The sound it made reminded me of stepping on gravel, and he roared out a horrid scream, only to swing down his large, robotic arm down like a hammer. I stepped to my left, his right, and brought Enryuu up like a bat. It struck his unprotected face, and I leaped to the side to avoid the spray of blood as I scalped him. A moment later, he vanished into my inventory, and I turned about to face Sensei's battle.
Please Review. It lets me know if you want more.
Author's Note
⠀⠀⠀⠀See, this is why you power level stealth. You can just kill people at that point! Health be damned, if you get a sword through your throat, you're dead. Yes, a bit more bloody than other chapters, but when you have no reason to keep someone alive, ending them quickly seems to work out better.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Either way, this story now has 300+ reviews, 750+ followers, nearly 600 favorites, and 75,500+ views. Considering I only started this story five months ago, I'd say I'm doing well since all of this was just to improve my writing skills. They're much better than they were, and I've learned a lot. Thank you for reading, and I hope I continue to improve.
