The vision that Sōsetsu Kazahana - the Daimyō of the Land of Snow - had for his country is threatened. The approaching storm threatens to bury the idyllic and peaceful future of this small country under meters of snow. On a top-secret Anbu mission, Kakashi Hatake heads north...


Kakuyoku - Snowstorm

Chapter I - The Land of Ice and Winter


It had almost become evening - even though that made almost no difference. The almost constant, dense cloud cover over their heads ensured that it never really got bright even during the day. The last few days had been dark days in the otherwise idyllic Land of Snow - literally.

Sōsetsu stood on the balcony of his palace - of which there were quite a few, although he never really marvelled at the sheer size of his estate, or even felt the need to boast about all the wealth, quite the opposite; the palace complex was open to all the inhabitants of his country. Banquets were regularly held and feasts organized. Everyone was allowed to attend, and everyone who attended was allowed to feast on the numerous dishes. Guests from distant lands, as well as locals, enjoyed theatrical performances and other cultural offerings and generally appreciated their time at the palace. Of course, he financed all this out of his own pocket - all offers were free of charge for the visitors. Sōsetsu wanted to see his people happy. He used his immense wealth to help the people - until he got the idea that he could do more. He wanted to revolutionize the bleak, colourless landscape of his country and change it forever. He devoted all his attention to this idea; to make the white land green - a vision that no one really believed in except himself. Sōsetsu was sure; it was a technically conceivable and worthwhile goal. During the last few months, he withdrew more and more from the public eye. At one point he was rarely seen, even in his own palace. Banquets and celebrations became less and less frequent - and his absence seemed to have put subversive elements on the agenda who had different ideas about the future of the country than he did. But he was not alone. He had allies. His brother - Dotō Kazahana, the leader of the Yuki-Nin - also stood by his side to protect him from all possible dangers.

"Father!"

Sōsetsu turned around. His glasses reflected the young face that showed itself to him.

"Look – Look what I drew!"

His daughter - Koyuki - was standing by the balcony. She had on a purple dress, in the typical design of the children of the Hidden Snow Village. Even though the dress was plain and simple, it was still her favourite. She held up a piece of paper. She pointed her small index finger at the two figures depicted on her artwork. It was difficult to see who they were.

"That's you, and me. You see. You see?"

Sōsetsu gave the little girl a warm smile.

"Oh, yes - I can see that. Definitely both of us. A beautiful picture indeed."

Koyuki closed her eyes and grinned. Sōsetsu forgot for a moment all the worries and fears that had been plaguing him lately. Koyuki was like the sun to him that rarely showed itself in the last few months. A bright star in his life – her light was able to soften his inner coldness.

"Come Koyuki. Come here - I want to show you something very special."

The man stepped up to the railing of the balcony, which was almost the same colour as his daughter's dress.

"Huh? What?"

Koyuki tilted her head and looked at her father in wonder, but then she took a few small steps forward and clasped the bars of the railing with her hands.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

From the magnificent Kazahana Castle, high up in the snow-capped mountains, there was a good view of the village of Yuki, which lay at the foot of those mountains. From the compartment reserved for members of the Kazahana clan, one had the best view - one could even see the sea on the horizon that separated the Land of Snow from the other Shinobi lands. From here, one could practically see the whole country.

"What, father - do you mean the snow?"

"No, Koyuki. I mean the land, this land - our land."

He bent down to her while holding onto the railing with one hand. He smiled and appeared composed, but the words he addressed to her were very serious and full of content. She had to understand...

"All this will be yours one day."

"The... the whole country? All the way to the Arctic Ocean?"

"Yes, Koyuki - as far as the horizon can reach."

The child's eyes sparkled in excitement.

"But not only the land, but everything inside it too. All the people who live here. The fishermen on the coast, as well as the villagers - they will all look up to you and pin their hopes on you. You will be responsible for them."

Koyuki looked at her father for a moment with an open mouth, clearly puzzled by his words, until her perplexed gaze went wide. She pressed her lips together.

"I - I don't understand, Father."

Sōsetsu straightened up again.

"One day you will, my daughter. One day you will understand."

A cold, piercing wind blew past them. Koyuki shivered.

"My lord!"

A middle-aged man stepped onto the scene. His black hair was tied back in a ponytail - a typical male hairstyle in Yukigakure. He bowed his head slightly as he directed his gaze to the ground to pay respect to the lord.

"What is it, Sandayū?"

Sandayū Asama. Sōsetsu's loyal advisor - and closest friend. He would trust him with his life if necessary - he hoped that will never be the case.

"We have received word from Konoha. Your ally, Hiruzen, will send their best Shinobi to assist us."

Sandayūs steady serious gaze fell on the little princess. He looked surprised for a moment, then embarrassed.

"My princess!"

He bowed again.

"I am sorry - I did not see you."

The princess looked at the older gentleman, puzzled, unsure what to say. Her father knelt down to her again and smiled.

"How about you go into the courtyard and continue working on that snowman you told me about. I'll join you later and look at your handiwork when it's finished - okay?"

Koyuki looked at her father, slightly uncertain. Sōsetsu knew she wasn't stupid. And he knew she could sense when he was worried about stuff.

"O - Okay."

She nodded hesistantely. Sandayū abruptly stepped aside to make room for the princess. When she had disappeared inside the palace, he stood at his master's side, his gaze fixed on the village that lay below them.

"I was hoping Hiruzen would come by in person. We are old friends. I could have used his guidance."

"The Anbu of Konoha are legendary, my lord. I am sure they will be useful."

"Useful? Useful for what? To wage a war - against my own people?"

"My lord: your people love you. You know that. It is not your people who rebel against you."

"Yet they allow that to happen, don't they? They do not take sides with me - and who can blame them? They think I am deluded. A dreamer living in a world of my own."

"Many voices have said that, that may be true. But that is not the reason for their apathy."

"Then, Sandayū, what is it?"

"They are afraid."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"Afraid that if they stand up for you, there will be negative consequences. You know what happened in the village the day before yesterday. That boy who was abused by that Kunoichi after he accused the Yuki-Nin of not doing enough to protect you and bullying the villagers. You know what that woman did to him, don't you?"

The ruler of the Land of Snow stroked his face with his hand – resigned.

"That poor boy was lifted into the air by her. Dropped, and caught - over and over again. Once it was so close we thought; that's it. I was there - I had seen it with my own eyes. By the time it was over, the kid was a mess - mentally," he added.

"Yes - yes, I know. I heard about it."

"They're afraid, my lord. No child plays in the street anymore. And you know who is responsible for all this. You know who is allowing this to ha-"

"Enough! Enough, Sandayū! I don't want to hear about it, I've told you before. Dotō is my little brother. We grew up together. He wouldn't do this to me. He couldn't..."


Fubuki Kakuyoku and Nadare Roga stood in front of the entrance to their hiding place. Standing right in front of it, the entrance to the vault was clearly visible, but from further away, the observer had the impression it was just another hill in the middle of the snow-covered forest.

"He's taking forever to get here again."

Fubuki closed her eyes, stretched and sighed.

"Typical." she added. When she opened her eyes again, she was staring into the face of Nadare, who was suddenly close to her, too close, menacingly close - a broad, amused smile on his face. She blinked a few times.

"What - what is it?"

"Don't tell me you missed him."

The Yuki-Nin drew her round, pink eyebrows together and stared angrily into Nadare's face. The man had tied his pale purple hair into a long ponytail. Nadare was considered the strongest Ninja of the Hidden Snow - a title Fubuki would eventually held in the future. At least that was what she had set out to do - after all, she was a Jonin of the village too, just like him. Only Mizore still held the rank of Chunin.

"Who - Mizore? Don't be silly. You know very well that I can't stand him most of the time."

Nadare pulled his face back - much to Fubuki's relief, whose face had turned red. But not too red that she couldn't have explained it with shame. But the fact that her heart thumped furiously - if only briefly - in her chest as she gazed into Nadare's pupil-less, turquoise eyes said a lot.

"Speaking of..." called Nadare.

Nadare folded his arms in front of his chest as the broad Shinobi with the short purple hair came within sight and hearing. He walked towards them.

"Did it not come into your mind that maybe, possibly, you should hurry up when you're late and when people are waiting for you?"

"Typical," Fubuki added.

Mizore Fuyukuma, the third man in the group, joined them. They all wore the mighty Chakra armour for which the Yuki-Nin were known throughout the Shinobi world. But Mizore's armour was the best armoured. He wore thick dark steel plates on his shoulders and the extended grappling arm he used allowed him to lock on to and grab far targets. Each Chakra armour was special and had its own distinctive features that made them unique, but they all had one thing in common; they not only conserved the Chakra reserves of the user who wore them by reducing their Chakra consumption, but they also protected against enemy Nin as well as Gen Jutsu techniques.

Mizore did not feel the need to justify his late arrival. Instead, he glanced around him.

"Is he not here yet?"

Fubuki took a step towards him.

"You're in no position to be upset about that, Mizore."

"Since when has Mizore been upset – about literally anything?" said Nadare. Then he stood behind Fubuki and fiddled with her armour.

"Hey - what are you doing?"

Nadare pulled something out of the contracted purple wings that were part of her unique armour, attached to her back. He held the object in front of her face.

"How did this get in there?"

It looked like a small hazelnut shell.

"I - I don't know."

"I think the boy you were playing with in the air the other day was an avid nut collector."

Fubuki slapped Nadare's hand away.

"Stop waving that thing in front of me!"

He smiled, unconcerned and amused.

"Hey, Mizore. You like collecting nuts too, don't you? That's your hobby par excellence, isn't it?"

Mizore remained silent and looked at him with disinterest. Fubuki rolled her eyes.

"You seem to be having another one of your days, can it be?"

Nadare narrowed his ice-blue eyes and shrugged.

"Well - somehow you have to pass the time-"

Suddenly, another person appeared as if from nowhere. Judging by his clothes, also a Shinobi from Yukigakure - two-thirds of his face hidden by a black cloth. He wore a headband with the same mark as the trio - four dots symbolising the snowfall. This one, however, did not wear Chakra armour - that was reserved only for the best Ninjas of the village. One had to earn their Chakra armour.

"Fubuki, Nadare, Mizore - Dotō-sama awaits you."

Nadare's expression looked serious - his voice icy cold.

"About time."

All four entered the hideout.


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